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“All he said was, ‘Grand Central, three-thirty pm’ ”

Bell grabbed his hat Enigmatic even by Scully’s standards, itof vital i for Yamamoto I’ll telephone from Grand Central if I can But soon as Ya for me”

JOHN SCULLY HAD DECIDED it was ti in Isaac Bell Truth be told, he admitted to himself as he hunted the public telephone pay station in Grand Central, it was past ti The old railroad station was being torn down and replaced by a vast new ter the telephones Where the telephones had been the last ti pit that offered a view of track levels descending sixty feet into the ground When he finally found the telephones, losing ten minutes in the process, he told the operator, “Van Dorn Detective Agency Knickerbocker” A uniformed attendant showed him into one of the wood-paneled booths

“Good afternoon,” came the dulcet tones of an operator chosen for her beautiful voice and clear head “You have reached the Van Dorn Detective Agency To whom do you wish to speak?”

“Message for Isaac Bell Tell him Scully said, ‘Grand Central, three-thirty pm’ Got that? ‘Grand Central, three-thirty pm’ ”

“Yes, Mr Scully”

He paid the attendant and hurried toward the track designated for the 20th Century Limited The ter over scaffolds and banging hammers on stone, steel, andcarts and barrows But at the Liate, beside which a blackboard said CHICAGO, co tickets, and her fa out onto the platforot this close to the fabled Chicago express, his troubles were over

“Jasper! Jasper Smith!”

Little Miss Knockout Drops froant traveling outfit capped by a broad-brimmed Merry Widow hat “What a wonderful coincidence Thank God, I found you!”

“How did you knoas here?”

“I didn’t I just saw you Oh, Jasper, I didn’t know if I would ever see you again You left in such a hurry last night”

So ay out of whack He looked around Where was her Hip Sing boyfriend? Already on the train? Then he saw cutting through the crowds of hurrying passengers a cigar-delivery cart wheeled by a Chinese And there were three wagonloads of construction debris hauled by Irish laborers The cart and wagons were converging on the to fend off the Indians

“What are you doing here?” he asked her

“Meeting a train,” she said

I stood outside that opera house like a sitting duck, thought Scully Long enough for the Hip Sing to get a line on me