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man, he was invaluable to Radnitz who preferred to keep in the background. Whenever there was an important operation, Radnitz gave his instructions, and Lindsey carried them out with unfailing success.
    It was fortunate for Lindsey that he liked luxury hotels for he spent his entire life moving from one hotel to another, crossing the Atlantic sometimes as often as three times a week, visiting European cities to fix up a deal here and a merger there, staying at the best hotels where he was known to be a big spender and always received immediate and excellent service.
    On the afternoon of October 26th, Lindsey was sitting in the foyer of the Washington Hilton Hotel, watching the busy scene, relaxed, his well shaped hands folded in his lap, his pale blue eyes regarding the men and women who came and went, speculating on who they were and what they did for a living. Lindsey was always interested in people, no matter how rich or poor they might be.
    A few minutes to three o’clock, he saw Alan Craig enter the hotel and look around, hesitating. He got slowly to his feet and crossed the foyer, his charming smile lighting up his face, thinking how bad Craig looked. The stupid fellow couldn’t have been sleeping well, Lindsey thought. Well, that was not surprising. If you led the life Craig led, sooner or later, there had to be a blow-back.
    “Hello, Alan,” he said in his soft cultured voice. He made no offer to shake hands. “Punctual as always. Let us go upstairs.”
    Craig looked at him, his face drawn and set. Wordlessly, he followed Lindsey to the elevator, rode up with him to the third floor and followed him along the corridor to Lindsey’s suite.
    “I hope you were successful,” Lindsey said as he closed the door.
    Still saying nothing, Craig took the camera in its leather case from his pocket and handed it to Lindsey.
    “Sit down. I won’t be long. Do you want a drink?”
    Craig shook his head and sat down.
    “Excuse me. I will be as quick as I can,” and Lindsey left the room. He entered the bathroom. Here, he had a developing tank, the chemicals mixed and a red safe light installed. Working with quick efficiency, he developed the film, fixed it, washed it, then turning on the overhead light, he examined the negatives with a powerful magnifying glass.
    These Japanese cameras are really remarkable, he thought as he studied the needle sharp negatives. Satisfied, he hung the strip of film up to dry and returned to the sitting-room.
    Craig looked at him, his face white and haggard.
    “Perfectly satisfactory,” Lindsey said, then unlocking a drawer in his desk, he took out a thick envelope and handed it to Craig. “The bargain is completed, I think.”
    Craig peered into the envelope. He saw the negatives and the prints.
    “How do I know you haven’t copies?” he demanded, his eyes desperately searching Lindsey’s calm face.
    “My dear boy, you should know me better than that,” Lindsey said quietly. “A bargain is a bargain. I don’t cheat.”
    Craig hesitated, then nodded wretchedly.
    “Yes . . . I’m sorry.” He paused, then went on, “The formula is useless. I — I wouldn’t have given it to you if I thought the code could be broken. It can’t! Do you hear? It is useless! It can’t be broken!”
    “So I understand,” Lindsey said mildly. “Well, never mind. My principal wants it. What he does with it is no concern of ours. We now have it. You have what you want, and the matter is concluded. Thank you.”
    Craig stared at him, then snatching up the envelope, he went quickly from the room.
    Lindsey walked over to the telephone.
    “Is Mr. Silk there, please?” he asked the operator.
    “Yes, sir. One moment, sir.”
    There was a moment’s delay, then a voice said, “Silk”.
    “He’s on his way down now,” Lindsey said.
    “Okay.”
    Craig had to wait a few minutes before a taxi pulled up outside the hotel. He waited until the fare had paid off the driver, then climbed into the taxi,