AGAINST ALL ODDS Chapter 9

NINE

“You have a visitor,” the guard said.
“Mhairie,” Duncan said.
“No, this is your lawyer. So back away from the door.”
He had been in court earlier that morning, and was of the opinion he wouldn’t see his lawyer for a good long while just as George had told him the day before.
The key turned in the lock and the door opened. “Slowly come towards me.”
Duncan had no intention of causing trouble. If his lawyer was there to see him already, then it was a good sign. “I won’t cause any trouble.”
“Yea, tell that to the two people you murdered.”
“Two people. Who else was I supposed to have murdered.”
The guard cuffed his wrists and pushed him ahead of him out of the cell. “I’m sure I don’t have to be telling you who all you killed and I’m sure after what I read in today’s paper there might be others we don’t know about.”
“Well, I didn’t kill anyone, so it’s two more than I’m aware of.”
Duncan was shown into a small room with a table and chairs in the middle, and a window to the right as he entered. There he saw not the man he had seen earlier, but a different man.
“Duncan MacGregor? My name is William Patterson. I’ve taken over your case. I’ve already had a word with the judge, and we have a court date set.”
“You do, uh, we do?”
“Yes, sit down. I’ve already had a long talk with your wife, now it’s time I heard from you.”
“You have? How is she? I’m fearful for her with my being in here.”
“You have nothing to worry about with your wife. She’s just fine.”
“How did she get the money to afford you? You are obviously not from the same office the other lawyer was from.”
“No. I was retained by your wife’s employer, Mr. Humphrey.”
Duncan sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table his hands still cuffed, and stared at Mr. Patterson. “You were retained by Mr. Humphrey?”
“I know. Its not often an employer will do what Mr. Humphrey has, but in his case it’s not unusual. Mr. Humphrey is an honest God-fearing man, and so am I. He has been my client for many years. I think it was just after he was married, and their first child was on the way that he sought my services. When Henry Humphrey believes in a person he will go to great lengths for him or her.”
“But he doesn’t know me.”
“No, but he does know your wife, and so do I now, as a matter of fact. A fine young woman and I stress the young part. It is my ambition to prove your innocence and reunite you with your wife. So, now tell me about yesterday.”
Duncan relayed the past day to him. He didn’t leave out the smallest detail, as every detail had been clarified and magnified in his mind since he had been taken away the day before.
As he had done earlier, William took notes. When Duncan came to the end of his account of the day before, he looked up from his notes. “You know what they say about the truth?”
Duncan wondered what he had done or said wrong. “No, what?”
“When you tell the truth you don’t have to remember what you said to cover for your lie. In your case every word you said matches exactly to your wife and sister’s testimony. The only corroboration it doesn’t match is that of Mrs. Sorenson, but after what I read in the newspaper today I hardly expected it too. She will be easy to take apart on the witness stand.”
Duncan relaxed. “So what is the next step?”
“Proving you didn’t do it. Like I said we have a calendar date. The trial starts in three weeks. Unfortunately you will be in here until the trial is concluded. There is nothing I can do about that.”
“What did the newspaper say?”
“It said you’re guilty of two murders. Mr. Sorenson and Mr. MacDuff on board the ship you arrived on.”
“I was nowhere near Mr. MacDuff. I don’t even know where they found his body on board the boat. Nobody ever said anything about that, and as for Mr. Sorenson, he was very much alive when I left him after I checked on him.”
“I know I asked this of Mhairie, but I need to know. Do you have any enemies who would want to tag you with two murders?”
“Obviously, but I don’t know who.”
“Your wife also said you liked to brawl?”
“It was second nature. I never realized how much I brawled until Mhairie told me she wouldn’t wed me if I didn’t stop.”
“And did you?”
“For a time. Then I got into a brawl onboard the boat and ended up in lockup for three days with the one who started the whole matter. Though we both lay claim to the brawl. After three days we’ve become pretty good friends, and I learned a great deal about cards.”
“And when you had your confrontation with Mr. MacDuff?”
“I went to see Phinean and play some cards.”
“Interesting. As angry as you were over the conversation.”
“Mr. Patterson, I may have been angry, but I learned a long time ago never to get into a brawl when I’m angry.”
“And yet you spent a lot of your time brawling.”
“It was nothing though. We took our blows, we’d have our words, and then we’d have a tank, and that would be the end of it.”
“So, you left Mr. MacDuff and went to Phinean to play cards. How long?”
“A few hours, but Mr. MacDuff wasn’t murdered that day. It was three days later I found out he’d been killed.”
Mr. Patterson made more notes, and looked up at him. “Mr. MacGregor, I wish we were meeting under other circumstances. I can see from everything you said, everything your wife said, and your sister, that you are an innocent man. I want to thank you for your time. I wish I could have you released until the trial, but that is not possible.”
“I’m grateful for all you are doing, and letting me know Mhairie is all right.”
“She is better than all right, at least for the time being. Mrs. Humphrey had a baby girl today and she will be staying there to take care of her for the next few weeks.”
“She’s staying at the Humphrey home?”
“Yes, it is best for all concerned.”
“I’m really grateful. I don’t know how I will ever repay his kindness to me.”
“I will tell him you are grateful, and if all works to our advantage you should be a free man in a month’s time.”
“That is the best news I’ve heard in a long time. The fellow in the next cell told me he’s already been here for several months, with no end in sight for him.”
“That is the unfortunate thing about being in jail. The trial can take a long time to come about unless you have some really good connections. The Lord was on your side, Mr. MacGregor.”
“What about my job? I was told I wouldn’t have it when I got out of here.”
“Unfortunately that is true in most cases. Let me speak with your foreman. Where do you work?”
“I was working on the fourteenth street construction project.”
“I will have a word with him before the end of the day.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Now, I know you will have to go back to your cell, but keep this in mind. The Lord knows the truth, and He is working for you. If you remember that, this time will not be so hard on you.”
“I’ll do my best to remember that. Thank you for all your help.”
“I wish I could do more. I’ll be in touch.”
Duncan was taken back to his cell. He had a new hope that everything would be all right. He also had a lot to think about with what Mr. Patterson had said.
“So your lawyer came to see you pretty early,” George said.
“It wasn’t the same lawyer that was in the courtroom. He was someone totally different and unexpected.”
“Who?”
“Mr. William Patterson. Mr. Humphrey where my wife works retained him for me.”
“You have friends in high places.”
“Mr. Patterson said the Lord is the one who’s fighting for me.”
“So, you told him everything?”
“Of course, and he also told me that what I said was corroborated by Mhairie and Ailsa.”
“So when is your trial?”
“Three weeks. He expects I’ll be out of jail in a month.”
“Good luck to you. I hope for your sake all goes well for you.”
“Mr. Patterson believes it will. He’s even going to talk to the foreman on the construction project to make sure I don’t lose my job when all this is over with.”