listening. 'I mean, I '

She chuckled with throaty amus.e.m.e.nt. 'Oh, stop worrying, Mr

Bradley. I know you're not the playboy type. I really called because

I've got some information that I think might intrigue you.'

'What information?' he asked carefully.

'Wilson. You remember John Wilson?'

'Yes,' he replied, sitting up straight in his chair, even as the

mention of Wilson's name revived his feelings of bitter

disappointment. 'Of course I do. He's the reason you and I met in the

first place, so...'

'Still interested in him?'

'Well, not exactly. I mean...' He didn't quite know how to phrase it.

He didn't even want to think about it, since it made him mad and

frustrated. 'That project's sort of gone off the boil,' he tried. 'It kinda

got put on ice.'

'Ah-ha!'

'Right,' Bradley responded, already feeling too emotional just

hearing her voice.

'So explain, Bradley. I thought you were hot for Wilson.' 'I was, Gladys, but various things got in the way. Basically, it was

decided from above that what we had on Wilson wasn't enough to

establish him as someone worth wasting good government money on.

In short, I was taken off Wilson's case and given some others, so I

haven't done anything about him for some time. I asked them to give

me a few more days, but they cut me dead on the spot.'

'And when was that?'

'A couple of days after I'd visited MIT to check Wilson's

background and education. Since he'd gone from there to Cornell, I

was going to go there next, but when Taylor put a stop to the project...

Well, I was really disappointed and kinda lost interest.'

'I've been to Cornell,' Gladys said. 'I went there to visit a friend

before leaving for Europe; and since Wilson had once told me that

that's where he'd been educated, I decided to check his records while I

was there. I come cheap, so buy me lunch and I'll give it all to you.' At once embarra.s.sed and charmed by her unusual boldness,

Bradley practically stuttered, 'Well, I don't know, Gladys. I'm pretty