Page 30 of Say Nothing
"I don't have to catch them first," Alison admitted."And Mary Candlemaker is still safe?"
"The last I heard, she was, and we have officers watching James Weber and Franklin Howard.Nothing out of the ordinary from them so far.We still don't have solid alibis from both of them, but what we do have is enough.We can't formally arrest either of them, and a case against them would be thrown out before it got to trial.They’re still being investigated."
"So, we now have three suspects, and so far, we can't prove or disprove that any of them are behind the double homicide," Alison said.
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Derek replied."Still, it’s better than having no suspects; I just wish we could rule some of them out."
"Maybe a chat with our friend in there will help with that," Alison said."Shall we?"
"I’m ready when you are," Derek said.
Derek had a folder with him to take into the room, and he entered first with Alison following after.
Raymond Nichols looked worried, nervous, and agitated.He glanced their way briefly before looking down at the table.He picked at one of his thumbnails as he waited for them to sit opposite.
Raymond was balding slightly and had grown long what hair he had left, hanging down toward his shoulders while sparse on top.He wore round glasses, had a thin mouth, and his chin was pointed.Sitting at the table, he looked nothing like the man who was caught getting up in Sarah Livingstone’s face.
Derek and Alison sat down opposite, and left a few seconds of silence before they began.
Derek slowly and deliberately opened the folder and pulled out the photograph of Raymond and Sarah.He looked at it for a second before sliding it across the table and laying it before Raymond.
"We took this from your website," Derek informed him.
Raymond kept his thin mouth closed.
"I’m guessing the two of you weren’t friends," Derek said.
"Is that a question?"Raymond asked.
"I can rephrase it as a question if you like, but how about you just tell us about what’s going on in that picture.You look a little agitated, Raymond.What got you so upset?"
Raymond twisted his lips as he looked at the photograph, and when he glanced up at Alison, his features were colored with disdain.
"She’s a part of the problem," Raymond said.
Alison studied him.He might have been talking about Sarah or her.
"And what problem is that?"Derek asked.
"You know what problem that is," Raymond said."If you’ve been on my website, then you know about my brother, and ifshe’shere, then you definitely know about my brother.He’s dead because of her"—a nod toward Alison—"and her"—he tapped the photograph—"and all of the rest of them.You know how it all works, you just don't want to admit that it sucks."
"Okay," Derek said congenially."I’ve read your brother’s file, Raymond.There’s no doubt he deserved to be in prison, and I know you can't disagree with me on that.I don't know if he was a changed man by the time his parole came around, but he didn’t serve a long enough sentence, and it’s horrible that he took the way out that he did, but that’s not the fault of the system.So, what did Sarah Livingstone do to you?"
Raymond fought to remain composed and sniffed noisily."There’s no explaining it to you."
"You look furious at her, and the fact that you chose to display that on your website tells me you’re proud of that," Derek said.
"I don't regret it," Raymond replied.
"You don't regret it," Derek repeated."At your rallies, you advocate for doing whatever is needed to change the system.Those are very dangerous words, Raymond.If I didn't know any better, I’d say you’re advocating for violence."
"I don't ever mention violence," Raymond claimed."I’m advocating for legal reform."
"Come on, Raymond," Alison said."You want us to look deeper into the system and see what you see, but you claim not to know that you're inviting violence.You’re a smart man, don't play dumb.You know you’re calling for violence, and you know that you have enough plausible deniability that you won’t ever be charged with anything should one of yourfewfollowers do anything."
"I’ll accept that sometimes you have to attack the system, but I can't control what people do," Raymond claimed.
"And how about you?"Alison asked."Can you control what you do?"
