
“Does anyone drive your car besides you, Mr. Seguin?”
“Sometimes. If I loan it to somebody.”
“What about three weeks ago, August fifteenth, did you lend it to anybody?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to check. I don’t think I want to answer any more questions and I think I want you people to leave now.”
McCaleb slid into the seat to Seguin ’s right. I remained standing. I looked at McCaleb and he nodded slightly and only once. But I knew what he was telling me; he’s the guy.
I looked at my partner. Sheehan had missed the sign from McCaleb because he had not taken his eyes off Seguin. I had to make a call. Go with McCaleb’s signal or back out. I looked back at McCaleb. He looked up at me, his eyes as intense as any I had ever seen.
I signaled Seguin to stand up.
“Mr. Seguin, I need you to stand up for me. I am placing you under arrest on suspicion of murder.”
Seguin slowly came to his feet and then made a sudden move toward the door. But Sheehan was ready for it and was all over him and had his face down in the carpet before he had gotten three feet. Frankie pulled his arms behind his back and cuffed them. I then helped him pull Seguin to his feet and we walked him out to the car, leaving McCaleb behind.
Frankie stayed with the suspect. As soon as I could I came back inside. I found McCaleb still sitting in the chair.
“What was it?”
McCaleb reached out his arm to the nearest bookshelf.
“This is his reading chair,” he said.
He pulled a book off the shelf.
“And this is his favorite book.”
The book was badly worn, its spine cracked and its pages weathered by repeated readings. As McCaleb thumbed the pages I could see paragraphs and sentences had been underlined by hand. I reached over and closed the book so I could read the cover. It was called The Collector.
“Ever read it?” McCaleb asked.
“No. What is it?”
