It took a moment for Tyler to find his voice. “You’re crazy! He’s a convicted felon. No one is going to take his word against mine!”
“No one has to take his word,” Steve said. “Have you seen this man before?”
“Of course. He was tried in my court.”
“What’s his name?”
“His name is…” Tyler saw the trap. “I mean…he probably has a lot of aliases.”
“When you tried him in your courtroom, his name was Hal Baker.”
“That…that’s right.”
“But when he came to Boston, you introduced him as Frank Timmons.”
Tyler was floundering. “Well, I…I…”
“You had him released into your custody, and you used him to try to prove that Margo Posner was the real Julia.”
“No! I had nothing to do with that. I never met that woman until she showed up here.”
Steve turned to Lieutenant Kennedy. “Did you get that, Lieutenant?”
“Yes.”
Steve turned back to Tyler. “We checked on Margo Posner. She was also tried in your courtroom and released into your custody. The district attorney in Chicago issued a search warrant this morning for your safe-deposit box. He called a little while ago to tell me that they found a document giving you Julia Stanford’s share of your father’s estate. The document was signed five days before the supposed Julia Stanford arrived in Boston.”
Tyler was breathing hard, trying to regain his wits. “I…I…This is preposterous!”
Lieutenant Kennedy said, “I’m placing you under arrest, Judge Stanford, for conspiracy to commit murder. We’ll arrange for extradition papers. You’ll be sent back to Chicago.”
Tyler stood there, his world collapsing around him.
“You have the right to remain silent. If you choose to give up this right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him present with you while you are being questioned. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you before any questioning, if you wish one. Do you understand?” Lieutenant Kennedy asked.
“Yes.” And then a slow triumphant smile lit his face. I know how to beat them! he thought happily.
“Are you ready, Judge?”
He nodded and said calmly, “Yes. I’m ready. I’d like to go back to Rose Hill to pick up my things.”
“That’s fine. We’ll have these two policemen accompany you.”
Tyler turned to look at Julia, and there was so much hatred in his eyes that it made her shudder.
Thirty minutes later, Tyler and the two policemen reached Rose Hill. They walked into the front hall.
“It will take me only a few minutes to pack,” Tyler said.
They watched as Tyler went up the staircase to his room. In his room, Tyler walked over to the bureau containing the revolver and loaded it.
The sound of the shot seemed to reverberate forever.
Chapter Thirty-five
Woody and Kendall were seated in the drawing room at Rose Hill. Half a dozen men in white overalls were taking down paintings from the walls and starting to dismantle the furnishings.
“It’s the end of an era.” Kendall sighed.
“It’s the beginning,” Woody said. He smiled. “I wish I could see Peggy’s face when she finds out what her half of my fortune is!” He took his sister’s hand. “Are you okay? About Marc, I mean.”
She nodded. “I’ll get over it. Anyhow, I’m going to be very busy. I have a preliminary hearing in two weeks. After that, I’ll see what happens.”
“I’m sure everything will be all right.” He rose. “I have an important telephone call to make,” Woody told her. He had to break the news to Mimi Carson.
“Mimi,” Woody said apologetically, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to go back on our deal. Things haven’t worked out as I had hoped they would.”
“Are you all right, Woody?”
“Yes. A lot has been going on here. Peggy and I are finished.”
There was a long pause. “Oh? Are you coming back to Hobe Sound?”
“Frankly, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Woody?”
“Yes?”
Her voice was soft. “Come back, please.”
Julia and Steve were out on the patio.