Chapter 8

By three o’clock, he was again among the living. Maybe his occupations had had something to do with it; he’d spent about four hours supervising Operation Dismemberment, and then listening to the reports on the dismantled Cadillacs. It was nice, peaceful, unimportant work, but there just wasn’t anything else to do. FBI work was ninety-five per cent marking time, anyway. Malone felt grateful that there was any action at all in what he was doing.

Dr. Leibowitz had found all sort of things in the commandeered Caddies--everything from guns and narcotics to pornographic pictures in lots of three hundred, for shipment into New York City from the suburbs where the processing plant probably was. Of course, there had been personal effects, too--maps and lucky dolls and, just once, a single crutch.

Malone wondered about that for quite a while. Who’d just walk off and leave one crutch in a car? But people did things like that all the time, he finally told himself heavily. There wasn’t any explanation for it, and there probably never would be.

But in spite of the majestic assortment of valuables found in the cars, there was no sign of anything remotely resembling an electro-psionic brain. Dr. Leibowitz had found just about everything-- except what he was looking for.

At a quarter to three, Malone gave up. The search wasn’t quite finished, but he’d heard enough to last him for a long time. He grabbed a cab downstairs and went over to Lynch’s office to meet Kettleman.

The “social worker or something” was a large, balding man about six feet tall. Malone estimated his weight as close to two hundred and fifty pounds, and he looked every pound of it; his face was round without being chubby, and his body was stocky and hard. He wore black-rimmed glasses, and he was going bald in front. His face was like a mask; it was held in a gentle, almost eager expression that Malone would have sworn had nothing to do with the way Kettleman felt underneath.

Lynch performed the introductions, escorted the two of them to one of the interrogation rooms at the rear of the station, and left them there, with, “If either of you guys comes up with anything, let me know,” for a parting shot.

Kettleman blinked slowly behind his glasses. “Mr. Malone,” he said, “I understand that the FBI is interested in one of the--ah--adolescent social groups with which I work.”

“Well, the Silent Spooks,” Malone said. “That’s right.”

“The Spooks,” Kettleman said. His voice was rather higher than Malone would have expected, oddly breathy without much depth to it. “My, yes. I did want to talk to somebody about it, and I thought you might be the man.”

“I’ll be interested in anything you have to say,” Malone said diplomatically. He was beginning to doubt whether he’d get any real information out of Kettleman. But it was impossible to tell. He sat back in a hard wooden chair and tried to look fascinated.

“Well,” Kettleman said tentatively, “the boys themselves have sort of a word for it. They’d say that there was something oddball about the Spooks. Do you understand? Not just the fact that they never drink liquor, but--”

“Something strange,” Malone said. “Is that what you mean?”

“Ah,” Kettleman said. “Strange. Of course.” He acted, Malone thought, as if he had never heard the word before, and was both pleased and startled by its sound. “Perhaps I had better explain my position a little more clearly,” he said. “That will give you an idea of just where I ‘fit into’ this picture.”

“Whatever you think best,” Malone said, resigning himself to a very dull hour. He tried to picture Kettleman in the midst of a gang of juvenile delinquents. It was very hard to do.

“I’m a social worker,” Kettleman said, “working on an individual basis with these--social groups that the adolescents have formed. It’s my job to make friends with them, become accepted by them, and try to turn their hostile impulses toward society into more useful, more acceptable channels.”

“I see,” Malone said, feeling that something was expected of him. “That’s fine.”

“Oh, we don’t expect praise, we social workers,” Kettleman said instantly. “The worth of a good job well done, that’s enough for us.” He smiled. The effect was a little unsettling, as if a hippopotamus had begun to laugh like a hyena. “But to continue, Mr. Malone,” he said.

“Of course,” Malone said. “Certainly.”

“I’ve worked with many of the organizations in this neighborhood,” Kettleman said. “And I’ve been quite successful in getting to know them, and in being accepted by them. Of course, the major part of my job is more difficult, but--well, I’m sure that’s enough about my own background. That isn’t what you’re interested in, now, is it?”

He looked penitent. Malone said, “It’s all right. I don’t mind.” He shifted positions on the hard chair.

“Well, then,” Kettleman said, with the air of a man suddenly getting down to business. He leaned forward eagerly, his eyes big and bright behind the lenses. “There’s something very peculiar about those boys,” he said in a whisper.

“Really?” Malone said.

“Very peculiar indeed,” Kettleman said. “My, yes. All of the other social groups are afraid of them.”

“Big, huh?” Malone said. “Big strong boys who--”

“Oh, my, no,” Kettleman said. “My goodness, no. All of the Spooks are rather slight, as a matter of fact. They’ve got something, but it isn’t strength.”

“My goodness,” Malone said tiredly.

“I doubt if--in the language of my own groups--any one of the Spooks could punch his way out of a paper bag,” Kettleman said. “It’s more than that.”

“Frankly,” Malone said, “I’m inclined to agree with you. But what is this something that frightens everyone else?”

Kettleman leaned even closer. “I’m not sure,” he said softly. “I can’t say for certain, Mr. Malone. I’ve only heard rumors.”

“Well,” Malone said, “rumors might--”

“Rumors are a very powerful force among my groups, Mr. Malone,” Kettleman said. “I’ve learned, over the years, to keep my ear to the ground, as it were, and pay very close attention to rumors.”

“I’m sure,” Malone said patiently. “But what did this particular rumor say?”

“Well,” Kettleman said, and stopped. “Well,” he said again. And at last he gulped and got it out. “Magicians, Mr. Malone. They say the Spooks are magicians--that they can come and go at will. Make themselves invisible. All sorts of things. Of course, I don’t believe that, but--”

“Oh, it’s quite true,” Malone said, solemn faced.

“It’s what?”

“Perfectly true,” Malone said. “We know all that.”

“Oh, my,” Kettleman said. His face took on a whitish cast. “Oh, my goodness,” he said. “Isn’t that--isn’t that amazing.” He swallowed hard. “True all the time,” he said.

“Magicians. I--”

“You see, this information isn’t new to us,” Malone said.

“Oh,” Kettleman said. “No. Of course not. My. It’s--rather disconcerting to think about, isn’t it?”

“There,” Malone said, “I agree with you.”

Kettleman fell silent. Malone offered him a cigarette, but the social worker refused with a pale smile, and Malone lit one for himself. He took a couple of puffs in the silence, and then Kettleman said, “Well, Mr. Malone, Lieutenant Lynch did say that I was to tell you everything I could about these boys.”

“I’m sure we all appreciate that,” Malone said at random, wondering exactly what he meant.

“There is--well, there is one more thing,” Kettleman said. “Ordinarily, of course, I wouldn’t say anything about this to anyone. In my line of work, Mr. Malone, you learn the need for confidence. For being able to keep one’s word.”

“Certainly,” Malone said, wondering what startling new fact was on its way now.

“And we certainly try to keep the confidence of the boys,” Kettleman said maddeningly. “We wouldn’t betray them to the police in any way unless it were absolutely necessary.”

“Betray them? Mr. Kettleman,” Malone said, “just what are you trying to tell me?”

“It’s about their meeting place,” Kettleman said. “Oh, my. I’m not at all sure I ought to tell you this.” He wrung his pale fat hands together and looked at Malone appealingly.

“Now, now,” Malone said, feeling foolish. “It’s perfectly all right. We don’t want to hurt the Spooks. Not any more than we have to. You can tell me, Mr. Kettleman.”

“Oh,” Kettleman said. “Well, the Spooks do have a sort of secret meeting place, you know. And they meet there.”

He stopped. Malone said, “Where is it?”

“Oh, it’s a big empty warehouse,” Kettleman said. “I really feel terrible about this. They’re meeting there tonight sometime, or that’s what the rumors say. I shouldn’t be telling you--”

“Of course you should,” Malone said, trying to sound reassuring. “Don’t worry about a thing, Mr. Kettleman. Tonight?”

“That’s right,” Kettleman said eagerly. He grinned, and then looked morosely down at his hands.

“Do you know where this warehouse is?” Malone said. “If any of the other little social groups use it--”

“Oh, no, they don’t,” Kettleman said. “That’s what makes it so funny. You see, the warehouse is deserted, but it’s kept in good repair; there are bars on the windows, and it’s protected by all sorts of alarm systems and things like that. So none of the others can use it. Only the Spooks. You can’t get in without a key, not at all.”

“But do the Spooks--” Malone began.

“Oh, no,” Kettleman moaned. “They don’t have a key. At least, that’s what the other groups say. The Spooks just--just melt borough the walls, or something like that.”

“Mr. Kettleman,” Malone said, “where is this warehouse?”

“I shouldn’t be telling you this,” Kettleman said.

Malone sighed. “Please, Mr. Kettleman. You know we’re working for the good of those boys, don’t you?”