Prayer for the Dead (35 page)

“I guess we will,” said Becker. He paused, prying the blinds apart with a finger and looking at the withering acacia tree on
the street below.

“What will happen with Dyce?” Gold asked.

“He’ll be declared innocent by reason of insanity and put away for a while until he proves himself sane. He probably will be able to do that eventually, won’t he, Gold? Convince some people that he’s sane?”

Gold sighed. “Possibly, Probably. If he’s sane most of the time, he can get away with it.”

Becker turned to look at Gold. “In other words, you admit you can’t really tell.”

“I admit we can’t
always
tell… Can you, Becker? Can you always tell if they’re sane or insane?”

Becker grinned broadly. “What’s the difference?”

Becker turned back toward the window and watched the traffic for a moment before moving toward the door, rubbing his fingertips together.

“You should dust more often, Gold,” he said. “The place is full of cobwebs.”