"Plenty of time," the Captain said. "But not much to go on." He looked at me. "What do you think?"

"Might be able to identify the man," I said. "He'll be well over six feet—wouldn't surprise me if he were six-eight or nine. He'll have the build of a male gorilla. And he limps slightly with his right foot."

"Not bad. Anything else?"

"It's an apartment or a hotel room," I said. "I'd guess an apartment. The scanner screen by the door means it's either relatively new, or it's been remodeled. The living room has a corner location, with windows on two sides. It's hard to say for certain, but I believe there's an old-fashioned sofa—one of those with a back on it—along the far wall."

Walker slumped into a chair. "You make me feel better," he said. "I thought there was next to nothing to go on."

Captain Marks nodded. "But you missed one thing."

"What's that?"

"Our assailant is left-handed. Also—the limp may be something temporary. All right, Forsdon, it's all yours. Seven to twelve days, and you'd better plan on seven."

He went back to his office, and I looked at Walker. "Can you give me any idea at all as to the location?"

"I can draw you a circle on the map, but it's only about fifty-fifty that you'll find the place inside the circle."

"That's better than nothing."

"There is one thing," Walker said. "I'd like to have you wear this. Everywhere."

A band of elastic, with what looked like dark beads placed on it at intervals.

"It's an arm band," Walker said. "Cronus picks up these beads as bright spots. So I'll be able to identify you if you show up on the screen."

I hesitated, and he said, "The Captain wears one. We know it works, because Cronus has picked him up twice."

I took the arm band, and slipped it on.

I sat down with the map and a directory and worked until a technician came back with the developed film. Walker was still perspiring in front of Cronus. He hadn't been able to focus on the crime a third time. The Captain's door was closed, and his nasal voice was 

 Prev. P 4/17 next