The kitchen was airy, with bright blue cabinets and a blue and white tile backsplash that seemed the perfect backdrop for Shep’s mother. She moved with practiced ease, almost like she was one of those chefs who hosted a cooking show out of their home.
As she moved about the kitchen, her sundress swirled around her ankles. She seemed both young and old to Elijah. She was clearly in her mid-sixties, but she had only a few lines at the corners of her eyes and along her forehead. The only thing that gave away her age was her long silver hair and a sparkle in her blue eyes that gave the impression she knew far more than she ever let on.
“Okay, how can I help you? Jaynie said you had questions about sociopathy for an upcoming movie role?”
Elijah could give two fucks about the movie role at the moment. He was there to learn about Shep, but he couldn’t very well saythat. “Yes. My questions will seem sort of basic compared to the things you talk about, but I’m starting from scratch.”
“That’s how we all start,” she said, giving him a reassuring pat on the forearm before turning to pull bowls of potato salad and macaroni salad from the double-wide fridge. Shep’s mother was the most unprofessor-like professor Elijah had ever encountered, but his only frame of reference was professors in movies. They tended towards a lot of typecasting, all tweed, wire-rimmed glasses, and sensible heels.
“What’s the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath. Is it that one is more violent than the other?”
She gave him a patient smile. “Both can become violent given the right circumstances. A sociopath has limited empathy and can form some level of attachment. A psychopath lacks the ability to feel empathy, guilt or remorse and can never form any meaningful attachments. Sociopaths are more prone to violent outbursts. As criminals, they are often sloppy and impulsive. They oftenstay on the fringe of society, with very little career success.” She spoke as though she’d given this answer a thousand times. “Psychopaths,are charming, manipulative and patient, and often successful. Twenty-one percent of CEOs are psychopaths,” she said as if discussing the weather. “They are great at faking emotions and many marry and have children and never commit a violent crime. If the psychopath in question commits a crime, they will likely plan it down to the last detail and you will only get a confession if it benefits their egos.”
Shep didn’t seem prone to violent outbursts, he was not sloppy or impulsive. And he was out there faking his heart out like a professional. Was Shep a psychopath?
Elijah jumped when Shep’s mother placed a hand on his arm. “You seem upset. That was an info-dump, huh? Is there something you’re not understanding?”
“Are all sociopaths like you say?” Elijah asked, heart in his throat.
“You’ll never find a person that mimics one hundred percent of the criteria for sociopathy or psychopathy and with proper conditioning, many sociopaths can build on that small shred of empathy or guilt that lives within them. I believe we can teach them to control their impulses, to harness their conscience and create a somewhat normal life. I’ve based my entire career on this theory.”
It all sounded so bleak. “Can sociopaths fall in love?”
Molly leaned forward, propping her arm on the counter and her chin on her fist, examining him the same way Shep often did. “You know, don’t you?”
“What?” Elijah asked, his gaze falling to the butcher block countertops.
“You know about my son. That’s why you’re really here.”
Elijah wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that. He just gave a stilted nod, before chewing on the inside of his lip until he tasted blood.
“Do you— Do you have feelings for my son?” she asked with a breathless hopeful tone as if she was both excited and wary.
Once more, he nodded.
Her gaze became hazy as she drifted off into her own thoughts. After a minute or two, she asked, “And he brought you here to meet me? Does he know about your feelings?”
“Yes.”
“Does he seem to reciprocate these feelings?” There was no mistaking the interest in her voice now.
“I think so,” Elijah managed.
“Well, now. That isveryinteresting.”
Elijah cut his eyes to hers and her face went soft. “I didn’t mean it like that, dear. This is just something new for my son after so many years. As a scientist, it’s an anomaly, but as a mother, it’s wonderful.”
“But it’s not real. His feelings for me, right?”
“My son is a sociopath, but he’s not your typical sociopath. I have gone to great lengths to ensure he has as full a life as a person like him can. He’s undergone extensive behavioral modification from the time he was very young. In many ways, my teaching has given him similar characteristics to a psychopath if one knows what to look for. The biggest difference is that my son can form attachments.” Her expression darkened. “But—”
Elijah’s heart plummeted into his stomach. “But?”
“Jaynie has only shown emotional attachment once in his life and… it ended badly.”
“Like their body is fertilizing your azaleas badly or he just stops returning my calls out of the blue one day and I wear black and become a sad Elijah meme?”
She chuckled. “I can see why he likes you.”
