“a minute for what?’ grundy asked.
“just to hear a poor man’s story.”
“i just read a story in a magazine. it was pretty good. i don’t need to hear another one right now. now, if you will excuse me - “
“aw, don’t be that way.. you are a secret service man, aren’t you ?”
“are you kidding? do I look like a secret service man?”
the man hesitated. “all right. I was just asking.”
when he got inside the flower shop, grundy wondered if the guy’s approaching him was a test, to see if he would report it? the more he thought about it, what else could it be?
and should he call and report it “right away” or could it wait until he reported back the next day? if it was a test, it was probably a test to see if he would indeed report it “right away.”
while mrs carlton selected and wrapped the flowers for his mother, grundy, with a sigh, took out his phone and called the service “code white” hotline and left a message describing his encounter.
he hoped they were happy now.
but when he got back outside in the street with the flowers, the phone rang in his pocket.
it was lieutenant taft. he sounded excited, boy scout excited. grundy repeated his message. taft asked him some questions, but grundy did not have anything much to add.
“how long ago was this?” taft asked.
“five minutes, ten minutes.”
“you did right to report this, grundy, but maybe you should have engaged this individual in conversation, got some details in what he wanted.”
“what! nobody said anything about that,” grundy protested. “just to report if anybody asked questions.”
“it was just a suggestion,” taft said. “listen, he can’t have gotten very far away.”
“he could if he had a space ship. or a teleport device.”
“stay where you are,” taft said. “i will be right over, and we will try to pick up his trail.”
“i am only three doors from my apartment. i have to drop something off, pick me up in front of my apartment.” grundy signed off before taft could answer.
what a monumental drag the service could be. at times like this grundy wished he was back working at ray’s ten cent store.
when the phone did not buzz back right away, he headed for the apartment to give his mother her flowers.
who knew who or what taft would bring with him? he would rather not be picked up carrying the bouquet of flowers.
*
roselli was driving the unmarked car, with taft in the back seat. grundy was relieved it was not hogan driving.
grundy got in the front beside roselli. “which way did the fellow go?” taft asked, without preliminaries.
“um - left, i think. toward the park.”
ros elli made a u turn and headed for the park.
“what did he look like ?” taft asked.
“nothing much. just a guy.”
“yes, he would look like that,” taft muttered. beside grundy, roselli laughed.
‘what was he wearing?’ taft continued.
“probably just clothes,” roselli said.
“he was wearing a jacket, “ said grundy. “i think it was blue - dark blue.”
“was he was wearing a hat?”
“i don’t think so.”
“it’s hard to spot a guy with no hat,” roselli said.
11. the msn in blue
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