Part 12 (1/2)

”You know anything we discuss never goes farther than this office All right, Rick Jerry will get the dope Hop to it, hawkeye Duty calls”

Jerry waved his arms drao, after the story of the year!” He swept through the door, then ot rabbed them, and vanished

Duke waved the boys to chairs ”It will take a little while Get comfortable I have to finish this copy”

Rick and Scotty waited as patiently as possible Scotty, the more relaxed of the pair, borrowed a copy of a style manual and studied it with apparent interest Rick watched him, envious as always of his pal's ability to let ti, or other impatient actions

Duke's analysis of the situation was pretty good, Rick thought, and it was based on very little real information He supposed that an editor had more experience to draw on than ents It wasn't hard to see how a few inforent's head

Jerry was back in a short ti He produced his sheaf of copy paper with a flourish and pounded on a desk for attention The gesture wasn't necessary Rick, Scotty, and Duke aiting eagerly

”Louis Collins, Journeyinally froton, DC Twenty-five years experience Inventor of the Collins treatment for dry hair, which is the o, while working at a hotel in Washi+ngton Ca near the shore He's an ardent fisherman Saw Vince Lardner's ad in _The New York Tio and applied at once by phone”

”What day and what time?” Rick asked quickly

”Monday He called about noon”

Scotty asked curiously, ”How did you get that infor to it I told Vince I'd like to look up his ad in the _Tied Whiteside as an excellent cliet in his application ahead of all the other applicants, and he said he hadn't even seen the _Tiht away Vince nodded, so I guess the time worked out as Collins said it had Vince said the ad had been running for a week, and no one else had applied”

Rick had been calculating ”Scotty, that ton” He stopped quickly

Duke Barrows rubbed his hands in fiendish glee ”Ahah! Giving away inforton No wonder you're worried about him Jerry, I'll bet we can sell this inforrinned ”Not unless you have the plans for the death ray Only death rays bringso a spy can't even sell atom bomb secrets for ht,” Duke ad else you need?”

”Middle initial or na else?” Jerry asked with a superior air

”That does it” Rick consulted his watch ”Let's go, Scotty Tioing to get paid in steak and pie See you later”

At the home of Barby's friend there was another hile Rick chafed He was anxious to get home and phone Steve Ames However, as it developed, Steve couldn't be reached It was after dinner before Rick ave Steve the information Jerry had collected, then asked, ”Isn't this proof of so?”

Steve chuckled ”It's proof that Whiteside has a new barber That's all But it's certainly strongly presu before you called, and we're continuing the check on him Meanwhile, I'll alert my boys at Spindrift and tell them to keep on their toes”

”I'll pass the word,” Rick offered

”No need I' forat Newark by train at six to

Tom Dodd is with him Can you pick them up?”

”Sure How?”