“So what do you think of that?” Madeleine’s voice, close behind his chair, startled him.

He turned to face her. “I’m trying to figure it out.”

“Figure what out?”

“Why he appeared on that program.”

“You mean, apart from the fact that it offered him a big platform to take a free swing at his enemies—the folks who bounced him out of his job?”

“Yes, apart from that.”

“I guess, if all those accusations had a purpose beyond venting, it might be to attract maximum media attention—drag in as many investigative reporters as he can, get them all digging into the Spalter case and keeping it in the headlines as long as possible. You think that’s what it was all about?”

“Or he might want to provoke a lawsuit for slander, defamation, libel—a lawsuit he’s confident he could win. Or put the NYSP in a corner—knowing the individuals involved can’t sue him because he would win—and his real goal is to force the organization to toss Klemper to the wolves to cut their losses.”

Madeleine looked skeptical. “I wouldn’t have thought his motives would be that subtle. You’re sure it’s not just plain old anger looking for something to smash?”

Gurney shook his head. “Jack likes presenting himself as a blunt instrument. But there’s nothing blunt about the mind wielding the baseball bat.”

Madeleine still looked skeptical.

Gurney went on. “I’m not saying that he isn’t motivated by resentment. He is, clearly. He can’t stand the idea that he was forced out of a career he loved by people he despised. Now he despises them even more. He’s mad as hell, he wants revenge—that’s all true. I’m just saying that he isn’t stupid, and his tactics can be smarter than they appear to be.”

That comment produced a brief silence, broken by Madeleine. “By the way, you didn’t tell me about … that … final little horror.”

He looked at her quizzically.

She mimicked the look. “I think you know what I’m talking about.”

“Oh. The thing about the missing head? No … I didn’t tell you about that.”

“Why not?”

“It seemed … too grisly.”

“You were afraid I might find it upsetting?”

“Something like that.”

“Information management?”

“Pardon?”

“I remember an oily politician once explaining that he never engaged in deception; he merely managed the flow of information in an orderly manner to avoid confusing the public.”

Gurney was tempted to argue that this was a different situation altogether, that his motive was truly noble and caring, but she upset his balance with a surprising little wink, as if to let him off the hook—and immediately another temptation took its place.

Smart women tended to have an erotic effect on him, and Madeleine was a very smart woman indeed.

Chapter 43

Video Evidence