"Couple of years ago."

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I was backpacking with some friends in Oregon. He was at the same campsite. I didn't recognize him but he recognized me. He can be charming, I'd just broken up with a boyfriend, guess I was vulnerable."

"Ah." Scrawl. "Well that clears that up ... Would you like something to drink, Lara?"

"So ... it was Monte who ran into Des Backer and Doreen in Venice-I'm guessing a Sunday."

"Definitely a Sunday, Lieutenant. Monte went to skate. He's into that."

"You're not."

"I bike. That's what I was doing when he was skating the path and saw them."

"What were Des and Doreen doing?"

"Monte never mentioned. He just came back and told me he'd met up with someone else from Center."

"By that time, did you know he was violent?"

"Not really. I mean I knew he had a bad temper but he hadn't touched me, not yet."

"Later, that changed."

"Oh, yeah."

"Want another tissue, Lara?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay ... so Monte told you he'd run into Des and Doreen. How did he feel about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was he happy? Surprised? Upset?"

"Definitely upset. He blamed them for something but wouldn't say what, I still don't know. Something from his past, when he talked about it he'd get furious."

"But he wouldn't say why."

"Monte's an extremely closed person."

"Something from his past ... maybe something to do with messing up his law career?"

"He never got into it."

"But does that make sense to you-law school?"

"I suppose."

"We know he went to law school but was asked to leave. He ever explain that to you?"

"No and I knew better than to ask."

"Well, here's what folks have told us: Des and Doreen mighta done something that got Monte kicked out of law school. That would be something you'd carry a grudge on, don't you think? He tells people he's a lawyer when he's not."

"Makes sense."

"By the way, when did he start calling himself Monte?"

"Back then."

"Back when?

"High school. That's what I heard. He liked to gamble."

"Monte Carlo."

"He used fake I.D.'s to gamble at Indian casinos. At least that's what people said."

"Okay ... one more thing, Lara. Folks have also said Des and Doreen mighta messed you up, too. Something about med school?" Silence. "Lara?"

"You must be mistaken."

"You never attended med school? University of Idaho, cla.s.s of-"

"I started there but changed my mind."

"Because... "

"My primary interest isn't making money, I prefer pure science."

"Being in the lab."

"Exactly."

"So it had nothing to do with lynx hairs?"

Silence.

"Lara?"

Prolonged sigh. Sick smile. "Okay, I guess I'm going to have to get into that. I didn't want to because, frankly, Lieutenant, it's too painful and I just didn't see the point."

"I understand, Lara, but the point is I need you giving me anything I can use against Monte. So if Des and Doreen did do something underhanded to you, that makes it more likely they did something to him and I'd like to know about it. And from what the Forest Service told us, they were blatant snitches."

"Lieutenant, it was a big misunderstanding. Obviously I don't talk about it because jobs are hard to come by and I love mine. Also, afterward, I realized I was lucky."

"Lucky about what?"

"Leaving medicine, it worked out for the best. Medicine's become nothing but a big business, my orientation's research."

"Working here you get to do research?"

"I hope to eventually. Meanwhile, I'm constantly learning and that satisfies the curious part of me. Eventually, I hope to go back to school, get a Ph.D."

"Makes sense... so the lynx hair business ..."

"Big misunderstanding, Lieutenant. Another of Monte's brilliant ideas. But I admit, I was stupid to go along with it."

"Okay ... I appreciate your being straight with us, Lara. Even though we had a few false starts."

"I'm sorry for those, Lieutenant. You caught me off-guard, I'm not always the greatest at mult.i.tasking. When I have to, I can do more than one thing at a time but it's hard not to get sidetracked. It's some sort of learning disability, my parents had me tested when I was a kid. The psychologist said I was gifted but had organizational and memory issues. So if I forget something, please don't hold it against me."

"Deal ... okay, let's talk about Monte's weapons."

"That I can tell you about. He's got tons of them. Rifles, shotguns."

"We're primarily interested in handguns."

"Those, too."

"Which one did he use to shoot Des Backer?"

"I have no idea."

"We recovered a .22-caliber slug from Des's head. Does Monte have a .22?"

"That would be a smaller gun?"

"For the most part."

"He has an entire box of small guns, Lieutenant. Keeps them all loaded, keeps the box on the floor of our bedroom closet. Right next to my shoes, I've had nightmares."

"About...?"

"His temper, what if he goes crazy, it would be so easy for him to just-he also keeps one loaded in his nightstand. Sometimes I have literal nightmares-crazy dreams but they seem so real."

"Tell me about them."

"It's the same dream, over and over. There's a fire in the house and it spreads to the closet, the guns get ignited by the heat and start going crazy, shooting off randomly, there's no escape. I wake up sweating, my heart's pounding. One time I woke him up, wanting some comfort. He told me to shut the f.u.c.k up, go back to sleep."

"Prince Charming."

"I've gotten in so deep, Lieutenant. It's like finding yourself in a hole with no way to climb out."

"We'll get you out-so Monte keeps a whole box of small loaded guns."

"Yes, sir."

"What about larger-caliber guns?"

"I'm sure. I've never taken a close look, don't like firearms."

"Don't go to the range with Monte?"

"No, he goes by himself."

"Reason I'm asking about a large-caliber gun is one was inserted in Doreen's v.a.g.i.n.a. Before he strangled her."

"OmiG.o.d, even for Monte that's brutal."

"Want another tissue, Lara?"

"Yes, please."

"So... Monte never talked about what he did to Doreen. The big gun."

"No, no, never."

"What did he say about what happened up in that turret?"

"Nothing ... he just came back home and told me he'd done it."

"Done what?"

"Taken care of Des and Doreen-his words. 'I took care of them.' I was too terrified to talk about it."

"You must've wondered why he'd do something like that."

"Of course."

"Did you come up with any theories?"

"There are no logical theories, Lieutenant. Nothing justifies murder."

"Well, that's true... what I'm getting at is, did you think about that old grudge? Lynx hairs? Could revenge have been Monte's motive?"

"Doesn't that seem out of proportion?"

"Like you said, murder always is. But did it occur to you?"

"Not really."

"Not really ... Okay, so we're making good progress here, painting a picture. So to speak... there is a small problem, though, Lara. Nothing serious but you deserve to know."