Darin saw two men in the hall. One motioned to him and walked out to them. "Yes?"
The two detectives produced ID and introduced themselves.
"We're here to talk to you about her arm. Did you have anything to do with maiming her?"
"No. But it wasn't maiming. That arm was killing her. She made the decision to not allow that process to continue. I didn't help her but I am not sure what I would have done if I had known."
"So you know what happened. You spent time with her over the weekend. How do we know you didn't help?"
"First, there is my word that I didn't. But beyond that, if you have the pathologist report they should be able to tell you approximately how long the wire was on."
"How did you know it was a wire?"
"I know because she told me."
"Why didn't you do something before the arm was damaged?"
"Well, I found out within the last hour. It was a little late for that."
"You are going to tell us you were dating her and you spent the weekend together with her having the wire on her arm and you didn't know? I mean, you should have noticed when you. You know."
Darin just stared at the man. "You really deserve a punch in the nose for that. She and I met about a year ago when I was a guest on her show. I wanted to have dinner with her then but somehow in the studio we missed each other and it didn't happen."
"So you have been seeing each other for a year?"
"Actually we didn't see each other from the time I left the stage that day till Saturday evening. I ran into her at a restaurant. We ate together and spent some time together."
"And how did you not see the wire when she took off her clothes?"
Darin pulled back to swing and then relaxed. "You are a despicable bastard. I have only had sex with one woman, my wife who died of cancer. You may be an alley cat screwing every woman in sight but I am not. And what I know of Karen, she would probably have refused if I asked. She didn't take off her clothes, I didn't take of my clothes either Saturday or Sunday. I have seen more of her in the hospital gown than I saw then."
The officer's partner looked at him. "Jack, get off it."
"I never saw her arm out of the sling."
"That sexy woman and you didn't try?"
Darin turned and walked a couple steps away, pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. When someone answered he spoke a little and then handed the phone to the officer. "Chief Dawson wants to talk to you."
The officer took the phone.
"Hello."
"Officer Jack Whisler."
"Badge 54231."
"Look, this joke has gone far enough. I know you are someone he called to impersonate the chief." He pressed the button and handed the phone back to Darin. "Now, let's get back to what you did. You are still going to tell me that you didn't see her arm?"
"That is right."
"And you are still maintaining that you just met her on Saturday."
"Other than the time on the show a year ago."
"I think that is a bunch of bull. There is no way a person could put that wire on their own arm. Either you had something to do with it or that other broad in there did."
"I really don't know Patti well but I would doubt she could have helped. But if Karen said she did it herself, I don't doubt it. I saw her help us pick up sound equipment at the concert and handle it with one arm. She was better at it than I would be, but then she has been doing this for over a year."
"So she knows how difficult it is. There is no way she would do that to her arm."
"Her arm was giving her pain, she was on lots of medicine, had a bunch of surgeries. She wanted rid of it."
"They were fixing it. Why would she want to have it cut off?"
"They were doing surgeries but it wasn't getting better."
"So you say. I bet you have some kinky side to you and you talked her into having it cut off."
Darin looked at the other officer who was obviously the junior. "Please get him out of here. I haven't punched anyone in ten years but I am about to make an exception."
The older officer reached back, pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped one on Darin's left wrist. "Now turn around, hands on the wall." He frisked Darin and then pulled his arms behind him and snapped the other cuff. He looked at the other officer. "You heard him threaten us." Just as he said it two men appeared. They both showed their badges.
