He had to locate and unmask a man who did not shrink from cold-blooded murder. It couldn’t have been Soleri. A successful saboteur would not have sought out Talbot to help him. Neither would he have killed himself. And it could not have been Randy. The trouble had begun long before she had been hired. It wasn’t Frescura, for he had not only initiated the project. He had pushed it through with all the influence at his command. Taft was still unaccounted for. But he was the president of the company and it was inconceivable that he would launch a criminal conspiracy against his own interests. Nevertheless Talbot made up his own mind. His extreme sensitivity was his most valuable weapon. He intended to find out just how far it would take him. He completed the tour of the plant and went back to the office. He called Randy, and immediately took up the problem of Taft. “I still haven’t answered his invitation,” he told her. Her eyes clouded. “I know,” she said. “I’ll notify the department heads that you won’t be in the plant for a few days--beginning Wednesday.” “I’ll be here,” he said. “I want you to dream up an excuse why I can’t go. Make it good. I trust your social sense.” “You can’t do that,” she protested. “Have you seen the latest statement from accounting?” “I have. We’ll need funds before long.” “You don’t turn down an invitation from the president when you may need his help.” “You do when there are graver issues at stake. I’ve got to begin somewhere. The top is a good place.” “A dangerous place,” she said. “I’m not thinking about that.” “You’d better,” she said. “Unless--have you got a cushion?” “In a way,” he said. “Somebody wants this project to fail, badly enough kill anyone who stands in his way. Good, we’ll let it come close to failure. We’ll see if there is any attempt made to interfere--” “You’re the boss,” she shrugged. “I hope it works.” “It will.” He flung himself into his work for the remainder of the afternoon. Facts and figures went into his head and what came out was a reasonable duplication of what Soleri had known. He finished late. Most of the office force had gone home. A few technicians were working in the shop. Tired and numb he took an aircab. Twenty moments later he was letting himself into his apartment. He wasn’t imagining it. There was someone in the apartment. Still, Soleri would inevitably have visitors now and then. It was nothing to be afraid of. He went in. Randy smiled at him. “Hello, darling,” she said. VI Frescura got up hastily as he heard Taft’s familiar voice in Randy’s office. “I’ll leave,” he said, folding the sheet Talbot had just signed. “Stick around,” Talbot urged. “I’m sure he wants to see you.” He hadn’t thought Taft would come so soon, but he was not at all displeased. He was equally grateful for Frescura’s presence, feeling confident that it would provoke some interesting reactions. But he was destined to be disappointed.