Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 04 – And His Giant Robot

A man began to pound on the door. His features 162 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT ROBOT

were clearly visible in the light. The next second Marco cried out: “I know that man! He’s one of the doctors from Blackstone.”

The man heard him and turned to look. As Marco and Tom ran up, the doctor exclaimed, “Marco! What are you doing here?”

Stammering in confusion, Marco introduced Tom and Dr. Morrow and said they were looking for Raymond Turnbull.

“So am I,” said Dr. Morrow. “The hospital finally traced him to this address, but when I spoke to the landlady, she became hysterical and shut the door in my face. She claims Turnbull’s gone and she wants nothing to do with any more gangsters.”

“Maybe I can help,” Tom said. He rapped on the door and called out: “It’s all right to let us in. This is Tom Swift of Swift Enterprises.”

The woman peered at him from behind a curtain in the hall window. Then, evidently recognizing the young inventor from newspaper pictures, she opened the door and invited the callers into her living room.

Dr. Morrow introduced himself again and told why he had come. “Raymond Turnbull escaped from our mental hospital about a month ago,” he said. “Will you please tell us what you know about him and where I may find him.”

“I can’t tell you where he is,” said the woman, adding that her name was Mrs.

Riley. She apologized for her hysteria and explained, “I’ve been THE WATCHMAN’S CONFESSION 163

terribly upset by what’s happened. When Mr. Turnbull first took the room he told me he was a professor. I never paid much attention to him. He spent all his time with his papers and studies. I thought he was a fine gentleman.