Hartley knocked again, but there was still no answer.He knocked a third time with the same result.So, she opened the small bag to take out the lock-picking tools, opting to unlock the door rather than force it.
While she did that, Alison took out her phone and called Dr.Carver, hoping to get some information.
"Hello?"Carver answered on the third ring.
"Dr.Carver, it’s Dr.Payne."
"Yes, of course.What can I do for you, Dr.Payne?"
"I’m hoping to get some information about Kenneth Sterling," Alison said."Have you heard from him recently?"
"Kenneth?"Carver asked."That’s a name I haven’t heard in some years.It’s interesting that you should call about him.Did you know that he and I dated when I was working the Riverside Strangler case?"
"That’s what I was recently told," Alison said."And what I wanted to ask about.When you were working the case, did you talk to Sterling about the details of the case?"
"Yes, I did.I remember talking to him about it," Carver admitted."It was a natural thing to do.I remember the stress of the case, and it was therapeutic to talk to someone about the case, but it was more than that.He had some insights into the killer's profile that I considered after talking with him."
"So, he gave input toward the direction of the case?"Alison asked.
"Hmm," Carver said, almost in amusement.
Alison watched as Hartley pushed the door open and raised a hand for Alison to wait while she went in to check the place out.
"In a roundabout way, he did have insight into the case, but not directly.It was after using him as a sounding board that I discounted his insights and went with my own.He was a good man in his own way, but he wasn’t ever the best profiler."
"Was that your opinion or everyone’s opinion?"Alison asked.
"Oh, it was definitely everyone’s opinion," Carver said."He wasn’t inept, and for lesser cases, he did well in many instances, but he couldn’t handle the bigger or deeper cases.He was very good at following the rules, but when it came to thinking outside the box or interpreting data based on experience, he became lost much of the time."
"He consulted on both the Slasher and the Collector uses, but he didn't last very long on either," Alison said."Do you know why that was?"
"Not exactly," Carver said."Both of those cases came after we dated, but I did speak to him from time to time after we broke up, and he was bitter about these cases and many others.He blamed other people for his mistakes.He told me that it was their mistake for not listening to him properly, and he wouldn’t ever take responsibility for his actions.That was part of why we broke up."
"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"Alison asked.
"I outgrew him," Carver said."It would have ended anyway because of his jealousy.I got the bigger, better cases, and he resented it.Then he was always asking me about the cases, adamant that he knew the killer and, oddly, that he helped me with the work, and I had to shut him down more and more.It became really tiring, so I ended it with him."
"How did that go?"Alison asked.
"Oh, about as well as I expected," Carver said."I told him we were done, and he spent about forty-five minutes trying to convince me that I was wrong, and citing all of thisevidencehe had for that.It was…pitiful, actually.I had to come out and say it in the end.I had to straight out tell him that I was a far better profiler and he was dragging me down."
"Wow," Alison said."I assume that did it for him?"
"Yeah, he didn't like that one bit, but he finally got it," Carver said.
"What was his reaction?"Alison asked."Did he get angry with you?"
"Not properly," Carver said."He was upset for sure, but I was never worried that I would be physically attacked.He was silent for a while, then he shouted at me for a minute or two, and then he stormed out.He did call me a while after that and apologized for his behavior."
Hartley returned to the open door and gestured for Alison to follow her in.Alison nodded in reply and pointed to the phone.
"I should get going," Alison said."If we can't get a hold of Sterling by phone or at his house, do you have any idea where he might be?"
"Oh, I don't know," Carver replied."I remember that when we were together, he spoke about a family cabin where he would take me fishing, but we never did.I’m not one for fishing."
"You and me both," Alison said with a smile."Do you know where the cabin is?"
"I don’t, sorry," Carver replied."I know it’s on a lake somewhere, but that’s all I know.I wish I could be of more help than that."
