Albert Clark interview

Saturday, September 14, 2024 – 2:45 p.m.

Albert Clark is a Yoknapatawpha Acres nursing home resident.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy interviewed him at Yoknapatawpha Acres.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Albert Clark

Detective Murphy: For the record, please state your name and address.

Albert Clark: My name is Albert Clark. You can call me Albert or Al or Bert. I answer to all of them and others besides.

Detective Murphy: Where did you live before you moved to Yoknapatawpha Acres?

Albert Clark: Here and there.

Detective Armstrong: I guess the census taker was here when you were there and there when you were here.

Albert Clark: That sounds about right.

Detective Armstrong: And yet you left no traces?

Albert Clark: I'm light on my feet. I was quite the dancer in my day, and I can still make a young lady blush.

Detective Murphy: Most people your age have accumulated a thick folder's worth of data. They've attended schools, held jobs, gotten married. They've had children and taken out loans and paid the electric company. Some people fill so many folders that we need to give them their own filing cabinet. With you, we don't need a folder. We can fit all your information on the little label you put on the tab.

Albert Clark: I'm sure you appreciate someone cutting down on your paperwork.

Detective Armstrong: I have to wonder, Albert, where you've been hiding all your life, what you've been doing. You even in the country legally?

Albert Clark: I was born right here in the US of A, as were my parents and their parents before them. Whether they all have any more official documentation than I do, I can't say.

Detective Murphy: Moving forward, I'm sure you know why we asked to speak to you today.

Albert Clark: The murder, I assume.

Detective Murphy: Murder?

Albert Clark: You wouldn't still be sniffing around if Jerry Shaw had slipped on a banana peel. He wasn't exactly a celebrity.

Detective Armstrong: For the sake of argument, let's say he was murdered. That would mean someone was responsible.

Albert Clark: That sounds about right.

Detective Armstrong: Well, then, who would be your top three suspects? In any order.

Albert Clark: This week? LaDonna Kitterman. Dick Landrigan. And I guess everybody else is tied for third.

Detective Murphy: Even you?

Albert Clark: He did give me a hard time about walking the halls the way I do. Probably thought I was checking up on him.

Detective Murphy: Were you?

Albert Clark: Not on purpose. I'm just trying to keep away from my roommate.

Detective Armstrong: Do we have to worry about another murder happening?

Albert Clark: No, nothing like that. He just plays the television a little loud for my taste, which means he turns it on. Tried earplugs, but I don't even like the sight of it, so I spend most of my time wandering around the place.

Detective Murphy: That must give you a pretty good idea of what goes on here.

Albert Clark: It's entertaining, I'll give you that.

Detective Murphy: Were you wandering around the day Jerry died?

Albert Clark: I expect so.

Detective Murphy: Did you see anything unusual that day?

Albert Clark: Most everything that happens around here is unusual one way or another.

Detective Armstrong: You mentioned Kitterman and Landrigan by name. Why those two?

Albert Clark: I saw Jerry and LaDonna come out of a closet once. I don't think that was a blush on her face as much as rage, but maybe that's just me. And Landrigan, him and Jerry went at it a time or two. There was something going on there.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever hear anybody threaten Jerry or hear Jerry threaten anybody else?

Albert Clark: Not in so many words, but there's more than one undercurrent here. Lot of resentment. Lot of shenanigans.

Detective Murphy: For example?

Albert Clark: Detective, I'm sure you've heard and seen enough to know that you don't end up in a place like this. You're a trained professional.

Detective Armstrong: So why do you stay here?

Albert Clark: I was lucky to get this far. I'm not making any waves.

Detective Armstrong: Not making any waves? You implicated Richard Landrigan, the manager of this facility.

Albert Clark: I didn't tell you nothing you hadn't already heard. And all you asked for was my opinion. It's not up to me to be pointing fingers.

Detective Armstrong: And what if it was?

Albert Clark: I seem to be getting right tired.

Detective Armstrong: That came on kind of suddenly.

Detective Murphy: Naturally, we don't want to wear you out, Mr. Clark.

Albert Clark: I appreciate that.

Detective Murphy: Why don't we give you some time to collect your thoughts, and we'll continue this at another time then?

Albert Clark: Sounds about right.

Interview ended – 3:08 p.m.