by Lee Archer
can you be so stupid? I know. For you it's easy. Of course thebills were genuine. But the printing business--what were they going toprint with, typewriters? Another thing. There's no business record Icould find on them; they're not listed. So how did they get a milliondollars, and Robert said more. 'Report here, no matter what the time.' Idon't get it. I drove them out. There was no garage, no car I could see,and the place is miles from food. How do they live out there?"
"Maybe they have friends who pick them up," Deena said.
"Maybe. Robert also said there was a rumor or something about thegovernment going to use the area for a missile depot. I tried to run itdown. Nothing."
"Which proves nothing," she said.
"True. But I couldn't even smell smoke. No, the whole thing just smellsbad. So I think I'm going back there and tell them to forget it."
"Oh, don't be an idiot," she said. "This is your big chance to make somereal money, get a reputation, and because you're chicken, you're goingto throw it up."
"I won't get into anything crooked!" his voice rose.
"The way you're thinking you couldn't follow a straight line."
"They can't draw a straight line."
"Well, you do what you want. Only, the next time I have to pay for adinner don't give me that martyred look."
"Okay. Okay. What do you want for dessert, spumoni?"
"After this, bicarbonate."
"Very funny."
And for the first time in several years she did not kiss him good night,when they parted.
* * * * *
He turned off the blacktop and started down the rutted path. He switchedthe headlights off about halfway to the shack, and parked it a hundredor so yards away from it and walked the rest. The shack was dark.
Instead of knocking, Muldoon walked around to the back and peeredthrough the single window at the rear. He could see nothing. Now isn'tthis just dandy, he thought. Drive all the way out here, and nobody's athome. Damn! He went around to the front and started back to the car. Hisattention was caught by a greenish glow of light from the far end of thedump heap.
His curiosity aroused, Muldoon warily made his way through the metallitter until he was close enough to make out the source of the light. Itcame from the center of a shallow area that had been cleared of rubble.A rusted misshapen mass of metal lay in the center of the cleared space.The greenish glow was coming from an opening in the mass.
Muldoon crept closer until he was able to make out details. Not too manybut enough to give him an idea of the size and general shape of thething. But what really held him were the figures of Robert and EvinReeger.
He saw them quite distinctly.
One of the twins was bent over a machine of some sort. There werelevers, gears, and rollers mounted on a webbed platform no larger than arather oversized typewriter. Muldoon's eyes went wide at the sight ofthe greenbacks coming in a steady stream from the interior of themachine and falling into a box at the side. He could see very littleelse that was in the room, other than the brother of the twin at themachine. He was on the far side of it, fiddling with something hidden.
Muldoon stared in fascination for another minute, then carefully madehis way back to the car. He had parked it within the growth of scrubtrees and bushes. He started it, turned the headlights on, and droveslowly out into the open and up to the shack. He honked his horn loudlya couple of times and got out of the car and walked up to the shack andtried the door. It was closed.
Presently the figures of Evin and Robert Reeger came into view from thedirection of the dump heap. Muldoon's figure was outlined in the glow ofthe headlights. Muldoon noticed the brief case one of them was carrying.
"Ah, there, Muldoon," Muldoon had recognized Robert's voice.
"Hello, Mr. Reeger. Thought I'd come by and let you know how I've beendoing."
Evin, who was carrying the brief case, unlocked the door and switched onthe light. The other two followed him into the room. Robert Reegermotioned for Muldoon to take the sofa. Evin went into the other room.
"Well, my boy," Robert said heartily. "How is it going?"
"Slowly," Muldoon said casually. "But the first of this sort ofoperation has to go that way. Kind of feel things out, if you know whatI mean?"
"Of course. How does it look?"
"I think it's going to go all right. I've got plans."
"Splendid! Do you need money?"
"Yes. About ten thousand."
"Evin! Do bring the case out," Robert called loudly.
In a couple of seconds, Evin Reeger appeared. He brought the brief caseto his brother, turned, and went back into the other room without sayinganything. He walked slowly and stiffly, his feet slapping heavily on thebare boards.
"What's wrong with him?" Muldoon asked.
Robert Reeger was pulling money from the brief case. He looked up withan expressionless face. "Nothing. You said ten thousand?..."
"Yes."
Reeger passed two of the packets to Muldoon. "Sure you won't need more?"
Muldoon put the money away, got up from the sofa, and started to thedoor. "No. Just what I need. Uh, I'll see you Friday night."
"Fine! And don't forget. We must get all this done quickly."
"I won't forget."
* * * * *
Robert Reeger waited till the sound of the Plymouth was no longer heard.Then he went into the other room. Other than for two army cots the roomwas empty. Evin was stretched full-length on one of the cots.
"You're certain he knows?" Evin asked.
"Yes. I saw him on the visio."
"But he couldn't see all the interior?"
"No. Just the duplicating machine. We must get rid of it tonight."
"What do you think he will do?"
"What can he do? He knows nothing. The money is genuine, and with thedestruction of the machine he can't prove anything. Nevertheless itmight be the wisest course to get rid of him. We might have been tooclever with that advertisement."
"Possibly. But, we must move quickly, then. I must leave this planet inseven days now. And we must have this area under lease by then. Threemusts!"
Robert smiled thinly. "We will. If not through Muldoon, then throughanother means. When you return in a year with the space fleet you willfind the landing area we need."
"And after that ..."
They smiled at each other.
"We said we would not fail. This planet will fall to our weapons likeripe fruit from a tree."
"But first I must return to tell them," Evin said. "If I do not returnthey will know we have failed, and will seek another planet."
"We won't fail," Robert reiterated. "Right now, let's get back to thespace ship and the duplicating machine."
* * * * *
Muldoon spent a busy Thursday. A newsbrief in the _Times_ financialsection which told of a public utility wanting Island property gave himan idea for one thing. He spent all morning bringing the idea to a head,after he had verified the truth of the item. Then, after a late lunch,he went to the Treasury Department's headquarters and spent a couple ofhours with the head of the local investigation department.
He was quite pleased with himself by nightfall, as he headed out to theIsland. This time he parked the car at a considerable distance from theshack. There were lights on, this night. He walked boldly up and knockedat the door. It opened wide and the thick figure of one of the twinsdarkened the opening.
"Well, Mr. Muldoon. I did not think to see you till Friday."
"I thought I'd come and see you tonight," Muldoon said as he steppedinto the room.
"I didn't hear the car."
"Oh. Parked it back a bit," Muldoon said. He turned toward the othertwin as the inner door opened. "Hello."
"Hello."
"You know, Evin," Robert said, "I'm rather glad Muldoon stopped bytonight. We might as well conclude our business with him now."
"An excellent idea, Robert. Excellent."
>
"What do you mean?" Muldoon asked. "I no longer am acting for you?"
"Not for us, for yourself. I'm afraid your services, in any capacity,will no longer be needed."
Muldoon caught the undercurrent of menace in Robert's voice. It told himthey were not only suspicious but ready to act on it. He started to edgetoward the door, but Robert suddenly reached out and took his arm. Therewas power in the fat man's grip. Evin moved swiftly for his size, andtook up a position before the door, which he kicked shut.
Muldoon twisted sharply and was free of the