"All right, there's plenty of cover on the bed in the South Boom. It's two flights up, on the same floor as my room, above Mr. Wolfe's room. I was on my way up when you rang the doorbell."

I stood. "Come along."

"But Mr. Goodwin, I don't want- I can just stay here."

He stood up.

"No, you can't. Either you go up or you go out."

"I don't want to go out. Sunday night a car tried to run over me. He tried to kill me. I'm afraid to go out."

"Then follow me. Maybe when you sleep on ft…"

I moved, crossed to the door, and he came. I flipped the light switch. I don't dawdle going upstairs, and I had to wait for him at the top of the first flight because he was only halfway up. At the second landing I turned left, swung the door of the South Boom open, and turned the light on. I didn't have to check on the bed or towels in the bathroom because I knew everything was in order; all I had to do was turn the radiator on.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Goodwin," he said. "I'm very sorry."

"So am I," I said. "I'm sorry you're in a jam. Stick right here until I tell you I've told Mr. Wolfe about you. That will be around nine o'clock. If you open the door and go into the hall before eight o'clock, it will set off a gong in my room and you'll see me coming with guns in both hands. Security. I should have offered you a shot of something. Whiskey? Would it help you go to sleep?"

He said no and he was sorry, and I went shutting the door. As I entered my room, down the hall, I looked at my watch. Seventeen minutes past one. I wouldn't get my eight hours. When I get in that late I usually set my radio-alarm at nine-thirty, but now that wouldn't do. I would have to be up and dressed and telling Wolfe about the company before he went up to the plant rooms at nine o'clock.