when they leave.”
“That’s what we’ll do, then,” Parker said. He looked around. “Is there any building overlooking this that we could get into without any static?”
Devers considered, and then pointed to a building off to the left, the second rank in from the fence. “There’s some kind of technical library in there,” he said. “You could hang around in there without anybody paying any attention, as long as you kept a book in your hand.”
“Good. All right, let’s go back.” They started walking, and Parker said, “Does that number one bus make a belt? If we get on it, can we go completely around and come back where we started?”
“Sure,” said Devers. “They’re all belts.”
“I want to look at the base,” Parker said.
They walked back to the bus stop where they’d gotten off, and when the next bus came along in the same direction they boarded it and sat as before. Devers kept up a low-voiced running description as they went, with Parker asking an occasional question.
It took twenty minutes to get back to the main gate. They got off the bus there and Devers said, “Anything else you want to see?”
“Not today. Let’s go back and talk.”
“Fine.”
They went through the gate without trouble, and there was a civilian bus waiting out by the road. They climbed aboard and a few minutes later the bus started for town.
8
Ellen Fusco met them at the door, furious and showing it. “You know my session’s at one o’clock,” she told Devers.
“I forgot,” he said. “Sorry, sweetheart, I was thinking about other things. Here’s the keys.”
She took them without comment. “Pam’s in the yard,” she said, and went out to the car.
The three men went into the house and Devers shut the door, saying to Fusco, “If that ex-wife of yours doesn’t come off it pretty soon, I’ll be trading places with you.”
“Ellen wouldn’t take me back,” Fusco said. “Even if I wanted,” he added, and headed for the kitchen. “I need something to eat. Parker?”
“Coffee.”
“There should be hamburger,” Devers said. “Why don’t you make us all some?”
“Coming up,” Fusco said, and went on out to the kitchen. A minute later he was moving around out there with an apron on.
Devers said to Parker, “You’ve got more questions.”
“A few now. I’ll have more later, when I’ve thought about it a little more.”
“Naturally.”
“Sit down,” Parker said, and himself went to the chair he’d been sitting in the last time. When Devers was settled on the sofa, Parker said, “The building next door to the finance office, facing the barred windows on the side. What’s in there?”
“Legal department,” Devers said. “They’ve got the entire building and they work eight to five.”
“Can you get me a map of the base?”
“Sure. There’s one they give the new boys when they arrive, it’s only got a few things listed on it, like the Post Office and Supply Building, but we can fill in whatever else we need.”
“Good. Do you have a Polaroid?”
“A camera?”
“A Polaroid,” Parker insisted. “We don’t want any drugstore developing our prints.”
“I don’t have one myself,” Devers said, “but I know a couple guys on base who do. I can borrow one for a day or two.”
“Good. I’ll want pictures of the finance building, every side. And the offices inside, if you can manage it.”
“That could be tricky,” Devers said.
“Don’t do it if it’ll blow things.”
“I’ll see what I can work out. Anything else?”
“Probably. I’ll let you know.”
Fusco came walking in with three cups of coffee on a tray, distributed them, said to Devers, “If I was you, I’d quit paying for that analyst of hers. All she does is make you babysit while she’s at the sessions.”
Devers shrugged, saying, “What the hell. She’s nervous about this, that’s all. She was married to you when you got yourself caught. She doesn’t want to see the same thing happen to me.”
“Maybe you ought to be her analyst,” Fusco said. “I’ll bring the burgers in in a minute.”
“Take a look at the kid, will you?” Devers asked him.
