Overkill(51)

“Didn’t see any cause to tell you.”

“I was her son-in-law.”

“Not for long.” He scratched the cat between its rheumy eyes, then gestured over his shoulder. “I can’t manage the housekeeping the way she did. Not and still go to the hospital every day.”

Kate said, “We stopped there before coming here.”

His eyes narrowed with suspicion, and he darted a resentful glance toward Zach before coming back to her. “What for?”

Kate saw that as an opening. “Based on what I’d been told and had read, I had a general knowledge of Rebecca’s condition, but thought I needed to see her for myself in order to fully appreciate both Zach’s dilemma and the heartache you’ve endured for the past four years. Your continual care for her is commendable, Mr. Pratt.”

“Do you have children?”

“No.”

“Then you wouldn’t get it. Even being like she is now, Rebecca is still my little girl. Her spirit is in there somewhere. I won’t give up on her.” He looked at Zach as though expecting him to throw down a gauntlet, but Zach remained silent and stoic.

Kate said, “You demonstrate your love and devotion to Rebecca daily.”

“I don’t see it as a duty, if that’s what you’re driving at.”

“No, that wasn’t what I was driving at,” she said with more patience than she was feeling. “What I was driving at is that, in contrast to your self-sacrifice, the person who did this to her is now free to go about his life without any sense of obligation or responsibility.” She reached into her bag for a folder and passed it to him. “I’ll leave this with you. You can read it or not.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember Dr. Hawkins, who testified at the release hearing?”

“Yes. He shilly-shallied.”

“Who’s Dr. Hawkins?” Zach asked.

“The psychologist who was assigned to Eban Clarke while he was in prison.”

“What do you mean he shilly-shallied?” Zach asked, addressing the question to Doug.

“On the witness stand, he rambled about Clarke’s delusions of grandeur, his sense of entitlement, lofty ego, so on.”

Kate picked up. “But when cross-examined, Dr. Hawkins was ground to dust by Clarke’s ruthless defense lawyer. He got the doctor to concede that most young men, especially those from prominent families, have inflated egos and feel entitled.

“But the most damaging part of the testimony was when the lawyer finagled the doctor into acknowledging that in some of his sessions with Clarke, he had humbly expressed remorse for his recklessness that night, and said that he would forever regret the tragic result. Words to that effect.”

“Was Hawkins lying?”

“No,” she said. “Clarke had counted on Dr. Hawkins being subpoenaed to testify, so during their sessions leading up to the hearing he convincingly playacted being repentant.”

“My ass,” Zach scoffed. “He manipulated that doctor.”

“He tried,” she said. “Dr. Hawkins is a pro. He saw straight through Clarke’s pretending. But on the witness stand, when hammered to answer with either a yes or no, he was under oath to admit that Clarke had, on more than one occasion, shown contrition.”

“So what’s this?” Doug indicated the folder which he’d set down on top of a thick, well-worn, leather-bound Bible on the table at his elbow.

Kate said, “Dr. Hawkins had a final session with Clarke just before his release. His notes are in that folder. To summarize, Clarke thanked him for his testimony at the hearing. He crowed over having beat the justice system. In reference to Rebecca, he was blasé, even callous. No remorse whatsoever.”

Kate heard Zach mutter an obscenity, but she kept her gaze fixed on Doug Pratt, whose hand now lay still on the cat. “Mr. Pratt, Eban Clarke is a sociopath. An extremely clever and cruel trickster. An individual without a conscience. He has an insatiable appetite for every form of self-indulgence. He doesn’t care whom he hurts in pursuit of anything he wants, whether it’s a fast car, the blind obedience of his so-called friends, or sexual gratification.”

Doug winced.

Kate felt compassion for him, but she didn’t back down. She was getting to the heart of the matter. This was why she had come. “Do you remember the testimonies of the other two men involved?”

“At Clarke’s trial? Of course. How could I forget?”

“Then you’ll recall their admissions that, prior to the night with Rebecca, they’d had similar ‘sex parties’ with scores of women. Every one of those occasions had been orchestrated by Eban Clarke.”

She paused. “I fear that other women will be victimized. Different circumstances, different outcomes than Rebecca’s, please God. But whether or not Clarke ever goes near another woman again, on that particular night, he stole your daughter’s life from her. He stole her life from you and Mary. To the fullest extent of the law, he should be brought to justice for it.” Sensing that she’d said enough, she eased back in her chair.

Pratt stared through the screen at the cracked concrete birdbath in his backyard. The standing water in it was stagnant. Ponderous moments ticked by, then he looked over at Zach. “You’re ready to do it, aren’t you?”