Аврам Дэвидсон: Ellery Queen’s Double Dozen

“I don’t think they’ll be concerned about bigamy.”

“I guess I’ll have to talk to a lawyer. Seeing I’m not legally married to Sue, except maybe common law, I’d like to make sure she gets the house free and clear.”

“Were there any children by your... other marriage?”

“A boy. He was killed in 1935. On his bike. Then there wasn’t any reason for staying.”

Illigan shook his head again. “I guess we better go out and get that money, Will. Why do you want Sue to get the house?”

Garlan sighed and shrugged. “I was a fool marrying a young girl because I thought that’s what I wanted. So it hasn’t been all her fault. I didn’t love her, Wade. I just wanted her.”

The two men stood up. Illigan came around his desk and said, “Why’d you do it in the first place? Why’d you take all that money?”

Garlan tried to smile. It was a strange and touching grimace. “I had to get away from Lillian. She was... a cruel, vicious, domineering bitch. I had to get away from her. She was making my life a living hell. I almost didn’t care whether they caught me or not. Isn’t that something?” He tried to laugh. “The one thing I always wanted was a sweet loving woman. So after I get away from Lillian, I tie myself to the same...”

“What’s the matter?”

“I better sit down a minute, Wade. Just for a minute. This has taken a lot out of me.”

“Sure. You rest a little, Will.”

Garlan flexed his left arm. “I guess I strained my arm a little, clipping my pepper hedge.”

“When you feel up to it, we’ll go on out there.”

“I got so mad at her this morning, it made me feel weak and sick. That’s when I finally decided to come on in.”

“Can I get you a glass of water?”

“That would be...”

He stopped abruptly. He tilted his head as though listening to some sound outside the office. His mouth opened. The color drained out of his face.

When the full shock of the coronary occlusion struck him, he made a mild whimpering noise, dug his fingers into his thick chest, leaned forward, and toppled onto the floor, unconscious, his face muddy-gray and shiny with sweat.

He died as they were easing him onto the stretcher.

Though Will Garlan had been buried only a week ago, Wade Illigan saw the signs of neglect as he parked the county car in the driveway. He got out and looked at the pepper hedge, half neat and half ragged.

As he walked slowly toward the house, Sue Garlan came out onto the small front porch, her thin arms folded, and said, “What the hell do you want, Wade?”

He put his foot on the bottom step and looked up at her and pushed his hat back. “Wanted to see how you’re coming, Sue.”

“Since when is that any business of yours?”

“Will was one of my best friends. You know that.”

“He didn’t give a damn who he had for a friend, did he?”

“He had a few. How many you got?”

“One thing I’ve been fixing to ask you, Wade. What was he doing in your office that morning he keeled over?”

“Just stopped by. We were going snook fishing one night soon.”

“The way he went out of here, he didn’t act like he was going off to make no fishing date. He tried to run me over with the car. Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“Well, he did. That old man was getting meaner every day he lived. Meaner and dumber.”

“He took pretty good care of you, Sue.”

“Want I should break down and cry about it right here and now?”

“Not likely.”

“It sure isn’t. I give him the best years, didn’t I?”

“You’re a sweet generous woman, Sue.”

“I get along.”

“I wonder how you’re going to keep on getting along.”

“My, my! I’m touched you should fret about me, Sheriff. Will, he had his income coming in the mail right along. I got the key to the post-office box now, and I expect money will keep on coming in. There was no insurance, and I owe for burying him, so it better be coming in.”

“Suppose it don’t?”

“Then I’ll sell this place off and go live with my sister. It’s free and clear and it’ll bring a good price, Wade. So don’t worry about me a bit. Sam Redlock, owns the trailer park, he’s ready to buy it in a minute. And he’s got first call. What are you doing coming here anyhow, Illigan?”

“First call, eh?”

“That’s right. For a good price.”

“Hear you’ve been going to Mike’s Tavern about every night.”

“What’s that to you! I’m a new widow. I got to keep my spirits up. You want I should crawl in the graveyard with him?”

“Quite a fuss going on at Mike’s last night.”

“Took you long enough to get around to why you come out here.”

“Mary Ham swore out a warrant, Sue. They took six stitches in her mouth.”

“She started it, butting in like that on me an’ a gentleman friend!”

“No good you yelling. She said who was there. They say it happened like she said. So you get what you need and you come on in with me right now.”

She gave him a startled look and bolted into the house. By the time he’d cornered her in the kitchen, trapped her wrists and backhanded her across the face to take the fight out of her, he was winded and she had furrowed the side of his throat with her nails.

He waited while she changed her clothes, packed an overnight bag, and locked the house. She was docile, but her mouth was hard, her eyes bright with compressed fury.

He took her in and booked her, and had her put in the cage in the female wing of the Palm County jail. He let the matron know Sue Garlan had resisted arrest, had been arrested before, long ago, and a little overnight stay wouldn’t do her any harm at all.

At dusk he drove out to the Garlan house. The fifth key he tried worked. He was inside the house a little over two hours. From there he drove home. His daughter, Ann, who kept house for him, was mildly annoyed at him for being so late. She had kept his supper warm. She’d eaten with her two children and both kids had gone back to school for some kind of rehearsal. After Ann served him, she walked up the street to visit a friend who had just come back from the hospital with a new baby.

Sheriff Wade Illigan ate, then rinsed his dishes and made two trips from his car to his bedroom. He made certain strategic rearrangements of the varied items in the back of his closet. He made a phone call, left a note for Ann, and drove out to the home of County Commissioner Elmo Bliss on Lemon Ridge Road.

He sat with Elmo in his study, and after some leisurely small-talk, Illigan came to the point. “I changed my mind about what you asked me, Elmo. I don’t want to run for Sheriff again.”

Elmo Bliss looked startled. “Why, there wouldn’t hardly be any contest at all, Wade. It would be yours for the asking. You know that.”

“I know. And I’m grateful and all that, but... I guess I’m just losing my heart for the law business.”

“But don’t you have Ann and those grandkids to support?”

“Bud Walther has been after me the last couple of years to go in with him on that marina business. I thought I just might do that when my term runs out.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t make enough, doing that.”

“I got a feeling I’ll get along well enough.”

Elmo sighed. “Well, I guess it’s your choice to make. But it won’t be as secure as the sheriff business.”

“Maybe I haven’t got the right attitude to be a law man, Elmo.”

“You been a good one.”

“I decided I’d better tell you soon as I had my mind made up.”

“Thanks. We’ll have to find somebody. Another drink?”

“No, I got to be getting on back home.”

“Say, I hear you locked Sue Garlan up this afternoon.”