Part 27 (1/2)
”Good afternoon, Senator.”
Crane whirled. ”Brent Taber!” He threw a quick scowl at Callahan and was on the verge of accusing the Irishman of high treason, but he said, ”All right. I'm glad you're here, Taber. We might as well get this thing into the open. Are you going to take me to room ten twenty-six or do I have to take steps to force your co-operation?”
Taber stared morosely at Crane's nose. ”Why, Senator, where did you get the idea my department wouldn't help a member of Congress to the utmost?”
”None of your sarcasm. Let's go upstairs.”
”All right, Callahan. Let's go upstairs.”
They got off on ten and walked down the corridor. ”Ten twenty-eight, you said?”
”You know d.a.m.ned well what I said.”
Taber opened the door. He stood aside. Crane walked in and stopped dead.
He again whirled on Crane.
”It's empty.”
”That's right. I could have told you downstairs but you wouldn't have believed me. What were you looking for? New quarters?”
”Taber, I'll break you for this! If you think you can thwart the will of the United States Senate--”
”You've been doing a pretty good job of breaking already.”
”I haven't even begun!”
”That still doesn't tell me what you thought you'd find.”
”Quit being cute. This time yesterday there were cadavers in here. This was a laboratory!”
Brent looked wearily at his watch. ”You're wrong, Senator. This place was vacated exactly an hour and fifteen minutes after your stooge used his court order to locate the cadavers.”
”Then you admit you defied a court order--”
”Oh, come off of it. The court order said nothing about leaving things as they were. But that's not important. The important thing is that you give me some understanding and sympathy.”
This obviously astounded Crane. ”From you? That from the c.o.c.ky, self-sufficient Brent Taber? That's a little different tune from the one you sang in your office, not too long ago.”
”All right. I'll concede that. Let's say you've got me licked. I'll admit I should have reacted a little less arrogantly. My nerves were shot. I'd been up late too often. Now I'm ready to be reasonable.”
Crane was scowling. ”This isn't like you, Taber--not like you at all.
I'm suspicious. Why are you suddenly so agreeable?”
”Because I believe the nation--the world--is in great danger. I think we should all realize that danger and work together.”
”Then why have you been fighting me?”
”Because I honestly felt it was the best thing to do. I've changed my mind. I'm willing to tell you the whole story.”