The Midnight Visitor cont.
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- The Report.
- Max was slender, a little less than tall, with features that suggested slightly the crafty, pointed countenance of a fox. There was about him — aside from the gun — nothing especially menacing.
- The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles. I thought I would take it from you. It will be safer in my hands than in yours.
- Balcony?
- Ausable moved to an armchair and sat down heavily. Fowler’s eyes went to the single window of the room. It was an ordinary window, against which now the night was pressing blackly.
- Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled.
- This is the second time in a month that somebody has got into my room through that nuisance of a balcony!
- I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time, and you can bet on it
- No, a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble had I known.
- Max glanced at Fowler, who was standing stiffly not far from Ausable and waved the gun with a commanding gesture.
- Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled. Max bit his lip nervously. The knocking was repeated.
- Please sit down. We have a wait of half an hour, I think.
- It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down — and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.
- It’s not my balcony. It belongs to the next apartment. You see, this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room — through that door there — used to be the living room.
- Thirty-one minutes. The appointment wasfor twelve-thirty. I wish I knew how you learned about the report, Max.
- And we wish we knew how your people got the report. But no harm has been done. I will get it back tonight.
- What is that? Who is at the door?
- That will be the police, I thought that such an important paper as the one we are waiting for should have a little extra protection. I told them to check on me to make sure everything was all right.
- What will you do now, Max? If I do not answer the door, they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked. And they will not hesitate to shoot.
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