handicapped individuals could persevere at a task.
If Gary was frightened of exposure could he maintain a lie for this long?
What if he did not need to lie? That was the most frightening possibility.
What if Gary murdered Sandra Whiley and did not even know it? What if the combination of alcohol and fear had erased the horrible deed from Gary's memory?
The Harmons lived a white, two-story colonial farmhouse. There was a large front lawn bounded by a white board fence. Donna came onto the front porch as soon as she heard Peter's car chewing up the gravel on the circular driveway. She was dying to tell him all of the things she had done on her first day as his investigator. Her smile disappeared as soon as she saw Peter's face.
'What's wrong?'
'That's what I have to talk to you about.'
Donna ushered Peter into the large front room. Jesse and Alice were at a church function, so they were alone.
As soon as they were seated, Peter related the testimony that established that Gary knew the victim had been at the Stallion before anyone else knew her identity. Donna looked more and more troubled as Peter spoke.
'Where' was Gary before he went to the Stallion Friday night?'
'With us. Mom cooked a meal for Steve and the farnz. ily. Steve had to leave early to work on his cases so he could go on our honeymoon. He gave Gary a lift into town.'
'Did Steve tell you where he dropped off Gary?'
'I think it was at home. Gary must have walked to the Stallion on his own.
It's not that far from his house.'
'Gary says he went to Steve's house from the bar.
When he didn't find him home, he walked to the Ponderosa. Gary ate there, but he also did some more drinking. The bartender at the Ponderosa says he was pretty tipsy when he left around 2 A.m. Gary doesn't remember going to bed, but he does remember getting up early and doing his wash. When did you, see him next?'
'When he and Steve arrived at the church. Steve picked up Gary and drove him over. I asked him to do it in case Gary was having any trouble with his tuxedo.'
ji 'Was Gary home when Steve arrived?'
'Steve said he was.'
Peter thought for a minute. Then, he asked, 'Did Gary say anything to you at the church or the reception that relates to the murder?'
Fiji!! i 'Gary did say there were police cars at the park. You pass it on the way to the church. I remember that he was excited. But I had the impression that he just saw them as they drove by.'
'You know Gary better than anyone. Could he have killed that girl?'
'I'll never believe Gary could be so cruel.'
Peter shook his head. He looked exhausted and thoroughly ejecte .
'I'm afraid that he's going to be convicted. He knew Whiley was at the Stallion before anyone else knew who she was. He told Booth about the necklace. He knew the killer used a hatchet and where it was hidden. How can you explain all that?'
'I can't,' Donna answered softly. 'I just know Gary.'
'I don't think he killed Whiley, either, but I don't think I can save him, -Donna. I ... I probably shouldn't have taken the case in the first place. Maybe with another lawyer Donna ut a hand on Peter's shoulder. 'You're doing p a great job. You can't blame yourself because the state's witnesses are saying things that hurt Gary.'
Peter felt awful. Donna had so much faith in him, but she wasn't a lawyer who would know how poor a job he was really doing. He could no longer hide the truth from himself.
'I can blame myself. I had no business taking on this case. Amos Geary was right. He said I would screw it up and I have. I'm no criminal lawyer. I'm no lawyer at all.'
'That's not true. You've worked harder than anyone.
You've done a wonderful job.'
Donna was so trusting. Peter felt sick.
'There's something I have to tell you. It's about why I came to Whitaker. I ... I didn't choose to leave Hale, Greaves. I was fired. I was helping out in a big personal injury case my father was trying. Right before we went to court, he had a heart attack. Dad told me to ask for a mistrial, but I wanted to show him and everyone at the firm that I was a great trial attorney, so I lied to the judge and said that Dad wanted me to finish the trial.
'The case was so easy that a first-year, law student could have won it. It took a real genius to screw it up, but I did and..
.-and this poor woman.. .' Peter shook 4 1f) his head. 'You should have seen her, Donna. She had nothing. She was dirt poor with five kids to raise by herself and then she became this cripple. Then, the worst thing happened. She got me for her attorney and I destroyed any hope she and her kids had in one afternoon.
And now I'm doing the same thing to Gary.'
'You're being too hard on yourself.'
Peter looked directly at Donna.
'When I took your brother's case, I didn't even think about him. All I was thinking about was how famous I'd be if I won. I didn't care enough about him to think of what might happen if I screwed up his case the way I did Mrs. Elliot's.'
'You care for him now, though, don't you?' Donna asked quietly.
'I do. I admire Gary. He's a much better person than I am. I don't think he would ever intentionally hurt anyone. He thinks about the feelings of other people. When he has to do a job, he tries to do his very best. He's not like me at all and I wish I could be a little more like him.'
Donna reached up and touched Peter's cheek.
'I don't know what kind of person you were in Portland. I just know you now. I can see how much you care for Gary.' Donna paused and looked down. 'I know what you did for me.'
Peter wanted to take Donna in his arms, but he couldn't take advantage of her when she was so vulnerable. Donna must have realized how close they were to doing something they would regret, because she pulled her hand back. For a moment, they sat on the couch in an awkward silence, then, Donna said, 'I ... I paced off those distances for you this afternoon.'
'Great,' Peter answered in a shaky voice, relieved that the danger was over. 'What did you find out?'
'I started at the Stallion and walked to Gary's house.
It's a little over three quarters of a mile and it took me about twelve minutes. Then, I went back to the bar and continued to the park entrance. It's one-quarter mile from the Stallion to the entrance, so it took me sixteen minutes to walk from the house to the park.'
'That means Gary got home at about eleven-twelve if he left the Stallion at eleven and walked straight home.'
'if he was walking my speed,' Donna corrected. 'He could have run or walked faster.'
'Okay, but he's still got to take some time trying to find a weapon.'
Peter worked the numbers in his head.
'Damn. It could still work out. If he leaves his house around eleven-twelve, follows Whiley and gets to the park around eleven thirty-six ... If Howell and his girlfriend left the park around eleven thirty-five and Whiley passed by a little after ..
'I've been thinking about that, Peter. If it's only a quarter mile from the Stallion to the main park entrance, and it takes about fifteen minutes for the average person to walk one mile, it would only take about three minutes to walk a quarter of a mile. If Whiley left the bar around eleven-twenty, she should have reached the entrance to the park before those kids.'
'You're right! That would put her there around eleven twenty-five. But Howell said that Jessie made a wish at the well around eleven-thirty and the body wasn't there. Where was Whiley between eleven-twenty, when she left the Stallion, and eleven thirty-five, when Howell and Freeman left the park?'
'Did you ask Howell and his girlfriend if they saw anyone when they were in the park?'
