Lael believed Elling existed, so he now claimed, but Rudd still did not: Elling was a figment or an excuse—there was only Hooper Young. “If he existed, they would have found him,” said Rudd. “They found Young only by luck. Besides, if you have one man in custody, certainly involved, why admit to the press a second man, not in custody, is also involved? It just complicates matters.” “Hooper Young was avoiding responsibility for—” “—he was trying to share responsibility with the other person involved. People never act alone. They always drag others along with them.” “You have no evidence—” “—neither do you.” “I’ve got the district attorney.” “I’ve got Hooper Young.” “He’s biased.” “So’s the attorney. And both of them are not only biased: they’re dead.” They had hardly argued before, Rudd always giving in, but now for some reason he found himself unwilling to back down. Thinking it over later, he couldn’t understand why it mattered to him to insist that Young had acted alone.
