He Was Sure the Cops Would Believe the Polished Son-in-Law Over a Terrified Old Woman. Then I Asked Them to Look at the Fireplace

My job was to hand him one fact so hard and so checkable that his own caution would do the rest.

Doyle didn’t need to be persuaded.

He needed to be given something he could verify with a radio.

“She’s confused,” Ronan cut in, loud and smooth, turning to Doyle.

“She’s seventy-one, Captain, she’s frightened, she’s not thinking clearly.

She attacked me with the cast-iron poker from her fireplace.