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<strong>The</strong> crime scenes <strong>the</strong>mselves were so clean that <strong>the</strong> authorities offered <strong>the</strong>ir begrudg<strong>in</strong>g respect. “<strong>The</strong><br />
level of discipl<strong>in</strong>e he showed while he broke <strong>in</strong>to houses,” said Hughes, “is beyond what any of us can<br />
remotely imag<strong>in</strong>e—<strong>the</strong> legwork, <strong>the</strong> reconnaissance, <strong>the</strong> talent with locks, his ability to get <strong>in</strong> and out<br />
without be<strong>in</strong>g detected.” A burglary report filed by one police officer specifically noted <strong>the</strong> crime’s<br />
“unusual neatness.” <strong>The</strong> hermit, many officers felt, was a master thief. It was as if he were show<strong>in</strong>g off,<br />
pick<strong>in</strong>g locks yet steal<strong>in</strong>g little, play<strong>in</strong>g a strange sort of game.<br />
Knight said that <strong>the</strong> moment he opened a lock and entered a home, he always felt a hot wave of shame.<br />
“Every time, I was very conscious that I was do<strong>in</strong>g wrong. I took no pleasure <strong>in</strong> it, none at all.”<br />
Once <strong>in</strong>side a cab<strong>in</strong>, he moved purposefully, hitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> kitchen first before mak<strong>in</strong>g a quick sweep of <strong>the</strong><br />
house, look<strong>in</strong>g for any useful items or <strong>the</strong> batteries he always required. He never turned on a light. He used<br />
only a small flashlight attached to a metal cha<strong>in</strong> he wore around his neck—this style allowed him to leave <strong>the</strong><br />
light dangl<strong>in</strong>g if he needed it <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> forest, and it would illum<strong>in</strong>ate only <strong>the</strong> ground, keep<strong>in</strong>g his face<br />
shadowed. Knight detested headlamps; <strong>the</strong>y scattered light everywhere, bright as a bar sign.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g a burglary, <strong>the</strong>re wasn’t a moment’s ease. “My adrenal<strong>in</strong>e was spik<strong>in</strong>g, my heart rate was soar<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
My blood pressure was high. I was always scared when steal<strong>in</strong>g. Always. I wanted it over as quickly as<br />
possible.” <strong>The</strong> only time he paused for more than a moment dur<strong>in</strong>g a raid was when <strong>the</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r was cold<br />
and he needed to thaw someth<strong>in</strong>g out. If meat was frozen, he’d pop it <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> microwave.<br />
He’d f<strong>in</strong>ish with <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>side of <strong>the</strong> cab<strong>in</strong>, <strong>the</strong>n by habit check <strong>the</strong> gas grill to see if <strong>the</strong> propane tank was<br />
full. If so, and <strong>the</strong>re was an empty spare ly<strong>in</strong>g around, he’d replace <strong>the</strong> full one with an empty, mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
grill appear untouched. It was always best, Knight believed, for a home owner to have no clear evidence that<br />
he or she had been robbed. <strong>The</strong>n he’d load everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a canoe, if it was a canoe-borrow<strong>in</strong>g trip, and<br />
paddle to <strong>the</strong> shore closest to his camp and unload. He’d return <strong>the</strong> canoe to <strong>the</strong> spot he’d taken it from,<br />
spr<strong>in</strong>kle some p<strong>in</strong>e needles on <strong>the</strong> boat to make it appear unused, <strong>the</strong>n haul his loot up through <strong>the</strong> Jarsey,<br />
between <strong>the</strong> elephant rocks, to his site.<br />
By this po<strong>in</strong>t, dawn was often break<strong>in</strong>g. When he carried <strong>the</strong> last item <strong>in</strong>to his camp, he could f<strong>in</strong>ally<br />
relax. “Ahead of me was a long stretch of peace. No, not peace. That’s too icky of a word. A long stretch of<br />
calm.” Each raid brought him enough supplies to last about two weeks, and as he settled once more <strong>in</strong>to his<br />
room <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> woods—“back <strong>in</strong> my safe place, success”—he came as close as he could to experienc<strong>in</strong>g joy.