“He still wants to play football. We can’t release a confession until he says so. He’s giving out the full story on your detective work. The Mayor wants to undo what he thinks Davis did to his administration, so brace yourself.”

For the afternoon papers the Commissioner gave out the details of the developments that had led to Tesla’s capture, and for the next morning’s editions, the news of his confession. The papers that afternoon carried the details of the murder and what they could print about the mutilations. Twenty-four hours after that, there was the story of Richardson, Leland, and Schoenstein receiving special citations in the Commissioner’s office.

Tesla’s confession was more a step in his collapse than a confession, not the first step or the last in the disintegration of his personality. Richardson and Leland saw it in the report they received from Canada. Arrested Toronto, 1939, auto theft, no disposition; 1941, Toronto, auto theft, sentenced two years suspended conditional to military service; discharged dishonorably RCAF 1942, sent to Grande Soule Work Farm; arrested 1945, Montreal, public nuisance, sentenced ninety days; 1945, Montreal, public nuisance, sentenced one year; 1946, Montreal, malicious mischief, no disposition. His entry into the United States was not recorded, and there was no file anywhere in this country attesting to a continuation of the patterns he had set in Canada. By his own statements Tesla had come almost directly to Port Smith and had worked temporary jobs. He had met Theodore Leikman in November of 1947 and had moved in with him the same month. In response to questions, he said that the furnishings in the small room had been selected and paid for by Leikman. Leikman had kept both keys to the apartment. Quillan asked him if Leikman had not kept him prisoner. Tesla said no. Quillan asked again and Tesla said no again.

Richardson thought that Quillan had caught something, and told them all to keep at it. To Richardson it seemed to fit into the contrast between Leikman’s pretensions and his actual life: the fine apartment—and Tesla. Leland told Richardson of Leikman’s uncle, and that Leikman had not had to go far to have learned cruelty.

The confession came that afternoon. Leland had told Schoenstein to sit in and listen to Quillan when he could. Schoenstein had fallen into the pattern of the questions, and when he had begun to see the break, he had pressed the button that signaled Richardson’s office. Richardson had picked up Leland in the squad room.

Tesla was sitting in the armchair facing the desk. Quillan was behind the desk, his hands clasped on the blotter. Behind him the blinds were pulled up halfway. The triple windows gave view of the brick wall of the garage behind the station. Quillan waited until Richardson and Leland had taken chairs near the door.

“Okay, Felix, tell me about Teddy’s body again.”

“You mean the way I found it?”