Repairman Jack [08]-Crisscross by F. Paul Wilson Page A

up to the door and looked up at the camera as he pressed the button next to the Cordova Security Consultants label. He'd put on a black wig, black mustache, and shaded his skin with a little Celebre dark olive makeup. Getting a natural look around the eyes was a bitch, so he wore sunglasses. He'd removed his tie but left the shirt buttoned to the top; he'd kept the blazer but wore it draped over his shoulders, Fellini style.
    A tiny speaker in the wall bleated a tinny " Yes ?" in a woman's voice.
    "I seek an investigation," Jack said, trying to sound a little like Julio, but not pushing it. He'd never been great with accents.
    " Come in. First door on your right at the top of the stairs ."
    The door buzzed and he pushed through. Upstairs he opened the Cordova Security Consultants door and entered a small waiting room with two chairs and a middle-aged reed-thin black female receptionist behind a desk. Jack doubted Cordova was busy enough to need a secretary-receptionist or a waiting room—if he were he wouldn't need the blackmail sideline—but it looked good. Sam Spade had Effie Perine and Mike Shayne had Lucy Hamilton, so fat Richie Cordova had to have a Gal Friday too.
    Jack gave the inner surface of the door a good look-see as he made a point of closing it gently behind him. He noticed how the two wires from the foil strip ran off the door just below the upper hinge to disappear into the plaster of the wall. They protected the glass, but what about the door? A glowing light on the keypad beside the doorframe confirmed an active alarm system, but where were the door contacts?
    "Yes, sir?" the receptionist said with a smile as she looked up at him over her reading glasses.
    "I seek an investigation," he repeated. "Mr. Cordova was recommend."
    "How nice." She picked up a pen and poised it over a yellow pad. "May I have his name?"
    Jack shrugged. "Some guy. Look, is he in?"
    He glanced around and saw no area sensors. He did spot a magnetic contact switch on the waiting-room window. It, like all the office windows, sat above Tremont. No way he was getting in through those.
    But why no alarm on the door?
    "I'm afraid Mr. Cordova is engaged in an investigation at the moment. I can make you an appointment for tomorrow."
    "What time he come in?"
    "Mr. Cordova usually comes in around ten." She gave him a you-know-what-I-mean smile as she added, "His work often keeps him up late."
    "No good. Be outta town. I come back nes' week."
    "I'll be glad to book that appointment for you now."
    Jack noticed that the door to the rear office stood open behind her. He wandered over and gave the room the once-over. As fastidiously neat and clean as his house, but no area sensors here either. He made note of the monitor on the desk.
    "Sir, that's Mr. Cordova's private office."
    "Jus' lookin'." He stepped back into the waiting room, keeping his distance. Too close and she might notice the makeup. "Bueno. How 'bout next Wen'sday? Garcia. Geraldo Garcia. Son'time in the afternoon."
    She put him down for three P.M.
    As he opened the door to make his exit, he stopped and crouched on the threshold, pretending to tie his shoe. From the corner of his eye he checked out the hinge surface of the molding. And thar she blew: The short plastic cylinder of a spring-loaded plunger jutted from the wood a couple of inches off the floor. These babies popped out whenever the door opened and, if the system was armed, sent a signal to the box. If the right code wasn't punched in during the preset delay, the alarm would sound.
    Jack smiled. Outdated stuff. Easily bypassed as long as you knew it was there.
    Down on the street again he checked his voice mail and heard Russ saying his floppy would be ready around six. Jack called back and said pickup would have to wait till tomorrow.
    Tonight he had a heavy date.

9

    Jack was glad the weather had turned chilly; even then, his Creature from the Black Lagoon suit was hot and stuffy. Glad too that daylight saving time had