Эрл Гарднер - The Case of the Backward Mule

There was only one man in the room, in itself a disarming factor and this man seemed anxious to put Clane at ease. Moreover, the manner in which he went about doing it showed that he was a good student of psychology.

“Of course, Mr. Clane,” he said, “with a man of your intelligence, we don’t try to pull any hocus-pocus. We simply ask your cooperation in taking the test. We know that if it weren’t voluntary on your part, you wouldn’t be here. Naturally if you had anything to conceal, knowing that you weren’t obligated take this test, you would have refused it. So, in a way, our examination becomes something of a matter of form.”

Clane nodded.

“And,” his interlocutor went on, “in view of the fact, we don’t try to conduct the examination the way we would that of a suspected criminal, for instance.”

“I see,” Clane said.

“Now, of course,” the man went on, smiling, “I’ve got to turn in a record which will show the examination has been effective. In other words, it will show your emotional reaction to questions. There’s no use trying to persuade a man of your intelligence that that isn’t what we’re after. You know as well as I do that’s the sole object of the machine.”

Clane nodded again.

“By the way,” the man said, “my name’s Maynard — Harry Maynard.”

“I’m very glad to meet you,” Clane said. “I presume you not only have my name but my fingerprints as well.”

Maynard laughed. “Oh, hardly that, Mr. Clane. I understand you’ve had some very interesting experiences in the Orient in connection with psychology.”

Clane merely nodded again.

Maynard laughed. “I’m not even going to look at the needles on the recording devices, Mr. Clane. With you I think it’s an idle gesture, but you must realize that in order to turn in a record showing a fair test, I have to first get some normal reactions.”

Again Clane nodded.

“And,” Maynard said, smiling, “it doesn’t need any glance at the machine to tell me that you’re indignant, that back of the mask of your cold courtesy you are angry at the police for subjecting you to this indignity, perhaps a little angry at yourself for having consented to do something which would prolong the interview and delay getting you settled in your hotel.”

“I don’t think a man needs much knowledge of psychology to reach that conclusion,” Clane said.

Maynard threw back his head and laughed heartily. “After all, Mr. Clane, I merely work here.” Clane smiled.

“So,” Maynard said, “we can’t do anything until you relax, Mr. Clane. If you’ll just have enough confidence in me to relax and forget about this machine and all the inconveniences to which you have been subjected and chat for a few moments, I’ll then be in a position to go on with the test. And please believe me, Mr. Clane, when I tell you that I won’t try to take any unfair advantage of you. I’ll tell you when the test is starting.”

“The machine is running now, is it not?”

“Naturally. The object of the test is to first get the witness in his normal frame of mind. Then we get the normal reactions. In other words, when I feel that you are sufficiently relaxed, I’ll tell you that the test is about to commence. Then I’ll ask you routine questions to which we know the answers. I will ask you when you left the Orient. I will ask you whether you were on board a certain ship. I will ask you whether you docked at a certain time. I will ask you if you know certain people.”

“And then try to startle me?” Clane asked.

“Well, to be perfectly frank with you, Mr. Clane, I’ll start mixing the questions up. I’ll ask you rather suddenly if you knew Edward Harold. And, of course, we’ll expect the machine to show that when I suddenly bring up his name there will be a certain rise in your blood pressure. That’s only natural. After all, you know that’s the information the police are after. You’ll realize we’re getting close to the nerve of the matter then. You’ll brace yourself, mentally.”

Clane nodded.

“And then I’ll ask you various other questions,” Maynard went on. “And you certainly are enough of a student of applied psychology to realize that those questions will alternate. In other words, I’ll try to ask you the key questions at unexpected moments and when your mind is occupied with something else, so that I’ll get your normal reaction. Now that’s the program, that’s what I have to do. It’s what I’m being paid to do; it’s part of my job. The questions and answers will be recorded on wax records, the readings of the polygraph will be recorded on a synchronized sound strip. The result will be checked over as a matter of routine, and filed. And that’s all there is to it. Now then, the sooner you relax and get to chatting with me just as you would with some acquaintance in a club, the sooner you give me completely normal reactions, the sooner we can start the test, and the sooner it will be over.”

Clane tried to keep the reflexes of his mental efforts from showing in his eyes. Dammit, the man was clever. That business of saying exactly what he was going to do, apparently putting the cards all on the table, and then casually saying that he would suddenly switch the questions to Edward Harold. What had the needle on the machine shown when Maynard had suddenly pulled that? Had the needle given a jump? It had been done cleverly. All the more so because Maynard had asserted that the test had not yet commenced. Had Clane betrayed himself? Was there any way of beating the machine?

“Could you,” Maynard asked, “tell me something of your studies in the Orient while we’re waiting?”

“The Chinese mystics believe that everything is accomplished through concentration,” Clane said. “The difference between man and the lesser animals is that man has the ability inherent within himself to control the thought stream of his consciousness and direct it to certain objectives.”

“That’s very interesting. I certainly envy you your opportunities. As you must realize, Mr. Clane, in order to qualify for a job here it’s necessary for a person to have devoted quite a bit of time to the study of psychology.”

“I can understand,” Clane said.

“And, as such, I think I am perhaps far more curious about the methods by which the Orientals develop their powers of concentration than the police are in this merely routine test.”

“I see.”

“So,” Maynard said, smiling disarmingly, “I don’t mind telling you, Mr. Clane, inasmuch as I’m supposed to get your mind for the moment off the fact that you’re taking a lie detector test, I’m going to pump you purely for selfish reasons.”

“Go right ahead.”

“The power of concentration is consciously developed among these Orientals?”

“Certainly.”

“Can you explain a little more of what you mean by that?”

Clane said, “First there is the question of the degree of concentration. A person first tries to concentrate with all of his faculties for even a fleeting instant. If he gets so he can do that, then gradually the opportunity is given him to increase the time of concentration. After a while, he gets a period of perhaps one second, then two seconds, or three seconds. Or perhaps with exceptional pupils, four or five seconds.”

“Four or five seconds! ” Maynard said. “You surely mean minutes, Mr. Clane.”

“I don’t mean minutes,” Clane said.

“But good heavens, to concentrate for a matter of seconds... Why, we all of us do that every day. You aren’t, by any chance, spoofing me?”

“Not in the least. Take, for instance, a person suddenly confronted with danger. Suppose you’re driving an automobile and another car unexpectedly comes around a mountain curve, headed directly toward you. There’s a moment — a brief flashing interval — during which you are concentrating so intently on the thing to do that for that one brief instant you are actually using all of the mental powers which you possess. Then the reaction sets in and your period of concentration is over.”