“Sure thing, Chief. Right away!” Tom hung up, excited by the thought that the Brungarian might be about to reveal an important secret. “Mind stopping by police headquarters first?” he asked his friends.
Minutes later, Bud’s red convertible pulled up in front of the gray stone building. Tom jumped out and dashed up the granite steps.
“I’ve had Mirov transferred to a cell by himself,” Chief Slater said as he took Tom back to see him. “Figured he might talk more freely away from his pals.”
The prisoner, however, showed no eagerness to do so at Tom’s arrival. He remained slouched on his bunk as the young inventor pulled a chair up to the cell bars. His only response was a slight curl of the lips.
146 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
“Have you heard about my country’s new submarine?” Mirov inquired after Chief Slater left.
Tom nodded curtly.
“When are you going to build one?” Mirov prodded slyly.
“Look!” Tom snapped. “You asked to see me. Here I am. What is it you want?”
Mirov shrugged with a look of amusement. “To make a bargain with you,” he replied casually. “I know the secret of that sub. Get me and my friends released and I’ll give it to you.”
Tom had no intention of doing so, but he parried the offer, hoping to draw Mirov out further. The prisoner, however, would say nothing more.
At last Tom gave up and rose to leave. “I’ll think over your proposition,” he said.
He heard Mirov chuckle as he walked away. Somewhat puzzled, Tom reported the conversation to Chief Slater and also telephoned the plant to inform Ames.