Part 3 (1/2)
”Right,” Agent Carter replied ”There are four reservations waiting for us at La Guardia”
”Wouldn't you know!” Agent Hickson groaned and shook his head sadly
”Wouldn't you knoas nuts to think I could mix pleasure with business!”
CHAPTER THREE
_Silent Lips_
”Well, I guess this is the parting of the ways, Captain,” Agent Carter of the FBI said as the taxicab rolled to a stop on front of a War Departton ”Hickson and I will keep the cab for the ride over to the Bureau Sorry we all ether, but there'll come another day, I hope Best of luck, you two
It's been nice knowing you”
”Sa, the other way around, sir,” Dawson said as he shook hands and climbed out of the cab ”And thanks for the protection--or whatever it was supposed to be”
Agent Carter laughed and raised a protesting hand
”Now let's not go into that again!” he said ”The answer is still that I don't know Maybe Colonel Welsh will tell you We can't, because we simply don't know What's theup after sticking his head back in through the cab door opening He shrugged and grinned
”Just looking to see if you had your fingers crossed, sir, while you said that,” he replied ”But I see you didn't, and so that's that Well, cheerio, and good hunting, and all that sort of thing Sorry I didn't speak to you sooner”
”That's the kind of tough break we get in our kind of job,” Agent Carter said, and ain”
”And let's hope that'll be soon!” Dawson called out as the cab rolled away
The two air aces stood on the curb until the taxi turned the corner toward Pennsylvania Avenue and was lost to view Then they impulsively turned and looked at each other
”Swell fellows, those two,” Dawson said ”Wish we could have had ether I've alanted to ask a real honest-to-goodness FBI man a few questions”
”Then those till never kno lucky they are,” Freddy Far of questions--”
”Check, and double-check!” Dawson echoed, and started across the sidewalk to the”The sooner we ask theoing on”
The door guard stopped them and requested identification papers They co their leave papers and the wire frouard referred to a book on his table desk, and nodded
”Third floor, Captain,” he said, and gave the pass that had to be turned in when they left ”Room Three Twenty-Nine”
The two youths nodded, returned the guard's salute, and headed for the stairway The door of Room 329 was just like all the other doors on that floor except that it had ”Colonel Welsh, Private” painted on the glass
Dawson rapped his knuckles on the glass, and immediately received the summons to enter Colonel Welsh, Chief of U S Are desk that seemed to take up most of the office He was practically hidden behind a mass of papers, bound reports, and such, piled up all over the desk top
He glanced up, smiled, pushed back his chair, and rose to coton again, you two,” he said, and shook hands ”A nice flight down?”
”Fine, sir,” Dawson replied ”We had a couple of swell air coe of the FBI now, Colonel?”
”FBI? Me?” Colonel Welsh echoed ”Hardly! Not as long as J Edgar Hoover continues to run it so perfectly But what do you mean?”