"Now then," he continued, "this week's topic was suggested by Jonathan." He nodded in the direction of the young man with the round glasses, who nodded back stiffly. "So it is our tradition to have him begin with the first comment-perhaps telling us why he chose this topic."
Jonathan removed his glasses and wiped them with his napkin.
"Well," he said, replacing them on his nose, "I have always been interested in the relationship between culture and language. The Japanese, for example, have no word for 'no'-only an elaborately polite way of avoiding saying yes. This tells you something about the way their culture operates."
Several people nodded and smiled. Jonathan was younger than most of them, and it appeared he functioned as a kind of mascot, or pet, of the group.
"So I was wondering what it says about our culture that we seem to place a lot of value on this word 'evil'-especially in the current political climate."
"Very timely, Jonathan," Elias said with a fatherly smile. "Would anyone care to comment?"
They discussed the connotation of the word as it relates to religion and sin, and whether or not the concept of evil existed at all outside religion. Most of the group agreed it did-and also that it seemed to exist as a concept in most cultures. Then they began to investigate where evil comes from, and whether it exists in the animal kingdom outside the realm of humans.
"It seems to me that animals have no moral sensibility," the chic Frenchwoman said. "Therefore their actions, no matter how vicious or cruel, could not be said to be evil."
"All right," said Elias. "So would you also say that a knowledge of right and wrong as defined by society is necessary in order to call an action-or, indeed, an individual-evil?"
As the others contemplated the question, Elias looked around the room, and his eyes fell on Lee and Kathy. She had offered one or two comments, but Lee had not yet spoken. Elias smiled at Lee.
"What do you think, Mr.-"
"Campbell," said Lee. "Call me Lee."
"Lee, then-what do you think?" Elias repeated.
Lee squirmed in his chair. He didn't want to throw the cold, hard light of criminal psychology into the discussion, but it was exactly what was needed.
"Well, in my profession I deal with criminals-"
"Oh, how interesting," the Frenchwoman said, leaning toward him, hands clasped in her lap. Her husband frowned and crossed his arms. "What's the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath?" she asked.
"It's subtle," Lee said, and went on to explain what a psychopath is. The group listened silently, a few people nodding when he gave examples of psychopathic behavior, and how it seemed to reflect an inability to feel compassion or empathy.
"So if they can't feel empathy, how can they know their actions are wrong?" the Russian asked, pouring himself more tea. He had a large pot of black tea on his table, and he held little bites of sugar cubes between his teeth as he drank.
"They know their actions are wrong," Lee answered. "They just don't care."
"Ah!" said the Russian, brandishing his book like a weapon. "But if they can't empathize with how their actions affect others, then how can they have a real sense of morality?"
"How do they… get like that?" asked Jonathan, the serious young man with the glasses.
"There's some indication this kind of hardwiring takes place when they are young," Lee said.
"How young?" said the Russian, concentrating so hard his bushy eyebrows almost touched.
Lee told the story of Ted Bundy's aunt waking up with the knives all around her bed, and everyone was suitably impressed.
"My God," said the Frenchwoman with a gasp. "How can you blame a five-year-old boy?"
"So does that mean evil exists but we're not responsible for its existence?" asked her husband.
"How old does someone have to be before their actions can be considered evil?" said Jonathan.
"Can they be… helped?" asked the Frenchwoman.
"We don't know for sure," Lee said, "but there is evidence to suggest that once this psychopathic personality is in place, no amount of therapy can change it."
The Russian slurped down some tea and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "It sounds as though these people lack a key component of what it means to be human."
"That's very tragic," said the Frenchwoman.
"So you're saying that this kind of monster can be created-through no fault of their own?" Elias asked Lee.
"And they can't be fixed?" the Frenchman added. "There is some indication that once those neural pathways have been laid down, there's no going back," Lee said. A pall fell over the group.
They went on to discuss the difference between evil deeds and evil people, and concluded that while no one was totally good, it was likely that no one was totally evil either. They did not revisit the issue of psychopathic personalities, perhaps because it was too depressing-Lee had the feeling his comments had upset them. Kathy added few more remarks, but he kept silent. No one invited him to comment further, which was just as well, he thought.
They ended on an upbeat note, with the agreement that if evil does exist, it is overshadowed by good more often than not. They took a vote on next week's topic of discussion, and "Is Happiness Attainable?" won.
The formal discussion over, they broke into small groups. Heads bent over their wineglasses, they continued their earnest discussion. Lee found it profoundly comforting that these people were willing to gather twice a month to tackle the Big Questions-wine or no wine, they clearly took their philosophy seriously.
He and Kathy stood next to a life-sized statue of Apollo and sipped their wine. Someone had covered his private parts with a yellow polka-dot bikini.
The French couple approached them, smiling; the serious young man they called Jonathan lingered just behind them, as if he wanted to be a part of the discussion, too, but was too shy to come forward.
"We found most interesting what you had to say," the Frenchman said.
"Yes," his sharp-faced wife agreed. Her accent was thicker than his, though Lee could tell from her English that she was educated in British schools. "Mon Dieu," she said with a little laugh, "how do you ever catch zese criminals?" "Well, sometimes we don't."
The French couple nodded and murmured something polite Lee didn't quite catch. Jonathan stepped forward at that moment, blushing.
"But when you do catch them, how do you do it?"
By this time anyone in the group who hadn't yet left the restaurant had gathered around to listen to what Lee had to say. The Russian stood at the back, clutching his thick volumes and pulling at his beard.
"Sometimes they make mistakes," Lee said. "They get sloppy or careless."
"Because zey wish to be caught?" the Frenchwoman said.
"Like Raskolnikov?" the Russian added hopefully.
"Not really. That would be nice, but most of the time these guys are eaten up in the end not by their crimes, but by the pressure of being on the run, having to look over their shoulder all the time."
The Frenchman nodded. "It is very stressful, being pursued, n'est-ce pas? Like your Raskolnikov," he added with a glance at the Russian.
The Russian scowled and clasped his books to his chest.
"So zey feel no remorse for what zey do?" the Frenchwoman asked.
Lee shook his head. "Remorse doesn't seem to be part of the equation with most of these killers. They never really see their victims as people."
"You mean people like Ted Bundy, for example?" Jonathan said.
"He's a good example," Lee said. "It's amazing they didn't catch him earlier. By skipping state to state, he managed to duck under every net they attempted to throw over him. Then, when they did finally collar him, he used his charm and skill to escape not once-but twice."
"So he was charming-but he was a monster," the Frenchman remarked.
"If anyone was, Bundy was. Like most serial predators, he dehumanized his victims in order to consummate his crimes-it's a switch he turns to the off position before he c
an continue. For most of us, that switch doesn't even exist. For the serial killer, it's part of what makes him who he is."
Lee was aware of a tugging on his sleeve and turned to see Kathy looking at him. The expression in her eyes was clear: she wanted to leave.
"Okay," he murmured, irritated that, having dragged him here, she now wanted to go.
Though he usually attempted to keep any memories of his father at bay, he heard Duncan Campbell's deep, sardonic baritone say, Isn't that just like a woman?
C HAPTER T WENTY-SEVEN
It was all a lark, really-they were a couple of Jersey boys on a Friday-night spree, hitting the bars on the Upper East Side, trawling for some action. But these Sex and the City chicks were so stuck up-thought they were all that, with their designer shoes and their two-hundred-dollar haircuts and expensive boob jobs. They weren't going to mess with a couple of dagos from Bayonne, so Joe and Bobby figured they'd go down to the Village just for a gag and see what the faggots were up to.
Bobby said he knew about this place on Christopher over by the river where the trannies hung out, so they headed down there to see the freaks. They'd go in and pretend to pick one up, then give him-or was it her? Ha!-the slip, maybe even mess her up a bit. They had plenty of time and plenty of rage.
When they got to the place it was dark and crowded and smelled like a cross between a locker room and the perfume counter at Bloomingdale's. It also smelled like sex. There was music, if you could call it that-house music with the repetitive chords and insistent drumbeat. Joe hated house music. In high school he organized a band in his parents'
garage and wrote all the songs himself. They broke up eventually, after playing a few local gigs, but Joe still thought of himself as a musician, and no self-respecting musician likes house music. He wanted to leave, but Bobby wanted to stay for a while, so they ordered drinks and looked around. The place was packed with freaks-Joe had to admit some of them looked pretty good, in their high heels and short skirts. With their shaved legs and wigs they looked like tall chicks from a distance-it's downright creepy, he said to Bobby. But Bobby said what you have to look at is the Adam's apple-that's the giveaway. And the hands-the hands are bigger than a chick's hands. There were also guys dressed regular like Bobby and Joe, but Bobby said they were all faggots.
They wandered around for a while until this one tranny started eyeing Joe. He wasn't too tall, and had on this long, dark wig and really long legs under a little black leather skirt. A lot of the freaks were black or Hispanic or Asian, but this was a white guy-his face was actually kind of girlish, Joe thought. He wasn't really attracted-no, that was too weird-but if the he/she had been a chick he definitely would have looked twice.
They were on about their sixth round when finally this freak caught Joe's eye and winked, and just for a lark Joe winked back. And then this tranny was all in his face, and asking if he can buy them a round, and when had Joe ever turned down a free drink, so he said sure, why not? The tranny bought a round and Bobby bought a round, and then they were totally plastered and laughing, and the freak said her name was Violet, and Bobby said is that like the color or the flower, and she said whatever you want it to be, and they laughed and laughed.
Bobby had to go take a piss, so Joe and Violet were alone at the bar, and Violet put her hand on Joe's knee and said she'd like to show him something, so Joe figured why the hell not-he wasn't getting any other action tonight-so he went with her out the back door into this little alley, where there were garbage cans and those blue recycling bins. It wasn't really dirty, though-it had been swept and was pretty tidy. You had to hand it to faggots for being clean. Violet said she forgot something and went back into the bar for a minute. Joe leaned against the brick wall of the building because he had a lot to drink. He could hear a dog barking from one of the nearby apartments, one of those fluffy little dogs that faggots like.
The air was warm, and he could hear the music from inside the bar. It was still that damn house music, and he was starting to feel not so good. He was ready to go in and tell Bobby it was time to leave when Violet came back out and said she had something for him, and she pulled a condom out of her brassiere (her tits were pretty big-probably falsies) and said they should get it on there in the alley, and suddenly Joe felt terrible, like he was going to be sick, but she was still all up in his face, pawing at him and purring, and it was disgusting, and he just wanted to go home.
He tried to push her away, but she wouldn't listen, so he finally got fed up and started punching her-not to mess her up too much, just to get her to leave him alone. She went down easy. After just a few blows she staggered back against the brick wall and slid to the ground and just sort of sat there, staring. Joe wanted to ask her if she was okay, and help her up or something, but just then Bobby came out of the bar and saw them.
He grabbed Joe and said they had to leave now before they got in trouble. Joe was feeling really sick, so he didn't argue and stumbled after Bobby, through the alley and around to the front of the building where they parked their car. When they got there Joe told Bobby to wait because he was going to be sick. After he finished throwing up on the curb, he looked around before getting in the car, just in time to see Violet staggering out of the alley toward them. He felt bad about having to hit her, but he didn't hit her that hard, and he was more scared about getting into trouble. So he climbed in Bobby's car and they drove away. He couldn't help turning back to look out the back window one last time, and saw Violet standing there in the street. She looked sad, and he felt kind of bad, but Bobby was snickering and punching him in the shoulder and saying what a close call that was with that faggot, and wait till they tell their friends. So Joe laughed and reached into his jacket for a cigarette, and they headed toward the Holland Tunnel, driving down Varick Street, with all the windows open to let in the steamy summer air.
C HAPTER T WENTY-EIGHT
Tanika Jackson looked at the clock above her on the wall. It read 11:32 P.M., which meant she had been manning the 911 line for almost ten hours. This was the second Friday in a row she had worked overtime-her shift was almost over, thank God. She was thinking about those new slinky three-inch heels she was going to buy with her overtime pay. They were gold with little teensy straps, and they were going to drive Kevin wild with desire when he saw her in them.
She couldn't wait for Shirley to see them, too-the biatch. That would teach her to hang around someone else's man-like she even had a chance with Kevin to start with, with her big-ass booty and fleshy upper arms. Good Lord, that girl was a walking tub of lard. In her cheap leopard-print shirts from Target she looked like a fat hooker. Tanika prided herself on her slim figure, which she kept trim by running, working out three times a week, and watching her diet.
Tanika looked down at her sociology textbook, trying to concentrate, but her mind kept wandering to those sandals. It had been a slow night for a weekend. No stabbings or shootings or anything like that, which is how she liked it. Unlike some of the other 911 operators, who worked the lines because they enjoyed the drama and excitement, Tanika was only here for the money. She just wanted an uneventful shift so she could study for her classes at Mercy College, where she only had six months before getting her degree as a social worker. She didn't like to think of people hurting one another. She had lost a cousin to a gang shooting, and she knew firsthand the toll violence takes on people.
She looked down at her textbook, rubbed her eyes, and yawned. Damn, she was tired. Her line rang. She picked up, and, trying not to let her voice betray her fatigue, she said the words she had said a thousand times:
"911-what's your emergency?"
The voice was soft, almost breathy. "I'd like to report a drunk driver."
Tanika thought it was a man's voice, but she wasn't entirely sure. She could hear music playing in the background. She adjusted her earphones and moved the microphone closer to her mouth. "What is the location?"
"Christopher and Greenwich."
"Has anyone been inj
ured?"
"Not yet, but the driver was very drunk."
"Do you have a description of the car?"
"I have better than that-I can give you the license plate."
"Go ahead."
He described the car and gave a New Jersey tag. She asked him to repeat it, writing it down both times just to be sure.
"I'll alert officers in the area. Do you wish to give your name?"
"No, thank you."
"Thank you for your call."
"Thank you," he said politely, and hung up.
Tanika immediately dispatched a call to the Eleventh
Precinct, in the West Village, alerting them of the complaint. She didn't know what they would do from there, but she hoped they nailed the bastard-she hated drunk drivers. In her neighborhood a sweet little girl had been killed a few months ago by a hit-and-run they never caught. She walked past the girl's shrine every day. Sometimes Tanika bought flowers and laid them next to the yellowing photographs and stuffed animals and packages of Gummi bears. She had a little sister, and she didn't know what she'd do if anything ever happened to her.
She looked back down at her textbook, Sociology for the 21st Century, and stifled another yawn. She looked back up at the wall clock: it was 11:37 P.M.
C HAPTER T WENTY-NINE
The night was so dark that Lee could barely see where he was going. He stumbled through a thicket of vines and branches tripping and clutching at him like skeletal hands, digging their cold, dead fingers into his flesh until it shivered with the dread and disgust of their touch.
And then he saw it in front of him-the Ansonia Hotel, with its ornate balustrades and rococo masonry. It beckoned to him, rising out of the mist like a stone leviathan, lights blazing in all the windows-and brightest of all in the penthouse apartment.
He struggled on through the forest, keeping his eyes on the grand old building, perched atop a stony hill, like a fortress. He sensed that this was not the usual look of Broadway and Seventy-third Street, but couldn't quite remember what it was supposed to look like. So he dragged himself on through the thick, clinging vines and underbrush, vaguely aware that it was odd to see such forestation on the Upper West Side. It occurred to him that maybe he was lost, but there was the Ansonia, so how could he be lost?
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