The floor was strewn with empty safe-deposit boxes.

At that instant the alarms sounded deafeningly and all of the security lights began an eye-stabbing flashing. The captain was shouting into his phone, then waved forward the jumble of policemen that was coming through the door.

“Get a squad around to the back of the bank.” He turned to Bolivar. “Is there a rear entrance to the bank?”

Bolivar nodded. “There is a a small pedestrian entrance, as well as a garage entrance for armored van deliveries.”

“Got it. I want this building surrounded so tight that a gnat can’t get out. The perpetrators are probably still in the bank. Move it!”

They moved. Then he ordered up a heavily armed squad. “Shoot anything that as much as twitches,” he said.

“I assume that does not include us,” Bolivar said. The captain ignored this levity. “Take us to the rear entrances,” he ordered.

Bolivar obliged. I trailed behind, anxious to see what was happening, but at the same time not wanting to draw their attention to me. Bolivar unlocked the doors as we went. Through offices and storerooms to a final door.

“This opens into the garage area,” he said.

“Unlock it-then step aside.” He waved a command and an armed and armored zap squad moved forward. “When I open this, get in there. Don’t take any chances. Fire first.”

They nodded grim agreement, stood poised.

The door flew open and they charged through it. Firing into the darkness as they ran. Bolivar reached in and turned the lights on.

Layers of gunsmoke drifted in the air. The room was empty.

“Open the outer door,” the captain ordered.

Bolivar threw the switch. Motors whirred and gears ground as the heavy armored door sank down into the ground. We waited tensely, guns ready. There were people outside.

Another row of policemen, also aiming guns.

“Don’t fire!” Bolivar shouted at the trigger-happy cops. “We’re all on the same side!”

Fingers twitched, then relaxed. Safety switchs were turned on.

“Can you explain how this happened?” Captain Kidonda said, turning on Bolivar.

“Certainly not. I was at the theater as well.”

“But you know what happened?”

“I know exactly as much as you do. The money machine was pulled out of the wall. And somehow, someway, person or persons unknown entered the vault and removed all of its contents.”

“How?”

“How should I know?”

“You should know because that is your job.” The captain was losing his temper. “And I am beginning to think that this was an inside job. Planned by someone who knew exactly how to open the vault. Then took himself off to the circus for an alibi.”

“I don’t need an alibi!” Bolivar said heatedly. “I did not do it, had nothing to do with it. Can’t you get that fact through your thick skull?”

“Insulting a police officer in the course of his duty!” the captain roared. “That is a criminal act! Arrest this man!” he shouted and burly rozzers leaped forward to seize my son.

“You can’t do that! “ I shouted, swinging the computer like a weapon as I started forward. The captain got in my way.

“Not only can I do that-but I can throw you in the pokey beside him if I hear another word from you!”

“Forget it, Dad. It’s all some kind of mistake.”

“Your mistake!” the police oaf said grimly. “A new manager from offplanet is most suspicious.” He hesitated a moment, listening to the telephone in his ear. “Right. The commissioner agrees with me. I have orders to bring you in.” He jerked a fat thumb in my direction. “You get out of here or you are also going to be in big trouble.”

His breath was redolent of the last three or four meals he had had, his voice gravelly with disdain. I glanced over his shoulder at Bolivar-who gave me a quick wink. I understood. Don’t get involved now. Don’t make a scene. Get out of here then think of more subtle ways of solving the current problem. Other than running off at the mouth. His was a mighty informative wink.

I cringed. “Dear, sir,” I whined. “You must forgive me, carried away by these terrible events, you are of course right. Justice will be served. While I crawl back to my miserable hovel and berate myself deeply at my mistake.”

I bowed and hunched and shuffled backwards away from the scene. Gold-braid was about to say something when Bolivar pulled free of one policeman and planted a solid punch on the other. There was much avid cursing and struggling that covered my exit. I crossed the police lines and waved down a cab that was slowly cruising by as the driver ogled the scene.

“Pull over.” I said. “Start the meter, stay here, we are waiting for someone.”

He was happy to oblige. Enjoying the arrival of the siren screaming van that backed up to the front of the bank. There was a quick glance of people getting in the rear door, then it pulled away.

“Follow that vehicle,” I said.

“No way! Them’s security police and they are bad news.”

“Only to the guilty. I am a newspaper reporter on assignment and here is my identification.”

I passed over a golden fifty-credit coin that he took with some hesitation. “Okay. But I’m not getting close.”

The traffic was light enough to follow from a distance. We could clearly see the police van drive through an open door in an immense dark and ugly building. The driver hit the brakes and we screeched to a stop.

“Out, out!” he squeaked. I opened the door but took my time about leaving.

“What building is that?”

A moan and a gasp was my answer. Finally he choked out the words. “That’s … Slawter House … headquarters of the Fiscal Constabulary. Also known as the Roach Motel. They go in-but they don’t come out.” I closed the door and gave him some more money.

“That’s great. This will make a fine story and my editor will be pleased. Now take me to the Waldorf-Castoria where my employer awaits my arrival.” A chill passed over me since it was Angelina who was waiting. I knew in advance what her reaction would be when I arrived. The cab was fleet, the distance short, her wrath understandable.

“You let them imprison our son?” Angelina said with venom in her voice and murder in her eye.

“I was ready to take them out-but Bolivar said no. He winked at me.”

“He has an old head on a young body. Probably saved your life-taking on the entire police force at your age. What’s next?”

“We get him out of there. The course of events has taken a very ominous turn. There are too many coincidences and I don’t believe in that. But I do believe in active malice. I am sure that our role in this affair has been rumbled. First, we are here in this city when the robberies occur. And it is a totally different kind of crime from the previous ones. Always before. there has been no alarm-but the banks have been found cleaned out in the morning. Now we have a cash machine plucked out with noise and jumble. That has never happened before. Then, when we are inside the bank, the vault is apparently robbed just before our eyes. No good. We get Bolivar out now. But we have to have a good alibi for the time when all this is happening.”

“You have arranged that?”

“I will. Or rather you will. Call down for great amounts of food and– drink. We are going to have a party.”

While she did this I dug our apparatus out of the bags, stuffed needed items into my pockets. A portable radio filled with functions never imagined by its manufacturer. A camera that took good pictures-but picture taking was probably the simplest of its functions, only the smallest fraction of its abilities. I had just finished changing into dark clothes when I heard the door announcer. I was sitting on the couch with a lit cigar when the trolleys rolled in.

“Eat drink and be merry!” I announced, tipping freely and breaking open a bottle of bubbly. But as soon as the door closed I jumped to my feet and produced the webber from my pocket. “We go,” I said. “Garbed in black and ready for action.”