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'THE HEART OF THIS CLOCK HAS STOPPED TICKING,' they read 'THE BEATS OF YOUR OWN HEART ARE NUMBERED, I KNOW THAT NUMBER AND I HAVE STARTED TO COUNT'

The ned '1234567…?' They stood up

'Heyman stuff'

'But how the hell did he know you were here?' asked Dexter

Bond told him of the black sedan on 55th Street 'But the point is,' said Bond, 'how did he knohat I was here for? Shows he's got Washington pretty well sewn up Must be a leak the size of the Grand Canyon soton?' asked Dexter testily 'Anyway,' he controlled hih, 'Hell and damnation Have to , Mr Bond Glad you came to no har-card I must return the compliment'

CHAPTER IV

THE BIG SWITCHBOARD

WHEN Dexter and his colleague had gone, taking the remains of the bomb with them, Bond took a da for the waiter and, without explanation, told hilass on his check and clear away the breakfast things Then he took his hat and coat and went out on the street

He spent theai crowds He gradually assiait and manners of a visitor from out of town, and when he tested himself out in a few shops and asked the way of several people he found that nobody looked at him twice

He had a typical As' ('The Eggs We Serve Toton Avenue and then took a cab don to police headquarters, where he was due to meet Leiter and Dexter at 230

A Lieutenant Binswanger of Homicide, a suspicious and crusty officer in his late forties, announced that Commissioner Monahan had said that they were to have complete co-operation from the Police Depart's police record, which more or less duplicated Dexter's inforraphs of most of his known associates

They went over the reports of the US Coastguard Service on the cos of the yacht Secatur and also the comments of the US Customs Service, who had kept a close watch on the boat each ti

These confirular intervals over the previous six months and that she always tied up in the Port of St Petersburg at the wharf of the 'Ourobouros Worm and Bait Shippers Inc', an apparently innocent concern whose hout Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and further afield The company also had a profitable sideline in sea-shells and coral for interior decoration, and a further sideline in tropical aquarium fish--particularly rare poisonous species for the research departments ofto the proprietor, a Greek sponge-fisher fro business with his cooes of queen conchs and other shells frohly prized varieties of tropical fish These were purchased by Ourobouros Inc, stored in their warehouse and sold in bulk to wholesalers and retailers up and down the coast The naos No criminal record

The FBI, with the help of Naval Intelligence, had tried listening in to the Secatur's wireless But she kept off the air except for short es before she sailed froe which was unknown and completely indecipherable The last notation on the file was to the effect that the operator was talking in 'Language', the secret Voodoo speech only used by initiates, and that every effort would be

'More gold been turning up lately,' announced Lieutenant Binswanger as they walked back to his office from the Identification Bureau across the street '

'Bout a hundred coins a week in Harle about it? If you're right and these are Co it in pretty fast while we sit on our asses doin' nothing'

'Chief says to lay off,' said Dexter 'Hope we'll see so'

'Well, the case is all yours,' said Binswanger grudgingly 'But the Co this bastard crappin' away on his own front doorstep while Mr Hoover sits down in Washington well to leeward of the stink Why don't we pull him in on tax evasion or misuse of the mails or parkin' in front of a hydrant or suive'ee'

'D'you want a race riot?' objected Dexter sourly 'There's nothing against hi in half an hour by that blackfrom here to the Deep South When they're full of that stuff we all knohat happens Remember '35 and '43? You'd have to call out the Militia We didn't ask for the case The President gave it us and we've got to stick with it'

They were back in Binswanger's drab office They picked up their coats and hats

'Anyway, thanks for the help, Lootenant,' said Dexter with forced cordiality, as they made their farewells 'Been er stonily 'Elevator's to your right' He closed the door firmly behind them

Leiter winked at Bond behind Dexter's back They rode down to the main entrance on Centre Street in silence

On the sidewalk, Dexter turned to theton this ,' he said unemotionally 'Seeo down to St Petersburg tomorrow Leiter's to find out what he can there and then ht on to Jamaica with you, Mr Bond That is,' he added, 'if you'd care to have hi It's your territory'

'Of course,' said Bond 'I was going to ask if he could come anyway'

'Fine,' said Dexter Then I'll tell Washington everything's fixed Anything else I can do for you? All coot the nanals routine and so forth'

'If Leiter's interested and if you don't et up to Harleht help to have so's back yard'

Dexter reflected