The Soft Centre

‘I still think Hardy could have done it and you’re drunk enough to dream up this story.’ Terrdll said. ‘But you’ll come to headquarters and we’ll work all this over. Come on… let’s go.’

Gina grimaced.?‘My road stopped when Lee died,’ she said. ‘I’ve had all I want from life and it hasn’t been all that hot. Lee didn’t kill her. Can’t you get that fact into your thick skull? It was this nut who did it.’

‘We’ll go over it again at headquarters. Let’s go,’ Terrell said, getting to his feet.

Gina shrugged and stood up.?‘Excuse me while I spend a dime,’ she said. ‘My back teeth are floating.’ She walked unsteadily across the bedroom and into the bathroom. As she shut the door, Terrell said, ‘What do you make of this story, Joe?’

‘She’s lying,’ Beigler said. ‘It’s my bet…’

The violent bang of a gun, coming from the bathroom made both men start to their feet. As one, they rushed to the bathroom door. Beigler drove his massive shoulder against the panel and burst in.

Gina lay face down on the floor, a smoking gun in her hand. Her brains made a white and red stain on the bathroom tiles.

As Terrell came in from a quick lunch, he met Beigler looking hot and irritable, getting out of his car. The two men walked fast up the steps into police headquarters.

‘How’s it coming?’ Terrell asked as he led the way to his office.?‘Got something,’ Beigler said. He entered the office and lowered his heavy frame on to one of the upright chairs. Terrell went behind his desk and sat down. He poured coffee from the flask.

‘Go ahead.’?‘The day before the murder, a woman, Ann Lucas, reported her handbag stolen. That afternoon, a woman calling herself Ann Lucas hired a car from the U-Drive Depot for five days. The guy who handled the deal wouldn’t know her again without the sun goggles and the scarf she was wearing. It’s my bet this woman was Gina Lang.’

Terrell rubbed the end of his nose with the butt of his pen.?‘So she wasn’t lying.’?‘That’s it, but here’s something you’re going to love,’ Beigler said. ‘Sam Karsh turned up at the U-Drive joint two days after the murder. He told them he had found one of their cars… the car rented by Ann Lucas or Gina Lang dumped in a clearing on a dirt road off the North Miami Beach highway. He told Morphy… he’s the manager of the joint… he had found the car and thought it had been dumped. He asked questions, got a description of this Ann Lucas or Gina Lang and then faded away. I’ve contacted Ann Lucas. She tells me that on the night Karsh contacted Morphy, she got a mysterious telephone call from a guy who questioned her about the loss of her driving licence. After she had admitted losing her licence and as soon as she began questioning him, he hung up. That could have been Karsh.’

Terre1l said, ‘What are we waiting for. Let’s get Karsh here.’

Beigler grinned.?‘Jacobs is already picking him up. He loves Karsh.’?‘Okay. Joe, nice work. I want to think about all this. When Karsh arrives let him sweat it out. I may not be ready for him for an hour.’

When Beigler had gone, Terrell sat for some time thinking, then he abruptly reached forward and flicked down a switch on the inter-corn.

‘I want the file covering Chris Burnett’s disappearance,’ he said.

When an officer brought in the file, Terrell studied it. Then he took a large scale map of the district from his desk drawer and studied that.

The inter-corn came to life.?‘We have Karsh here, Chief,’ a voice said.?‘Let him stew. I’m not ready for him yet.’

Terrell sat for another half-hour going over the file, making notes, studying the map, then he called for Beigler.

Beigler came in, sat down and lit a cigarette. He looked at expectantly at Terrell.?‘This could be a sweet one,’ Terrell said, pushing back his chair and crossing his legs. ‘I’m getting persuaded that Chris Burnett killed Sue Parnell.’

Beigler sucked his cigarette, his eyes widening.?‘You tell it,’ he said.?‘We know Burnett is a nut. Gina Lang claims to have picked up a nut who was tall, dark and handsome. That description fits Burnett. The time he was missing and the time she picked him up also jells. He was picked up by our men about a mile from where Morphy claims the U-Drive car was dumped. We know Karsh found the car. We know Burnett wore a jacket when he left the hotel and it was missing when he was found. It’s my bet Karsh found the jacket in the car and there was blood on it. You don’t rip a woman the way Parnell was ripped without getting messy. It looks to me that Karsh took the jacket to Hare who promptly put the bite on Mrs. Burnett. This would explain why she parted with twenty thousand dollars. Why else should she give him that amount of money unless he had her where he wanted her?’

Beigler whistled.?‘Can we prove any of this, Chief?’?‘Not yet, but we’ll have Karsh in and we’ll sweat him until he does talk.’?‘But suppose he doesn’t?’

The telephone bell interrupted what Terrell was about to say. He lifted the receiver.