“Thank you,” Marshall says, he bashes Tim’s head on the toilet and knocks him out. Marshall calls Spoiler and tells him he’s ready though Spoiler is only five minutes away now, when Marshall walks out of the restroom, the three men at the bar recognize him, Marshall grabs a table and turns it over, he ducks behind it and fires at them, shooting two of them in the legs, the third tries to flee but he gets to the car and it won’t start. “Get the runner,” Marshall tells Chester as he watches over the two associates of Tim bleeding and writhing in pain. Spoiler arrives to arrest all four of them.
“Get Tim Finnegan to talk, Catherine Shield hired him to kill me,” Marshall explains.
“Are you all right?” Detective Spoiler asks him.
“I feel a lot better now,” Marshall explains, he hands the recording of Tim Finnegan over to Spoiler.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE TRIAL OF BARNABUS SHIELD
Mr. and Mrs. Willowell take the stand to explain what happened on the night that Mary Shield and their daughter Summer disappeared. Mr. Reese in his black Armani suit asks Mr. Willowell about anything out of the ordinary when they came home, Mr. Willowell talks about the table and the bed, Mr. Willowell says that Marshall Tumbler discovered the diary of Mary Shield; Mr. Reese questions how the diary remained undiscovered for so long and begins to imply it was planted there, Guy Solomon objects but Judge Fausner allows it. Mr. Reese also implies that the Willowells could have been responsible, a point Guy objects to as well but Judge Fausner allows it. Barnabus Shield had waived his right to a jury trial, his father Daniel Shield knew the judge, Barnabus sat calmly through the proceedings. Catherine Shield and her two other sons sat behind him, the courtroom was packed, Marshall was sitting behind Guy’s side with Chester next to him on one side and Jack Spoiler on the other.
Abner Frost is called to the stand and he testifies that he saw the black BMW that night, Guy shows him a picture of the car and the license plates, Abner confirms it was the same car he saw parked at the same house, the car that belonged to Barnabus Shield at the time. Guy asks Abner about the time when he saw the car and Abner states clearly that it was near seven at night. On cross-examination, Mr. Reese asks Abner Frost about his laundry list of convictions and what a known felon was doing in an affluent Kansas City neighborhood at night, Abner tries to respond but his excuse is a lie and Mr. Reese implies that Abner could have been responsible for the death of the two girls, to which Guy objects and is soundly denied by the judge.
Albert Cross, the coroner, is called to the stand. He testifies to the caliber of gun used in the killing of the girls, Guy points at a drawing of them both and the trajectory of the bullets, Albert Cross agrees that both girls were shot from behind, he can’t pinpoint the exact time of death due to the advanced decomposition of the bodies but the window he provides is within the time that Barnabus snatched them both and took them out into the woods in Lawrence. Guy shows Albert Cross the gun as an exhibit, the same gun taken from Barnabus the night he was arrested, the same gun he pulled on Marshall before he confessed, Albert agrees that the gun was the same caliber used in the shooting of the two girls. Mr. Reese cross-examines Albert Cross and asks him how long he’s been a coroner, Albert responds thirty-three years. He asks Albert if another gun could have been used in the murder of the two girls, Albert responds yes and tries to add but the caliber is the same, though Mr. Reese cuts him off and rests. The judge calls an end to that day of testimony, Guy shuffles his papers and glares at the judge, he turns to look at Marshall and Chester, he shakes his head.
On the second day, Paul Sirgas, Billy Weeks, and John Geiger are all called to the stand, all testify to the strange smell coming from the basement of the Simpkin House, Mr. Reese on cross-examination brings up the filth they were living in as college students. Kessler testifies next and says he had no idea that any bodies were buried in the crawlspace, on cross-examination Mr. Reese brings up the countless occupants of the house to arouse doubt as to who put the bodies there, then he rests.
Simon Shield is called to the stand; he testifies that his brother was in Lawrence during the window that Albert Cross provided. Guy asks about Daniel Shield and his relationship with Mary, he reminds Simon that he is under oath. Simon pleads the fifth and refuse to comment. “Your silence on the matter tells us everything,” Guy says. Mr. Reese objects and the judge has the remark stricken from the record. Guy asks Simon about his mother, Catherine, but Simon is evasive and when he is asked directly if Barnabus Shield killed Mary and Summer, Simon’s response is, “I don’t know.” Mr. Reese rises up from his table and approaches Simon like a boxer, sizing up his weaknesses and exploiting them, he asks about his role in the family and asks if he was jealous of his brother, Barnabus, Simon admits that he was, he explains the family dynamic and when Mr. Reese has exposed his insecurities and weaknesses, he rests.
Guy calls Marshall to the stand, he is wearing a blue suit and a red tie, he is clean-shaven; Guy asks him about how he got involved in the case, Marshall reveals that he was hired by Mr. Willowell. He recounts the discovery of Mary’s diary; the chipped table from the butt of Barnabus’ gun, the diary is introduced as an exhibit. Marshall reveals how he found it, then he explains how the clues came together, he reveals how he found the bodies in the crawlspace and he explains the confrontation with Barnabus. Catherine Shield casts her steely gaze on him the whole time; he feels her eyes watching him. Guy then introduces the recording of the confrontation along with Barnabus’ confession. “Is there any doubt in your mind that Barnabus Shield murdered Summer Willowell and Mary Shield?”
“No, not at all,” Marshall replies. Mr. Reese rises from the table once Guy rests, he questions Marshall about his release from the police force, he brings into doubt who placed the diary there, though Marshall insists it was Mary, he asks Marshall if Mr. and Mrs. Willowell were removed as suspects because they hired him.
“No, everyone was a suspect,” Marshall explains.
“How many men have you killed?” Mr. Reese asks. Guy objects but the judge allows it.
“Two, but I am not the one on trial here. Find a cop who hasn’t killed someone and you’ll find someone who wasn’t doing their job.”
“Is it normal for you to draw a gun before you illicit a confession?”
“As you can see from the video, Barnabus drew his gun first, I was merely defending myself.”
“Pull a gun on a man and he’ll readily admit to anything, won’t he?”
“Maybe your eyesight is lacking, your powers of observation are suspect, or maybe you lack in attention what you can’t make up for in intelligence but again, if you were paying attention, no gun was placed to that man’s head, he drew his gun first, the murder weapon no less. Then I drew mine, the confession he gave up willingly and without coercion.”
“Your methods are unorthodox and your conclusions are suspect,” Mr. Reese says, Guy objects but the judge allows it.
“To a man with your diminished intellect and lack of moral fortitude, my methods may not make sense to you; you are like a snake trying to comprehend what it’s like to be a lion. You will never understand because, despite your schooling, which I’m sure is noteworthy, they do not teach observation nor common sense and you seem to lack both in equal measure.”
“I am through with this witness,” Mr. Reese declares. Barnabus Shield never takes the stand, Guy Solomon presents his closing argument, narrating what happened the night Summer and Mary disappeared, how Barnabus took both of them after Mary let him in, he hit the table with the gun, the same gun that was scuffed on the hilt, Mary hid the diary before they were taken, Barnabus drove them out to the woods in Lawrence and killed them execution-style, then hid the bodies in the crawlspace of the Simpkin House, his motivation was to cover up the actions of his father, his abuse of Mary, and Summer could not be left as a witness to the kidnapping. He explains that Barnabus drew the same gun on Marshall when he was confronted, a meeting he willingly agreed to.
“Barnabus Shield
was born into a life of privilege, he had a motive, to protect his father, his vehicle was at the scene, his gun chipped the table in the Willowell home, he was seen in Lawrence shortly after the disappearance and he was willing to kill his own sister and a ten year-old girl merely to protect his family’s name. You have been presented with a motive, a murder weapon in his possession, and a taped confession, there is no other alternative, Barnabus Shield planned and acted out the murders of Mary Shield and Summer Willowell. There is no choice but to make him pay for his crimes. He thought himself above the law but no one is above the law. The truth solves more problems than it causes and I hope, I know that this court has seen the truth today.”
Mr. Reese closes with listing all of the people who could have possibly killed Mary and Summer, the car at the scene was witnessed by a career criminal, no one saw Barnabus kidnap either of the girls, the diary may not be genuine, no one saw the bodies being hidden or the murders themselves, the confession Barnabus gave was under duress and Marshall Tumbler had a vendetta against the Shield family. “There simply is too much doubt to convict this man, I believe he is innocent, he is the victim here, he lost his sister and stands accused of her murder and the murder of Summer Willowell. A man from a powerful family makes an easy target and a man with Mr. Tumbler’s past cannot be trusted.”
Judge Fausner calls the proceedings to a close, pending his judgment, anyone involved in Kansas City politics knew Judge Fausner was close to Daniel Shield and would never convict his son of any crime no matter how severe, Marshall knew this too and knew Barnabus had declined his right to a jury trial so when photographs arrived of Judge Fausner with an underage girl in compromising positions and a simple note, “Try him like any other man or these go public,” a man will sometimes forget his allegiances even to the most powerful family in the city, Marshall still wasn’t sure what the ultimate outcome would be, but he knew the Shield name had been destroyed and he knew the evidence was overwhelming but the damage had been done.
“On two counts of aggravated kidnapping, the court finds you guilty as charged. On the first count of first degree murder, the court finds you guilty as charged. On one count of second degree murder the court finds you guilty. On one count of obstruction, the court also finds you guilty as charged. Sentencing will take place tomorrow, court is adjourned,” Judge Fausner says and drops the gavel, Barnabus is led away in shackles, gasps are heard in the full courtroom as well as applause, Marshall looks at Chester and smiles, Guy turns and nods at them both, then he lets out a long sigh and shrugs his shoulders.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure we would get the outcome we desired,” Guy confesses to Marshall. “Not with this judge and not in this courtroom.”
“I believed from the moment he was arrested, he would never go free again,” Marshall confesses.
“In this world, nothing is certain.”
“Some things are, Mr. Solomon, good work.”
“Likewise,” Guy responds.
Barnabus was sentenced the next day to life in prison, Catherine Shield folded her arms as the sentence was handed down, Mr. Reese’s ears were so red it looked like his head might explode, Guy Solomon straightened his tie, breathed a long sigh of relief, then thanked the Willowells and Marshall.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE INVITATION
“I’ve had a question but I’m afraid I may already know the answer,” Chester says.
“Go ahead and ask,” Marshall assures him.
“What did you do with the box? I knew it was in the trunk, where is it now?”
“It’s in the basement.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Nothing, as of now, if Princeton is to be believed it is a cursed artifact but I don’t believe in such things.”
“I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I ran tests on the water there and determined there was psilocybin in the water, proving that was the reason for the bizarre hallucinations of his followers and it explains what Princeton saw when he was with them.”
“You knew he was drugging them though.”
“Yes, but he did not have any hallucinogens in the air and I did not drink the water.”
“Yet you saw something and it’s tied to that box.”
“Perhaps that is something I should share at a different time,” Marshall explains. “I’ve been thinking that someone with your skillset, well, I could use another partner, a permanent one. With the proper training, we could make for a powerful team,” Marshall explains as he and Chester are sitting inside Marshall’s home.
“I would say we proved that all ready,” Chester says.
“But more would be required. Jackson Addler is out there and he is not living on the fringes of society, he is doing his work in heavily populated areas and he knows I’m coming, he wants me to, it is clearly a trap.”
“Then what are you suggesting?”
“I can’t afford to pay you what Guy Solomon was paying you but I’m suggesting a partnership.”
“We already are partners.”
“I’m suggesting the continuation of such, there will be paperwork that you’ll have to sign, what money I had has been nearly depleted in my pursuit of the man in brown.”
“All I need is a roof over my head and food; the rest will sort itself out.”
“Well, I have the house, but we’ll be going mobile.”
“Marshall, from the moment you were at my mother’s funeral, we’ve been partners. I never expected that to end unless one of us died or if you didn’t want me around anymore. You changed me from what I was before.”
“You changed because it was inside of you all along; maybe you just needed me to help you see it.”
“Whatever you decide to pay me, it will be enough. To be honest, I’d do this work for free; I mean I literally walked through the fire for you, how many people can say that?”
“Then this shall be the beginning of a new association. I won’t be rebuilding the office; we’ll work out of my home when we’re not mobile. What do you intend on telling Guy?”
“I’ll tell him the truth, Marshall. That’s what he deserves. That’s what we all deserve.”
“Now you’re beginning to sound like me.”
Chester waits outside of the office of Guy Solomon, after a few moments he is welcomed in. “Chester, how was your adventure?” Guy asks.
“It was productive.”
“So I heard, apprehended a killer and his band of followers, saved innocents aboard a steamboat, stopped countless other murders he would have orchestrated.”
“It was a success but it was a difficult journey.”
“I suppose you’re relieved to be back in the city. I’m glad to have you back.”
“Well, that’s the thing. I’m not coming back. Detective Tumbler offered me a position and I’ve accepted. He’s a good man…” Chester says.
“And I’m not?” Guy asks.
“No, you are too, but he’s out there on the front lines confronting evil and he has flaws.”
“I have flaws as well.”
“Mr. Solomon, you’re as squeaky clean as they come.”
“Most would say a man doesn’t end up in my position without some character flaws.”
“He has his demons and I have mine. I can learn from a man like that, I have learned from him and he’s changed me. As strange as it may seem, I’ve changed him too. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but I know in my gut I belong with him. I’m not saying he’s a better man and I don’t want you to take any of this personally but for the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve found a purpose and I want to help him rebuild what he lost.”
“Well, Chester, I look forward to reading about your exploits. The fedora looks good on you, by the way.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s taken a while to get used to it but I think it suits me.”
“Tell Marshall I send my regards.”
I will tell him. I’m sure we�
�ll see you again,” Chester says, he shakes Guy’s hand, then he walks out of his office.
Once Chester returns to Marshall’s house, Marshall pours a cup of coffee; he takes the letter and holds it up to the light. “What do you have there?” Chester asks.
“This is what the man in brown gave me, his last parting gift.”
Marshall pulls out a knife and slits it open, he removes the letter from the envelope, it is handwritten.
The letter states:
“If you are reading this, I am the only one left. When you think you are ready to confront a god, find me where this letter leads you to; know that when you seek me, you seek your end, but I won’t run. There were two, now there’s one, but we see double, detective.
The Addler”
“He believes himself to be a god, how subtle,” Chester says.
“At first glance, it seems like he’s just taunting but there is more to it, the phrasing seems stilted to me, give me a little time with it.”
Marshall takes out a piece of paper and gets to work crunching the numbers, “Chester can you pull up a map?”
“Sure thing,” Chester says and pulls up a map on the computer.
“If you separate the statement at the semicolon in the middle, then assign number values to every number: one for A, twenty-four for Z and so on, adding up each fourth number leads to 400 degrees before the first semicolon and two hundred and ninety six afterwards. Then divide each side by four and you arrive at 40 degrees, and 74 degrees, interpret that as 40 degrees north because he is in the U.S. and not abroad and seventy four degrees west, what do we have?”
“This map doesn’t have coordinates on it.”
“You can just put the coordinates in manually on the internet, see what you get?”
“New York, Greenwich Village, exactly.”
“Perfect, he’s there.”
“Why would he let us know where he is?”
“It’s a trap; besides serial killers get off on taunting and leaving riddles, same things the man in brown did, this is an invitation to a trap, we won’t have any clue what building he’s in but he wants us there. Then he will try to kill us but what’s the best way to disarm a trap, my friend?”
Detective Tumbler and the Man in Brown (Detective Tumbler Trilogy Book 2) Page 25