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"Could it be a si in? A lot of employees have access to the phones out there"

"Notwe do is top secret, but we all say things we’d rather not have spread around So me look very bad Is there some way you can check it out?"

"I can try," I said "What about the phone itself? Have you tried unscrewing the mouthpiece?"

"Sure, but I don’t knohat the inside of a receiver’s supposed to look like I’ up any odd noises or clicks, I will say that"

"You wouldn’t if the tap is set up properly It’d be virtually undetectable Of course, it ht not be that at all," I said "Maybe the office itself is bugged"

"In which case, what? Is that so you can spot?"

"Sometimes, with luck It’s also possible to buy an electronic device that will scan for bugs I’ll see if I can locate one before I come out Give me a couple of hours and I’ll s I probably ought to take care of first"

"Right Thanks"

I took the next hour to type upthe newspaper article about the explosion to include with my files I tried Lyda Case’s telephone number in Texas on the off chance that her roommate had heard from her It would help if I kne to find her here in Santa Teresa

At 9:10,fro as if she had a hand cupped over thetrouble," she said

I could feel e the subject abruptly, you’ll know Mac walked in," she murmured "I overheard a conversation between him and Jewel He says someone tipped the cops about the warehouse inventory It looks like Lance Wood moved all the merchandise to another location before his warehouse burned down The inventory he claimed reim-bursement for was all worthless junk"

"That’s bullshit," I said "I saw soh five or six boxes when I inspected the place"