Groff beckoned him to one side. "What happened?" he asked.
"Shot for looting," the captain said brusquely. "He was in a roped-off prohibited area. He didn't halt. The kid was absolutely right."
"Kid?" asked Groff. The captain had told him more than he had intended to, and realized it now. "Somebody panicked?"
"Who are you, mister?" the captain asked.
"Not a reporter. I've got a factory in Brooklyn. I knew the man."
"Close friend?"
"Hated his guts."
The captain was shocked and reacted with the truth. "As a matter of fact," he said in a low voice, "maybe it shouldn't have happened. But we're legally in the clear. Was he important?"
"Very. But I don't think you'll find anybody who'll press an investigation."
The captain took a deep, relieved drag on his cigarette and flipped it away. "What about his wife?" he asked. "Is she going to keep this stuff up?"