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believe she would do such a thing.’
    ‘That’s right, but they would believe it if she had been per suaded by her boy-friend to let him have the keys and if he per suaded her to tell him about the electronic eye … they would believe that.’
    ‘But she hasn’t a boy-friend. She isn’t the type ever to have a boy-friend. What are you talking about?’
    ‘She’s going to have one,’ Calvin said and grinned, ‘and he’s going to be quite a boy. He’s going to grab that three hundred thousand dollar payroll and vanish into thin air.’
    She sat tense, watching him. ‘Explain … ’ she said sharply.
    ‘The more I think about it, the more certain I am that Alice is made for this job,’ Calvin said. ‘Don’t forget she had both keys to the vault when Lamb had his stroke. She would have had plenty of time to make an impression of my key before I arrived. It is easy enough to do with a piece of soap. She gives the im pression to her boy-friend who makes a duplicate key. She also tells him about this electronic eye arrangement. The trick of this hicky is it doesn’t come into operation until all the lights are out in the bank. All the boy-friend has to do is to remove all the light bulbs except the one in the vault and then turn on the light. The vault light c an’t be seen from the street and when it is on, the alarm system can’t operate.’
    ‘But Alice hasn’t a boy-friend and she isn’t likely ever to have one,’ Kit said impatiently.
    ‘Before I’ve done with her, she’s going to have a boy-friend, and the two of them will lift the payroll.’
    ‘But how are you going t o get her a boy-friend?’ Kit de manded. ‘She … ’
    ‘It’s a trick,’ Calvin said and got off the bed. He went over to the closet and took out the bottle of whisky. ‘Sure you won’t have one?’ he asked, waving the bottle towards her.
    ‘I told you … I don’t drink!’ she snapped. ‘What do you mean … a trick?’
    Calv in poured himself a drink, then sat on the edge of the bed.
    ‘Alice won’t know she has a boy-friend, but she’ll have one just the same. In actual fact, he won’t exist, but when the money vanishes, the police will be convinced it is her boy-friend who has taken it.’
    Kit’s brown eyes were suddenly alert with interest. ‘How is it done?’
    ‘We have only to convince two people: Major Hardy and Miss Pearson. The police will question them and t hey’ll tell them about the boy- friend. Naturally, you and I will also have seen him, but we’ll know he doesn’t exist whereas the old couple have got to believe he does.’
    ‘They may be old, but they’re no fools.’
    ‘I know … I know. I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but if w e handle it right, it’ll work.’
    ‘I still can’t see how it is don e. ’
    ‘We have time,’ Calvin said. He drank some of the whisky, set down the glass and lit a cigarette. ‘That’s the beauty of this thing … we have all the time in the world. So long as Lamb is out of action, I’m in charge of the bank. He’s going to be out of action for months, so that gives us time. We first have to create the boy-friend. You must drop a hint to Miss Pearson that you think Alice has found a beau. Say you’ve seen her out with h im. Miss Pearson will tell the m ajor. They have nothing else to do but to gossip. You must persuade Miss Pearson not to speak to Alice about her beau. Tell her it’ll embarrass her. They both like her and it shouldn’t be hard to make them keep quiet.’
    Kit made a movement of exasperation.
    ‘But she never goes out in the evening. She sits glued to the television. How could they believe she has a boy-friend if she never goes out to meet him?’
    ‘I’ve thought of that one,’ Calvin said. ‘You’d be surprised how much thinking I have been doing. In a few days, Alice is going to give up watching television. She’s going to work for a bank examination. She’s going to be in her room five nights a week.