 Which word doesn't describe Partridge?
Not if you believe me. For punishment, he locked me in a windowless room and told me to sit still until he came back. Because they were real, I talked about them as if they were real, and I almost earned a bunk in the home for retarded children until I got smart enough to keep the beasts to myself. If you believe any of this at all, you'll see why it couldn't be me who did the stealing. It was two or three years later that I skulked into Brother Partridge's mission on Durbin Street. Partridge was supposed to think I was just a bum. Partridge didn't seem to notice me, but I knew that was an act. "Brothers," Partridge went on after enjoying the interruption with a beaming smile, "you shall all be entitled to a bowl of turkey soup prepared by Sister Partridge, a generous supply of sweet rolls and dinner rolls contributed by the Early Morning Bakery of this city, and all the coffee you can drink. As soon as I got cleaned up, I was going to have dinner in a good restaurant, and I was going to order such expensive food and leave such a large tip for the waiter and send one to the chef that they were going to think I was rich, and some executive with some brokerage firm would see me and say to himself, "Hmm, executive material. Even Partridge made his way down from the auctioneer's stand like a vulture with a busted wing and darted through his private door. The box was fastened to the vertical tongue-and-groove laths of the woodwork, not the wall. It wouldn't go up, down, left or right. While keeping a lookout for Partridge and somebody stepping out of the kitchen for a pull on a bottle, I spotted the clock for the first time, a Western Union clock high up at the back of the hall. "This," Brother Partridge said, "is one of the most profound experiences of my life." My head hinged until it lined my eyes up with Brother Partridge. "I may be able to help you," Brother Partridge said, "if you have faith and a conscience." Brother Partridge regarded me solemnly. Partridge prodded me with his bony fingers as if making sure I was substantial. As long as it stalled off the cops, I'd talk to Partridge. After some time Sister Partridge bustled in and snapped on the overhead lights and I kept talking. "Remarkable," Partridge finally said when I got so hoarse I had to take a break.
 suspicious
 suspicious  compassionate  patient  sympathetic