Page 192 - Labelle Gramercy, Detective

Slow Burn

one’s parts would fit into the other. Thus the identical appearance
from the neck up, the small fleet of Honda Civics, and the
nondescript gray sweat suits I saw in your laundry. You executed the
lockstep movements in time like Sam Loyd’s figures in space, each of
you leaving one location and arriving at another in time to
impersonate its supposed tenant and create an alibi. Here, working
backwards, I can demonstrate your maneuver exactly, to within the
minute.”
She ripped off the top sheet of paper and quickly drew a table.

Leaves Arrives at
Quint home of at home of at
-------- ----------- -- ------------- --
Quincy Quincy ? Al Carbone ?
Quincy Al Carbone 5:00 Quigley 5:15
Quigley Quigley 4:57 Quentin 5:12
Quentin Quentin 4:54 Quantrill 5:09
Quantrill Quantrill 4:51 Quarles 5:06
Quarles Quarles 4:48 Quincy 5:03

“Therefore, although Quincy, who killed Al Carbone, was spotted
there at five o’clock, the rotation resulted in Quarles arriving at
Quincy’s location at 5:03, giving him an effective alibi. The fifteen-
minute travel time slipped from one side of five o’clock to the other,
and everyone was covered. Each of you had already rehearsed what
to do when you arrived at his brother’s home, in some cases stopping
to make a commercial transaction along the way. Later that night you
returned under cover of darkness to your own places, and made a
point of all wearing different clothes the next day. But I spotted the
running suits. That clinched it.”
I knew what was coming next, so I slowly moved my hand into my
jacket and unbuttoned the holster.
“Quincy, Quarles, Quentin, Quantrill and Quigley Carbone, I’m
placing you under arrest for the premeditated murder of your uncle,
Alberto Carbone. Let’s go get you booked into five nice clean cells.”
They all stood up as one and moved toward us.
“That’s far enough,” Labelle warned. “Sgt. Donat, put the cuffs on
them.”

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