desk sergeant said pleasantly. "Only
_Lieutenant_ Lynch doesn't want to subscribe to the Irish _Echo_."

"I'm the FBI." He showed his badge.

The desk sergeant took a good long look at it. "Maybe you are, and maybe
you aren't," he said at last. "Does the lieutenant know you?"

"We were kids together," Malone said. "We're brothers. Siamese twins.
Put him on the phone."

"Wait a minute," said the desk sergeant. "I'll check."

The screen went blank for two agonizing minutes before it cleared again
to show Lynch's face.

"Hello, Mr. Malone," Lynch said formally. "Have you found some new
little trick to show us poor, stupid policemen? Like, say, making
yourself vanish?"

"I'll make the whole police force vanish," Malone said, "in a couple of
minutes. I called to ask a favor."

"Anything," Lynch said. "Anything within my poor power. Whatever I have
is yours. Whither thou goest--"

"Knock it off," Malone said, and then grinned. After all, there was no
sense in making an enemy out of Lynch.

Lynch blinked, took a deep breath, and said in an entirely different
voice: "O.K., Malone. What's the favor?"

"Do you still have that list of Silent Spooks?" Malone said.

"Sure I do," Lynch said. "Why? I gave you a copy of it."

"I can't do this job," Malone said "You'll have to."

"Yes, sir," Lynch said, and saluted.

"Just listen," Malone said. "I want you to check up on every kid on that
list."

"And what are we supposed to do when we find them?" Lynch said.

"That's the trouble," Malone said. "You won't."

"And why not?"

"I'll lay you ten to one," Malone said, "that every one of them has
skipped out. Left home. Without giving a forwarding address."

Lynch nodded slowly. "Ten to one?" he said. "Want to make that a money
bet? Or does the FBI frown on gambling?"

"Ten dollars to your one," Malone said. "O.K.?"

"Made," Lynch said. "You've got the bet ... just for the hell of it,
understand."

"Oh, sure," Malone said.

"And where can I call you to collect?"

Malone shook his head. "You can't," he said. "I'll call you."

"I will wait with anxiety," Lynch said. "But it had better be before
eight. I get off then."

"If I can make it," Malone said.

"If you can't," Lynch said, "call me at home." He gave Malone the
number, and then added: "Whatever information I get, I can keep for my
own use this time, can't I?"

"You've already got all the information you're going to get. I just gave
it to you."

"Th