Tuesday, August 26 – 4:20 p.m.

John Reagle was arrested on August 11 at Duffy's Bar & Grill after claiming to be in possession of a human hand. The remainder of the body was subsequently found on his farm.

Detectives Beckwith and Magee re-interviewed him at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective P. Beckwith
• Detective J. Magee
• John Reagle

Detective Beckwith: Come on in, Johnny. You staying out of trouble?

John Reagle: You know that's right. I ain't even drinking anymore.

Detective Magee: Really?

John Reagle: Well, just beer, but that's not really drinking.

Detective Magee: I'm not sure everyone would agree with you on that, but let's move on. Would you state your name and address, please?

John Reagle: My name is John Reagle, and I live at 522 CR 418, Oxford.

Detective Magee: We wanted to talk to you about those work gloves we got from your barn.

John Reagle: Yeah, am I going to be getting those back anytime soon? I got me some new ones, but I don't like them as well.

Detective Beckwith: We'll see what we can do about that. So listen, do you ever wear those gloves when you go out hunting?

John Reagle: Hunting? No, those are work gloves.

Detective Beckwith: So if I told you we found gunshot residue on them, how would you explain that?

John Reagle: That doesn't sound right.

Detective Beckwith: No, it doesn't.

John Reagle: You sure it's not some kind of mistake?

Detective Beckwith: That's your explanation?

John Reagle: I don't know how else to explain it.

Detective Magee: It's not because you were wearing those gloves when you shot Andy Fine?

John Reagle: What? I didn't do that!

Detective Magee: How can you be sure, drinking as much as you were?

John Reagle: There's not enough liquor in the world to make me kill somebody. I didn't do it.

Detective Magee: You had a pretty good motive.

John Reagle: No, I didn't.

Detective Magee: Andy was the one standing in the way of you buying that farmhouse from the Fines, wasn't he?

John Reagle: Once upon a time, maybe, but what would I want with that old place now that he wrecked it?

Detective Magee: So if his brother and sister were looking to sell it now, you wouldn't be interested?

John Reagle: I don't know. Are they thinking about selling? Because I'd be willing to hear them out at least.

Detective Magee: I thought you weren't interested.

John Reagle: Might be able to get it for a good price now.

Detective Beckwith: But before Andy was killed, they were asking a lot more?

John Reagle: More than likely, but I can't say because I don't know how much they want now, since— hey! You're trying to twist this all around. I didn't kill Andy, not for that crappy old house, not for any reason.

Detective Magee: Why should we believe you?

John Reagle: Because there must be a lot of people out there with better reasons to kill him than that. A guy like Andy makes enemies.

Detective Beckwith: And you have an alibi.

John Reagle: You bet I do.

Detective Beckwith: What is it?

John Reagle: When are we talking about again?

Detective Beckwith: The night of August 1st and the morning of August 2nd.

John Reagle: Okay. I went to a party out at Sardis Lake. Spent the night. Didn't come home until Saturday night.

Detective Beckwith: Who was having this party?

John Reagle: It was a, uh, lady friend.

Detective Beckwith: Congratulations. What's her name?

John Reagle: Well… I can't recall off the top of my head.

Detective Magee: Johnny, it was less than a month ago. You can't remember her name?

John Reagle: Well, there have been a lot of lady friends since Lisa left. I had to make up for lost time, you know.

Detective Magee: Uh-huh. Do you think you can come up with this particular lady friend's name?

John Reagle: Sure can. I got it at home.

Detective Magee: All right. Here's what we're going to do. You go home, get that name, and you call me with it by 6:00 p.m. today. If you don't call me by then, we're going to take that to mean you were lying about your alibi. You understand?

John Reagle: Yes, I understand.

Detective Beckwith: You better get going. You only got an hour.

John Reagle: I'm going. I'm going.

Interview ended – 4:56 p.m.