She looked hurt again. "Yes, but will you please put this package in my
car?"
"I will," said Slim, through tight jaws. "But--"
"Why, that looks just like the building inspector's car," she said,
wide-eyed. "It's his number, too."
"Madam," begged Slim, "you're no dummy; please leave now and let us get
on with our work."
She walked upstairs dubiously. Slim was studying the enormous car with
a hopeless look on his face. Orders for cars to be taken out were
pouring down the chute.
"What are we going to do now? We can't run that car into the other
stall, because it's too big. It will take all night to build another
stall, and no doubt the inspector is waiting up there with a squad of
cops, hoping something will happen. After all, we're costing LaBombard
a million bucks." His eyes opened suddenly. "I'll bet he sent the woman
down here to spy on us."
A car came down the ramp and went into the reducing stall, and Slim
automatically set the dial.
* * * * *
The telephone rang, and I could hear the voice from where I stood.
"The building inspector wants his car."
"Coming right up," Slim said.
Then he looked at me. I looked at him. "Get that safe open," he jerked
out. I dived for it.
I was spinning the combination when I heard the voices. The building
inspector was riding the ramp down to the basement. Then I heard more
voices and saw the bottom half of two cops and Richard LaBombard on the
freight elevator.