fantastic theory. The reason I wanted you to come here was to testify that you had pertinent information indicating that someone is definitely out to kill me.”
“You mean the letter you showed me this afternoon?”
“Exactly.”
“What’s that about a letter?” snapped Painter.
“An anonymous letter threatening my life,” said Henderson hastily with a warning look and a shake of his head at Shayne. “Mr. Shayne can testify that he read it this afternoon.”
“And you withheld it from the police? It’s a felony to withhold evidence in a homicide.”
“But it wasn’t a homicide this afternoon,” protested Henderson weakly. “It was just proof that those were real attempts on my life.”
“It’s homicide now,” said Painter stiffly. “Let’s have the letter. If the dead man wrote it, it may clear you of suspicion.”
“I… I destroyed it after showing it to Mr. Shayne.”
“You destroyed it, eh?” Painter rocked forward happily on his toes. “Why, may I ask?”
“Because… well, I just didn’t think it was important any more. Mr. Shayne did read it and he can swear to its existence.”
“Can you, Shayne?”
“I can. I’m not at all sure that I will.”
“What do you mean by that crack?”
“Just what I said.”
“I don’t like your attitude.” Painter strutted forward with his chin thrust out aggressively, both hands planted on his hips. “If you can throw any light on this affair, it’s your duty to do so.”
Shayne said pleasantly, “You know something, Petey?”
“I know a lot of things and don’t call me Petey.”
“The something I’m wondering about is this,” said Shayne equably. “How much is your attitude toward Henderson influenced by the fact that you know you’ll be out of a job if he’s elected mayor of Miami Beach next election?”
“In the first place I don’t know that’s so. In the second place I didn’t even know he was a candidate. In the third place I don’t give one good goddamn who or what anybody is when I’m investigating a homicide. Does that answer your question?”
“Then why are you badgering the guy? Stop me if I’m wrong, but the way I get it is this. Some character comes ringing his doorbell at two o’clock in the morning, and because he’s nervous and frightened, he arms himself before going to the door. Whereupon the man pulls a gun, and he’s lucky enough to shoot first. Is that the picture, Henderson?”
“That’s it exactly. I never saw the man before… haven’t the faintest idea who he is.”
“So why don’t you quit barking up that tree, Painter, and start finding out who wants Henderson dead… and why? If the dead man is just a hired hand, the chances are this won’t be the end of it.”
“Hired gunmen,” said Painter stiffly, “don’t generally go out on jobs with a twenty-two automatic.”
“That what he was carrying?”
Painter nodded. “Henderson, on the other hand, was equipped with a forty-five. Made it sort of unequal. Have you got a permit for that cannon?” he added abruptly, turning away from Shayne.
“Certainly. Issued by your own police department. Does the dead man have a permit for his gun?” he probed acidly.
Painter said, “We’re checking the serial number.” He rocked forward on his toes and then teetered back on his heels. “Right now, Henderson, I want to question the other members of the household.”
“There is no one else.”
“You telling me you don’t have any servants with a layout like this?” Painter looked about the room appraisingly.
“There’s a regular housekeeper and a maid, of course,” Henderson told him stiffly. “But neither of them sleep in.”
“So there’s no one except you who can say what went on here tonight?”
“I don’t concede that my word needs verification.”
“I know you’re a widower,” Shayne put in. “But isn’t there a grown daughter, Henderson?”
Henderson looked at him angrily for bringing the subject up, but said, “A stepdaughter. She’s out of town at present.”
“Where?” Shayne pressed him.
“In New York.”
“I think you should get her back here.”
“I don’t see why. She’s been gone for days and can’t possibly have any knowledge of this affair.”
Shayne shook his head sternly. “I’d be careful about the impression you give Painter. If he gets the idea you don’t want your stepdaughter brought back to testify, he’s likely to get official about it and insist that she return. And even though you do think Chief Painter is an imbecile, I wouldn’t underrate him if I were you. Once he gets an idea, he’s hell on wheels about carrying it through.”
Painter said, “I don’t need any testimonials from you, Shayne. What about your stepdaughter, Henderson? Why don’t you want her to come back?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t. I just don’t see any reason for it at this time.”
“Isn’t the fact that you’re under suspicion of murder reason enough to want your family around you?”
Henderson wet his lips and protested weakly. “You can’t be serious about that, Chief.”
“Suppose you let me decide whether I’m serious or not. You’ve been making a nuisance of yourself demanding police protection from some nebulous danger, though you’ve insisted all the time that you haven’t an enemy in the world.”
“Now wait a minute,” protested Henderson.
“You wait a minute and listen to me.” Painter was warming up now, and he strutted forward two paces, thrusting his pointed chin aggressively in Henderson’s face. “You’re building your whole defense for this killing tonight on the assumption that the dead man came here planning to murder you, yet you want us to believe that no one has a motive for wanting you dead. You can’t have it both ways, Henderson. The police may be stupid, but, by God, we’re not that stupid.”
“I didn’t mean to imply…”
“You may as well understand right now that I’m the one who’ll decide who’s to be questioned and who isn’t. Perhaps I won’t be chief of detectives after next election, but, by God, I am now, and I don’t let anybody tell me how to run my department. Now, this stepdaughter of yours who’s supposed to be in New York. Did you ship her out of the city just to avoid having her questioned?”
“What a preposterous ideal She’s been planning the trip for months.”
“I think I want to talk to her,” grated Painter. “Where can she be reached by telephone?”
“I have no idea.”
“Nonsense. You must have.”
“But I don’t. She’s visiting various friends and I don’t know where she is tonight.”
“Can’t you call some of the friends and find out?” put in Shayne, taking a sadistic pleasure in watching the householder squirm.
“Just what I was going to suggest. Either arrange to contact her at once or I’ll put a call through to New York to have her located and brought back here immediately.”
“On what grounds? I simply don’t understand…”
“There are a lot of things you don’t understand about police work, Henderson,” Painter told him witheringly. “On the grounds that she is an important witness in a homicide and is suspected of fleeing to avoid questioning.”
“But how can she be a witness to something that happened in Miami Beach tonight?”
“A killing that must have roots in your own life. You can’t expect me to believe that a complete stranger just wandered up here to your front door by the purest chance… armed with an automatic pistol which he drew the moment you opened the door. If this was the third attempt on your life, it’s self-evident that you do have an enemy
