'I haven't got it.'
'A technicality. You can get it. Any man who's done as much time as you have in a place like Sandstone knows how to get money.'
'You think I'm going to-'
'I think you're going to do whatever is necessary to get that five hundred.'
'What are you going to tell me for the five hundred?'
'The answer to your riddle. How to keep Patrick Cosgrove alive and at liberty. When you know what I know-and make certain parties acquainted with that fact-your troubles will vanish even as the legendary snowball in hell.'
'I'm pretty much mixed up,' I said. 'I don't see how… How soon do you want the money?'
'Not later than tomorrow night. Say six o'clock.'
'That isn't much time.'
'I don't think you have very much, Mr. Cosgrove. From the way things are shaping up, I think your time is running out very fast. Unless you know what I know by tomorrow night, I don't think it will be of much value to you-or to me.'
'But six o'clock,' I said. 'Something might come up that I couldn't get away that early. Could you make it after dinner, around eight?'
'That will be after dark,' he said. 'The other tenants will be out of their offices.'
'What of it?'
'That's right. What? I'll be expecting trouble from you. Expecting it, Mr. Cosgrove. So I wouldn't bring anything with me, if I were in your place, but the money.'
'Oh, hell,' I laughed. 'What would it get me?'
'Eight o'clock, then.'
'I'll be there.'
20
Doc was backing his car out as I stepped off the porch, and I stood and waited for him to pass. He stopped and called to me, smiling.
'How's the job going, Pat?' he said. 'Haven't kicked you out yet, have they?'
'Why, no,' I said, showing a proper amount of surprise at the question. 'Were they supposed to?'
'Maybe not. It may be a little early yet. They haven't said anything to you about Burkman, eh?'
'Not a word.' I shook my head. 'Is there some trouble?'
'We-ell-' he hesitated, 'nothing that you need to worry about. We'll have to get you a new sponsor, but that shouldn't be difficult. Any number of the boys should be glad to come through for you.'
'Fine,' I said. 'I'm glad to hear it.'
'But I suspect we should be getting you a little better acquainted. Suppose you make it a point to be on hand tomorrow night. Around eight o'clock. I'm having a group in at that time.'
I said I'd be there.
With a sigh of relief, I watched him back out the driveway and drive off. If he'd said tonight at eight I couldn't have met Eggleston. And ill missed out on that-
It would have been far better for me if I had missed out.
I drove out to the capitol building, circled around it, and headed back toward town. I backtracked on my trail several times, making sure that no one was following me, and reached the business district in about an hour. There I put the car on a parking lot and went to a picture show.
I left the show by a side street exit, ate lunch, and spent a couple of hours at the public library. After that I did some shopping.
I bought a small but strong pair of wire snips, a roll of adhesive tape, a pair of gloves, and a pocket flashlight. All in different stores. I went into a public toilet, unwrapped the articles and stowed them away in my pockets. I came out to the street again and sauntered slowly toward the market district.
It was now a little after five in the afternoon.
Catty-cornered to the building in which Eggleston had his offices was a workingman's bar. It was a grimy unattractive place, unpleasantly but effectively advertised by its odor of stale beer and fried fish. I wouldn't have eaten in it for pay, and I was sure Eggleston wouldn't.
I sat down at the bar, near the entrance, and ordered a drink. I glanced out the fly-specked window.
The view wasn't as good as I'd liked to have had. I could see the windows of Eggleston's offices, but I couldn't see the entrance to the building. That was on the side street, back near the alley.
I sipped my drink, waiting, watching his office windows. I didn't think he'd seen through my plan. It seemed to me that if he had he'd have said so, since it would get him nothing to let me go ahead. He might not go out to dinner, of course. In that case, I'd have to think of something else.
At six o'clock lights started coming on in the building. Some of them stayed on, but most went off after a few minutes. The shades at Eggleston's windows were drawn, and I had to stare hard to determine whether the lights were on or not.
At last, around six-thirty, when it was getting dark, I saw the broken lines of light around the shades. I saw them just in time to see them disappear. That left all the offices on his floor dark. It was better than I had hoped for.
I waited fifteen minutes more, then left the bar.
There were two elevators in the building, but only one was running at this time of night. I began looking at the office directory.
'Help you with somethin', mister?'
I shook my head without looking around.
He muttered something under his breath, and his stool creaked as he sat down again. Then the elevator signal buzzed, and he said 'Goddam' and he got up and rattled the control.
'Going
I didn't say anything and I didn't look around. He banged the door shut and the car went up. I jerked open the door to the stairs and raced up them.
At the third floor landing I heard the elevator coming down, and I waited until its lights flashed on the foyer and disappeared. Then I ran down the corridor and around the corner, jerking the gloves over my hands.
Eggleston's outer office, the reception room, had a long pebble-glassed transom extending from the wall to the door casing. A short metal chain at each end allowed it to hang open a few inches.
I cut the chains with the wire snips and let the transom drop gently inward. I swung myself up and through the opening. I landed inside, swinging my feet just in time to avoid crashing down on a chair. I pushed the chair beneath the transom, climbed up on it, and took out the adhesive tape. I moved the transom back in its original position and taped the chains together again.
I sat down and rested.
My wrist watch said seven o'clock now. Eggleston had been gone approximately thirty minutes. Since our appointment was for eight, he'd hardly return before another half hour. That left me a lot of time… to do what?
I started to light a cigarette, then put the package and the match back in my pocket. He might notice the smoke. Someone might notice the flare of the match.
I turned the pencil-beam of the flashlight on my watch again. Thirty minutes or more and not much to do but wait. I didn't know what to look for. At any rate, he'd hardly leave anything like this on paper. It would be
