“All right,” Maschen said, “I’m here. Tell me what’s going on.”
Polaski did most of the talking, with occasional comment or corrections by Debby. He told the sheriff first about the girl’s sensitivity to psychic phenomena, then told him about the voice she claimed to hear. He omitted all reference to her smoking m*******a—the sheriff did not need to know that, and it would only complicate the situation. He explained that Debby’s contact claimed to have witnessed the murder. Then he gave his own interpretation of the phenomenon.
Maschen was silent for the whole time and for quite a while afterward. When he did speak, all the fatigue of the previous day showed in his voice. “How can I possibly believe a story like this? You don’t even sound as though you believe it.”
“I don’t,” Polaski ad
