“What is that, detective?”
“How did you beat the polygraph? Did you convince yourself that you were Bentley Grimes?”
“I am.”
Frank nodded. “I suspected as much. How long did it take you to lie to yourself? Were you planning it all along or can you do it instantly?”
“I am Bentley Grimes.”
“So the questions about George and Karen, they weren’t lies if you are Bentley Grimes because he didn’t kill them, you did.”
“No, I believe Charles Hester killed those people.”
“But there’s one question that you couldn’t have beaten either way. You did kill seven people. How did you lie about that?”
“You are a curious one, aren’t you?”
“Answer me.”
“You really want to know, don’t you? I can understand.”
Bentley smiled. He stood up and began to walk over. Frank took a couple of steps back and then held his ground. He wasn’t armed, guns weren’t allowed in Parkview Hospital, but he was bigger than Bentley and thought he could win in a fist fight, at least until Billy came in.
Bentley leaned close. His mouth nearly touched Frank’s ear.
“That one was simply,” Bentley said. “Bentley didn’t kill seven people, he killed eleven. Of course, they never found the first two families. That was no fun.”
Frank lurched back. Bentley smiled at him. “As for Charles Hester, he’s dead, but as a matter of fact, he didn’t kill seven people either. He killed twenty.”
Frank reached for the door. Bentley waved at him. “Hope that answers your question detective. Sweet dreams, and take care of that Katie. She’s going to be fighting the boys off with a stick soon.”
Frank walked down the long corridor out to his car and Bentley’s final words echoed in his head. He would never forget them.
###
Bentley’s story continues in Beyond the Mask: Smashwords
Also by Mark Phillips
Beyond the Mask: Smashwords
Re-Test: Smashwords
Typewriter Blood (available for pre-order): Smashwords
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Beneath the Mask of Sanity Page 26
