The Snow Tiger / Night of Error (32 page)

McGill returned to the projector. ‘After the avalanche I went up on the west slope to see if there was further hazard. As it turned out, the hazard was minimal in the immediate future. Charlie Peterson volunteered to accompany me. We made an examination of the slope and Mr Peterson was very cool and showed no sign of nerves. It was only
after I had indicated my intention to examine the site where the avalanche had begun that he showed signs of nervousness. At the time I put this down to a natural fear of being in a potentially hazardous situation.

‘As we went up the mountain his nervousness increased rapidly and he suggested we go down. We were not far from the site which I wished to examine so I ignored his suggestion. In the event we never reached the site. There was the air accident in the valley and we went down the slope immediately.’

‘Interesting,’ said Harrison. ‘But I don’t see the point.’

‘This is the point,’ said McGill. ‘While we were on the slope an aircraft flew over us at very low altitude and I saw someone taking photographs. I discovered afterwards that the plane had been chartered by a newspaper here in Christchurch. I went to the newspaper office last night and went through all the photographs that had been taken. Here are some of them.’

The projector clicked and flashed again, and a black-and-white photograph appeared on the screen. McGill said, ‘In the bottom right-hand corner you can see Peterson and me. In the top left corner you see exposed rocks. By the rocks there are ski tracks here – and here. I think that Peterson didn’t want me to see those tracks; that’s why he was nervous.’

‘An unwarranted suggestion,’ snapped Lyall.

McGill ignored him, and put another picture on the screen. ‘Here is an enlargement of the breakaway point of the avalanche. There is a ski track going into it, and this ragged line, and another here, is where a man jumped up the slope. It had been snowing heavily that night, and all these tracks could only have been made on the morning of the avalanche.’

He switched off the projector. ‘I further state on oath that the first time I saw Miller and Peterson on that Sunday they were both on skis.’

The dark room exploded. ‘Lights!’ shouted Harrison. ‘Turn on the lights!’

An electrolier sparked into brilliance, and then sunlight flooded the room as an usher pulled aside a curtain. Charlie was on his feet. ‘Damn you!’ he yelled, pointing at McGill.

‘Shut up, Charlie!’ called Lyall sharply, but he was too late.

‘Damn you all!’ cried Charlie. ‘It was Ballard who killed my brother – everyone knows that. Nobody would have died if they’d gone into the mine as Eric wanted. And Alec wouldn’t have drowned if it hadn’t been for Ballard. He’s a bloody murderer, I tell you!’ Froth flecked his lips. ‘He started the avalanche – him and Miller between them.’

Lyall sagged and McGill heard him say, ‘He’s crazy!’

Charlie’s throat worked convulsively. ‘Ballard didn’t like Huka or anyone in it.’ He threw his arms wide. ‘He wanted to
destroy
it – and he
did.
Most of all, he didn’t like us Petersons. He killed two of us – and he made a whore out of my sister.’ His arm swung around and pointed to Liz.

Harrison’s gavel cracked sharply, and he said, ‘Dr Cross, is there anything you can do?’

Eric grabbed Charlie’s arm, but Charlie tossed him aside effortlessly. ‘And McGill was in on the whole thing and I’m going to kill the bastard!’ He plunged across the hall towards McGill but before he could reach him Eric had recovered and was on his back.

‘Let me go,’ he screamed. ‘Let me get at him!’ Again he broke Eric’s grip and started again for McGill, but this time several men had moved in to subdue him. There was a brief flurry and then Charlie broke loose and ran sideways and made for the door. It opened before he got there and he ran into the arms of two policemen. They both put an armlock on him and he was marched out of sight.

Harrison thumped his gavel in vain. Into the uproar he said quietly, ‘This hearing is adjourned.’

Half an hour later McGill, still in the hall, was beseiged by reporters. ‘No comment,’ he kept repeating. ‘I said all I had to say when I gave my evidence. There’s nothing more.’

He broke free, went into the first room he saw and slammed the door behind him. He turned and saw Harrison and Stenning. ‘Sorry, but do you mind if I take refuge for a few minutes. Those reporters are driving me crazy.’

‘Not at all,’ said Harrison. ‘You’ve caused quite a stir, Dr McGill.’

McGill grimaced. ‘Not as much as Charlie. How is he?’

‘Dr Cross put him under sedation.’ He paused. ‘I think there’s a case for a court order for psychiatric treatment.’ Harrison recollected his manners. ‘Oh, this is Mr Stenning, a visitor from England. He’s here to see how we conduct our administrative justice. I’ve been telling him that not all our Inquiries are so rowdy. I don’t think he believes me.’

‘I’m acquainted with Mr Stenning,’ said McGill. ‘We stay at the same hotel.’

Harrison picked up his briefcase. ‘I think it will be safe to leave by the back way, gentlemen.’

Stenning said, ‘Could I have a word with you, Dr McGill?’

‘Of course.’

‘Feel free to use this office,’ said Harrison. ‘Will you attend the Inquiry tomorrow, Mr Stenning?’

‘I think not. I have urgent business in England. I assure you it has been most interesting.’

‘Well, then, we’ll say goodbye now.’ They shook hands.

When Stenning and McGill were alone Stenning remarked, ‘Harrison was wrong – that letter was not admissible because Miller was not there to be cross-examined. I think the Inquiry will be adjourned while Harrison takes legal advice. It shows the inadvisability of setting a layman to do a lawyer’s job.’

McGill shrugged. ‘Does it matter now? We’ve seen that Charlie is as crazy as a loon.’

Stenning regarded him speculatively. ‘You said in your evidence that Ian had agreed that the letter should be produced.’

‘That’s right.’

‘Strange. At the end of our last conversation Ian told me to go to hell. He also consigned the Ballard Trust to the same destination. He must have changed his mind. It would be interesting to know exactly when he changed it.’

‘I think he changed it when Charlie Peterson started beating the hell out of him.’

‘You think it
was
Peterson?’

‘For God’s sake! Don’t you? You’ve just seen Charlie in action. He tossed Eric around as though he was a rag doll, and Eric’s no midget. And I got a good look at his hands this afternoon. His knuckles were pretty raw.’

‘Is that the only reason you think it was Peterson? I have to be sure, Dr McGill.’

‘Of course not,’ said McGill, lying bravely with a frank open face. ‘Ian told me himself when I found him in the car park. He said, and I remember his exact words, “It was Charlie, use the letter and smash him.” Then he passed out.’

‘I see.’ Stenning smiled, and said obliquely, ‘I think Ian is lucky to have you for a friend.’

‘I’d do the same for anyone who was getting the raw end of a deal, Mr Stenning. He was getting it from both sides, you know. Your hands are not entirely clean in this matter.’

Abruptly he turned his back on Stenning and left the room. He crossed the Provincial Chamber, now deserted, and went into the vestibule where he ran straight into Liz Peterson. She lifted her hand and slapped his face with all the force she could muster, which was considerable.

His head rocked sideways and he grabbed her wrist. ‘Steady, Liz.’

‘How could you?’ she said passionately. ‘How could you do that to Charlie?’

‘Someone had to stop him.’

‘But not like that. You needn’t have crucified him in public.’

‘How would you suggest? He was mad, Liz; he was going insane. Even Eric thought so. Eric told him outright he was losing his mind. He was eaten up by guilt and he wanted to pour it all out on lan.’

‘Ian!’ Liz said contemptuously. ‘That man wanted to marry me. I never want to see him again. He could have suppressed that letter.’

‘He wanted to,’ said McGill. ‘But I talked him out of it. It would have been a fool thing to do. He was supposed to see you last night. Did he?’

She shook her head. ‘Charlie played one of his tricks. He got me into his car on some excuse and then drove me out of town going like a maniac.’ She stopped as she realized what she had just said and then swallowed. ‘Anyway, he dumped me on a country road and just drove away. It was nearly midnight when I got back into town. I phoned Ian but he wasn’t in. I thought I’d see him this morning but he had the accident.’

‘Did Charlie know you were going to see Ian?’

‘Not unless Eric told him.’

‘So you told Eric, and Eric mentioned it to Charlie. That was a fool thing to do.’ He took her arm. ‘You need talking to, my girl, and you’d better have a drink while you listen.’

Five minutes later at a discreet table in a hotel lounge McGill said, ‘It’s a bit of a convoluted story. When Miller’s letter came, Ian read it and asked me just one question. He wanted to know if the avalanche would have happened anyway, regardless of what Charlie had done. I had to say that it would have come down. It was only a matter of time, Liz.’

He picked up his drink and stared at it. ‘Once Ian heard that he wanted me to suppress the letter. I talked him out of that, but then he said he wanted to clear things with you.’

‘And I didn’t turn up,’ Liz said dully.

‘The next time I saw him he was a hospital case, and I was lying like a flat fish to a man called Stenning – you’ve met him.’

‘What’s he got to do with it?’

McGill told her about old Ben Ballard, the Ballard Trust and the task that had been laid upon Stenning. It took quite a while. He wound up by saying, ‘Even when Ian knew about Miller’s letter he told Stenning to go to hell. Stenning just told me that.’

‘He was prepared to give all that up?’ said Liz slowly.

‘Not because he didn’t want to hurt Charlie, but because he didn’t want to hurt you. Don’t blame Ian for anything. Anyway, it doesn’t matter any more. Stenning has evidence that Ian did walk over the Petersons in the end. He might suspect a fiddle but he can’t prove it, and because he’s a lawyer he’ll accept it.’ McGill smiled. ‘From something he said just now I rather think he likes it this way.’

‘Aren’t you cheating Stenning?’ asked Liz with a half smile.

‘Not really. I think old Ben was wrong. He said a man must have steel in him to run the Ballard Group but I think
there are enough men of steel around – too many, perhaps. They’re going out of fashion. What the Group needs now is a man-manager, an administrator, a diplomat – and Ian is all of those. And if he needs any steel he’ll have it if he has a Peterson next to him.’

‘Oh, Mike, do you think …?’ Liz put her hand on McGill’s and her eyes were bright with unshed tears. ‘I’m torn, Mike. The police have taken Charlie away because of the avalanche and …’

‘No!’ said McGill sharply. ‘Not because of the avalanche. That hasn’t been proved – and may never be.’

‘Then why?’

‘Ian intended to meet you last night but, instead, he got Charlie. Stenning saw them at the hotel. And Charlie beat Ian half to death in the car park, probably when he was on his way to look for you. There was no car accident. The police were waiting to arrest Charlie for assault as soon as he came out of the hall.’

Liz was as pale as she had been when McGill had first seen her in the church after the avalanche. He said gently, ‘He had to be stopped, Liz. I’ve often wondered what would have happened if he and I had gone that extra two hundred feet up the west slope after the avalanche and I’d seen those ski tracks. I think, maybe, there’d have been another avalanche victim. He’s strong enough to have torn me in half. He had to be stopped and I took the quickest way Iknew.’

Liz sighed shudderingly. ‘I knew he was violent and had his strange ways, and I knew they were becoming worse. But not as bad as this. What will become of him, Mike?’

‘He’ll be all right. There’ll be people to look after him. I don’t think he’ll stand trial for anything. He’s beyond that, Liz – way beyond. You saw him this afternoon – you know what I mean. Harrison said as much, too.’

She nodded. ‘So it’s all over.’

‘It’s over,’ he agreed. ‘My masters want me to go south to the the ice. They’ve put up a geodesic dome at the South Pole – Buckminster Fuller strikes again – and they want a snowman to check the foundations.’

McGill leaned back in his chair and picked up his glass. He said casually, ‘Ian is in the Princess Margaret Hospital – third floor. The Ward Sister is a tough old bird called Quayle but if you say you are Ian’s fiancee she might let you …’

He became aware he was talking to thin air. ‘Hey, you haven’t finished your drink!’

But Liz was halfway across the room on her way, and beside her Victor trotted, his tail waving in a proud plume.