Fifty-two

Day 20

Legget’s

8.10 p.m. Friday, 13th November 1965

Cardilini parked his car where he had that afternoon. Now black­ness surrounded him. Light coming from Leggett’s house made it seem even darker.

‘Is the school up there?’ Paul asked, pointing beyond the house.

‘Yes.’

Cardilini and Paul walked to the house.

Jean Leggett let them in and showed them to the lounge where Leggett was waiting.

They had just sat when Cardilini heard the voice of Carmody call from the front door. Jean Leggett jumped from her seat. She called a greeting as she left the lounge. Leggett and Paul chatted like old friends while Cardilini sat moodily. Carmody and another boy entered and stood just inside the doorway. Jean walked past, followed by a very slight, younger boy who looked into the room. Cardilini made eye contact with him. The boy looked lost.

‘Who’s that?’ Cardilini asked before acknowledging Carmody and the other boy.

‘That’s Harper,’ Carmody said and gave a nod to Mohr, realising that it hadn’t been Harper who Cardilini had spoken to.

‘Why’s he here?’ Cardilini asked.

‘He has something you want, I think,’ Leggett said and received a nod from Carmody and Mohr.

Cardilini screwed up his face with questioning impatience.

Carmody turned to Cardilini and said tightly, ‘Captain Edmund had summoned him for some buggery. He must have gone in after Edmund was shot. He trod on the bullet and picked it up.’

‘Are you saying, that boy … he looks like a ten-year-old.’ Cardilini said incredulous.

Paul, white faced, looked at his father.

Leggett said, ‘This is Mohr. Mohr, this is Detective Cardilini and his son, Paul.’

Cardilini and Carmody eyed each other. Paul and Mohr shook hands.

Before Cardilini saw Harper, he felt on sure footing. He was going to hear them out and work towards them dropping the false accusations against him. He wanted Paul to hear that, but now he felt he’d walked into a closing trap.

‘Paul isn’t aware of all the details and there is no need for him to know … so Paul …’ Cardilini nodded for Paul to go.

‘I think he should hear what we’re about to discuss,’ Leggett said.

‘I’d like to, Dad. I know what you said that man did, but …’ he nodded to the door, ‘… I don’t understand.’

‘None of us do, Paul. That’s why he was able to do what he did for so long. And all of us here are guilty of aiding him,’ Leggett said.

‘Dad?’

Leggett interrupted with, ‘A child’s word against an adult’s word without any supporting evidence, there isn’t a lot that could be done. Isn’t that right, Cardilini?’

Cardilini nodded.

‘I know the shot came from the school,’ Leggett said as he crossed and closed the door to the passage.

Cardilini mockingly asked, ‘Do you know who’s responsible?’

‘I said you’d hear what you wanted to hear. Didn’t you believe me?’

Cardilini slowly shook his head.

Carmody and Mohr looked at each other, concerned.

Leggett walked back to the chair, sat and ran his gaze from one to the other before repeating, ‘I know the shot came from the school. I know, because I made that shot.’ The four sat staring at him in stunned surprise.

‘It’s a confession. I wanted you all here to witness it.’

The air seemed to be sucked from the room. Cardilini and the three young men looked dumbfounded at Leggett.

Leggett started, ‘On two previous occasions as the presiding judge, I have declared the death penalty … and I would come home and pray for the executioner, a man, to my shame, I could never look in the eye …’

‘I don’t believe you,’ Cardilini interrupted.

‘Which part?’

‘That you pulled the trigger to kill Edmund.’

‘Well, as we both know, what you believe is irrelevant when all the evidence points to me. I had motive. I know how it was done. I know where the weapon I used is and how I obtained it. And how I disposed of it. And now, it’s possible to prove that the actual bullet I placed in the chamber is the one young Harper has arrived with. You will find, Detective Cardilini, when it comes to providing bullet proof evidence, I know exactly what I’m doing.’

‘But your age – you’re frail, no one would believe you could climb the wall, let alone make that shot.’

‘What wall? There’s a gate you know.’

‘What did you do with the murder weapon?’

Leggett smiled. ‘The rifle? I returned it to the armoury.’

‘Which rifle did you use?’

‘I couldn’t tell. But then there’s no need for me to tell, you’ll have a bullet to find the matching rifle.’

‘How did you get into the armoury?’

‘Idle tongues unintentionally told me where the keys were kept,’ Leggett glanced at Carmody and Mohr.

‘But you still couldn’t make the shot,’ Cardilini insisted.

‘I think when put to the test I’ll be accurate enough, but some practice wouldn’t go astray.’

Cardilini sat back in his chair. Carmody and Mohr had sat speechless throughout.

‘But, sir …’ Carmody started.

Leggett held up his hand. ‘Don’t say anything, please, Carmody.’

‘I still don’t believe you,’ Cardilini said.

Leggett looked steadily at Cardilini. ‘Knowing what that man was doing any given night of the week. I had to act.’

‘But you didn’t know. You and the board didn’t believe it to be true,’ Cardilini stated.

Leggett looked sheepishly at Carmody and Mohr. ‘That’s true. Carmody convinced me otherwise.’

Mohr shot a puzzled look at Carmody, who gave a brief shrug.

‘Right. Without further ado, let’s get that brave little man in here.’ Leggett walked to the door then turned. ‘He’s got the bullet that will take me to trial. My lawyers will call on him and the other abused to tell their sordid stories in court to reduce my sentence. I obviously haven’t many years left so they’ll go as hard as they can. Difficult to say how the public display will harm them or their families.’

Carmody stood aghast. ‘You can’t. We promised, no one would know.’

‘I’m afraid I’ll have to,’ Leggett replied, opening the door.

‘Dad,’ Paul said in alarm.

‘You’re bluffing,’ Cardilini stated.

‘No,’ Leggett replied and looked each of them squarely in the eye. ‘At the moment the boys Carmody has spoken to feel some relief, feel they have another chance, feel that a type of justice has been done. Is that right Carmody?’

A confused Carmody turned to Cardilini. ‘We’ve spoken to six boys including Harper and Lockheed. Yes, that’s still the case.’

Leggett smiled at Cardilini. ‘Here’s your chance; you’ve got a confession, everything’s in your hands now, Cardilini.’ Leggett paused, then added. ‘Carmody and Mohr will deal with the Mossop matter as we agreed.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Carmody and Mohr replied.

‘Tell Detective Cardilini,’ Leggett instructed.

Carmody turned to Cardilini, ‘Mossop will withdraw his allegation.’ He turned to Paul, ‘Sorry, we just wanted to protect the other boys. We were never going to let your father lose his job.’

Leggett motioned to Paul and asked, ‘Can we have a chat?’ Paul stood and looked to his father, who nodded. ‘I’ll send Harper in.’ He left and Paul followed.

‘The old bastard. You know he’s lying,’ Cardilini said and stood to pace the room.

‘Would he really go ahead with it?’ Mohr asked.

‘Do you believe Leggett did it?’ Cardilini asked, turning on the boys.

Carmody and Mohr looked at each other. ‘No,’ Carmody said.

‘I don’t either.’

Mohr asked. ‘But is he correct? Would the boys have to testify about Edmund?’

‘Yep. That could happen,’ Cardilini replied.

‘I know he wouldn’t do it,’ Carmody said. Cardilini and Mohr looked doubtfully at him.

‘Tell me about Harper,’ Cardilini instructed.

Carmody and Mohr sat and stared back gloomily.

‘Carmody?’ Cardilini prompted sitting.

Carmody took a deep breath then started to speak slowly, outlining in detail what Mrs Lockheed had already explained to Cardilini. He described how Edmund would put the boys’ penises in his mouth while they stood holding their rifle, then threaten to reveal to their parents what they allowed him to do. The boys at this stage, he said, were completely under Edmund’s power, fearful of the pain it would cause their families. Cardilini listened to the sound of Carmody’s steady words, sinking further back in his chair as if trying to distance himself from them. At several points Mohr swore and vigorously wiped tears from his eyes. Camody told him about the boy having the bullet and of the fight he’d had with a third form boy. When he finished and looked imploringly at Cardilini.

‘What are you going to do, sir?’ Mohr asked earnestly, just as the boy stood in the doorway.