I have to say, I was a bit worried about going into a mental asylum with Tim. I wondered if they’d let him out again. But it was too late to back out now. One of the doctors, a man called Eams, was waiting for us at the entrance. He was a short man, bald with a little beard that could have been bought at a joke shop. We introduced ourselves and he led us out of the winter sunlight into the gloomy heart of the building.

“Krishner has responded very well to treatment,” he said. “Otherwise I would not let you speak with him. Even so, I must ask you to be extremely careful. As I am sure you can imagine, running someone over with a steamroller is a very upsetting experience.”

“For Lenny Smile?” Tim asked.

“For the driver! When Krishner first came here, he was in a state of shock. He ate very little. He barely spoke. Every night he woke up screaming.”

“Bad dreams, Dr. Eams?” Tim asked.

“Yes. But we have given him a lot of therapy and there has been considerable improvement. However, please, Mr. Diamond, try not to refer to what happened. Don’t mention any of the details—the steamroller, the accident itself. You have to be discreet!”

“Discreet is my middle name!” Tim nodded.

“And also please bear in mind, he is not a lunatic. He is here as my patient. So don’t say anything that would make him think he is mentally ill.”

Tim laughed. “I’d be mad to do that!” He nudged the doctor. “So, where’s his padded cell?”

Barry Krishner was sitting in a small, old-fashioned room that could just as easily have belonged to a seaside hotel as an asylum. A large window looked out onto the garden and there were no bars. He was a small, gray-haired man, dressed in an old sports jacket and dark pants. I noticed his eyes blinked a lot behind his glasses, and he kept picking his nails. Otherwise it would have been impossible to tell that he had, until recently, been in shock.

“Good afternoon, Barry,” Dr. Eams said. “These people want to ask you some very important questions about Lenny Smile.” Krishner twitched as if he had just been electrocuted. Dr. Eams smiled and continued in a soothing tone of voice. “You have nothing to worry about. They’re not going to upset you.” He nodded at Tim.

“I guess you must be feeling a bit flat,” Tim began.

Krishner whimpered and twisted in his chair. Dr. Eams frowned at Tim, then gently took hold of Krishner’s arm. “Are you all right, Barry?” he asked. “Would you like me to get you a drink?”

“Good idea,” Tim agreed. “How about a Coke with crushed ice?”

Krishner shrieked. His glasses had slipped off his nose and one of his eyes had gone bloodshot.