The Golden Gizmo Read Online Free PDF Page A

for her to precede him. He closed it, set his gold- buyer's box upon the writing table, and sank into a chair.
    Elaine sat half-on half-off the bed, her back to its head. She loosened the foil on the bottle with her teeth, tossed the cap away, and took a long gurgling drink.
    "How do you like them apples, prince?" She crinkled her eyes at him. "Prince-spelled with a k . What do you say we have another one?"
    She had another one and again lowered the bottle. "Well, let's have the sermon, prince. If you don't get started we'll be late for prayer meeting."
    "Kid, I-I-" Toddy broke off and rubbed his eyes. "Where do you get the dough to do these things, Elaine! Who gives it to you?"
    "Try and find out. Everyone's not as chinchy as you are."
    "I'm not stingy. You know that. I'd do anything in the world to help you-really help you."
    "Who the hell wants your help?"
    "Wherever you get the money, whoever gives it to you, they're not your friends. They're the worst enemies you could have. Can't you see that, kid? Can't you see that some day you're going to get into something that you can't get out of-that neither I nor anyone else can get you out of? You've got intelligence. You-"
    He broke off, scowling; for a moment he wanted nothing but to get his hands on her, to-to… And then his scowl faded, and the near-murderous impulse passed; and despite himself he chuckled.
    Elaine had drawn her face down into a ridiculous mask of solemnity. It was impossible not to laugh at her.
    "Okay. So it's no use." He sighed and lighted a cigarette. "Go on and get yourself cleaned up. I'll check in with Milt, and we'll have dinner when I get back."
    "Who the hell's dirty? Who wants dinner?"
    "You are," said Toddy, rising. "You do. Now, get in that bathroom and get busy!"
    Elaine scrambled off the bed and ran to the bathroom door. She paused before it, clutching the knob in one hand, the bottle in the other. Eyes twinkling venomously, she screamed.
    The blood-chilling, spine-tingling shrieks piled one upon the other-rose to a crescendo of terror and pain. Then they ended abruptly as she slammed and locked the door.
    Above the noise of the shower, he heard her spitefully amused laughter. Trembling a little, he crossed to the phone and waited. It began to ring. He lifted it and spoke dully into the transmitter.
    "All right… we'll stop. Yeah, yeah. I know. Okay, you don't hear anything now, do you? Well, all right!"
    He slammed up the receiver, hesitated glowering. He lighted another cigarette, took a deep consoling puff, and flipped open the lid of his box. He blinked.
    What the hell? he thought. How the hell? Let's see… I'd just picked the thing up, and, yeah, the lid of the box was open. And then Chinless tried to kick me, and the dog cut loose, and …
    Very slowly his hand dipped down and lifted out the watch… the watch from the house of the talking dog.

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    He noticed its weight this time; it sagged in the hand that held it. If he had any ability at all to estimate weights-and he had a great deal-this thing weighed a full pound. Of course, most of that weight would be in the works he knew. Even on the thick old-fashioned jobs like this, the maximum weights on cases seldom ran over thirty pennyweight, one and a half ounces. The case on a modern watch, with its thin movement, would weigh little more than half that much.
    He took the loupe from his box and carried the watch over to the dresser. Snapping on a lamp, he made a small scratch in the case with his nail. Loupe in eye, he studied the now-magnified indentation. He whistled softly.
    Twenty-four karat. Twenty-four karat! The stuff was practically never used in jewelry; never except, perhaps, in insignia and tiny plated areas. It was too soft, not to mention its cost. So…?
    Toddy lowered the watch and stood striking it absently against the palm of his hand. There was a tiny plip ping sound, and the movement, face and crystal flew off. Flew off in one piece. Toddy stared at them, at