REESE

chapter forty six (a).

Third Person POV:

The Reid Technique.

Psychological manipulation against detained suspects.

The Reid Technique is a widely used method of police interrogation specifically designed to elicit confessions and garner trust between interrogator and interrogate. The goal of the procedure is to create a psychological environment in which the suspect feels that it is in their best interest to confess and cooperate with assigned police forces. It hones vulnerability, fear, anger, dishonesty and most importantly, guilt in order to achieve complete compliance. It performs in three stages.

Stage one: isolation.

Isolation is an interrogator's best fear tactic.

The suspect is cut off from the outside world, creating a highly controlled environment for the interrogator to influence thoughts and behaviour. All interactions, sans the one with the interrogator, are suspended. Agents can use this isolated power dynamic to their advantage, it creates a sense of dependency that can later draw out confessions and elicit information. Limited access to social support, uncertainty about their future, fear of a lifetime of confinement, and time to think about their actions and allegiance; all of these aspects of solitary produce feelings of confusion, fear, desperation and defencelessness that cage the suspect into the hands of the awaiting agent.

Mauro Agrusa refused to speak with Agent Owen Wright.

Consequently, he was then left in an eight by ten foot room for a little over fifty-three hours.

No human interaction, no interruptions, no noise.

No choice but to question where his loyalty lies.

Stage two: maximization.

The interrogator asserts the suspect's guilt and ignores any other claims of innocence. They then present a theory of the crime and introduce the repercussions. This stage is pivotal in inducing fear and placing a tendril of doubt in the suspect's original plan of keeping quiet. It is most commonly referred to as the "bad cop" segment of the technique.

"You know, I've got to hand it to you, Agrusa. You got some balls on you, kid."

Wright chuckled, an exaggerated smirk resting on his face. Leaning back in his seat, he tilted his head and stared down a mute Mauro. "Betraying the Italian mafia?" He whistled, feigning awe. "That takes some fucking guts. I mean, I haven't been in Italy long but I'm already well versed with the influence the Di Genova family has over this country. The stories are almost unbelievable. Generations of political power and police control that transferred into the ability to conduct mass mutilations and honor killings with no penalties. I mean, there are unmarked graves spread throughout the country. The Di Genovas are practically untouchable here."

A taunting grin stretched across the agent's face. "But you...you don't care about that do you? If you did, you wouldn't have spit in their faces and hand delivered the kiss of death to your own doorstep. I don't know whether you're brave or just suicidal but whatever it is, consider me impressed."

Mauro's jaw clenched, but his eyes stayed glued to the floor.

"The French must have offered you something invaluable." Wright decided, sounding genuinely curious. "I don't know what started this war between the Italians and the French but the way I'm looking at it right now, the Italian side was favored to win. So what the hell did the Baudelaire's offer you in exchange for switching sides? I thought you mafia assholes were supposed to be loyal."

No response.

"Well whatever it was, I hope it was worth it." Wright shrugged. "You didn't just bite the hand that fed you, you severed it completely and now Alexander Di Genova is out hunting for your tongue. There's a six million dollar bounty out on your head, Agrusa. Congratulations, you're a hot commodity in the black market now."