Free Seducer by Fletcher Flora Page B

television session this morning?” he inquired.
    “No. I have no interest in mathematics. You know that.”
    “Of course. I thought you might have watched out of general interest. Merely to see how I did and all.”
    “I’m sure you did very well. You always do. The truth is, I slept right through it.”
    “It’s an ungodly hour. I wonder sometimes if
anyone
watches. It will be a relief to be finished with it.”
    “As I’ve said before, I’ve had an idea that you rather enjoyed your weekend trips to the city,” she murmured, her eyes oddly intent upon him.
    “Not at all. They’re a terrible nuisance. What on earth makes you persist in such an idea?”
    “It was just an impression I got. Is your tea strong enough?”
    “Just right. Isn’t this a different brand from the one we’ve been using?”
    “Yes. Do you like it as well?”
    “Better. Much better.”
    “I’ll tell Wanda to continue ordering it.”
    They finished their tea in silence, she one cup and he two, a pair of distinguished-looking people staring into the small fire and forming together a pretty picture of lush domestic contentment.
    When Brad finally replaced his cup on the silver tray, emptied the second time, she took from a deep pocket in her skirt something that appeared to be an envelope, which in fact it was, and tapped it against the knuckles of her left hand, watching him the while with perfect composure.
    “I have something here that I think will interest you,” she said.
    “What is it? It looks like a letter.”
    “That’s what it is. At least it came in this afternoon’s mail.”
    “From someone I know?” he asked idly.
    “No. Actually, it’s not precisely a letter at all. It’s a report.”
    “Report? What kind of report? About what?”
    “I think it would be simpler and save time if I were to read it to you. It’s quite short. Do you mind listening?”
    “Not in the least. If you’ve been trying to arouse my curiosity, I must say that you’ve succeeded.”
    “Very well, then. I’ll just skip a few lines at the beginning and get right to the part I want you to hear.”
    She removed a single sheet of paper from the envelope and unfolded it to its full 8½ } 11 size. There was a letterhead at the top that he couldn’t read at a distance, and the typewritten contents indicated a business character rather than a social one.
    He was already beginning to feel a little uneasy, and as she began to read crisply and unemotionally for about three minutes that seemed like three hours, he sat fixed in his chair in the beginning of hatred, the incited animus stirring and boiling and welling in his throat to make him sick.
    “ ‘Professor Cannon,’ ” she read, “ ‘arrived at his hotel at nine o’clock. He was checked into room 515 and went immediately up. At 9:27 he came down and went into the cocktail lounge. He sat at the bar for approximately twenty minutes, during which time he had one dry Martini and engaged in conversation with a lady who sat at his left. This was clearly a chance encounter. He has never been observed in the lady’s company before. The conversation was clearly casual.
    “ ‘At 9:50 Miss Cornelia York, reference all prior reports, came into the lounge. She had earlier checked into room 607, same hotel, at 8:17. Professor Cannon moved with her to a table, where they had three Martinis apiece and engaged in conversation for more than an hour. Operator was not in position to overhear the conversation.
    “‘At 11:08 Miss York left the lounge and took the elevator to the sixth floor. Operator walked to the sixth floor and took a position from which the door to Miss York’s room could be observed. At 11:23 Professor Cannon approached the door and knocked. He was immediately admitted to the room.
    “‘Operator remained in position until 2:00 A.M., in accordance with instructions pertaining to this and prior operations. At that time, Professor Cannon had not yet left the room. Movements of