Richard Deming - Gallows in My Garden

“Also, if we made an arrest, undoubtedly we would be sued. After consulting on the matter, we felt the wisest course was to gather together this group and explain what the criminal’s motive and method of operation has been. Once all of you understand everything, the whole carefully built plot falls apart, for this has been a peculiar series of crimes, and the most peculiar thing about them is that the criminal will be unable to reap any benefit from them the minute you all understand what the crimes actually are.

“That is the sole purpose for which we called this meeting. If we brought the guilty person to trial, there is little doubt in my mind any jury would render a verdict of acquittal on the grounds of insufficient evidence. There is also little doubt in my mind that even though acquitted by a jury, the killer would be convicted in the minds of all of you here. Therefore by airing the whole matter among this select group, we accomplish the same thing as we would by an arrest, but escape the probability of being sued.”

Inspector Day blurted, “Will you get on with it, Moon!”

I glanced at him and continued without hurry. “In the first place, practically nothing in this case was what it at first seemed. The attempts on Grace Lawson, for instance, were not attempts at murder at all. She was never in the slightest danger.”

“What?” Arnold Tate half shouted.

Twelve faces swiveled at Arnold, then turned back to me. Hannegan remained expressionless, and Warren Day’s suddenly furious eyes were fixed unwaveringly on my face.

I continued at a leisurely pace. “Going backward, Don’s death was neither suicide nor murder, but a combination of both. Legally I suppose it was suicide, but morally it was murder.

“And going all the way back to the beginning, Donald Lawson Senior’s death was not an accident, but deliberate murder.”

Ann Lawson emitted a gasp which drew everyone’s eyes to her.

“This is a complicated story,” I went on, “and I’m not much of a storyteller—”

I paused at a sardonic snort from Warren Day, then picked up the narrative.

“You must understand everything I intend to tell you is based on hypothesis. It wouldn’t stand up in court for a minute. But we know certain facts, and by combining them in proper order, we can arrive at a series of logical conclusions I’m sure you’ll all agree with.

“First for the facts. Donald Lawson Senior was killed last August in an auto accident during which both the chauffeur, Vance Logan, and Doctor Douglas Lawson were injured. Six months ago Vance Logan began receiving an income in excess of ten thousand dollars a month, though he had no apparent means of support. The logical conclusion is that Logan was blackmailing someone. An off-the-record check of the resources of all those present showed some interesting things.” I paused and looked at Ann Lawson. “For instance, how does it happen your total resources are only three thousand dollars, when you have income from a half million?”

Jonathan Mannering sat up straight sputtering. “Young man,” he said. “In the first place you had no business prying into Mrs. Lawson’s affairs. In the second place, if you employed the logic you seem to be so proud of, you would realize the will was probated only about six months ago. Mrs. Lawson’s trust fund has been safely invested at an average of three-and-a-half-percent interest, but there hasn’t been a dividend payment yet.”

“And also, Mrs. Lawson,” I said, ignoring the interruption, “some time back you invested a hundred thousand dollars in Marsh Chemicals and sold out for a hundred and ten thousand. Mind telling what happened to that money?”

“Mr. Moon,” Jonathan Mannering said ominously, “as Mrs. Lawson’s attorney, I want to warn you any further inferences that my client has been paying blackmail will get you a suit for defamation of character.” He glanced around at the group, then added, “However, I feel this should be clarified right now, before wagging tongues do any damage. That Marsh Chemicals transaction took place more than a year ago, just before Donald Lawson’s death. Donald didn’t want to appear in the matter, so he bought the stock in his wife’s name, a quite common business procedure. Ann never even saw the money.”

Warren Day’s mouth had fallen open. He snapped it shut, glared at me, and opened it again to speak, then changed his mind and watched me with dawning suspicion.

“Thank you,” I said gravely. “That clears that up. Getting on to the next fact, two professional killers named Dude Garrity and Harry Sommerfield murdered Vance Logan. Yesterday both were killed in a gun battle, as you may have read in the paper. They also had attempted to murder me, presumably because I was endangering the main criminal’s security. However, they showed a marked antipathy to harming Grace Lawson, which indicated they had definite instructions to let her alone.”

Suddenly I turned my attention to Gerald Cushing. “If you wanted to hire two professional killers, Mr. Cushing, how would you go about it?”

At first he looked startled, then puzzled, and finally faintly indignant. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“I’m not trying to involve you in anything,” I said. “Just take it as a hypothetical question. Where would you contact professional killers?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Would you, Mrs. Lawson?”

Ann looked at me puzzledly, then shook her head.

“Or you, Mr. Mannering?”

“Of course not,” the lawyer said, outraged.

I said, “I won’t bother to complete the circuit. The point I’m trying to make is that the average person couldn’t get in contact with two killers such as Dude Garrity and Harry Sommerfield even if he had the desire. For a time we thought Kate Malone was the underworld contact, and was somehow tied in with this, but apparently her reason for skipping was fear of serving out a sentence for parole violation. We suddenly realized who the killer was when we discovered Dude Garrity had a two-week-old gunshot wound. And that is what puts the finger on our killer. Only one person here could possibly have come in contact with the pair.”

Now I still had twelve expressions puzzled, but Warren Day’s had changed. A light was beginning to replace the suspicion in his eyes.

“June twenty-eighth,” I said, “Dude Garrity and Harry Sommerfield unsuccessfully tried to rob a bank in Peoria, Illinois. Garrity was wounded. The bandits headed in this direction and were lost track of not twenty miles from here. Somewhere Garrity managed to get his wound dressed, and when his companion was subsequently wounded last Sunday, he also managed to get medical attention without the treatment being reported to the police.”

After a moment of strained silence, all eyes focused on Dr. Douglas Lawson.

Ann rose and said in a choked voice, “What are you getting at?”

“Just what you think,” I said. “Garrity needed medical attention. He probably got it while his companion held a gun on the doctor. And sometime while the doctor was patching the patient up, he suddenly realized the two gunmen were an answer to his problem. All reputable doctors report to police the treatment of gunshot wounds. Instead of making a report, Dr. Douglas Lawson made a deal with his patient and his companion.”

Dr. Lawson said calmly, “That’s a pretty strong statement, Moon. You may get yourself a defamation of character suit yet.”

I shook my head at him. “That would force us to bring you to trial. My bet is that you won’t make a move that might spread the story of your guilt beyond this group here.”

Ann moved away two steps, clasped her hands in front of her and stared down at her brother-in-law.