The Avenger 32 - The Death Machine Read Online Free PDF Page B

wrapped in green paper, Agent Early walked up the broad marble steps of the St. Mark Hotel. He stepped out of the misty night and into the huge, pleasant lobby. Crossing the thick carpet, he nodded, very quickly, at a young man who sat in one of the plush chairs reading a two-week-old copy of Collier’s.
    Early continued on toward the gilt-caged elevators. One of them landed, swished open. The government agent took one more step before stopping dead.
    “What . . .” he said aloud. “What are you doing here?”
    “Hiya, Early,” said Smitty, holding out a big paw. “Them petunias for us?”
    “In San Francisco on a case?” asked Early. “Is that it?”
    “Good evening, Don,” said the Avenger.
    “Nice of you to trot over here and welcome us,” said the giant.
    “What are you doing in this particular hotel?” Early asked.
    “Rooming here,” answered Smitty. “I come out for a conference.”
    “And is that the reason you’re here, Benson?”
    The Avenger said, “What better place than San Francisco to spend a quiet week?”
    “If you two are . . . wait. Are there more of you Justice, Inc. people in town?”
    “As a matter of fact, Cole and Nellie decided they needed a vacation, too,” said Smitty. “Ain’t that a coincidence?”
    Early watched them for a few seconds in silence. “No use trying to get a straight story out of you,” he said. “Okay, may the best man win.” He continued on around them, stepped into an elevator and was whisked up to the tenth floor.
    As he walked down the corridor the catch phrase of one of his favorite radio comedians popped up in his head. “What a revolting development this is,” he muttered.
    “Beg pardon, sir?”
    A trim young man in a dark suit was standing near a hotel room door. “Nothing, Willis,” said Early. “Everything all right?”
    “No problems of any kind, sir.”
    “I’ve just learned,” said Early, “that the Avenger and several of his crew are in town.”
    Willis shook his head. “You’re not too fond of them, as I recall, sir.”
    “It isn’t that. I suppose if I was picking friends for myself, I could do a lot worse,” Early said. “But whenever they show up . . . well, inevitably they end up cracking the very case I’m working on. Now I know that in terms of the good of the country, that’s fine. I really don’t, though, enjoy coming in second all the time.”
    “You still have an excellent reputation in Washington sir.”
    “Maybe,” said Early. “At any rate, Willis, be even more alert. I don’t want Benson and his bunch to find out about Miss Dennim.”
    “Very good, sir.”
    Early knocked on the door of Emmy Lou’s room, a prearranged knock.
    “Yes?” said the girl after a moment.
    “It’s Don Early, Emmy Lou.”
    The door was opened a fraction. “Oh, hi. Come on in.” After he was inside and the door was closed, the girl said, “You look sort of glum tonight, Don? Anything to do with me?”
    Early said, “Not exactly, no. I happened to run into . . . no, never mind. There’s not any reason to trouble you with that.”
    “Does it,” the girl asked as she crossed to the sofa, “have something to do with me?”
    Early watched her seat herself. “Not exactly,” he said. “How have you been getting along here?”
    “As well as can be expected. It’s very posh, this suite. When you have to spend every minute here, though . . . I tried to listen to the soap operas on the radio this morning, but I find myself laughing at the problems of Ma Perkins and Helen Trent instead of sympathizing with them.”
    “Eventually you’ll be able to go back to work.”
    “Yes, I’d like to.”
    “Right now it doesn’t seem safe to try.” Pulling a straight chair out from the wall, Early straddled it. “Have you been able to remember anything else about your visitor?”
    The blond girl picked up a yellow tablet from the lamp table. “I think, Don, that I’m starting to see some of what happened to me, to remember