Hour Game Part 47

"Yes, indeed," said Remmy, who was also dressed very handsomely. She and Harry sat side by side across from Sean and Mich.e.l.le in the large dining room.

"I just trust that your drive home will be far less eventful than it was the last time you dined with me."

"Actually, I think this evening may hold its own unique points of interest," said King vaguely as he started serving the food. Mich.e.l.le meanwhile looked on with a distracted expression.

"Mich.e.l.le, my dear, what's wrong?" said Harry.

She glanced up at him quickly. "Nothing, just not feeling all that great. Probably just a spring bug."

The meal went uneventfully. They ate dessert and then moved on to the library for coffee. The night had turned chilly and the fire was warming. King went over to an enormous wood-and-stamped-tin room divider that sat diagonally against one corner.

"This is a beautiful piece," he said.

"Eighteenth century," answered Harry. "It was handmade from materials right here on the property."

King stood in front of the fire. He glanced nervously at Mich.e.l.le and then said, "I'm afraid I've been a little deceitful tonight."

Harry and Remmy stopped chatting and looked up in surprise.

Remmy said, "What?"

"The purpose of this dinner wasn't really social."

Harry set down his coffee and glanced at Remmy and then at Mich.e.l.le, who kept her head down and her hand buried in the pocket of her jacket. "I don't understand, Sean. Do you mean you want to talk about the case some more?"

"No, I don't really need to talk about the case any more. I think I know all I need to know."

The two continued to glance curiously at him.

Mich.e.l.le finally blurted out, "Sean, just tell them."

Harry said, "Tell us what?"

The hand in which Remmy was holding her cup and saucer started to shake.

They all turned as the man in the black hood came into the room, his gun out and its red laser aimed dead on Harry's heart.

King immediately stepped between black hood and Harry.

"This stops now," King said quietly. "No more killing."

"Get out of my way or you'll die first!"

Remmy rose. The pistol swiveled in her direction. "Sit down!" said the man sharply.

King took a step forward but stopped when the pistol came in his direction once more. "Mich.e.l.le," said black hood, "take your gun out and put it on the table. Now! No heroics," he added.

She did so, gripping it by the muzzle.

"You can't kill us all, can you?" said King.

"I'm thinking about it, I really am," shot back the man as he eyed Remmy.

"Well, then I guess it's time to clear up your misperception," said King calmly. "Remmy and Harry had nothing to do with Bobby's death. It was a setup. A setup to bring you in." He paused and added, "I found the bug."

The gunman took a step back, his pistol dropped a notch. "What?"

"The conversation you heard between Mich.e.l.le and me was staged. Okay!"

He snapped his fingers, and the room instantly filled with heavily armed police and FBI agents. They came out from behind the enormous room divider, the large cabinet in the corner and behind the thick drapes. With a dozen guns to his one, black hood backed up against the wall.

"Drop it," said Todd Williams, his gun leveled right at the circle in crosshairs etched on the black hood.

Mich.e.l.le had picked up her gun and was aiming at the exact same spot. Black hood seemed to be thinking of whether to go for it. His body seemed to tense.

"Drop it!" roared Williams, who obviously sensed what the man was doing.

"It would really be better if you did," said King in a level voice. "At least that way you may be able to clear up a few remaining pieces. I think you owe us that."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Despite the sarcasm, the man let the pistol fall to the floor. He was immediately tackled by the police and handcuffed.

"The house has been surrounded all day," said King as they pulled the man back up. "We knew exactly where you were at all times. When I went over to admire that piece of furniture, I was actually given the signal you were in the house and I could start my little act." He paused. "We had Harry and Remmy in safe places so you wouldn't get a chance to jump the gun on us. We did it onour terms. It was actually refres.h.i.+ng." King walked over to the prisoner. "Do you mind?" He glanced at the prisoner's manacled hands. "Since you're in no position to remove it yourself." terms. It was actually refres.h.i.+ng." King walked over to the prisoner. "Do you mind?" He glanced at the prisoner's manacled hands. "Since you're in no position to remove it yourself."

"Doesn't matter now, does it?"

King glanced over at Remmy. "I realize you already know from his voice, Remmy, but, Harry, you better hold her anyway."

Harry placed a protective arm around Remmy's shaking shoulders. She put a hand to her mouth, stifling back a sob.

King lifted off the hood. The man flinched slightly as the fabric slid across his strong features.

"It's all over, Eddie," proclaimed King.

Surrounded by armed men, manacled and caught in the act, Eddie Battle actually had the temerity to smile. "You really think so, Sean?"

"Yes, I do."

"h.e.l.l, I'll take that bet, old buddy."

CHAPTER 87.

"ISTILL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOWyou figured it out, Sean," said Williams.

The police chief, Sylvia and Chip Bailey were gathered at King and Maxwell's office.

King bent a paper clip into a triangle before answering. "Seven hours," he said. "Seven hours, that's what got me thinking in Eddie's direction."

"You mentioned that before," said Williams.

"But it wasn't a literal clue. It made me start thinking about the drug that Eddie was given, or rather self-administered."

"Morphine sulfate," said Mich.e.l.le.

"Right. I spoke with a narcotics expert. He told me that an average dose of the drug will knock you out foreight to tonine hours unless the person it's given to is p.r.o.ne to using heavy-duty narcotics. Then its effects would be diminished. Well, Dorothea was just such a heavy-narcotics user. I believe Eddie slipped her the drug around two o'clock that night after they'd had s.e.x. Yet because she'd built up resistance through her own drug use, the morphine's effects were reduced. In fact, she'd almost hours unless the person it's given to is p.r.o.ne to using heavy-duty narcotics. Then its effects would be diminished. Well, Dorothea was just such a heavy-narcotics user. I believe Eddie slipped her the drug around two o'clock that night after they'd had s.e.x. Yet because she'd built up resistance through her own drug use, the morphine's effects were reduced. In fact, she'd almostfully recovered less than six hours later-before eight o'clock, in fact, the time Savannah came and told her about Sally's being killed." recovered less than six hours later-before eight o'clock, in fact, the time Savannah came and told her about Sally's being killed."

"But she mentioned she was in a fog," said Bailey.

"And she was, but coming out of it. We just thought she was lying, trying to cover up. However, Eddie couldn't give himself the morphine sulfate until after he'd killed Sally, not before, say, six o'clock or so. He started to come out of the effects of it around three in the afternoon, aboutnine hours after he took it, or the normal length of time the drug would render someone unconscious. That could only be possible if he took it hours after he took it, or the normal length of time the drug would render someone unconscious. That could only be possible if he took itafter Sally was killed. The seven-hour reference that kept bugging me came from Sally's being killed less than seven hours after she told me about Junior. That made me start thinking about how long Eddie was knocked out, and it just didn't add up. Particularly if you believed Dorothea was drugged too, since they recovered at very different times. Even with her built-up tolerance it was far too much of a discrepancy." Sally was killed. The seven-hour reference that kept bugging me came from Sally's being killed less than seven hours after she told me about Junior. That made me start thinking about how long Eddie was knocked out, and it just didn't add up. Particularly if you believed Dorothea was drugged too, since they recovered at very different times. Even with her built-up tolerance it was far too much of a discrepancy."

Williams slapped his leg. "d.a.m.n, I never even thought of that." He pointed a big finger at Bailey. "Neither did you."

King continued. "Conceivably, if the killer wasn't Eddie, he might have drugged Eddie, but he would have done it well in advance of killing Sally so Eddie would've been safely unconscious. He wouldn't have waited untilafter he'd killed Sally. What would have been the point? And typically, a murderer wants to get away, not take time injecting a knockout drug into someone for no reason." he'd killed Sally. What would have been the point? And typically, a murderer wants to get away, not take time injecting a knockout drug into someone for no reason."

"That makes sense," admitted Bailey.

"And the seven hours also made me start thinking about something else. If Sally was killed because of what she told me barely seven hours earlier, then my houseboat had to be bugged. How else could Eddie have known about it so quickly? He might have followed Sally to my place and been listening from his car. Anyway, I had to do something about that, so I got this."

He held up the small device. "It's a transmitter detector and frequency grabber with a range of one to three megahertz. It also has a sixteen-section bar graph to indicate RF strength so it'll home right in on the location of the bug."

"You found the bug but didn't remove it?" said Bailey.

"No. So long as Eddie thought the intelligence he gathered on it was valid, then I could use that to set him up."

"It was brave of Harry and Remmy to play along," said Mich.e.l.le.

"Neither one of them knew it was Eddie until he spoke. I regret shocking Remmy like that, but I thought burdening her with the knowledge of her son's guilt beforehand would have been even worse."

"I was nervous about it," said Williams. "I mean, we had the place surrounded, but still he could have shot somebody."

"I was sure he wouldn't, not when he realized Harry had nothing to do with Bobby's death. Eddie played fair, I'll give him that. He killed, but he did so for specific reasons. But, just in case, I had Harry wear the bulletproof vest. It made his suit a little tight, but it was well worth the inconvenience. And of course, having a dozen armed lawmen in the same room didn't hurt." He opened his desk and took out another object.

"What's that?" asked Sylvia, looking at it curiously.

"It's a cipher disk, a way of decoding encrypted messages. This version was used by the Confederate army during the Civil War. Eddie has one in his artist's studio." He moved the disk around. "If you're just one tick off, like one minute on a watch face, the entire meaning of what you're saying changes. One tick, that's all it takes. I'm sure that's where Eddie got the idea for altering the watch times, depending on the victim. It would appeal to both his creative side and his love of Civil War history."

"But what I don't get is, he had alibis," protested Bailey. "We checked. For instance, when Canney, Pembroke and Hinson were killed, he was attending Civil War reenactments."

"Yes. But at night the reenactors sleep in their vehicles or else in their own tents. Eddie could easily slip out and no one would miss him. I clocked it on the map. At each murder he was only at most a two-hour drive away. He easily could be back in time to fight the next day."

Bailey said, "Wait a minute. We found people who'd been at those reenactments. They remembered Eddie's truck being there virtually the whole time. That's doc.u.mented."

King answered, "I'm sure his truckwas there. But his truck also has a tow hitch. I checked. At the two reenactments you're talking about, he didn't bring his horse trailer. But he could have towed another there. But his truck also has a tow hitch. I checked. At the two reenactments you're talking about, he didn't bring his horse trailer. But he could have towed anothercar close to the reenactment area and hidden it in the woods. Then he uses that vehicle to get to and from the murders, and everyone would believe he'd never left because his truck was still there. In fact, I think we'll find out that he had another car hidden somewhere that he used." close to the reenactment area and hidden it in the woods. Then he uses that vehicle to get to and from the murders, and everyone would believe he'd never left because his truck was still there. In fact, I think we'll find out that he had another car hidden somewhere that he used."

"G.o.d," said Sylvia, letting out a long breath. "We've all been so blind."

"Okay, Sean, you've told us how you figured it out, now tell us why. Why did Eddie kill all those people?" asked Williams.

"And in stupid-people language, if you can manage it," said Sylvia with a smile, repeating the phrase King had used at the morgue when she'd been about to explain the cause of Rhonda Tyler's death.

King didn't smile back. "Eddie Battle is a very complex man. And this plan has been forming in his mind for a very long time. I think it all started with the death of his twin brother."

"Bobby Jr., the one who was born severely r.e.t.a.r.ded," said Bailey.

"No, Bobby Jr. wasn't born that way; he was born infected withsyphilis. The brain damage came later." The brain damage came later."

"Syphilis?" exclaimed Bailey.

King picked up two pictures from his desk. "When Mich.e.l.le and I were in Remmy's bedroom, Savannah showed us this picture of the twins when they were infants. She couldn't tell them apart." He picked up the other photo. "This is a picture of Bobby Jr. shortly before he died, which Mason showed us. The change in his features, the manifestations of the hydrocephalus and the problems with his teeth and eyes are very apparent. It was pa.s.sed through to him by his mother when he was in the womb."

"Hutchinson's teeth, mulberry molars, optic nerve atrophy," said Sylvia as she stared at the young man's photo. "Yet how did Remmy contract syphilis?"

"From her husband. He was contagious either when he impregnated Remmy with the twins or had intercourse with her during the first or second trimester of that pregnancy."

"And syphilis can cross the placenta," said Sylvia in a hushed tone.

"Exactly. Bobby Jr. eventually became brain-damaged and suffered the other effects because it wasn't treated. He later died from cancer, but I'm sure the syphilis had severely weakened his body."

"But why wasn't it treated?" asked Sylvia.

"I've had a very awkward conversation with Remmy about that. She said that when her son started exhibiting strange symptoms, Bobby refused to take the boy to the doctor. He wouldn't even acknowledge he was ill. He probably wouldn't even admit to himself he had syphilis, because apparently he never went for treatment either. Anyway, by the time Remmy sought medical help, it was too late. The disease had done irreversible damage. Remember, this was over thirty years ago, and the level of medical knowledge wasn't nearly as far along as it is today. She's lived with that guilt for years."

"It's hard to believe a woman like Remmy wouldn't have taken her son to a doctor immediately," said Mich.e.l.le.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," said Sylvia.

"I think there's a lot we don't know about Remmy and her relations.h.i.+p with her husband," said King. "A woman who talks with adoration and pride about her husband but doesn't wear her wedding ring and doesn't care if she gets it back? Those are some deep waters we'll never plumb entirely."

"But they had Savannah years later and she's okay," pointed out Bailey.

"Bobby was no longer contagious by then, and Remmy had received treatment for syphilis years before." King put the photos away and continued. "Now, historically, one major way the disease is spread is through s.e.xual intercourse with prost.i.tutes. As we know, Bobby had the reputation of consorting with such women. He contracted the disease from a prost.i.tute and pa.s.sed it to Remmy, who unwittingly pa.s.sed it to Bobby Jr. He and Eddie weren't identical twins, but fraternal, so they didn't share the same amniotic fluid. That's probably why Eddie wasn't infected."

"And Eddie found out about this?" asked Bailey.

"Yes, although how I'm not sure. But I think he's been harboring this knowledge for a long time. A powder keg waiting to blow. I think Eddie too felt enormous guilt. He knew it was only by luck that he escaped that same fate. From all accounts he loved his brother very much."

"So Rhonda Tyler was-," began Williams.

"Eddie's way of symbolically punis.h.i.+ng the prost.i.tute who'd infected his father all those years ago and thus doomed his brother. Tyler had the great misfortune to come across Eddie at some point."

"The unusual wrinkling on Bobby's aorta and the brain lesions," said Sylvia. "All that points to syphilis," she said in a very chagrined tone, putting a hand over her eyes.

"You weren't really looking for it, Sylvia," said King kindly. "And those things could be caused by other diseases as well."