"Rick
and Scotty turned up a barber in Whiteside. It happened they had first
seen him in the project office building in Washington, so they got his
name and called. We were already checking on the barber, and knew he
was in Whiteside. We'll dig deeper until we know more about him than
he does. But for now, our information indicates he is just what he
claims to be. He got the job in Whiteside legitimately. He had planned
to take a new job for a long time. So far as we can tell, he's as
innocent as a woolly little lamb."

"Just the same," Rick said stoutly, "I'm not satisfied. I'd like to
get some more dope on that massage machine of his. Especially after
what Dr. Winston said."

Steve grinned. "Why don't you?"

Rick and Scotty looked at each other, and rose to the challenge. "We
will," they stated flatly.

Steve nodded. "All right. You're known in Whiteside and my men are
not. An influx of strangers, or even one inquisitive stranger, would
attract attention. But that's not all. I have another job for you,
too."

They waited eagerly.

"I want a survey of the area. My Boy Scout team can help somewhat, but
they're strangers, too, even though they have an explanation for their
presence. Scan the area for anything suspicious. Get your newspaper
pals on the job and have them sniff around for evidence of any strange
folks in the area. They can do it easily."

"We'll do it," Rick agreed. There was nothing hard about looking for
strangers in their own territory. He knew exactly how to go about it.

"All right. Search for strangers. Get your pals on the job, but do it
without tipping anything off. That State Police captain you've worked
with will be a big help, too. You can tell him national security is
involved, but that's all."

"At least we're not working entirely in the dark any more," Dr.
Morrison said wearily. "Even if the assumption of an enemy is wrong,
it's something to go on."

Rick stood up. The conference apparently was at an end.

"Tonight we'll plan," he announced. "And tomorrow we'll start. If
there are any strangers in the area, you'll have full particulars by
tomorrow night."

"That," said Steve Ames, "is a promise I'll hold you to."

CHAPTER XI

The Dangerous Resemblance

Rick stirred, and whatever he had been dreaming faded into vagueness.
He couldn't have said what he had been dreaming about. He was neither
asleep nor awake, but in the shadowland somewhere between. Something
as yet