"Precisely," said Goil. "I don't believe someone did misplace or lose
those items. I believe someone took them for a purpose."
"That's ridiculous!" snapped Orrin. "Out here in space? For what?"
"Maybe we'll learn soon," said Goil. "One William Maloon should be on
his way here right now to do some explaining."
I turned cold all over. What had Willy done to expose himself so? I
wondered. Aloud I said:
"What has Willy to do with this, Mr. Goil? Willy is one of our best
men, completely trustworthy."
"A hard worker and really ambitious," added Orrin.
"No doubt," Goil said acidly. "Ambitious to his own ends. I've checked
Mr. Maloon's personnel records and I found some interesting things.
Mr. Maloon is not any sort of qualified engineer. Or even an expert
technician. Why, he's not even a good journeyman of any trade. His
only approach to some sort of claim to formal training is a single
correspondence course!"
"He's a good hard-working technician!" defended Orrin.
"Sure," said Goil. "He learned the hard way. Through experience," he
added sarcastically. "Can you tell me, Mr. Orrin, exactly what is Mr.
Maloon's job here?"
"He's an engineer fill-in," said Orrin with a trace of doubt in his
voice. "He's on call and handy for just about any job around here."
"In a limited capacity, no doubt," Goil said dryly. "And he apparently
does a lot of jobs around here he's not expected to do. A check of
your tool cribs and equipment storage shows that Maloon has had his
hands on just about everything you have available at one time or
another since he has been here. Mr. Maloon is a very busy man during
his off-duty hours, it seems."
"What has this to do with calling Willy in about the missing energizer
and generator?" I ventured to ask.
"Part of a suspicion," Goil said. "Maloon's use of company tools and
equipment increased just before the disappearance of those two pieces
of equipment. It may be significant or it may not. What is significant
is this: everybody having access to supply and equipment was out
participating in one way or another in the operation the other day. It
seems that everybody can be accounted for but Maloon. He could easily
have had time to get unauthorized items out of supply."
"This is fantastic!" snorted Orrin.
* * * * *
They don't know the half of it! I thought to myself.
I didn't want Willy to have to face Goil. Willy was weak in some
ways.... Aloud I said:
"I know Willy quite well, Mr. Goil. If you will let me talk to
him...."
"I'm sure you do," said Goil icily. "You and he came here together.
Even applied and were accepted for this job together," he added
significantly.
* * * * *
There was a mild knock on the door. It opened slowly and Willy stood
in the doorway, hesitating before entering, looking around the room.
He said:
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Goil?"
Mr. Garfield Goil, in spite of his somewhat unstable temperament, had
made rapid strides in his career to his present staff position. He was
no nincompoop. He was well educated and trained, and had apparently
learned to measure a man accurately and quickly. He so seemed to
measure Willy at a glance, drawing, no doubt, also from his recent
examination of Willy's records, and the personality profile he had
gleaned from it. Willy (he probably reasoned) for all his foibles
would be basically truthful, especially if confronted by Authority.
And he apparently was timid and obviously worried. Therefore, he must
have some cause to worry. Therefore, the impact of direct action
should produce quick results. Mr. Goil asked:
"Willy, we'd like to know what happened to the gravity generator and
the sub-space energizer."
Be it noted that it was a statement question and not an accusation.
But Goil said it in such a tone and manner that it implied that Willy
and only Willy could give an answer.
Willy felt and looked the impact of the words. He looked pleadingly at
me, whose eyes sought interest in one of the empty chairs. Then he
looked at Orrin for succor, but Orrin only stared back at Willy
half-accusingly.
But my own spirits had given a little jump at Goil's use of Willy's
given name. This had not happened before. And this was most
uncharacteristic of Goil, particularly in a situation like this one.
Could it be, I thought, Willy's personable influence working on Goil?
Willy floundered for words, then stammered out with, "I--I don't know
what you mean, Mr. Goil."
Goil, apparently confident that his attack was going well, said, "I'm
sure you do, Willy. Think. Wasn't it Thursday that you removed that
generator and the energizer from the stock room? These are very
expensive and complicated items, Willy. If they can be recovered, so
much the better. What could you possibly have done with them?"
"I--I didn't--" Willy started weakly.
Goil stood up from behind his desk, leaned forward, and his features
twisted even more in sudden anger. He shouted, "Maloon, you were the
only one who could have taken them! The only one who was not working
in the vaporizing operation. Maloon, I'm going to find those things,
and I'm going to prove you took them if I have to stay here for the
next six months! And then I'm going to fire you and prosecute you.
Maloon, what have you done with those things?"
Willy tried to sink right through the floor.