Don Gutteridge - Desperate Acts

“You think one of the club members might’veseen me knock Duggan out?” Brodie said, perking up.

“It’s possible. You circled the block an’waited ten minutes or more to surprise the blackmailer. By then oneor more of them gents could’ve been in the coatroom ready toleave.”

“Most of them do go out the back way – toavoid the taproom,” Brodie added.

“An’ may’ve seen you scuttlin’ off up thealley – with yer silvery cane layin’ down there winkin’ in themoonlight.”

“Then sneaked out there an’ beat Duggan todeath,” Sturges said.

Brodie looked stunned, but said nothing.

“Right,” Cobb said. “Or it coulda been somebum or roustabout scourin’ the back alleys an’ comin’ upon Duggan,”Cobb said. “Duggan was dressed like a gentleman, so a littlerobbery might’ve been temptin’, eh? Duggan feels somebody gropin’at his pockets, wakes up, an’ gets his head bashed in fer histrouble.”

“Wouldn’t a thief have ripped open thatparcel?” Sturges said reluctantly.

Cobb sighed. “If he saw it, I guess. Still,we found no wallet or purse on Duggan.”

“Well, if it was robbery,” Sturges said,“then our chances of findin’ the culprit are slim.”

“I got my snitches,” Cobb said. “Includin’Nestor, who’s gonna need talkin’ to.”

“Alright, then,” Sturges said. “We now got acouple of directions to go in if we’re to find out who killedDuggan.”

“God, I hope you can,” Brodie said. “I know Ididn’t do it.” He was beginning to have some doubts about the lawalways being the law.

“Cobb, I want you off yer patrol fer a fewdays. You’ll need to go back to the The Sailor’s Arms in themornin’ an’ snoop about. If Duggan lived with Nestor, a visit tothe stone-cottage is in order. Maybe Nestor knows who might’ve hadreason to kill his cousin.”

“Well,” Cobb said, “the bugger was ablackmailer. We do know that.”

“I wish you had kept that note,” Sturges saidto Brodie.

Brodie gave Sturges a strange look. He wasregretting his failure to mention the second note in hisstatement, the one that had come to light just minutes beforeBrodie had left for the club. “I wish I had, too,” he said.

“So what do we do right now?” Cobb said.

“It’s too late to rouse Magistrate Thorpe,”Sturges said. “Brodie, I want your word that you’ll appear promptlyat nine o’clock in James Thorpe’s chambers. I’ll present theevidence we have in hand and outline our other lines of inquiry.What happens then is up to him.”

“It looks as if I’ll need a lawyer,” Brodiesaid.

“You will, son. And a damn good one.”

No-one in the room had any doubt as to whothat might be.

***

Brodie arrived at Briar Cottage at eight o’clock thenext morning. By eight-thirty he and Marc were walking brisklyalong King Street towards the Court House. Beth had left Charleneto mind Maggie while she headed up Sherbourne Street to see whatcomfort she could bring Celia, who was understandably upset andanxious for her brother. As they walked, Brodie filled in thosedetails of last night’s events that he had not had time to mentionin the cottage, where he had received Marc’s assurance that hewould be properly represented by legal counsel. Marc had stoppedshort of officially agreeing to represent Brodie, in part becausehe felt obligated to Robert and the Union Bill cause and in partbecause he expected Brodie would not be charged on the basis of theevidence thus far.

“So you tore up the extortion note?” Marcsaid as they approached Jarvis Street.

“Wouldn’t you? It was vile andlibellous.”

“If we did have it, I could prove to JamesThorpe that this Duggan was a serious criminal and offered extremeprovocation. He did strike you in the thigh, you say?”

“Yes. But that was not the reason I struckout. I didn’t even bother to mention it in my statement.”

“That may have been unwise. This Duggansounds like a dangerous character. You say that Cobb indicated,before they released you, that Duggan was involved in a fracas lastweek at The Sailor’s Arms?”

“Yes. I saw it myself, and Mrs. Budge toldCobb about it after she saw Duggan’s body in the alley. She didn’tknow his name, though, till Nestor Peck identified him as hiscousin.”

“There’s something very strange about that.Nestor’s been a loner for years.”

“Chief Sturges is going to send Cobb out totalk to him, and do some further investigating.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t have to – at least asfar as you’re concerned.”

***

“Wilf here brought over these sworn statements andnotes about an hour ago,” James Thorpe was saying. “I’ve had achance to read through them and to question the chief and theconstable about points that needed clarifying. In addition I havein hand Dr. Withers’ report. Mr. Edwards has had ten minutes toperuse the documents on behalf of Mr. Langford. I take it then thatwe are ready to begin.”

Marc did not like the expression on themagistrate’s face. It was the look he got when the duty he feltbound to perform was truly painful. The interested parties wereseated before him in his comfortable chamber at the rear of theCourt House.

“We have Mr. Langford’s admission that he hada strong motive to silence Albert Duggan, that he lost his temperand knocked the fellow senseless. His own walking-stick was used toclub Duggan to death – two vicious blows that caved the back of hisskull in. Unless Mr. Langford is willing to retract his statementor materially alter it, I do not see why he should not be detainedas the most probable perpetrator of the crime.”

“But, sir, as I understand it,” Marc saidquietly, “there was a fifteen- or twenty-minute gap between thetime Mr. Langford fled the scene and the arrival of Constable Cobbthere. If Mr. Langford’s statement is the truth, then someone elsecould have come upon the unconscious Duggan and, for reasons yet tobe determined, picked up the abandoned walking-stick and finishedhim off.”

“And why, even if they should by incrediblehappenstance come upon the prone fellow, would they have reason tokill him?”

“An attempted robbery perhaps. With Duggancoming awake and trying to thwart it.”

“Pretty far-fetched, Marc.”

“It’s possible also that one or more of themembers of the Shakespeare Club was coming down the back stairsduring that critical twenty minutes, and got curious.”

“That’s preposterous,” Thorpe said. Althoughfair-minded and strict in his judicial role, Thorpe was also a highTory and protective of those who mattered. “What possible contactwould any of those gentlemen, fine citizens all, have with thelikes of Duggan, a drifter from Quebec, if I’m not mistaken?”

“I’m not suggesting they were involved in anyway, sir. But they may have seen or heard something that will helpexonerate Mr. Langford. For example, if one of them, while leavingthrough the cloakroom, saw Brodie strike Duggan on the cheek andflee up the alley, without bludgeoning him, then that would becritical testimony, would it not?”

Thorpe rubbed his chin. “I agree.” Lookingsomewhat relieved, he said, “So this is what I propose to do.Before I go to the Attorney-General, I’ll ask you, Wilf, to seekout corroborating or exculpatory witnesses and take theirstatements. Bring the results back here to me tomorrow morning atten o’clock. In the meantime, I’m going to have to detain Mr.Langford at the jail until that time.”

“Surely he could be released on bond?” Marcsaid.

“We’ll see about that tomorrow,” Thorpe said.The meeting was over.

Ten minutes later, Calvin Strangway thejailor took Brodie Langford by the arm and led him towards thetunnel that linked the Court House and jail.