probably good for another couple of yards but he didn’t want to push it. He had enough height, there were good openings in the branches, and he was far enough up to be invisible from the ground.
He opened the clasp on the canvas sack slung over his neck and took out the little camera. Giordano had explained it to him, and he had gone over its use again with Simmons earlier that morning. It was about as simple as it could get. You just pointed it and clicked the clicker and after you’d done that a dozen times, you popped in a new cartridge and started over.
He shot the whole roll, spacing the twelve shots around what they had taught him to call a 360-degree perimeter, which was an Army way of saying you did what a dog did before lying down, you turned around in a circle.
He opened the back of the camera, dropped the cartridge into the sack, and inserted a fresh one. Then, whistling softly to himself, he started back down the tree again.
Manso said, “Eddie here, sir. I drove by the house at thirteen ten. Our tree surgeons are on the job.”
“Good.”
“I was wondering when I ought to go in.”
“How do you feel?”
“Nervous, but then I’d figure to be nervous, wouldn’t I? From his point of view, I mean,”
“Yes. Did you sleep last night?”
“Some.”
“Enough so that you’re rested?”
“No problem. Sir? I think I’d like to go in soon.”
“Of course you don’t want to rush things.”
“No, but he’s home now, and it would be easier with him at home.”
“Perhaps. You don’t think the coincidence might strike him as extraordinary?”
“Sir, whatever we do, we’re hung with the coincidence. Tell a lie, you might as well tell a big one. It’s the same as being nervous, anyhow. Now’s exactly the time I’d figure to make my play.”
“Good point.” The colonel paused, and Manso was about to say something when he spoke again. “I’d wait a few hours. Give our friends time to finish their survey.”
“Check. Sir? Just how positive are we on the background?”
“Well, Helen did a very good job. The vital statistics are accurate. He was at the right place at the right time. It could have happened. It’s not the sort of thing that can be easily disproved.”
“I figured on playing it uncertain. Reluctant and uncertain.”
“Yes. Edward, if you’d rather take your time on this, I wouldn’t blame you in the least. I’d rather you held off until you felt sure of yourself. A day or two one way or the other——”
“Could make a lot of difference. No, it could. And the waiting is the hardest part. I don’t know Howard’s schedule, Howard and Ben. I think fifteen hundred hours would be good. And if we overlap by a few minutes, what’s the difference?”
“Well, that’s true enough.”
“So I’ll figure to go in about that time. I don’t know when the hell I’ll be able to get to a phone, but if Howard gaffs the car, I’ll be able to signal. So if you don’t hear from me in seven or eight hours——”
“Be careful, Edward.”
“You spoiled my line. I was saying if you don’t hear from me, just start digging around in Platt’s backyard. It’s not that good a line to begin with, is it? I’ll be all right sir. It’s just butterflies. I’ll be all right.”
“I know you will, Edward.”
When Simmons had seen as much of the grounds as he could stand, he made his way back to the truck. He tossed his clipboard into the front seat, then walked around to the back. Murdock was on his sixth tree and Simmons could only hope he was about ready to pack it in. He was impatient to get going.
Something about the place gave him the jitters. At first the lawn and gardens had overwhelmed him. The plantings were what might be called semiformal, in perfect order and yet with a natural feel to them. As he walked through it all he had thought what a man could do with a place this size, the pleasure you could have.
Then another thought came along and soured it all.
He opened the clasp on the canvas sack slung over his neck and took out the little camera. Giordano had explained it to him, and he had gone over its use again with Simmons earlier that morning. It was about as simple as it could get. You just pointed it and clicked the clicker and after you’d done that a dozen times, you popped in a new cartridge and started over.
He shot the whole roll, spacing the twelve shots around what they had taught him to call a 360-degree perimeter, which was an Army way of saying you did what a dog did before lying down, you turned around in a circle.
He opened the back of the camera, dropped the cartridge into the sack, and inserted a fresh one. Then, whistling softly to himself, he started back down the tree again.
Manso said, “Eddie here, sir. I drove by the house at thirteen ten. Our tree surgeons are on the job.”
“Good.”
“I was wondering when I ought to go in.”
“How do you feel?”
“Nervous, but then I’d figure to be nervous, wouldn’t I? From his point of view, I mean,”
“Yes. Did you sleep last night?”
“Some.”
“Enough so that you’re rested?”
“No problem. Sir? I think I’d like to go in soon.”
“Of course you don’t want to rush things.”
“No, but he’s home now, and it would be easier with him at home.”
“Perhaps. You don’t think the coincidence might strike him as extraordinary?”
“Sir, whatever we do, we’re hung with the coincidence. Tell a lie, you might as well tell a big one. It’s the same as being nervous, anyhow. Now’s exactly the time I’d figure to make my play.”
“Good point.” The colonel paused, and Manso was about to say something when he spoke again. “I’d wait a few hours. Give our friends time to finish their survey.”
“Check. Sir? Just how positive are we on the background?”
“Well, Helen did a very good job. The vital statistics are accurate. He was at the right place at the right time. It could have happened. It’s not the sort of thing that can be easily disproved.”
“I figured on playing it uncertain. Reluctant and uncertain.”
“Yes. Edward, if you’d rather take your time on this, I wouldn’t blame you in the least. I’d rather you held off until you felt sure of yourself. A day or two one way or the other——”
“Could make a lot of difference. No, it could. And the waiting is the hardest part. I don’t know Howard’s schedule, Howard and Ben. I think fifteen hundred hours would be good. And if we overlap by a few minutes, what’s the difference?”
“Well, that’s true enough.”
“So I’ll figure to go in about that time. I don’t know when the hell I’ll be able to get to a phone, but if Howard gaffs the car, I’ll be able to signal. So if you don’t hear from me in seven or eight hours——”
“Be careful, Edward.”
“You spoiled my line. I was saying if you don’t hear from me, just start digging around in Platt’s backyard. It’s not that good a line to begin with, is it? I’ll be all right sir. It’s just butterflies. I’ll be all right.”
“I know you will, Edward.”
When Simmons had seen as much of the grounds as he could stand, he made his way back to the truck. He tossed his clipboard into the front seat, then walked around to the back. Murdock was on his sixth tree and Simmons could only hope he was about ready to pack it in. He was impatient to get going.
Something about the place gave him the jitters. At first the lawn and gardens had overwhelmed him. The plantings were what might be called semiformal, in perfect order and yet with a natural feel to them. As he walked through it all he had thought what a man could do with a place this size, the pleasure you could have.
Then another thought came along and soured it all.
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