Invitation to Violence by Lionel White Page A

her.
        "Yes," he said, "about last night. You were off. What was it, kid? Vince? Was it about Vince?"
        She felt herself go pale. How did he know? Why did he go at once to Vince. Of course he would have read about the robbery, would have learned about Jake, whom he knew. But why did he bring Vince into it?
        He was quick to see the way her mind was working.
        "I know all about it, kid," he said. "You know I have connections. So the law is looking for your brother. Well, you have to expect that. I guess you know what happened. Know about Dommie and Jake Riddle. The police figure Vince was a pal of theirs and that he might have been mixed up in the thing. I guess you can't blame them for thinking that, can you?"
        She stared at him and nodded dumbly.
        "Where is Vince?" he said.
        She dropped her eyes and slowly shook her head.
        "I only wish I knew, Mr. Slaughter," she said. "He left the house on Friday night, around ten o'clock. Said he was going to a movie. And he hasn't been back since."
        Slaughter looked at her closely.
        "And you haven't seen him? Haven't heard from him?"
        "No."
        "Have the police been around?"
        Sue nodded.
        "Yes," she said. "They've been around. That's where I was last night. All night. They questioned me until…"
        "What did you tell them?"
        She looked up at him, startled by the suddenness of the question and the hard, cold note in his voice.
        "Tell them?"
        "Yeah. That's what I said. What did you tell them. Come on…"
        "Why I didn't tell them anything," Sue said. "What could I tell them? He didn't come home; I don't know where he is and…"
        "I know, I know," Slaughter interrupted her hurriedly. "Of course you don't know. Who the hell does? But I mean, what did you tell them? You know. They must have asked you other things. Like who he hangs around with, who he knows. Things like that."
        "Yes, of course," Sue said. "They asked. And I told them everything I knew. I told them that he knew Dominick Petri and Jake Riddle. What else could I tell them?"
        Slaughter looked angry and Sue vaguely sensed his mood and was puzzled. Why should he be angry?
        "About the cafeteria," he said. "And me. Did they ask about me?"
        Sue looked at him, perplexed.
        "Why should they?" Sue said. "Why should they ask about you? It wasn't me that they were investigating…"
        "Listen," he said, "they know the kid worked here for a time. They know I took an interest in him."
        "Did you?" Sue asked.
        "Of course I did," Slaughter said, suddenly dropping his voice back to normal. "Remember? I said I'd square things with the parole board when he got fired so that they wouldn't know about it. Remember. Certainly I took an interest."
        Sue slowly nodded in agreement. She couldn't help but wonder why he was taking such an interest now. It was impossible that he could think any trouble Vince was in could hurt him in any way.
        "Listen Sue," Slaughter said, standing up and walking around the desk and looking down at her. "Listen, Vince is a good kid. Don't you worry yourself about Vince. But we got to find him. See? We gotta find out where he is."
        Sue looked up at him and slowly shook her head.
        "He isn't a good kid, Mr. Slaughter," she said. "No, Vincent isn't a good kid at all."
        "Don't talk like that," Slaughter said. "He's just a boy. Maybe a little wild, but just a kid. Don't forget, he's your own brother. Twin brother, isn't it?"
        Sue nodded and dropped her eyes.
        "Yes," she said, "twin brother."
        "Well, listen, we just got to find him. You gotta help me. We gotta get hold of Vince."
        Sue pushed back the chair and reached her feet.
        "And then what?" she asked, slowly.
        "Then, why then we get hold of the…"
        Suddenly he stopped talking