The Last Innocent Man

“You let me down, Dave. You really destroyed my faith in human nature.”

“What do you mean?”

“You broke your oath, didn’t you?” Gault teased. “Went yappity-yapping to your ex about our little secret.”

David’s stomach turned over.

“Nothing to say to me? No denials?”

David’s throat was dry and his voice caught when he tried to speak. Gault watched him, amused. He seemed to have all the time in the world.

“Want to know something, old buddy?” Gault said. “I’m not mad at you. You’re still my pal. See, I counted on your going to the police.”

David was confused.

“You thought I’d tell them you killed Darlene Hersch and Conklin?”

“It was a sure thing. Hell, Dave, you’re a bowl of mush. You’re drunk half the time and not worth a shit as a lawyer anymore. I knew you’d never stand up under the kind of pressure I put on you.”

“I don’t understand,” David said. “If you hadn’t told me, no one would ever have guessed you killed either one. You’d have been perfectly safe.”

“I don’t want to be safe, old buddy. You know, I lied to you a little, the other day, when I said that killing never gets boring. Even that loses its edge after a while, if there’s no variety. Think of how interesting it will be for me to outwit the police when they investigate your and Mrs. Stafford’s murders.”

Jenny’s eyes widened and she gripped David’s hand tightly.

“Yeah, Mrs. Stafford, I’m sorry about that, but it’s got to be. See, the cops and the DA will know I killed Julie, because Dave told Ms. Powers I confessed, right?”

Neither Jennifer nor David answered, and Gault went on.

“But they can’t do anything about that, because I can’t be retried once I’ve been acquitted. Score one for the bad guys.

“Now they know I killed Darlene Hersch and the investigator, but there’s no way they can prove it. I destroyed all the evidence, including the wig and the knife, and who would believe Ortiz if he said I killed Hersch, after he was so positive about his identification of Stafford?

“Then, there’s my confession to you. Only you’ll be dead. So the cops will only have one case left. Monica Powers will know I killed you, because I have the motive: my confession to you. I’ll be the number-one suspect. The only problem is, they’ll never be able to tell a jury about my confessions, right?”

“Why won’t they?” Jenny asked David.

“You tell her, counselor,” Gault said with a satisfied smile.

“Gault can object to Monica’s telling the jury about anything he told me in confidence as a client,” David said.

“And don’t forget hearsay, old buddy. A witness can’t tell the jury what someone told her outside of court, right? See, I’ve been doing a little legal research on the side. Say, do you think I should go to law school? After you’re gone, someone will have to take over the criminal practice in this town.”

“You think you’re so smart,” Jenny said. “You’ll slip up. They’ll get you.”

Gault shrugged. “It’s possible. Hell, I’m not perfect. But what’s a game without a little risk? Now, why don’t you two shut up, so I can decide how I want you to die.”

ORTIZ SUSPECTED WHEREDavid was headed when the lawyer turned off the highway. If he stayed too close on the deserted country road, Gault might spot him. If he guessed wrong, and David was not headed for the Stafford house, he was sure to lose both of them. He decided to take a chance and hang back.

The gamble paid off. Ortiz parked his car some distance from the entrance to the Staffords’ driveway and moved onto the grounds through a gap in the hedges. He crouched down. From his position in the shadows, he could see David and Thomas Gault talking in front of Gault’s car. Gault’s back was toward him, and he did not see the gun until Gault moved aside, pressing himself against the wall to the left of the front door.

The front door opened and Gault shoved David forward. The door closed. Ortiz waited for a count of ten; then, still keeping to the shadows, he ran to a position to the right of the front door. He knew, from the day they had searched the house, that the living room was to the left of the door as you entered. There was a light on in that room, but the curtains were drawn. The room to the right-the dining room-was dark.

Ortiz remembered that there was also a side window in the living room. He ran quietly to it and peered into the room. Gault was herding David and Jennifer Stafford toward him. He ducked down quickly and moved away from the window. Gault still had his gun out. Ortiz had to figure out how to disarm him without endangering the two prisoners. Coming in the front door was out. It was probably locked, but even if it wasn’t, the door’s movement would be visible from the living room. Ortiz would have no way of knowing where Gault was when he made his move.