helped and she tried to
sit up.
"Take it easy," a voice cautioned and she let her head drop back against
someone's knees.
Lights were on now in the corridor and as consciousness returned Janet
recognized Helen leaning over her. Curt Newsom was massaging her arms
and grumbling to himself in anger.
"Feeling better?" Helen asked as Janet's eyes opened wide.
"I'll be all right, soon. I'd like another drink of water," said Janet.
A second glass of water followed the first and she felt stronger as her
head cleared.
"What happened?" she asked.
"That's what we'd like to know," said Curt. "We found you unconscious on
the floor a few minutes ago and the place smelled like a hospital."
"Look at Jim Hill's desk and see if the right hand drawer has anything
in it," Janet whispered to Curt and the tall cowboy hurried away to do
her bidding.
He returned almost instantly, shaking his head.
"Someone's pried the drawer open with a jimmy," he declared. "There
isn't a thing in the drawer."
Helen looked stricken.
"Don't tell me that manuscript you worked on all evening was in that
drawer," she said.
Janet looked beyond Helen and Curt to where half a dozen studio
employees, most of them from the engineering department, were clustered
looking at her and wondering what it was all about.
"I put the manuscript there just before I started down the hall," nodded
Janet. "It looks like it's gone."
There was a flicker of her right eyelid, barely visible to Helen and
Curt, and they caught its meaning and played the parts Janet wanted.
"Then that means they won't be able to bolster up the program for Ace
Pictures," wailed Helen. "The World Broadcasting Company will probably
lose its contract."
"Yep, and we'll all lose our jobs," groaned Curt. "Well, there's nothing
we can do about it now. We might as well go back to the hotel. We'll
report to Director Adolphi in the morning. Think you can walk if I
steady you?" The question was aimed at Janet.
"I'll make it all right," she said, but the steadying influence of
Curt's arm was welcome,
They walked down the corridor, across the reception lobby, and then sped
downward in an elevator.
When they were outside and comfortably ensconced in a taxi, Helen faced
her companion.
"Is the manuscript safe?" she asked.
"Unless Radio City burns down," replied Janet.
"Well, for goodness sake, where is it?"
"I slipped it under the rug in Jim's office and spread the s
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