State firearms records indicate he purchased a. 380-caliber Iver Johnson semiautomatic pistol at North Woods Arms in Wayzata in 1982.
Im sure youre right. But he never used it. He called it his car gun because he had to work down in the colored area sometimes, way back when.
Do you know where he kept it?
No, I assumed he gave it away. Or disposed of it.
He doesnt have it in his car now?
I dont think so; I think I would have known…
Do you remember how you heard the news that Andy Ingall was lost up on Lake Superior?
Well… I think somebody from the bank called and told us.
Mr. McDonald was with you when you found out?
Why, yes. Somebody called him, not me.
You dont know if hed been in Duluth about that time.
Im sure he wasnt; it would have stuck in my mind.
Sloan was pushing a dead end. Lucas waited a few more minutes, listening, then breezed into the room, as though he was in a hurry. Sloan looked up and said, Chief Davenport… Mrs. McDonald.
She seemed to shrink away from him, what was left of her. Most of her face was black with bruises and subcutaneous bleeding around the cuts; a row of tiny black stitches marched up one cheek like a line of gnats; her hair was cut away on one side of her head, and a scalp bandage was damp from wound seepage.
Mrs. McDonald, Ill be brief, Lucas said. Were virtually certain that your husband was involved in the deaths of Kresge, Arris, and Ingall. And were wondering how, if he killed all those people, you could not have known about it.
Why… why… he didnt do that.
And her attorney, Glass, was sputtering, Hey, hey, hey… were not answering those kinds of questions. You should, Lucas said. If Mrs. McDonald doesnt cooperate, well, Mr. Glass… you know how it looks. I mean, if a person has ambitions to resume her life in society.
What? Audrey McDonald looked dazed, swinging her face from Glass to Lucas. Resume my life?
Thats a lot of horse pucky, Lucas, Glass said. To Audrey McDonald: Ignore him.
At your own risk, Lucas said. You know how people talk.
People, she said.
Lucas added, We will be executing a search warrant at the McDonald home this morning, looking for more evidenceBut we already have substantial support for the idea that Wilson McDonald killed all three of them. And we will want to understand what your role was in the killings… if you had one.
You cant…
Mrs. McDonald, Lucas said, suddenly going soft. I mentioned this the other night. I recognize your voice.
What? As though she hadnt heard him correctly. And Glass peered at her, a frown on his face.
Youve called me, he said. You knew your husband was killing people.
Thats utterly She groped for a word other than ridiculous, but couldnt find one. ridiculous.
What are you doing, Lucas? Glass asked.
And Audrey seemed so genuinely nonplussed that Lucas, puzzledwhy would she deny it now? Having helped stop him could only be to her credit, now, and he wasnt around to strike backbacked away, and tried again. Mrs. McDonald, how often did you visit the Kresge cabin?
Why, why… She struggled to think. Its so hard tothinkwith these things they are putting into me.
You dont have to answer these questions, Glass said. And I would recommend that you dont.
You suggest that she not tell me how often she went to Kresges? Why wouldnt she tell me that? Lucas asked.
Because you might try to make your pigs ear into a silk purse, and theres no reason to help you do that, Glass said.
Maybe six times, she said.
Mrs. McDonald, you dont have to answer, Glass said. In fact, Im telling you: Keep quiet. LucasChief Davenportif you have any more questions about Mr. McDonald, ask me first. I may advise Mrs. McDonald to answer them. But she wont answer any more questions about herself. Glass looked at the stenographer. Could you read that back to me?
Sure, just a minute.
No need to, Lucas said. We got it, and Im outahere. Well be checking the McDonald house. And we may be back with more questions. He looked straight into Audrey McDonalds eyes, held them for a second, then turned and walked out.
GLASS CAUGHT LUCAS IN THE HALLWAY. WHAT THE hell was that all about?
Lucas shrugged. Bumping her along a little.
Well, Jesus… Glass scratched his head. You dont think she had anything to do with these things, do you? The killings? That old lady?
What doyouthink, counselor?
Dontcounselorme, butthead. This is J. B. fuckin Glass youre talking to. What I want to know is, do I have to start thinking about a defense? Or were you just blowing smoke?
Mostly smoke, Lucas admitted.
All right, Glass said. How you been?
Not too bad… You heard about Weather?
Yeah, the bomb. Jesus. What do you think, a crazy? Glass asked.
We dont know. Weve got no theory.
Shoot. Well, keep your ass down, Glass said, and slapped Lucas on the arm before he started back to Mc- Donalds room.
Hey, J. B. how old do you think your client is, anyway?
Glass spread his hands. I never asked. Fifty… two?
Shes thirty-eight, Lucas said.
Glass looked at McDonalds room, then said with a hushed voice, No way.
Shes got some hard miles on her, J. B. And she might not be quite what she looks like.
TWENTY
LUCAS WAS SITTING IN MCDONALD'S STUDY, FLIPPING through a batch of American Express statements that went back, apparently, forever. Both Wilson and Audrey Mc-Donald were Platinum Card holders, upgraded six years earlier from the Gold. The most interesting statement involved charges on McDonalds card in the days before Andy Ingall sailed off on Lake Superior and vanished.
The day before Ingall disappears, McDonald spends four hundred bucks at Marshall Field in Chicago. That night, and the night before, hes at the Palmer House, Lucas said to Franklin. That means if he rigged the boat, he had to have done it at least a couple of days beforehand, or, if he came home that day, he had to go right up to Superior and rig the boat the night before. That seems tricky.
Franklin, enormous in a plaid shirt and jeans, had been going through the check stubs and investment papers. I aint finding anything here. Its all too general. They were pretty well off, though. Hes got a trust account at Polaris with about three-point-four million divided between stocks and bonds, heavy on the bonds. Plus an account at Vanguard worth another three million, all in the stock market. And if Im reading it right, hes got another nine hundredthousand in stock at Merrill Lynch. Cash in bank accounts, about twenty-four thousand, plus a money market account with a hundred and seventy thousand… thats apparently a tax account. He put the papers down, and looked at Lucas. I dont know. With that muchthats gotta be moren seven millionyou think hed be killing to get even richer?
I asked the same thing, Lucas said. The answer is, he was chasing power, not money. He was a bully in high school, he beat his wife, he killed people to eliminate competition for the promotions. He got off on power trips.
