80 WHAT EVERY BODY IS SAYING
Foot FreezeIf a person constantly wiggles or bounces his or her feet or leg(s) and sud-
denly stops, you need to take notice. This usually signifies that the individ-
ual is experiencing stress, an emotional change, or feels threatened in some
way. Ask yourself why the person’s limbic system kicked their survival in-
stincts into the “freeze” mode. Perhaps something was said or asked that
might lead to revealing information the person doesn’t want you to know.
Possibly the individual has done something and is afraid you will find him
BOX 18: FORGET BONNIE, FIND CLYDEI vividly recall an interview I conducted with a woman who was thought to
be a witness to a serious crime. For hours the interview session was going
nowhere; it was frustrating and tedious. The interviewee revealed no sig-
nificant behaviors; however, I did notice she jiggled her foot all the time.
Because it was a relative constant, this behavior was of no consequence
until I asked the question, “Do you know Clyde?” Immediately upon hear-
ing that question, and even though she didn’t answer (at least not ver-
bally), the woman’s foot went from jiggling to an elevated up-and-down
kicking motion. This was a significant clue that this name had a negative
effect on her. In further questioning, she later admitted that “Clyde” had
involved her in stealing government documents from a base in Germany.
Her leg-kick reaction was a significant clue to us that there was some-
thing more to explore, and in the end her confession proved that suspi-
cion to be accurate. Ironically, that betraying behavior probably made her
want to kick herself, because it ultimately cost her twenty-five years in a
federal prison.subjects are problematic. In this manner, even hidden facts may be elic-
ited from people, whether they answer the question or not (see box 18).