Page 159 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Breaking the Grapefruit Connection
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They lay quietly while from outside the room came the sounds of
running feet and the continuing alarm bell. Then silence.
After waiting several hours, Captain Kaga suddenly felt a change in
temperature and a slight shift in the grapefruit below him. He tensed.
The mass-energy exchange had been made.
“Well, that’s the last we’ll see of those guys,” said someone very
close to the sacks of fruit.
“And the last the police will see of them, too,” rejoined another,
not much farther away. ‘‘I still can’t get over the way Pamplemousse
does it. He just locks himself up in there and whoosh! In a flash it‘s
done.”
“Yeah, well, we’re not supposed to talk about it. You know the
penalty for getting too curious about his method.”
“I do indeed! Listen: let’s not bother unloading all these sacks.
There’s no rush. I heard him say he’s bringing someone over just
before lunch, and we’ll need some of these grapefruit then. Let’s go
outside for a smoke.’’
“Good idea.”
Footsteps trailed off and a door closed.
“Lugo!” hissed Kaga. “Let’s get moving. Do you know where we
are?”
‘‘Yes,” replied Lugo, as he peeled off his sack. ‘‘Shall we make a
discreet but hasty exit from the premises?”
“No, not yet. I want to take care of Pamplemousse first. I’ll need a
couple of things. Can we reach your quarters undetected?’’
“I think so. They’re not far away, and most of these fake monks
are probably off somewhere else right now.”
They slipped out of the room and crept down a dark corridor lined
with small doors on both sides. Lugo stopped in front of one and
tried the handle. “It’s not locked,” he whispered, and slowly opened
the door. They went in. Kaga immediately began poking about the
place.
“Do you have a fax printer on your ComSet in here? Good. What
about a small mirror? Excellent. Let me get an image from the natural
history archives and we’ll be on our way.”
Five minutes later they were back in hallway, both clad in orange
robes. Observing the hypocritical vow of silence, they passed
unchallenged through the monastery to Pamplemousse’s rooms.
There they halted.
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