The Green Hornet Annual #[nn]

Synopsis

Police Commissioner Hamilton's latest meeting with D.A. Reid and Mayor-by-succession Aguilar to discuss the Green Hornet does not go well for him, but not due to Diana running interference for her cousin; rather, Aguilar demonstrates a limited competence at her new job. Consequently, he decides to cut them both "out of the loop" of his plans. Still wondering about Johnny Dollar's claim that Paul Reid is the Hornet, Hamilton orders a 24-hour watch on the pianist, but soon has it dropped as a dead end. He also gathers information about the masked man's interests by making deals with various hoods (light sentences, immunity [by definition, the district attorney's office must be in on these negotiations, but somehow the commissioner keeps Diana in the dark]). Hamilton focuses on an alleged drug supplier named Anthony Curare, who admits that the Green Hornet barged into his office and demanded a percentage of his profits, but denies having any idea why. Assuming that his target knows more about Curare than the police do, Hamilton has undercover narcs present themselves to Curare's associates as "out-of-town-buyers," with success. The location for the deal, Curare's own metalworks facility, is thoroughly staked out, and predictably, the Hornet crashes the proceedings to demand his cut. Police move in to arrest everybody, but Kato disrupts the "bust" with a forklift. Hamilton watches in amazement as the Hornet saves a policewoman from falling into a vat of molten metal at the risk of his own safety (both physical and legal). His forces are unable to prevent the departure of the Black Beauty. Diana informs Hayashi that she isn't pregnant after all. He proposes and she accepts.