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the purpose of the film.” “Did you?” Velvet asked bluntly. “Not intentionally. The truth is, I originally imagined this project as one in a series exploring the interaction between a national monument and nature—the fog, ocean, sun, moon—but now, with the footage of suicides, I feel I have to honor that in film. I’ve started interviewing family and friends of people who died, and I want to give voice to their loss.” Yoshi put her hand on Velvet’s shoulder. “Our friend—” “Yes, I heard. I’m so sorry.” He sounded authentically empathetic. “Have you…” Velvet’s voice was husky with emotion. “Did you see him? It happened in November. His car was found at the bridge on the nineteenth.” “Myself? No.” “Are you sure?” Velvet sounded crestfallen. He responded quickly. “I may have captured his…the event. I’m working with four cameras and ten months of film. I’m nowhere near caught up to date.” Yoshi withdrew a business card and handed it to Harden. “Will you contact us if you find anything we should be aware of?” “Sure. I mean, assuming I resolve this issue with the board.” He took the card. “Blind Eye Detective Agency. Was the death suspicious or something?” “We have some concerns,” Yoshi said. “I wouldn’t have imagined one could be a blind detective. That’s amazing. You must have an interesting story.” Yoshi shrugged. She didn’t think her story was all that compelling. “It’s what I know how to do.” He chuckled. “I know what you mean. Filmmaking is in my blood, • 53 • DIANE AND JACOB ANDERSON-MINSHALL I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to. Which reminds me.” He turned to Velvet. “Would you be interested in speaking with me? For the film? I mean, when all this legal shit blows over?” “Of course.” Velvet’s answer surprised Yoshi. “Let me get your number.” After the two exchanged numbers and Harden departed with the camerawoman, Velvet explained, “Maybe he’ll be more eager find out about Jeff if I’m willing to appear in his film.” Yoshi nodded. It was hard to believe that Jeff’s last moments might have been captured on film. Velvet would probably do anything to see that tape—but was that the wise thing to do? Surely it would be even more traumatic to actually witness his jump. As Yoshi climbed into the Celica, she told herself that it was premature to worry. For all they knew it could be months before the legal issues were resolved and the injunction lifted. Perhaps the Bridge Authority would win and prevent the film’s release. She could certainly think of arguments for doing so. “What can you tell me about why people commit suicide?” Yoshi asked Dr. Artemis Jones. They were in the psychologist’s second floor office, sitting in the private room where Artemis conducted her counseling sessions. Yoshi couldn’t come here without recalling how she had angered Artemis the first time she’d been in this office. At the time, Yoshi would never have thought that Artemis would become a friendly collaborator. But after providing information that helped the Blind Eye detectives solve the Rosemary Finney murder, she had become a resource. Yoshi found her insights useful in shedding light on motives and behavior. Facts could speak for themselves, but sometimes, when data was not easy to interpret, a good PI used her own instincts or those of someone who knew a great deal about the type of crime under investigation. Artemis had firsthand experience working with suicidal individuals, particularly those who had been dissuaded from preceding Jeff off the Golden Gate. Yoshi wanted to obtain her specialized insight. “No one really knows why people commit suicide,” Artemis said, • 54 • BLIND LEAP immediately reducing the likelihood that Yoshi could check what she knew of Jeff against list of symptoms and determine if he was the “type.” “Sometimes, the person least aware of why,” Artemis continued, “is the victim him or herself, at the moment of the decision. Suicide is the eighth-leading cause of death in this country—and the third for fifteen- to twenty-year-olds. Around three percent of American adults will attempt suicide in their lifetime.” “Are all these people depressed?” Yoshi asked. Velvet was adamant that Jeff had never been treated for depression and had never spoken of such feelings to her. “That’s debatable,” Artemis said. “Physiologists will argue that low serotonin levels prejudice a person to commit suicide, while sociologists point to forces outside the individual.” “I had not realized that sociologists studied suicide.” “Oh, yes, absolutely. In fact the very field of sociology was founded in part on the discovery that suicide rates had a sociological base.” Yoshi had expected to learn something today, but had not expected to be surprised by the information. Artemis went on to explain that a French sociologist had discovered that single people were more likely than married individuals to take their own lives. She reeled off various facts unfamiliar to Yoshi. Protestants were more likely than Catholics or Jews, urban residents more likely than rural folks. Men were three times more likely to complete a “successful” suicide, while women were three times more likely to make “unsuccessful” attempts. People with children were at the lowest risk, and the predominant age group was 20–35. Jeff had been thirty-six. He did not have children. Yoshi wondered if he had wanted them. She had never had that kind of conversation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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