Fantasy fiction; Science fiction; Subconsciousness -- Fiction
For a moment, neither of them spoke, and then, all of a sudden, Marc's
chin lifted, and his hands fell to the ground. "I'll bet that was a
frame up too," he said. "It was! I'm sure of it! Whoever has my brief
case, sent those wires to get the boys out of town, so they couldn't
get out another campaign. They're all out on a goose chase."
"Then all we have to do," Toffee said brightly, "is find out who sent
them. Then we'll know who to see about the brief case."
"Yeah. But how?"
"Call up their homes again."
"It might be an idea," Marc said, his hope rising faintly. "Come on
down from there. We'll have to find a drug store with a telephone."
With a shockingly familiar hand, Toffee grasped the cupid, and boosted
herself away from her perch. "Let's go!" she cried gaily, landing
lightly beside Marc. "I don't like this place much, anyhow. There isn't
enough life in it."
* * * * *
In the drug store, Toffee had just finished her third soda, and the
teen aged fountain attendant, chin on counter, to have a better view
of her, had just completed his fiftieth blissful sigh. He'd never seen
so dazzling a creature anywhere, before. Suddenly, they both looked up
as the door to the corner telephone booth burst open, and Marc came
hurrying out.
"I've got the name," he said excitedly. "It was a Mr. Polasky, whoever
that is. A few of the wives I talked to, said their husbands didn't
know who it was either, but left because the messages were so urgent.
It's my guess that the name's a phoney."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," he said, as though just realizing it for the first
time. "Good night! It's just another dead end, isn't it?"
For a moment, they gazed at each other worriedly, as the boy, overcome
by his consuming curiosity about Toffee, edged closer.
"I have it!" Toffee cried suddenly.
"What?" yelled Marc and the boy simultaneously. Marc turned witheringly
on the youngster, and he moved away again.
"I know what you can do," Toffee continued, pausing long enough to
reassure the boy with a radiant smile. "You call up the telegraph
company, and tell them you're Mr. Polasky. Tell them that you were
expecting answers to the wires you sent and you still haven't received
any. Then ask them to check to see if the wires were really delivered
and check back with you. When they say they will, ask them to check the
address and telephone number they have written down for you, and insist
that they read it to you, just to make sure. That way, you'll know
where Polasky lives, anyway,--or whoever it is."
Marc stared at her in amazement for a moment. "I don't know if it'll
work," he said, "but it's certainly worth a try, Toffee. You're
wonderful!" He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'm pretty darned surprised, myself," Toffee replied happily. "I'll
say it all over again, if you'll kiss me again." But Marc was already
on his way to the phone booth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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