Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gallows Eve ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Gallows Eve (Part 3)

 

By DRL

 

“You should have been there,” Quatre said exuberantly, “It was like that old film with Henry Fonda, what's it called?” He looked round at Trowa, perfectly confident that his lover would supply the correct answer.

 

They were sitting at a booth in the farthest corner of a smart café bar, once again many miles distant from the court. Trowa was seated in a corner with Quatre seated beside him leaning comfortably against him. Heero sat opposite them, listening to Quatre's animated narrative with an indulgent smile, and beside him sat another young man, obviously of oriental extraction, with glossy shoulder-length black hair, which he wore brushed severely back from his forehead and caught in a tight pony-tail at the nape of his neck. This gave his exotic good looks a certain harshness, which his thin, wiry build did little to dispel. He too listened to Quatre, but with a stern, unreadable expression on his face. Trowa and Heero each had a cup of coffee on the table before them and Quatre a cup of tea, but the fourth young man sipped from a glass of plain water.

 

“12 Angry Men?” Trowa offered.

 

“That's it, 12 Angry Men. Within 5 minutes they had all decided that he was guilty, all except me of course. Then for the next few hours I set about changing as many minds as I could. I couldn't change many though.” A look of dismay crossed Quatre's angelic features.

 

“But you changed enough. Well done Quatre.” Heero said with sincerity. “It can't have been easy. After all, there was no evidence in his favour at all.”

 

“No indeed,” Quatre said, smiling once more, “It certainly wasn't easy, which is why we were out for so long, and I'm sure that the three that sided with me only did so because the others were so mean to me.” A frown creased Trowa's brow at Quatre's words and he placed an arm protectively about his lover's shoulders, but he remained silent. “Anyway Heero, you wanted a re-trial, and that's just what you got. Mission Accomplished.”

 

“It was exactly what I wanted, thank-you Quatre, and thank-you Trowa.” Heero nodded to each man in turn, acknowledging their efforts on his behalf. “You've delivered the goods yet again.”

 

“I should have hoped that there was never any doubt.” Trowa said dryly. “So, what now?”

 

“We clear his name.” Heero said flatly.

 

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Trowa asked, “You said yourself, there is no evidence in his favour at all.”

 

“There must be.” Heero said, “All we have to do is find it.”

 

“You say that Yuy, as though we hadn't tried to do exactly that in the months before the trial.” The solemn young man spoke for the first time, and with considerable chagrin. “If there was any evidence in Duo's favour, don't you think we would have put it forward before now? I am just as convinced of his innocence as you are, and we didn't exactly rest on our laurels when it came to proving it.”

 

“I'm not casting aspersions on your competence as an advocate Chang,” Heero replied evenly, “Merely as a detective. This time you will have myself, plus the complete resources of Barton's agency acting on your behalf. If there is anything to find, and there must be, rest assured that we will find it.”

 

“Don't worry Wufei,” Quatre said with an encouraging smile, “We'll be able to turn up enough fresh evidence to allow you to raise at least a reasonable doubt that your client committed this horrible crime. That should be enough to win him an acquittal.”

 

“NO!” Heero said with a vehemence that had several other diners ceasing their conversation and casting apprehensive glances in their direction. “There must be no question of reasonable doubt.” He continued at a more moderate vocal level. “Duo must be completely vindicated. Reasonable doubt will get him freed in once sense, but he will never be free of the social stigma. People will never be `sure'. He will go through the rest of his life with people whispering behind his back - `Isn't that Duo Maxwell, the one who shot his lover? They couldn't prove it, but they never arrested anyone else did they?'”

 

“Yes, Heero's right.” Trowa said. “Duo's name must be completely cleared, which means that we can do no less than find the real murderer.”

 

“And how are you going to do that?” Wufei Chang asked, “We've been over and over the witness statements until I could repeat them all to you by rote. I'm sure we have missed nothing.”

 

“But you must have,” Heero said matter-of-factly, “Because Duo did not shoot Zechs Merquise, so that means someone else did. Now, let's look at the thing logically. Chang, who stands to gain by Merquise's death?”

 

“Well, to all intents and purposes no-one did.” Wufei said. “You know that the deceased was once the heir to the Peacecraft fortune?” Trowa gave a low whistle and Heero nodded sagely. “Well, as the story goes, the heir presumptive was disinherited in favour of his younger sister Relena because their old curmudgeon of a father disapproved of his son's literary aspirations and wild ways, considering him nothing short of a wastrel and a ne'er-do-well. Old Peacecraft gave his profligate son Milliardo an ultimatum - give up his bohemian lifestyle, settle down and take over the running of the family business, or be cut off without a penny. Milliardo told old Peacecraft where to go, and old Peacecraft ultimately did the same to his son. Zechs Merquise was simply Millardo Peacecraft's nom de plume, but he adopted the name legally after his father disinherited him, as a final act of defiance. When old Peacecraft died, Relena got the lot, and quite a considerable lot it was too.”

 

“So Merquise can't have been killed for his money,” Trowa said, “Since it seems he never actually had any.”

 

“Well Relena gave him an allowance, which amounted to a few thousand a month, and his books were hardly best sellers, so there wasn't exactly much by way of advances and royalties, so no, his estate did not amount to very much, no.” Wufei replied.

 

“Did he have a will?” Heero asked.

 

“Yes he did,” Wufei replied, “One which does not help us at all. He left everything to Duo Maxell.”

 

“Damn!” Heero said in an undertone. “Did Duo know about this?”

 

“Yes, I'm afraid he did.” Wufei said regretfully. “The couple both made wills in each other's favour when they first moved in together.”

 

“I know,” Said Quatre brightly, “What if some relative of Duo's killed Zechs and framed Duo for the crime, which he knew would carry a capital sentence. He could then claim Duo's estate, which would also include Zechs', such as it is.”

 

“No, it's no good.” Wufei said dully, “Firstly, the allowance Relena gave Zechs would cease on his death, so there would only be his book royalties, and although they are selling more now because of the surrounding scandal, they still won't make anyone a fortune and anyway, his publishers will grab most of the proceeds. Secondly, if Duo Maxwell were ever convicted of murdering Zechs Merquise, he would definitely not inherit a penny piece from his estate, since a murderer is prohibited by law from profiting from a crime in this way. Thirdly, Duo has no living relatives - he is quite alone in the world.” Trowa looked across at Heero, their eyes met for a moment and an enigmatic glance passed between them as Quatre spoke again.

 

“Who would inherit Duo's estate if he was to...?” He tailed off and looked apologetically at Heero.

 

“Do you know, I have no idea?” Wufei said. “Unless he has changed his will following the break-up, it should still be in favour of Zechs Merquise.”

 

“Which brings us full circle and gets us nowhere at all.” Trowa said.

 

“Could there have been a jealous lover on the scene?” Quatre asked thoughtfully.

 

“And how would that work pray?” Heero asked scornfully, “If it were Zechs's lover, he would hardly shoot his paramour would he, and if it were Duo's lover, why would he take such pains to make it appear as though Duo committed the crime. Let's not forget the fact that Zechs was shot with Duo's own gun, which was left at the scene clearly to advertise this fact.”

 

“But how did the murderer get the gun?” Trowa asked.

 

“Well isn't that the 64 billion dollar question.” Said Heero.

 

“Yes, it is.” Wufei replied. “I would be inclined to say, solve that little problem and you will have found your murderer. We tried and failed dismally while preparing Duo's defence, I wish you and your agents better luck Yuy.” Wufei rummaged around in the soft leather, satchel-style briefcase that lay on the seat beside him, and withdrew three buff-coloured folders overflowing with papers, each unlabelled and unmarked in any way. He handed a folder to each of the other three men around the table. “These files contain the entire case for both the prosecution and the defence. You now have copies of all of the witness statements as well as reports from scene-of-crime officers and from forensic and ballistic experts. This is highly irregular, so I need hardly remind you to keep the information to yourselves.”

 

He rummaged in his briefcase once more and produced a long, slim envelope which he handed to Heero. “Turn up at Leadenhall Prison at 9.00 tomorrow morning, and present this to the Governor.” He then fastened his briefcase and rose. “I trust that you will keep me apprised of your progress. Gentlemen...” He nodded curtly to the three seated men and turning on his heel, left the café.

 

“Is that what I think it is?” Trowa asked, indicating the envelope in Heero's hand.

 

“Yes.” Heero replied. “ Trowa, study the file and deploy your people as you see fit, just let me know what you can come up with. Tomorrow morning I am going to see the prisoner.”

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1