Page 64 of The Instruments of Darkness

“I don’t even believe in God,” said Pascal, “so I can’t figure out if psychics represent an easier or harder sell.”

Noyes addressed Turin.

“If this gets out, we’ll be inundated with crystal gazers, not to mention being made to look a laughingstock.”

“Only if Sabine Drew is wrong,” said Pascal.

“And maybe not even then,” said McCard. “We’ve had no solid leads so far. To be seen to be doing something is better than to be perceived as not doing enough.”

“We’ve been working flat out on this,” said Turin, “you and Pascal as much as anyone.”

“Yeah, I know that, and you know that, but tell the public.”

“Boulier fits,” said Pascal.

“Fits how?” asked Turin.

“We were looking at known pedophiles, as well as men with previous criminal records involving harm to children, but Boulier was clean. Either he’d been careful in the past, or this was his first time. I’m now leaning toward the latter. Again, assuming Drew is correct, and we take at face value what she’s telling us, Boulier panicked when Verona lashed out at him. If he’d been practiced at abduction, a young girl wouldn’t have managed to get the better of him, however briefly; and if he’d planned the snatch, he’d have come better equipped. He’d have used cable ties, not rope, and brought along a proper gag to keep Verona quiet.”

“You’re thinking crime of opportunity?”

“Yes,” said Pascal, “if it’s him.”

“If.”

Noyes spoke again.

“Suppose you do find something,” he said to Pascal, “how will you explain it to the press, or a judge?”

“I’ll tell the truth.”

“And if we find nothing?”

“Then we’ve lost nothing.”

Noyes let it play out in his head, taking time to explore each divergent path, following it to its end.

“How do you want to work it?” he said at last. “We ought to inform the State Police and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, out of courtesy.”

“If we go in heavy,” warned McCard, “we might spook the old woman.”

“And if too many people know that we’re looking at Boulier,” said Pascal, “it’ll send vibrations down the wire, the kind he might pick up.”

“Gotta tell them,” said Turin. “You know how it is.”

“Then the less notice they receive, the better.”

“I can live with that,” said Noyes. “When do you want to start?”

“Tomorrow morning,” said Pascal, “after Boulier leaves for work. He’s at Hatch Hill right now, but won’t be for much longer. Doesn’t give us enough time to work on the mother.”

“What about monitoring Boulier in the interim?” asked Turin.

“He clocks off in an hour. We can stay with him unti he enters the property, then put two men in the woods across from the entrance for the night. It won’t be comfortable, but the overtime is always welcome. It’s one route in and out, so we’ll spot him if he leaves. There’s a self-storage place on Middle Road. We can station a second car out back of it in case he heads north, and keep another behind Annie’s Variety if he goes south.”

“Can’t do that and not inform the other agencies,” said Turin. “If someone makes a call about strangers in cars, you’ll have twitchy state troopers shining lights in their eyes.”

“My brother uses that self-storage,” said Pascal. “No one goes there after dark, and even if they do, you’d need X-ray vision to spot a car among the trees. Same for Annie’s. It closes at eight p.m., and after that it’s deader than dirt. Worse comes to worst, we’ll show our badges to the troopers and ask them to forget they ever saw us.”