One Good Deed(117)

“So Mr. Archer kept it then?” offered Brooks.

Archer, who had been feverishly turning the curled down pages of one of the law books, rose and said in a tremulous voice, “O-objection, um, spec-speculation on the witness’s part, um, Your Honor.”

“Overruled,” snapped Judge Richmond. “Witness may answer the question.”

“I don’t know. He might have,” she added, half-heartedly.

Brooks said smoothly, “So to sum up your testimony and those who have come before you, Mr. Archer was the only person who was with both men at around the times they died. And he gained a great deal of money by their deaths. Isn’t that right?” When she didn’t answer, he added, “Miss Tuttle?”

“Yes, I guess that’s right,” she replied, her features frustrated.

“And did Mr. Archer tell you that he had killed plenty of men during the war?”

“What?”

“You mentioned to Detective Shaw that you had spoken to Archer about his military service.”

“That’s right.”

“Did he tell you that he had killed during the war? With a gun, a knife, his bare hands even?”

“I suppose most of the men who fought did that.” She glanced at Archer. “I mean, that was sort of the point of them being over there, right?”

There were a few guffaws from the crowd at her response, and Archer noted that a few of the jurors were nodding and looking almost sympathetic now.

Brooks also seemed to have noted this. “But that also means he knows how to kill someone with a knife and a gun, correct?”

To this Jackie said nothing, and Brooks did not persist.

“Nothing further, Your Honor,” said Brooks, who retreated to his table.

“Mr. Archer, would you care to cross-examine this very informative witness?” said Richmond tauntingly, holding up his gavel like a broadsword ready to strike.

“I would,” said Archer, who had once more been consulting a few pages in one of the books.

He closed his eyes and took three deep breaths because he was once more going into battle. And just as he had known as a scout, one mistake here and he was a goner.

This is it, Archer. For all the marbles.

He rose, picked up a piece of paper with scribblings on it, and walked toward the witness box and the woman sitting there.





Chapter 49



ARCHER CAME TO STAND directly in front of Jackie, who looked back at him impassively.

“Where have you been all this time, Miss Tuttle? You just disappeared right after your father was killed, and no one’s seen hide nor hair of you till now.”

“I had nothing left in Poca City. Hank was dead. And my father, too. I went to stay with some friends, so I could think things over about what to do going forward.”

“So why in the world did you come back here then?”

“I…I heard what was happening here, and that my presence was required. So I came back. To do my civic duty.”

“Okay, can you tell us what your real relations with Mr. Hank Pittleman were?”

Brooks shot to his feet. “Objection! Relevancy?”

“Goes to motive, Judge,” said Archer sharply, as he gazed at the paper in his hand. This comment drew an astonished look from Brooks.

“How so?” asked Richmond incredulously.

Archer glanced at his paper with the notes on it and then approached the jury.

“Well, the standard for guilt in a criminal case, my law books say, is beyond a reasonable doubt. So it makes sense that if I can show that others had a motive to kill Hank Pittleman, that creates doubt and helps my case, doesn’t it? Consequently, for a man in danger of swinging from a hangman’s rope, I’d say that’s about as relevant as you can get.” Archer turned to look at Richmond. “You agree, Judge?”

Richmond glanced at Brooks, who shrugged and sat back down.

“Okay, go ahead then, but I’ll be watching you sharp,” admonished the judge.

Archer walked back over to Jackie. “Your relations with the man?”

“He was a good friend.”

“And he gave you a house to live in, a car to drive? Cash money in your pocket?”

“He was a very generous…father figure.”

“A father figure? Okay, did you go to bed with him?”

The courtroom exploded in muttered discussions over that one, until Richmond restored order by bangs of his gavel. “Don’t be disgusting, Mr. Archer,” roared the judge, but Jackie put up her hand.

“It’s all right, Your Honor, I’ll answer.” She had kept her gaze on Archer this whole time. “I did what Hank asked me to do, so long as it was something a lady could reasonably commit to doing.”

“Now, was Marjorie Pittleman okay with this relationship?”

“I don’t know. Hank never said.”

“You’ve been to their home? You know her?”

“Yes.”

“How would you say your relations are with Mrs. Pittleman?”

Jackie glanced over at the older woman, who was making no effort to hide her true feelings for the witness. “Right this minute? I’d say mine are nonexistent and hers are homicidal.”

Marjorie looked around at everyone watching her and quickly attempted a weak smile that lapsed into a well-practiced placid expression.