YOU KNOW THAT dossier you asked me to make?” Newman asked.

     “Yeah,” Vanderwaal answered.

     “I got somethin’. But you’re prob’ly not gonna like it,” Newman said.

     “Try me.” Vanderwaal looked a little leery. Usually when Newman said he wasn’t going to like something, he was right.

     “Two 16PFs taken more than thirty years apart,” Newman said.

     "Who we talkin’ about?” Vanderwaal asked.

     “You know -- the president’s pen pal,” Newman prompted. “Denver? San Francisco? Hawaii?”

     “Got it,” Vanderwaal said, nodding. “Go on.”

     “The results show no change over that time period,” Newman began.

     “And the 16PF is?” Vanderwaal was still in the dark.

     “I’m sorry,” Newman offered. “It’s the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire. It’s similar to the MMPI used by psychologists, university counseling testing centers, corporate human resources departments, and the U.S. State Department.”

     “To what end?” Vanderwaal didn’t like new territory until he fully grasped what was already on the table.

     “To get a heads-up on a person’s basic character and personality,” Newman ventured.

     “Continue.”

     “I’ve highlighted the pertinent parts,” Newman said, as he pointed to the first one.

     “You know I’ll never read that,” Vanderwaal said, handing it back. “Just give me the highlights.”

     “OK. Bottom line?” Newman said. “Our guy Ruskjer comes across as a quality, trustworthy, rock-solid human being whose character is sterling.”

     “Who says?” Vanderwaal never took anything for granted.

     “That’s a direct quote by the one who administered and graded both tests,” Newman answered. “He holds a master’s degree with an emphasis in counseling and a doctorate with a dissertation that focused on personality, motivation, and behavior.”

     “That’s it?” Vanderwaal asked.

     Newman cleared his throat. “Specifically, Ruskjer comes out being prosocial, as opposed to being antisocial, highly intelligent and creative, which can lead to notable inventiveness and accomplishment, but also to the proverbial absent-minded professor mindset where someone finds himself careless in practical matters.”

     “Another quote, I presume. Chew it up and spit it out in English.” Vanderwaal didn’t like three-syllable words.

     “He just doesn’t have the risk factors,” Newman said, “the profile of out-of-bounds traits according to criminologists like Robert Ross, PhD, who did research at the University of Ottawa, and Glenn Walters, PhD, who researched the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. His profile doesn't associate with the antisocial law-breaking behavior of convicted offenders. In fact, he’s just the opposite.”

     “Ya wanna know what I think?” Vanderwaal said, more than asked. “If people can beat lie detectors -- and we know they can -- this PH -- whatever you call it -- should be a cakewalk.”

     “PF16,” Newman corrected. “But that’s just it -- they can’t. The test has built-in motivational distortion scales that detect attempts by test takers to make themselves look better than they are. In both tests, our guy showed no sign of motivational distortion.”

     “And that all boils down to what?” Vanderwaal didn’t have many PhD friends.

     “He writes an honest test,” Newman said.

     “You’re sure this isn’t like one of those astrology readings?” Vanderwaal didn’t much trust written tests of any kind. “Those things are so vague, you can make ‘em say anything … “

     “You want specificity?” Newman asked, intentionally throwing in a five-syllable word. “No problem. 

     “On the emotionally unstable scale -- I just go off -- Ruskjer is, on both tests, emotionally stable -- I remain calm, cool and collected.

     “Instead of exhibiting thoughtless, egocentric behavior -- I look out for number one -- he has consistently lived a thoughtful altruistic life -- I look out for all involved in a situation.

     “Far from showing a reckless, impulsive personality -- If I want it, I just go for it -- he has demonstrated a pattern of responsible, deliberative conduct -- First I focus, then I act.

     “And far from being an individual who is unethical or indifferent to right and wrong behavior -- Moral behavior? I couldn’t care less -- he is an ethical and good person -- I consistently act with conscience. It’s who I am.

     “Had enough?” Newman said, as he looked up from the report.

     “I guess I’m from the old school.” Vanderwaal had a faraway look in his eyes. “Do you really think tests like this can accurately conclude traits like these just by asking a few multiple-guess questions?”

     “They’re not 100 percent,” Newman allowed. “But they’re the closest thing we have to a character crystal ball. Do you want me to continue?”

     “Go.” Vanderwaal was resigned to his fate. He had to get inside the head of whoever was behind these robberies.

     “OK then,” Newman pressed on.

     “Instead of being a closed-minded, rigid person, as offenders are apt to be -- My views are it, period -- Ruskjer is truly open-minded and flexible -- I welcome other views.

     “Rather than letting an overly pushy and dominant spirit control his thinking and behavior -- My way or the highway -- he lives a balanced life, constantly guided by the spirit of the kind and accommodating -- Let’s find a way to work together.

     “And despite his acknowledged, marginal bent to impracticality, to be absentminded, with its accompanying vulnerability to the irrational and foggy -- Sometimes my head is in the clouds -- he has, at the same time, always valued staying tethered to the rational and clear -- Things have to make sense, be realistic, feel grounded.

     “And finally,”-- when Newman said this, Vanderwaal actually let out an audible sigh of relief -- “instead of falling prey to the criminal mindset of externally controlled childishness -- Someone else made me do it -- he has always worked in keeping with the internally controlled, mature mindset that says, I accept responsibility for my actions.”

     “Could you maybe give it to me in one succinct sentence.” Vanderwaal knew he didn’t want to ask this, but felt obliged to anyway.

     “Thought you’d never ask,” Newman said, smiling.

     “In short, rather than possessing the array of negative risk factors associated with an antisocial person -- One who is unstable, egocentric, and reckless; unethical, close-minded, and dominant; dense, markedly irrational, and extremely controlled -- Ruskjer possesses the positive array of protective factors, character traits, associated with the prosocial person -- One who is stable, altruistic, and responsible; ethical, open-minded, and accommodating, insightful, tethered to the rational and internally controlled.”

     Vanderwaal paused for a moment, then said, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to keep your sentences to ten words or less?” He breathed out a noticeable sigh. 

     “So what we have here -- according to the PhDs -- is a first-class Boy Scout. 

     "Check it out against the facts and get back to me.”