A Criminal's Mind

Bar

Ocasek calls Benjamin and he is more then happy to come in and talk to us. We get him a coffee and we quickly settle him in the interrogation room. I wait at the door, stopping Tench and Ford before they go in, "I want to be a part of this one."

"What are you talking about?" Tench looks down to me.

I chuckle, "Bill, I want to do my job. I am an Agent, let me be an Agent."

"You're not an agent yet," Tench nods and looks around, "but the best way to learn is by doing." I smile and nod, "but if Holden or I tell you to leave, you don't question it, you don't fight it, you leave. Got it."

I nod, "got it."

"You wanna take lead?" Ford looks over to me.

"Why me?"

"Well, it may throw him off a little more," Ford shrugs.

"Sure, I guess," I nod as we walk into the room, Benjamin is on the other side of the table, drinking his coffee, "hey, Benji."

"Hey guys, nice to see you again," Benjamin smiles.

Ford and I sit at the table and I smile over to Benjamin, "you do know that you're not under arrest? You can leave any time you want. We just need to ask you some more questions."

"And you're okay with us recording this conversation?" Ford gestures down to the recorder, "it's just so much easier than writing everything down."

Benjamin nods, "yeah. I want to help if I can."

"You know a lot about this case, Benji." I take a slow breath, "a lot that you're not telling us."

"Uh, no," Benjamin shakes his head, "nothing more than what I already said."

"Well, here's the thing. We talked to Frank. And your brother-in-law paints a very different picture of you and your relationship with Beverly." I chuckle, "Franks seems to think you made part of it up. Specifically, you two being engaged," I shake my head, "but that's not true is it? You loved Beverly and you were going to marry her, right?"

"Uh... Well, I didn't have a ring yet, but, um, but I asked her and she said yes."

Ford leans back in his chair, "it sounded like she wanted to keep her options open."

Benjamin just looks over to Ford, he looks as if he is in pain, like that fact causes him great trouble. I place my hands on the table, "Benjamin?"

Benjamin seems to break out of his trance and smiles, "did Frank say that?"

"He implied it," I shrug, "and a few other things."

The smile fades from Benjamin's face and it replaced with one of almost anger and hate, he never takes his eyes off Ford, "'cause he was jealous."

"Jealous?" Ford shakes his head, "why would be he jealous? He's married. To your sister."

"Well..." Benjamin takes a quick, deep breath, "he was always asking when... she was coming around, always talking to her like she was his girlfriend."

I lean forward a bit, "what do you mean?"

"Like 'hey, hon,' 'hey, babe,' 'hey, sweetheart, go get me a beer.' And... he was always getting her to sit on his lap."

I look over to Ford, not really having a comment for that, Ford asks very dry pan, "did she want to sit on his lap?"

"Well, she had to or it would've been rude."

"Did he try to have sex with her?"

"No, it didn't go that far."

I take a deep breath, "the thing is Benji, he told us he was interested."