Chapter 3

When the woman answered the door Moses asked, "Mrs. Hopkins? Mrs. Hazel Hopkins?"

"Yes. And who might you be?"

"I'm detective Lipschitz and this is detective Scott. We're here to speak to you about your discovery this morning and we would like to speak to your daughter also, please."

"I'll be glad to speak with you about this morning but my daughter doesn't live here."

"Where can we find her?"

"She has moved out of the state."

"We need her address, please"

"I'm not at liberty to provide you with that information."

"Mrs. Hopkins we can get a judge to order you to give us the information or face a contempt charge. We don't want to do that and I'm sure that you don't want us to."

"You think that scares me. Shortly after the man who raped my daughter got out of prison she started receiving threating phone calls. Threats of a sexual nature. We reported it to the police and were told there was nothing they could do since there was no proof that it was him. The calls were being made from public phone booths. They did arrange for a tap on our phone but it came to nothing. It was then my daughter fled and I'm not telling you where."

"Yes ma'am I understand your feelings but part of the reason we are here is to tell you that Kenneth Kane is dead. He was killed last night."

"Well hot damn. There is a God after all. Tell you what I will do. If you show me a death certificate I'll contact my daughter and if she is willing to talk to you I'll give you the information you need."

"We are just trying to remove her as a suspect."

"Yes. I suppose we are all suspects.

"Well, what did you want to know about this morning? It gave me a shock to walk out on my porch and see that bag full of male organs I can tell you."

"Yes, I suppose it would. Do you have any idea how it got on your porch? Did you hear anything out there? Like something being thrown against the house or a car driving away. Anything at all?"

"No. I was out until about 10:00 last night. When I got home and got undressed I went immediately to bed. My bedroom is on the back of the house. I don't even hear the paperboy throwing the paper against the door."

"Did you see anything on the porch when you came home?"

"Detective Lipschitz you can see that the drive goes to the back of the house. There is a door back there that enters into the family room which is next to the kitchen. We hardly ever use the front door other than for the paper and the mail and of course to admit police detectives. The back door is more convenient."

"Where were you last night?"

"At my sisters home in Hanover Heights. We have dinner at one another's homes once or twice a month and last night was at her house. You will want her address I suppose."

"Yes we will. What time did you leave her house to return home?"

"Around 9:30 maybe a little later. I didn't check my watch because I didn't know I would need an alibi."

"O.K. Now as to the bag you found this morning. We have every reason to believe that the body parts in the bag once belonged to Kenneth Kane."

"Do what! Somebody cut his balls off and his dick. Damn I wish I had thought of that. If I had know they were his I would have kept them and had them mounted. Can I have them when you are finished your tests?"

"I'm afraid not Mrs Hopkins. They are evidence in a murder investigation and while I don't know the law in such matters I'm guessing that they will be buried with the rest of the body.

"Where are your husband and son Mrs. Hopkins?"

"Henry died in an accident not too long after Helen's rape. I'll always blame it on his being blinded by rage over what happened to Helen. He had started drinking heavily. My son and his wife and children live over on Grove. I can give you the address."

"Thank you Mrs. Hopkins we appreciate your help. One of us will come by with a copy of the death certificate. Good bye ma'am."

"Good bye detectives. I'm glad to have been of some help. And thank you for the good news. Who said beware of Jews bearing gifts. Oh, you know what I mean."

"That is one good looking woman. Did you see the rack on her. I'll be happy to bring the death certificate for her."

"Yea Chip I saw you giving her the once over If your eyes had been lasers you would have burned her tits right off. Chip pussy is going to kill you yet."

"Yea, but what a way to die. She didn't seem to notice."

"Oh, she noticed. You can be sure of that. You were so interested in what you could peek at you didn't pay attention to her paying attention to you."

"Anyway, a sister is not a great alibi but maybe it will check out. And we need to see the son. He surely had motive. Let's go to the office and see what Jap's been able to find out."