“And how long do you imagine it’ll be before the police get on to you?”
Johnny laughed.
“Be your age! What’s the use of having a political boss as a future brother-in-law if one can’t knock off a dirty bitch when she needs killing? I’ve made it easy for you. There was a guy with her when I killed her. He can take the rap. It’ll be easy for you to shift the rap on to him. You’ve got the Commissioner in your pocket, haven’t you? He’ll do what you tell him.”
“You’re taking a lot for granted,” O’Brien said quietly. “Suppose I do nothing of the kind?”
“But you will,” Johnny said easily. “You can’t afford to let the cops catch me, Sean. I know just how besotted you are about Gilda. I’m not blaming you: she’s a sexy piece, and any guy in his right senses would want to marry her. But if the police catch me, you won’t dare marry her. I know just how much you’ve been avoiding the limelight ever since you took control of the Administration. You don’t fool me, Sean. You have something to bide, and publicity is just the thing you don’t want.”
O’Brien studied him, his face expressionless. A cold, murderous rage had hold of him, but he didn’t show it.
“I wonder if you did kill her,” he said slowly.
Johnny laughed.
“You needn’t believe me if you don’t want to,” he said indifferently. “It was easy. She had a rotten memory and was always locking herself out. The little fool used to keep a spare key under the mat. I went to her place, found the key and let If in. I hid in the bedroom. She came back with this guy.” His thin face hardened. “I had the ice-pick ready. She was so scared she didn’t even scream. I wish you could have seen her face. She had taken off her clothes and was admiring herself in the mirror. I came up behind her. She saw me in the mirror and turned. I didn’t think a human face could look so frightened. I stabbed her. There was nothing to it. She fell across the bed, looking up at me. The guy in the other room shouted out, asking her how long she was going to be. So I fused the lights and beat it. It was as easy as that, Sean.”
“Did anyone see you leave the apartment?” O’Brien asked.