The Original Alibi

Chapter 35

Charles came in after Eddie left and offered to bring me an Irish or something to eat. The kitchen staff had just made a batch of roast beef sandwiches for the crew of the outside landscaping service. Their men had been working to thin and shape a group of trees in the front yard arranged in a quincunx.

“That would be nice, Charles. I’ll take both. And please join me. I need to kick some things around and I’d like your thinking. Can you do that?”

“Give me fifteen minutes. I’ll let the kitchen know to make up a tray while I go check on the general. I’ll come back with our lunch.” I nodded and Charles left the study, closing the door.

Fifteen minutes later, Charles reopened the door to the study and held it so the maid could carry in a tray that held two plates with sandwiches and potato salad, two glasses of water, my usual and a glass of beer for Charles.

Through lunch we spoke of the general’s condition, and of Christmas approaching without the shopping being finished, an annual state of affairs for most Americans. Also of the status of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the excitement their new owners had brought to their fan base.

When we finished, Charles wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Well, Mr. Kile, how can I be of help?”

“Charles, we’ve become friends and I’d like to talk with you about how this case got solved.” His eyes went wide when he heard me say, solved. “That’s right; I’ve found the killer of Eddie’s fiancee and his child. I have an accessory to the murder held incommunicado. When I leave here I will go to the police. I fully expect they will return to arrest Karen.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Charles. Karen, in concert with Cliff, who this morning has made a deal to avoid prosecution, killed Ileana. She is also guilty of trying to hire me to kill Eddie. These efforts were designed to move her to the top spot in the general’s will.”

“That explains why Cliff didn’t come to work this morning and isn’t answering his phone.”

“Cliff has given sworn testimony as to how he helped Karen kill Ileana. At her direction, he bribed Cory Jackson and Tommie Montoya to create witnesses against Eddie. She wanted Eddie convicted of murder and discredited in the general’s eyes, expecting the general would denounce Eddie so she would inherit the bulk of the estate. All that occurred eleven years ago. Just recently he helped her again by killing Cory Jackson. This eliminated the only person who claimed to witness the murder. Cliff hired one of his biker buddies to abduct and beat me. Their plan, to keep me out of commission until the general died, knowing that once the general passed away, I would be paid some nominal amount and dismissed. At that point, she would have gotten away with murder and become extremely wealthy. She promised Cliff that he would live that life with her. After we talked with him, he understood that Karen has no intention of marrying him. Instead, she would count on his remaining quiet to avoid his own arrest for murder.”

“But given what you said, she would not have constructed an alibi for Eddie. She would have wanted him convicted.”

“That was the burr under her saddle. She loved the general and had no desire to watch him suffer while his grandson was being convicted of murder. She saw Eddie as the weak man he is, and expected he would become a sniveling coward once arrested, begging the general to save him. That the general would be ashamed of him and either cut him out of his will or give the two of them equal shares. She would have been satisfied with that. I think she also loves Eddie. After all, they are family.”

“Why would Cliff confess to this? ”

“After the Yarbroughs told their story to the police about their dog being shot, the police reopened the case. Cliff was a sharpshooter in the military. He knew Podkin who abducted me. He likely had biker friends who would kill Ileana. I had to tell the police about Karen offering me a lavish life if I would kill Eddie. They kept pressed Cliff and he made a deal to save himself by giving them a more sensational killer, Karen. ”

Charles just sat there in a slouch, as if someone had magically removed the largest bones from his body. After more than a minute, he muttered, “I don’t believe it. No. I just don’t believe it. She couldn’t have done it.”

“You know the saying, follow the money. The world sees her as the general’s daughter, while Eddie is a grandson. She became jealous, insanely jealous. She believed she was entitled. I will have to testify that she offered me a wealthy life with her if I would kill Eddie before the general died. I’m sorry, Charles. With Cliff and my testimony, it’s open and shut as they say. All I need do is call Sergeant Fidgery. He has already heard Cliff’s confession. It’s in motion. She will be in custody before the sun goes down. Again, I’m sorry, Charles. I know what this means to you. But this can’t be swept under the table.”

“She couldn’t have done it, Mr. Kile.”

“I didn’t want to believe it myself. There is no evidence to the contrary. Nothing.”

Charles remained slumped in his chair, his bones still missing. “I did it,” he mumbled. Then he looked up. “I killed Ileana. I bribed the witnesses. I did all of it, except for whomever hired Podkin to detain you. My guess is Eddie did that. He believed you were trying to prove he had been guilty, that you wanted to help Karen that way. The key Podkin had to get into the building on 22^nd had to come from one of us. No one else would have access.”

“If you did kill Ileana, you would not have provided Eddie an alibi. You would have only framed him.”

“Like you said about Karen, I couldn’t bring myself to let Eddie be convicted. Oh, I didn’t give a moment’s concern to Eddie. I love the general and could not bring about the death or life imprisonment of his grandson. I couldn’t let him lose all three, his son, Ben, his grandson, and his great grandson. I gambled that, once arrested, Eddie would come apart. The general would see him for what he was and give Karen an appropriate portion of his estate. In the worst case, what the general was leaving me, the two million I had that he paid for the alibi, and the two and a half million he was leaving Karen, even without an adjustment, would take care of us well enough. He has talked with me many times about doing that, and it would not have taken much for him to make that decision. Had Eddie fallen apart as I expected, the general, well, he has never had any tolerance for weakness in men. But Eddie held up better than I expected and that did not transpire.”

“I understand your reason for confessing. But, it’s no sale. Sergeant Fidgery will come for Karen as soon as I call him. Are you able to continue with your duties? Care for the general, I mean. If not, I’ll arrange for someone right away.”

I had Axel on standby. He had spent part of the morning getting groceries for Clara Birnbaum. Buddha was on standby to bring him if I called.

Charles’s cell phone rang. He answered it. After a brief pause, Charles said, “Right away, General.” Then he turned to me. “The general, sir, has instructed me to bring Eddie and Karen to the study. I suggested we come to him, but he insisted we always use the study for family business. He has asked me to attend and wishes that you stay. He is coming down in his chair and said he can handle it with the elevator.”

I nodded.

“Mr. Kile, this is not over. I will make a full confession and I can provide support including the whereabouts of the two million the general paid me for the alibi. Karen will be released.”

“It’s with the cops now,” I said, “and the district attorney.”

“If there is nothing else at the moment, Mr. Kile, I should go and get Eddie and Karen to head down here.” Charles bowed slightly, and left.

I wasn’t sure, hell, I had no idea why the general wanted this meeting. The one thing I knew that Charles didn’t was that the general had heard my conversation with him and also with Eddie. I assumed the general, used to being in command, could not see this play out with him on the sidelines.

We would soon know.