I Will Fear No Evil Read Free Page A

since the middle of the twentieth century—why, I could phone a man I know of and have you photographed in your bath and you would never know it.”
    “Really? What a dreadful idea. How much does this person charge for such a job?”
    “Plenty. Depends on difficulty and how much chance he runs of being prosecuted. Never less than a couple of thousand and then up like a kite. But he can do it.”
    “Well!” Eunice looked thoughtful, then smiled. “Mr. Salomon, if you ever decide that you must have such a picture of me, phone me for a competitive bid. My husband has an excellent Chinese camera and I would rather have him photograph me in my bath than some stranger.”
    “Order, please,” Smith said mildly. “Eunice, if you want to sell skin pictures to that old lecher, do it on your own time. I don’t know anything about these gadgets but I know how to solve this. Eunice, go out to where they telemeter me—I think it’s next door in what used to be my upstairs lounge. You’ll find Miss MacIntosh there. Hang around three minutes. I’ll wait two minutes; then I’ll call out: ‘ Miss Maclntosh! Is Mrs. Branca there?’ If you hear me, we’ll know she’s snooping. If you don’t, come back at the end of three minutes.”
    “Yes, sir. Do I give Miss MacIntosh any reason for this?”
    “Give the old battle-ax any stall you like. I simply want to know if she is eavesdropping.”
    “Yes, sir.” Eunice started to leave the room. She pressed the door switch just as its buzzer sounded. The door snapped aside, revealing Miss Macintosh, who jumped in surprise.
    The nurse recovered and said bleakly, to Mr. Smith, “May I come in for a moment?”
    “Certainly.”
    “Thank you, sir.” The nurse went to the bed, pulled its screen aside, touched four switches on its console, replaced the screen. Then she planted herself in front of her patient and said, “Now you have complete privacy, so far as my equipment is concerned. Sir.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I am not supposed to cut the voice monitors except on Doctor’s orders. But you had privacy anyhow . I am as bound to respect a patient’s privacy as a doctor is, I never listen to sickroom conversation. I don’t even hear it! Sir.”
    “Get your feathers down. If you weren’t listening, how did you know we were discussing the matter?”
    “Oh! Because my name was mentioned. Hearing my name triggers me to listen. It’s a conditioned reflex. Though I don’t suppose you believe me?”
    “On the contrary, I do. Nurse—please switch on whatever you switched off. Then bear in mind that I must talk privately . . . and I’ll remember not to mention your name. But I’m glad to know that I can reach you so promptly. To a man in my condition that is a comfort.”
    “Uh—very well, sir.”
    “And I want to thank you for putting up with my quirks. And bad temper.”
    She almost smiled. “Oh, you’re not so difficult, sir. I once put in two years in an N.P. hospital.”
    Smith looked startled, then grinned. “ Touché! Was that where you acquired your hatred for bedpans?”
    “It was indeed! Now if you will excuse me, sir—”
    When she was gone, Salomon said, “You really think she won’t listen?”
    “Of course she will, she can’t help it, she’s already triggered and will be trying too hard not to listen. But she’s proud, Jake, and I would rather depend on pride than gadgetry. Okay, I’m getting tired, so here it is in a lump. I want to buy a body. A young one.”
    Eunice Branca barely showed reaction; Jake Salomon’s features dropped into the mask he used for poker and district attorneys. Presently Eunice said, “Am I to record, sir?”
    “No. Oh, hell, yes. Tell that sewing machine to make one copy for each of us and wipe the tape. File mine in my destruct file; file yours in your destruct file—and, Jake, hide your copy in the file you use to outwit the Infernal Revenue Service.”
    “I’ll file it in the still safer place I use for guilty