thought you
always checked on everyone who might have a connection with a case."

"We do," Steve said flatly. "But we can't check on everyone in the
city of Washington. Consider, Rick. There are several hundred people
that work in the building and perhaps as many more who go there
regularly for perfectly legitimate reasons. We couldn't run a deep
check on all of them, and a superficial check wouldn't mean anything.
So we don't check. Instead, we make sure we know about the people the
scientists see regularly, and we give physical protection not only to
the scientists but to the floor they work on. We keep a careful check
to be sure our phones aren't tapped, and there's a scrambler on each
line. Of course the moment we get even a slight odor of fish, we run a
check. That's why we're working on your barber right now. We're also
checking the elevator operator."

"All right. I was off base, I guess."

"Not at all. I'd be disappointed if you didn't ask for explanations."

There was one other question in Rick's mind. "How do you know we
weren't followed back to Spindrift?"

Steve chuckled. "You had two cars on your tail. They'd have picked up
anyone who tried to follow Tom. What's more, our men at the airport
identified every plane that took off from the vicinity of Washington
for two hours after your departure."

Rick said sheepishly, "Sorry, Steve."

"Forget it. I'll be in touch with you, Rick."

Steve was right, of course. JANIG was on the job and would plug any
loose holes. And once Marks arrived, Spindrift would be the only base
the JANIG men had to cover. That would make it simpler. Rick decided
he might as well put the matter out of his mind.

Barby, Jan, and Scotty were waiting for him on the front porch.

Scotty asked, "What gives?"

"Steve says to forget it."

Jan frowned, her pretty face worried. "Barby told me about these odd
hunches you sometimes get. Aren't they ever wrong?"

Rick grinned. "I'll say they are. Don't worry, Jan. You're safe here."

Her dark eyes flashed at him. "I'm not worried about myself. I'm
worried about my father."

Rick apologized. "I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded. But
don't forget, Jan. Our father is in this, too. So we'll worry with
you--if there's any worrying to be done."

Barby changed the subject. "It's still early. Why can't we give Jan
another swimming lesson?"

They had started the day before teaching Jan how to use underwater
breathing apparatus.