Part 42 (1/2)

”But--”

”To the Commissioner,” Lynch said, ”and to n.o.body else. If this gets into the papers, heads will roll.”

”My head is rolling right now,” the local man said. ”Know what one of those kids did? Stood in front of a floor lamp. I swung at him and he vanished. Vanished! I hit the lamp, and then the lamp hit me.”

”Just see that this doesn't get out,” Lynch said.

”It can't,” the local man said. ”Anybody who mentioned this to a reporter would just be laughed out of town. It's not possible.” He paused thoughtfully, and added, ”We'd all be laughed out of town.”

”And probably replaced with the FBI,” Lynch said morosely. He looked at Malone. ”Nothing personal, you understand,” he said.

”Of course,” Malone said. ”We can't do any more here, can we?”

”I don't think we can do any more anywhere,” Lynch said. ”Let's lock the place up and leave and forget all about it.”

”Fine,” Malone said. ”I've got work to do.” He looked around, found Dorothea and signaled to her. ”Come on, Dorothea. Where's Boyd?”

”Here I am,” Boyd said, walking slowly across the big room to Malone.

He had one hand held to his chin.

”What's the matter with you?” Malone asked.

Boyd took his hand away. There was a bald spot the size of a quarter on the point of his chin. ”One of those kids,” he said sadly, ”has a h.e.l.l of a strong grip. Come on, Miss Fueyo. Come on, Malone. Let's get out of here.”

13

”Logically,” Malone said, ”there has to be _some_ way to catch them.”

He looked around the hotel room as though he expected to find an answer painted in big black letters on the wall. ”Logically,” he said again, and tried to think of what came next. He liked the sound of the word, but that was as far as it went.

”That's fine,” Boyd said. He sat on a chair, staring gloomily at the floor and rubbing the bald spot on his chin with a single, sad, inquisitive forefinger. ”There has to be an answer. You're probably right. But what the h.e.l.l is it?”

Malone started to answer, and then wondered what he had been going to say. He sunk himself in thought. There was a knock at the door. ”Who's there?” he called, glad of any relief at all.

”It's me,” a small voice said. ”Dorothea.”

”Come in,” Malone said.

The door opened. Dorothea came in, shut the door behind her, and looked around the room a little awkwardly.

”Did you get a good night's sleep?” Malone said.

She nodded. ”I guess so,” she said. ”Sure. It was nice of you to get me a room for the night. I mean, I guess I was--well...”

”Forget it,” Malone said grandly. ”You were upset and tired, that's all. h.e.l.l, in the car on the way back here last night, you fainted.”

”I did not faint,” she said.

”Well,” Malone said, ”you sure looked like--”

”I was tired,” Dorothea said.