hind his desk, he looked at her in what he hoped was
reassurance. "Just tell us where you got the money, Zusanette."

Steve reached out a hand suddenly and took her bag from her lap. She
gasped and snatched at it, but he eluded her and she sat back, her chin
trembling again.

Steve came up with a thick sheaf of bills, the top ones, at least, all
fifties and tossed them to Larry's desk. He took out a school pass and
read, "Susan Self, Elwood Avenue." He looked up at Larry and said, "That's
right off Eastern, near Paterson Park in the Baltimore section of town,
isn't it?"

Larry said to her, "Zusanette, I think you'd better tell us where you got
all this money."

"I found it," she said defiantly. "You can't do anything to me if I simply
found it. Anybody can find money. Finders keepers--"

"But if it's counterfeit," Steve interrupted dryly, "it might also be,
finders weepers."

"Where did you find it, Zusanette?" Larry said gently.

She tightened her lips, and the trembling of her chin disappeared. "I ...
I can't tell you that. But it's not counterfeit. Daddy ... my father said
it was as good as any money the government prints."

"That it is," Steve said sourly. "But it's still counterfeit, which makes
it very illegal indeed to spend, Miss Self."

She looked from one of them to the other, not clear about her position.
She said to Larry, "You mean it's not _real_ money?"

He kept his tone disarming, but shook his head, "I'm afraid not,
Zusanette. Now, tell us, where did you find it?"

"I can't. I promised"

"I see. Then you don't know to whom it originally belonged?"

"It didn't belong to anybody."

Steve Hackett made with a disbelieving whistle. He was taking the part of
the tough, suspicious cop; Larry the part of the understanding,
sympathetic officer, trying to give the suspect a break.

Susan Self turned quickly on Steve. "Well, it didn't. You don't even
know."

Larry said, "I think she's telling the truth, Steve. Give her a chance.
She's playing fair." He looked back at the girl, and frowned his
puzzlement. "All money belongs to _somebody_ doesn't it?"

She had them now. She said superiorly. "Not necessarily to some_body_. It
can belong to, like, an organization."

Steve grunted skepticism. "I think we ought to arrest her," he said.

Larry held up a hand, his face registering opposition. "I'll handle this,"
he said sharply. "Zusanette is doing everything she can to co-operate." He
turned back