cast one for you, Benninger.”
“Yes, but what did the horoscope in today’s paper say?” croaked Benninger. “ ‘Your plans will move closer to fruition.’ Now—”
“I’ve heard better predictions come out of fortune cookies.”
“Yes, but that prediction this morning and then this evening Heathcote walks right into our lair.”
Windus glanced around at the night before he climbed into the driver’s seat. “Yes, with probably a dozen members of Justice, Inc. close behind him.”
After taking the seat next to him, Benninger said, “They don’t even have a dozen members.”
“However many they have.” Windus shifted into reverse and backed down the sharply slanting driveway to the road. “You can be sure Heathcote told them he was coming here to the restaurant.”
“He’s not a member of the Avenger’s coterie,” Benninger reminded him in his rasping voice. “It’s quite possible he’s working alone.”
“A man as voluble as Dr. Algernon Heathcote?” Windus’ eyes checked the rear view mirror. “No, once he realized that you were involved in the theft of his machine, he most likely confided the fact to everyone within earshot.”
“We don’t know he linked me with the taking of the box at all.” Benninger watched the wooded street they were traveling down.
“There’s no sign of anyone following us.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“Then we can safely take Heathcote to our main headquarters and ask him some questions.”
“So it would seem,” said Windus cautiously.
North of San Francisco, inland, lies wine country. An area dotted with vineyards and with wineries large and small.
That’s where Agent Early was heading this bright and sunfilled morning. He whistled some as he drove. He regretted Emmy Lou couldn’t come along, but she couldn’t be effectively guarded out in the open like this.
Even so, although missing the girl, he felt in a good mood this morning.
He’d been able to trace the truck that Emmy Lou remembered seeing the night they tried to make her kill herself. The cluster of yellow daisies was the trade mark of the Macri Brothers Winery, located in the Napa Valley near the town of San Janeiro.
According to the state Motor Vehicle people and the highway patrol, there had been no complaints from the Macri Brothers about a stolen or borrowed truck. It would be interesting to see what they had to say.
He relaxed back in the driver’s seat. There was still a good deal of green all around, even though the colors of autumn had begun to touch the trees and the fields. There were rolling fields on either side of the road. And far off white farm houses and silos. A few cows lolled in one field, looking calm and patient. Some kind of hawk was circling high up in the morning, a chicken hawk maybe. Probably so. Even in an idyllic setting there was always somebody thinking about killing.
“He’s only doing his job,” said Early to himself. “Don’t be so hard on the poor bird.”
He felt pretty good today. Of course he was pleased that he seemed to be so far ahead of the Avenger on this case. Granted, from what he’d heard from the Berkeley police, Cole Wilson and that aggressive Gray girl had apparently captured a foreign agent. Still, the poor guy had killed himself before telling them anything. That was unfortunate, but Early had to admit it kept him in the lead on this case. He’d always taken pride in his work, but until he’d met the Avenger back when they were both working on what the newspapers called the Man from Atlantis case he’d never been so anxious about hurrying a case to its conclusion.
This time, though, he was certain he had this particular clue all to himself. That was good.
There was a ruin of a barn with a chewing tobacco ad painted on its decaying side. Did people still chew tobacco? The sign looked a lot fresher than the barn.
There was another reason Early was in a good mood. He was really getting interested in Emmy Lou
“Yes, but what did the horoscope in today’s paper say?” croaked Benninger. “ ‘Your plans will move closer to fruition.’ Now—”
“I’ve heard better predictions come out of fortune cookies.”
“Yes, but that prediction this morning and then this evening Heathcote walks right into our lair.”
Windus glanced around at the night before he climbed into the driver’s seat. “Yes, with probably a dozen members of Justice, Inc. close behind him.”
After taking the seat next to him, Benninger said, “They don’t even have a dozen members.”
“However many they have.” Windus shifted into reverse and backed down the sharply slanting driveway to the road. “You can be sure Heathcote told them he was coming here to the restaurant.”
“He’s not a member of the Avenger’s coterie,” Benninger reminded him in his rasping voice. “It’s quite possible he’s working alone.”
“A man as voluble as Dr. Algernon Heathcote?” Windus’ eyes checked the rear view mirror. “No, once he realized that you were involved in the theft of his machine, he most likely confided the fact to everyone within earshot.”
“We don’t know he linked me with the taking of the box at all.” Benninger watched the wooded street they were traveling down.
“There’s no sign of anyone following us.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“Then we can safely take Heathcote to our main headquarters and ask him some questions.”
“So it would seem,” said Windus cautiously.
North of San Francisco, inland, lies wine country. An area dotted with vineyards and with wineries large and small.
That’s where Agent Early was heading this bright and sunfilled morning. He whistled some as he drove. He regretted Emmy Lou couldn’t come along, but she couldn’t be effectively guarded out in the open like this.
Even so, although missing the girl, he felt in a good mood this morning.
He’d been able to trace the truck that Emmy Lou remembered seeing the night they tried to make her kill herself. The cluster of yellow daisies was the trade mark of the Macri Brothers Winery, located in the Napa Valley near the town of San Janeiro.
According to the state Motor Vehicle people and the highway patrol, there had been no complaints from the Macri Brothers about a stolen or borrowed truck. It would be interesting to see what they had to say.
He relaxed back in the driver’s seat. There was still a good deal of green all around, even though the colors of autumn had begun to touch the trees and the fields. There were rolling fields on either side of the road. And far off white farm houses and silos. A few cows lolled in one field, looking calm and patient. Some kind of hawk was circling high up in the morning, a chicken hawk maybe. Probably so. Even in an idyllic setting there was always somebody thinking about killing.
“He’s only doing his job,” said Early to himself. “Don’t be so hard on the poor bird.”
He felt pretty good today. Of course he was pleased that he seemed to be so far ahead of the Avenger on this case. Granted, from what he’d heard from the Berkeley police, Cole Wilson and that aggressive Gray girl had apparently captured a foreign agent. Still, the poor guy had killed himself before telling them anything. That was unfortunate, but Early had to admit it kept him in the lead on this case. He’d always taken pride in his work, but until he’d met the Avenger back when they were both working on what the newspapers called the Man from Atlantis case he’d never been so anxious about hurrying a case to its conclusion.
This time, though, he was certain he had this particular clue all to himself. That was good.
There was a ruin of a barn with a chewing tobacco ad painted on its decaying side. Did people still chew tobacco? The sign looked a lot fresher than the barn.
There was another reason Early was in a good mood. He was really getting interested in Emmy Lou
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