Chief Weston took a pair of handcuffs from one of the uniformed cops
and held them up in front of Edward Hazlett Wood's eyes. "Coming
quietly, Wood, or must I weld them on you?"
* * * * *
Stunned, knowing that any move he made I would block, the murderer
turned to go.
I was going to have quite an interesting intellectual problem to solve.
I was going to have to testify that I was clever enough to trap an
extra-sensory criminal without displaying my own extra-sensory talent.
It wasn't just a matter of putting a possible ending to my official
usefulness to the forces of law and order if the facts became known.
One word of suspicion against Captain Howard Schnell and some clever
defense attorney would raise a wholly reasonable doubt as to which
Psi-man opened that vault door.
And being sworn to uphold the law, and enforce the law within the
framework of the law itself, I'd have to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God!
But, according to the same sensible law, not unless I was specifically
asked.
And to answer Edward Hazlett Wood's question: The perfect answer to
the perfect crime committed by the perfect criminal is _a perfect
retribution_.