Lionel White - Invitation to Violence

“All right,” he said, at last. “All right, Hanna. You’ll get the reward, I guess. Maybe you are a hero. But I still don’t understand it. I know that I won’t be able to make you talk and tell me about it, but in the long run, I am glad to have the thing cleaned up. We’ll go over the glass and the gun of course, but I’m satisfied that they’ll check out.

“The thing I can’t understand, though, is why Slaughter would have the glass with him. Why he’d bring it here to the hotel. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Gerald looked at the detective and smiled.

“You are so right,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense at all. But then so many things haven’t made sense. Why don’t you just be satisfied that he did have the glass with him? After all, that broken glass is the evidence, that if found, would possibly have put him in the electric chair. The same as the jewels would. Well, he had the jewels, so why not the glass? Certainly he wouldn’t be leaving it around for someone else to find and possibly use for blackmail, would he? The safest place for it, from his point of view, was with him. After all, he wasn’t expecting to be picked up, to be questioned in the case. He was in the clear. But I wouldn’t let it bother me. I’d just be satisfied that he did have it.”

Hopper nodded, morosely.

“There’s one more thing that, for my personal satisfaction, I would like to know,” he said. “Since you seem to have all of the answers, perhaps you can satisfy me on this one. If that glass came from the windshield of the getaway car, maybe you can tell me where I can find the car?”

Gerald moved toward the door.

“Miss Dunne is exhausted,” Gerald said. “Would it be too much to ask you to give us a lift out to Long Island?”

Hopper nodded, his expression unhappy.

“Glad to,” he said. “But about the car? I suppose that’s one you wouldn’t know…”

“Listen, Lieutenant,” Gerald said, “don’t you want me to leave something for the police department to do? I’ve found your hot jewels for you and I’ve given you your cop killer. You won’t even have to prosecute him. And as far as I am concerned, you can share equal billing in credit for solving the case. What more…”

Lieutenant Hopper grunted and shrugged.

“Oh, I’m happy enough,” he said. “Let’s get moving. Miss Dunne’s tired, Finn’s tired, I’m tired…”

Sue had crossed the room and Gerald felt her slender hand slip into his and as she leaned toward him his arm went around her waist.

“Tired?” he said. “Why I never felt better in my life.”