hair.
It was ten fifteen, and she was fixing the damp conditioned locks around the heated rollers when the telephone rang. She let it ring. It rang fourteen times before stopping.
At eleven forty she stood before the door mirror in their bedroom surveying the finished product and was gratified by what she saw. Although the handsome blue and burgundy plaid pants suit was last year’s purchase, it not only fitted her well, but did superb things for her figure. Her soft brown hair and lightly cosmeticized skin completed the portrait of a bold and, she had to admit, quite beautiful woman.
The sidewalk in front of Des Artistes had been swept clean of snow and was practically dry as Mario ushered Janice to the waiting cab and told the driver the address of Rattazzi’s Restaurant.
At twelve twenty Janice paid the cabdriver and entered the narrow, dimly lit restaurant.
At twelve forty she ordered her second drink, still studiously avoiding the pernicious sesame sticks and butter plate that was set before her. By the time Bill arrived at one ten Janice was working on her fourth J & B with water and was feeling lightheaded and giddy. She saw Bill zoom towards her in a haze of apologies and heard him order their lunch immediately, since Janice needed to get to school by three in order to meet Ivy.
Only after Bill took a healthy sip of his frosty martini did he ask to see the letter.
Janice fumbled around in her purse, finally found it, and passed it across to him with a shaking hand. Obviously, Bill didn’t have her concern about fingerprints, for he extracted the small printed sheet with a total disregard for the possible evidence it might contain.
Bill’s eyes narrowed to slits as he strained to read the tiny print on the tissue-thin paper. His lips slowly mouthed the words but were submerged by the wall of chatter surrounding them:
Hoover, Elliot Suggins (hoo’ver), corp. exec; b. Pitts., Jan. 26, 1928; s. John Roberts and Ella Marie (Villatte); student Case Institute Technology, 1945-49, Dr Engring (honorary), 1955; married Sylvia Flora, May 5, 1957; children, Audrey Rose. Asst. to v.p. in charge raw materials Susquehana Steel Corp., Jan.- Sept. 1959; v.p. in charge raw materials Great Lakes Steel Co. of Penna. 1960-62. Writer, lecturer on personnel administrn. and human relations. Trustee, mem. exec. com. Pitts. Community Chest. Health Fund Greater Pitts. Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo Awards Boy Scouts Am. Member N.A.M. Clubs: HooHoo, Rotary, Harrison Country and Golf. Mem. Am. Iron and Steel Inst. Zeta Psi. Mason (33, Shriner, Jester) Home: 1035 Wellington Dr., Pitts. 29. Office: 1 William Penn Pl., Pitts. 30.
Janice was astonished to see Bill’s smile grow as he slowly read through the short biography. She had found nothing funny in any of it.
‘Well’ - Bill chuckled - ‘you gotta admit he’s an all-American boy.’
‘Why did he send that to us?’ Janice asked measuredly, trying not to slur her words. ‘What does it mean?’
‘Damned if I know.’ Bill shrugged. ‘He’s dealing, Janice.’
‘Take it to the police. Show it to them.’
‘Is it enough? I mean, after all, what does it tell us? A couple of facts about his life, his work, his affiliations … It says nothing about his motives, his intentions.’ Bill picked up the thin slip of paper and studied it intently. ‘It may not even be him. Maybe he just clipped any old bio out of Who’s Who to test us. See what our reaction would be.’
‘Then you propose to do nothing?’ Janice was conscious of a shrill note in her voice.
‘What can we do?’ Bill argued. ‘Right now the moves are all his. Until he does something that’s overt or threatening, we have nothing to go to the police with. They wouldn’t even consider this an act of mischief,’ Bill concluded, placing the slip of paper back into the envelope and pocketing it.
‘I only hope,’ Janice stated in a soft, quavering voice, ‘that when he does decide to
It was ten fifteen, and she was fixing the damp conditioned locks around the heated rollers when the telephone rang. She let it ring. It rang fourteen times before stopping.
At eleven forty she stood before the door mirror in their bedroom surveying the finished product and was gratified by what she saw. Although the handsome blue and burgundy plaid pants suit was last year’s purchase, it not only fitted her well, but did superb things for her figure. Her soft brown hair and lightly cosmeticized skin completed the portrait of a bold and, she had to admit, quite beautiful woman.
The sidewalk in front of Des Artistes had been swept clean of snow and was practically dry as Mario ushered Janice to the waiting cab and told the driver the address of Rattazzi’s Restaurant.
At twelve twenty Janice paid the cabdriver and entered the narrow, dimly lit restaurant.
At twelve forty she ordered her second drink, still studiously avoiding the pernicious sesame sticks and butter plate that was set before her. By the time Bill arrived at one ten Janice was working on her fourth J & B with water and was feeling lightheaded and giddy. She saw Bill zoom towards her in a haze of apologies and heard him order their lunch immediately, since Janice needed to get to school by three in order to meet Ivy.
Only after Bill took a healthy sip of his frosty martini did he ask to see the letter.
Janice fumbled around in her purse, finally found it, and passed it across to him with a shaking hand. Obviously, Bill didn’t have her concern about fingerprints, for he extracted the small printed sheet with a total disregard for the possible evidence it might contain.
Bill’s eyes narrowed to slits as he strained to read the tiny print on the tissue-thin paper. His lips slowly mouthed the words but were submerged by the wall of chatter surrounding them:
Hoover, Elliot Suggins (hoo’ver), corp. exec; b. Pitts., Jan. 26, 1928; s. John Roberts and Ella Marie (Villatte); student Case Institute Technology, 1945-49, Dr Engring (honorary), 1955; married Sylvia Flora, May 5, 1957; children, Audrey Rose. Asst. to v.p. in charge raw materials Susquehana Steel Corp., Jan.- Sept. 1959; v.p. in charge raw materials Great Lakes Steel Co. of Penna. 1960-62. Writer, lecturer on personnel administrn. and human relations. Trustee, mem. exec. com. Pitts. Community Chest. Health Fund Greater Pitts. Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo Awards Boy Scouts Am. Member N.A.M. Clubs: HooHoo, Rotary, Harrison Country and Golf. Mem. Am. Iron and Steel Inst. Zeta Psi. Mason (33, Shriner, Jester) Home: 1035 Wellington Dr., Pitts. 29. Office: 1 William Penn Pl., Pitts. 30.
Janice was astonished to see Bill’s smile grow as he slowly read through the short biography. She had found nothing funny in any of it.
‘Well’ - Bill chuckled - ‘you gotta admit he’s an all-American boy.’
‘Why did he send that to us?’ Janice asked measuredly, trying not to slur her words. ‘What does it mean?’
‘Damned if I know.’ Bill shrugged. ‘He’s dealing, Janice.’
‘Take it to the police. Show it to them.’
‘Is it enough? I mean, after all, what does it tell us? A couple of facts about his life, his work, his affiliations … It says nothing about his motives, his intentions.’ Bill picked up the thin slip of paper and studied it intently. ‘It may not even be him. Maybe he just clipped any old bio out of Who’s Who to test us. See what our reaction would be.’
‘Then you propose to do nothing?’ Janice was conscious of a shrill note in her voice.
‘What can we do?’ Bill argued. ‘Right now the moves are all his. Until he does something that’s overt or threatening, we have nothing to go to the police with. They wouldn’t even consider this an act of mischief,’ Bill concluded, placing the slip of paper back into the envelope and pocketing it.
‘I only hope,’ Janice stated in a soft, quavering voice, ‘that when he does decide to
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