What had Horst planned? Tom wondered.
As if in answer, Horst said, “Look under the workbench on which this radio is standing-quickly! You’ll find a bomb attached underneath. It’s set to go off in a few minutes.”
Tom darted to the workbench. The bomb was there! With trembling fingers he disarmed it.
Horst went on shakily, “I couldn’t go through with murder. I’ll tell you how to get out. All I ask is time to elude the police.
“Look in my safe,” he said. “The combination is ten right, left twenty-one, two right. Believe me, it’s not a booby trap. There are papers inside. Under them you’ll find a key that will open the lab
118 3-D TELEJECTOR
door… . I’m signing off now, but please give me time to escape.”
The radio loudspeaker fell silent.
Tom hesitated. Horst’s weird outburst had taken him by surprise. Was the business with the safe another deadly trickf Tom doubted it. Horst already had passed up two chances to kill him-with a dart gun or the bomb-so why bother with a booby-trapped safe routine?
But Tom proceeded warily. He took an insulated wire from the workbench, fastened one end to a water pipe, and touched the other to the safe dial. There was no spark.
“It’s not electrified,” Tom thought. He twirled the combination. Then he used the same wire and attached it to the safe door. Stepping well back, he tugged the door open.
“So far, so good,” Tom muttered. He peered into the safe. It contained papers and blueprints. Tom lifted them out. A click sounded. Tom listened but could hear nothing more.
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