museum got the money for you this morning and went with you to get the medal?”
“Si.”
“Who went with you besides Mr. Throckly?”
“I don’t know their names.”
Hanrahan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “Mr. Montenez, you may be telling the truth, but I’ve got to make sure.” And to Petrella, “We’ll hold Mr. Montenez as a material witness and for possessionof stolen goods—”
Joe Pearl came in. “Mr. Throckly from the museum is here, Mac. He’s in my office.”
“Good, I want to see him. Excuse me.” Hanrahan and Pearl left as Montenez was led away for booking.
“Captain Hanrahan,” Throckly said. He stood and enthusiastically extended his hand. “What wonderful news. The Harsa is here, safe?”
“That’s right, Mr. Throckly. No thanks, I might say, to you and your colleagues. Who was with you on your little junket to the Montenez apartment?”
Throckly hesitated.
“Who, Mr. Throckly?”
“Miss Prentwhistle and Ford Saunders.”
“And nobody called the police.”
“Please, Captain Hanrahan, try to understand—”
“I
do
, Mr. Throckly. Believe me, I
understand
…” He shook his head in disgust.
Throckly sighed and pressed his lips together. “Could I see the medal, Captain?”
“It’s on its way to the lab.”
“Lab?”
“Examination, prints.”
“When can we have it back?”
“When this case is solved.”
“But we must have it back sooner than that. The exhibition is built around it—”
“Forget it.”
“Can I at least see it?”
“Maybe in a few days.”
“That’s crucial, Captain. We must ascertain whether it’s the authentic Harsa—”
“It had
better
be, Mr. Throckly, or we’re all going to look like asses. I’d like to speak with Miss Prentwhistle and Mr. Saunders.”
“Oh? When?”
“This afternoon. Please arrange for the three of you to be at the museum at three o’clock.”
***
By one that afternoon MPD was crawling with press. Radio and television were reporting a major break in the case and had even identified poor Carlos Montenez as a prime suspect in the Tunney murder case.
***
Hanrahan and Joe Pearl interviewed Prentwhistle, Saunders and Throckly at three. Their stories were the same. They all agreed they’d made a foolish mistake in judgment because of the excitement over the chance to recover the Harsa and, as Chloe said, “having a chance to clean our own house.”
“I think they’re telling the truth, Mac,” Pearl said as they drove back to headquarters.
“You’re probably right, Joe,” Hanrahan said. “Damn it.”
At four that afternoon Calvin Johnson came into Hanrahan’s office. “The judge denied Montenez’s bail,” he said.
“Why?”
“The material witness aspect. I think it was right. I’d hate to lose Montenez too soon—”
“He didn’t kill Tunney. I don’t think he even stole anything. He’s just a poor—”
“It’s good to have
any
suspect around, at least for a few days. Takes some of the pressure off, and it won’t kill him. He correctly read Hanrahan’s expression. “It’ll take pressure off you, too, Mac.”
“What else can I do for you, Cal?”
“Two things. First, I just got off the phone with Vice President Oxenhauer. He wants the Harsa returned to the museum so that it can be placed on display again.”
“Impossible, we can’t pick—”
“Nothing’s impossible when the vice president requests it. The Fourth of July is coming up and Oxenhauer wants things back to normal at the Smithsonian. Once the lab has gone over it I don’t see anything wrong with giving it back. It’s probably safer there than it would be here. Make sure they beef up security, that’s all. It’ll look good for us, Mac. We’ve gotten it back, and the place will be crawling with people wanting to see it. By the way, what are you doing for dinner tonight? Julia is preparing something special, we thought you’d like a home-cooked meal.”
“What do you think I eat
“Si.”
“Who went with you besides Mr. Throckly?”
“I don’t know their names.”
Hanrahan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “Mr. Montenez, you may be telling the truth, but I’ve got to make sure.” And to Petrella, “We’ll hold Mr. Montenez as a material witness and for possessionof stolen goods—”
Joe Pearl came in. “Mr. Throckly from the museum is here, Mac. He’s in my office.”
“Good, I want to see him. Excuse me.” Hanrahan and Pearl left as Montenez was led away for booking.
“Captain Hanrahan,” Throckly said. He stood and enthusiastically extended his hand. “What wonderful news. The Harsa is here, safe?”
“That’s right, Mr. Throckly. No thanks, I might say, to you and your colleagues. Who was with you on your little junket to the Montenez apartment?”
Throckly hesitated.
“Who, Mr. Throckly?”
“Miss Prentwhistle and Ford Saunders.”
“And nobody called the police.”
“Please, Captain Hanrahan, try to understand—”
“I
do
, Mr. Throckly. Believe me, I
understand
…” He shook his head in disgust.
Throckly sighed and pressed his lips together. “Could I see the medal, Captain?”
“It’s on its way to the lab.”
“Lab?”
“Examination, prints.”
“When can we have it back?”
“When this case is solved.”
“But we must have it back sooner than that. The exhibition is built around it—”
“Forget it.”
“Can I at least see it?”
“Maybe in a few days.”
“That’s crucial, Captain. We must ascertain whether it’s the authentic Harsa—”
“It had
better
be, Mr. Throckly, or we’re all going to look like asses. I’d like to speak with Miss Prentwhistle and Mr. Saunders.”
“Oh? When?”
“This afternoon. Please arrange for the three of you to be at the museum at three o’clock.”
***
By one that afternoon MPD was crawling with press. Radio and television were reporting a major break in the case and had even identified poor Carlos Montenez as a prime suspect in the Tunney murder case.
***
Hanrahan and Joe Pearl interviewed Prentwhistle, Saunders and Throckly at three. Their stories were the same. They all agreed they’d made a foolish mistake in judgment because of the excitement over the chance to recover the Harsa and, as Chloe said, “having a chance to clean our own house.”
“I think they’re telling the truth, Mac,” Pearl said as they drove back to headquarters.
“You’re probably right, Joe,” Hanrahan said. “Damn it.”
At four that afternoon Calvin Johnson came into Hanrahan’s office. “The judge denied Montenez’s bail,” he said.
“Why?”
“The material witness aspect. I think it was right. I’d hate to lose Montenez too soon—”
“He didn’t kill Tunney. I don’t think he even stole anything. He’s just a poor—”
“It’s good to have
any
suspect around, at least for a few days. Takes some of the pressure off, and it won’t kill him. He correctly read Hanrahan’s expression. “It’ll take pressure off you, too, Mac.”
“What else can I do for you, Cal?”
“Two things. First, I just got off the phone with Vice President Oxenhauer. He wants the Harsa returned to the museum so that it can be placed on display again.”
“Impossible, we can’t pick—”
“Nothing’s impossible when the vice president requests it. The Fourth of July is coming up and Oxenhauer wants things back to normal at the Smithsonian. Once the lab has gone over it I don’t see anything wrong with giving it back. It’s probably safer there than it would be here. Make sure they beef up security, that’s all. It’ll look good for us, Mac. We’ve gotten it back, and the place will be crawling with people wanting to see it. By the way, what are you doing for dinner tonight? Julia is preparing something special, we thought you’d like a home-cooked meal.”
“What do you think I eat
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