Alex Barclay - The Caller

‘Yeah?’ said Danny. ‘You’ll understand how that won’t cut it with us. First off, can you tell us your whereabouts on March 13th last?’

Valtry paused, then leaned over to his computer and called up his calendar. He scrolled back six months. ‘March 13th? I was at home with a very bad hangover. The night before, my ex-wife and I had dinner in Gordy’s on 63rd and 8th. Gordy is my friend, with a generous hand in spirit measures. You need that while dining with a raving lunatic. You can call Gordy at-’

‘But on the evening of the thirteenth you were home. Alone?’

‘Alone.’

‘What were you doing?’

‘Watching TV. I went to bed early.’

‘And on September 4th last?’

Valtry smiled broadly. ‘Now that one, I’ve got an even better answer for. And I’ve got audiovisual aids.’ He grabbed a remote control from his desktop and pointed it at a plasma screen on the wall. The screen lit up, showing Valtry standing at a podium in a sharp grey suit and silver and navy blue tie.

‘There I am,’ said Valtry, turning up the volume on the television.

Danny and Joe watched as he talked to his audience about ceramic and porcelain veneers and clicked through slides projected onto the wall of the conference room behind him.

‘Where was this?’ said Danny.

‘The International Cosmetic Dentistry Convention, Las Vegas.’ said Valtry. ‘August 31st to September 5th. And that night is, as you can see from the banner, September 4th.’

‘So, how many times you watched that?’ said Danny.

Valtry stared at him. ‘I like to learn something from everything I do, Detective.’

‘It’s that perfection thing again, right?’ said Danny, leaning over and turning off the television.

‘We’re going to need to talk to all your employees, Mr Valtry,’ said Joe. ‘Could you please fax a list of their names over to my colleague – Detective Fred Rencher – at this number, please?’

‘Not a problem, detectives,’ he said. ‘A man who has nothing to hide, hides nothing.’

‘And we’d like to come in here tomorrow morning and speak with all of them,’ said Joe. ‘Would you have a room we could use?’

Valtry sighed. ‘If you really feel that’s necessary.’

‘Everything we do we feel is necessary, Mr Valtry. That’s why we do it,’ said Danny.

‘Good to know,’ said Valtry. ‘I’ll get that list sent over. I have fifteen trusted employees, so it shouldn’t be too taxing.’ He gestured to the door.

Joe and Danny walked towards it. ‘We would appreciate your cooperation on this,’ said Joe.

‘Just so you know?’ said Valtry, ‘I like helping people. It’s part of what I do. My lab does pro bono work for a facial reconstruction charity. I want to help you. I mean you must be desperate, right? Following up on some invisible piece of evidence.’ He shrugged. ‘But one thing? If I see or hear my laboratory’s name mentioned anywhere in a negative context because of the investigation you are running, I will sue the New York Police Department’s ass from here to the next century.’

Joe and Danny stopped for water in the lobby, then walked out to the car.

‘Have you ever noticed people who are pissed off never say the letters?’ said Danny. ‘They. Like. Saying. Every. Word. New. York. Police. Department.’

‘What is going on with that lab coat?’ said Joe.

‘And he’s got to be some kind of fruit, thinking that actress gets all her attention from her goddamn smile. It’s the dual airbags that put her on the front pages. He hasn’t noticed that? Christ, it took me ten minutes to find her mouth when he pointed at her. Anyway, doesn’t matter one way or another, the guy’s a jerk.’

‘The type who could easily have a disgruntled worker,’ said Joe. ‘We could find out it’s his own blood. Maybe he wanted to put one over on Valtry, take that smug fucking look off his face.’

‘Have you been listening to me?’ said Danny.

‘No.’

Joe arrived home just after eleven, his whole body tensed. Anna didn’t look up when he walked in. She was curled on the sofa in pyjamas too comfortable for her to be about to entertain Joe or anything he had to say.

‘Hi,’ said Joe. He sat beside her and pulled her legs onto his lap.

Anna glanced towards him and back at the TV. In that instant, he saw the tiniest smudges of mascara under her eyes. She wore expensive makeup. It took a trained eye to notice signs of tears. He watched her for a while, the lights from the television flickering across her face. There was an air of tired defeat about her. He knew tonight had represented all that was right in their marriage and all that was wrong.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘We got busy.’

‘You should have called.’

‘I know. Did you eat?’

‘No,’ she said. ‘Did you?’

‘Yes.’

She frowned. ‘And in the time you were waiting around in a diner to get served, do you think you could have called me? You knew I had planned this.’

He sighed. ‘I’m tired. I’m sorry. I have so much going on.’

‘I made a real effort tonight,’ she said. ‘For us to have a nice meal.’ Tears were back in her eyes. She shook her head. ‘I don’t know why I’m crying.’

‘I do,’ he said.

She looked up at him. ‘What?’

‘I know.’

She read his face. ‘Oh.’ Her mouth hovered on a smile.

He rubbed his face hard. ‘I hoped you were going to tell me I got it wrong.’

‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s true. I’m pregnant.’

‘How did this happen?’ he said.

‘It’s what happens when you don’t take precautions.’

‘But you’re on the-’

‘Not since the… not since Ireland.’

‘And you didn’t think to tell me that?’

‘How did you not know?’ Her voice was rising.

‘What, did you think I knew and I was actually taking some kind of risk? That I really thought “hey, whatever happens happens and wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring a child into the world”?’ He surprised himself with the intensity of his anger. But not as much as he surprised Anna.

‘Oh, no,’ he said. ‘You really wanted this, didn’t you?’

Panic flickered in her eyes.

He put his head in his hands. ‘That night in those little shorts and… you were…’

‘I wanted to be with you.’

‘You wanted to get pregnant.’

‘You think I’m that calculating.’

‘Funny how we have sex once last month – great stats by the way – and you manage to get pregnant.’

Tears welled in her eyes. ‘Why are you being so horrible?’

‘Oh, Anna. Anna, what were you thinking?’

‘Looking at you now,’ she said, ‘I really don’t know.’ She tried to leave.

‘Wait,’ said Joe. ‘Please wait. I’m sorry. I’m off balance. This is just, this is huge. It’s a shock to me. I… I’ve been thinking about it all day. I don’t know.’

He reached out and held her shoulders. ‘I’m worried about you,’ he said quietly, ‘why you wanted this to happen. I don’t know where to start with why we shouldn’t be doing this. Your health, your age, where your head is at…’ He lifted her chin with his finger. ‘Sweetheart?’

She cried, her eyes closed, unable to meet his. ‘I’m so scared. What have I done? Being a mother is such a… it’s terrifying. The world is terrible. I hate it. I never used to be like this. I mean, even if nothing had happened to us, I’d still feel this way: there is no peace out there. Do you know what I mean? You can’t escape to anywhere any more. Everywhere seems to be getting touched by… evil.’

‘No, it’s not, honey,’ said Joe. ‘Trust me. It’s just hard for you right now to see all the good that’s out there. And your horm-’