Part 6 (2/2)

”Maybe I'll have time for a treath the boy's light-brown hair ”You don't need one Your hair is healthy, and not especially dry I wouldn't give you a treatment you don't need”

”Have it your way,” Rick said The barber was either too lazy or too honest for his own good In all probability theRick couldn't do for hiood view of the elevators through the barbershop s

Rick watched people co, and speculated for his own aht be, and their business in the building

Speculation was idle, of course Take Toe, would suspect that he was a federal agent engaged in guarding a hush-hush project on the fourth floor Or Dr Marks Who would suspect that he carried a vital secret? Or,on one?

As the barber was brushi+ng Rick off, the boy saw his father step out of the elevator, stop, and look around He saw the elevator operator step from the car, look into the barbershop, and wink Rick almost winked back, then he realized that the operator inking at the barber and not at him

The scientist saw Rick at almost the same moment and walked into the barbershop ”Julius will be busy for another half hour,” he said ”I think I'll follow your example, Rick” He climbed into the chair Rick had just vacated

Scotty was through, too The boys took seats and busied theazines

Hartson Brant's hair had needed only tri, so he was finished in a short time The barber shook out his cloth, then put it back on for the finishi+ng touches Rick glanced up as the barber spoke

”Your hair's pretty dry, sir, and I have an excellent treative you one It would make your hair look better, and h Rick as though someone had turned on an electric current The tension had no focus It was just that so deep within hiazine

”Dad,” he said hastily, ”I just saw Julius go through the lobby”

”Where did he go?” Hartson Brant deh the front door,” Rick said ”Better hurry

I'll try to catch him”

Outside the barbershop he stopped, to let Scotty catch up with hih the front door?” Scotty deet Dad out of there in a hurry”

”But why?”

”I don't know,” Rick said slowly ”For some reason, I just didn't want him to have that dry-hair treatment!”

CHAPTER V

JANIG Runs a Security Check

There wasn't much evidence on which to base his reaction, Rick admitted But when he reacted, he just reacted and that's all there was to it Call it a hunch, or call it nonsense That's hoas, and he couldn't change it

The barber had practically refused him a dry-hair treatment--and his hair was rather dry The same barber had tried to sell a treatment to Hartson Brant--whose hair was not dry at all And the elevator boy who had carried the scientist down from the fourth floor had winked at the barber

Even ad, it bothered him He had asked Tom Dodd how much JANIG knew about the barber