Part 25 (2/2)

At a quarter to three, Malone gave up. The search wasn't quite finished, but he'd heard enough to last him for a long time. He grabbed a cab downstairs and went over to Lynch's office to meet Kettleman.

The ”social worker or something” was a large, balding man about six feet tall. Malone estimated his weight as close to two hundred and fifty pounds, and he looked every pound of it; his face was round without being chubby, and his body was stocky and hard. He wore black-rimmed gla.s.ses, and he was going bald in front. His face was like a mask; it was held in a gentle, almost eager expression that Malone would have sworn had nothing to do with the way Kettleman felt underneath.

Lynch performed the introductions, escorted the two of them to one of the interrogation rooms at the rear of the station, and left them there, with, ”If either of you guys comes up with anything, let me know,” for a parting shot.

Kettleman blinked slowly behind his gla.s.ses. ”Mr. Malone,” he said, ”I understand that the FBI is interested in one of the--ah--adolescent social groups with which I work.”

”Well, the Silent Spooks,” Malone said. ”That's right.”

”The Spooks,” Kettleman said. His voice was rather higher than Malone would have expected, oddly breathy without much depth to it. ”My, yes.

I did want to talk to somebody about it, and I thought you might be the man.”

”I'll be interested in anything you have to say,” Malone said diplomatically. He was beginning to doubt whether he'd get any real information out of Kettleman. But it was impossible to tell. He sat back in a hard wooden chair and tried to look fascinated.

”Well,” Kettleman said tentatively, ”the boys themselves have sort of a word for it. They'd say that there was something oddball about the Spooks. Do you understand? Not just the fact that they never drink liquor, but--”

”Something strange,” Malone said. ”Is that what you mean?”

”Ah,” Kettleman said. ”_Strange._ Of course.” He acted, Malone thought, as if he had never heard the word before, and was both pleased and startled by its sound. ”Perhaps I had better explain my position a little more clearly,” he said. ”That will give you an idea of just where I 'fit into' this picture.”

”Whatever you think best,” Malone said, resigning himself to a very dull hour. He tried to picture Kettleman in the midst of a gang of juvenile delinquents. It was very hard to do.

”I'm a social worker,” Kettleman said, ”working on an individual basis with these--social groups that the adolescents have formed. It's my job to make friends with them, become accepted by them, and try to turn their hostile impulses toward society into more useful, more acceptable channels.”

”I see,” Malone said, feeling that something was expected of him.

”That's fine.”

”Oh, we don't expect praise, we social workers,” Kettleman said instantly. ”The worth of a good job well done, that's enough for us.”

He smiled. The effect was a little unsettling, as if a hippopotamus had begun to laugh like a hyena. ”But to continue, Mr. Malone,” he said.

”Of course,” Malone said. ”Certainly.”

”I've worked with many of the organizations in this neighborhood,”

Kettleman said. ”And I've been quite successful in getting to know them, and in being accepted by them. Of course, the major part of my job is more difficult, but--well, I'm sure that's enough about my own background. That isn't what you're interested in, now, is it?”

He looked penitent. Malone said, ”It's all right. I don't mind.” He s.h.i.+fted positions on the hard chair.

”Well, then,” Kettleman said, with the air of a man suddenly getting down to business. He leaned forward eagerly, his eyes big and bright behind the lenses. ”There's something very peculiar about those boys,”

he said in a whisper.

”Really?” Malone said.

”Very peculiar indeed,” Kettleman said. ”My, yes. All of the other social groups are afraid of them.”

”Big, huh?” Malone said. ”Big strong boys who--”

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