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."I don't get it," Sandy muttered."What is that thing?""A wired radio transmitter," Collins said.There was anger and frustration inhis voice."And we should have expected it, I suppose-considering how smooththis whole operation has been."120THE PHANTOM ENEMY 121"A radio transmitter?" Ken repeated."You mean it's a miniature broadcastingsetup?""More or less," Collins said."It picks up sounds from the microphone overthese wires we've been following, and then transmits them over the regularelectric wiring system of the building.""You mean broadcasts them to the whole building?" Ken felt completelyconfused."Sure," Collins said."That is, the sounds can be heard anywhere in thebuilding, provided you've got a radio receiver tuned to the particularfrequency of this transmitter and plugged into the electric system.""Wow!" Sandy said softly."What a trick! Why, the radio could be plugged inanywhere in the plant, couldn't it-in any room or cubbyhole that has anelectric outlet? And you could move it around too- plug it in one place todayand some place else tomorrow.""Exactly," Collins said grimly."And we thought those wires would lead usright to our man!"Ken's mind raced in circles.Then he said quickly, "But maybe the transmitteritself can lead us to him, if we could find out where it was bought.Wouldn'tit have a serial number on it-something that would identify it?""Not this one," Collins said."It's been put together out of parts that can bepurchased in any radio or television supply store.Most radio supply placeseven sell diagrams for gadgets like this.People use them for house-to-garagehookups-oh, lots of things.No, tracing this transmitter through a store isout."Sandy, who had been listening to Collins' explanation with quick nods thattold Ken he understood the122 THE MYSTERY OF THE INVISIBLE ENEMYprinciples involved, now reached up and touched the tiny tubes of the device."Warm," he murmured."Wouldn't that mean-"Page 46ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlCollins touched them too."Right.The thing probably is running rightnow-running constantly, twenty-four hours a day.Then, whenever the fellow whorigged it up happens to want to hear what I'm saying at the moment, he justplugs in his receiver and listens for a while.""Couldn't we search all the offices now while they're empty?" Sandy suggested."If we could find the receiver we'd-"Collins was shaking his head again."It would be pointless.In the firstplace, the receiver probably is no bigger than an electric razor, and it wouldtake us weeks to comb through the plant looking for something that small.Butit probably isn't left here at night, anyway.It probably goes home in ourman's pocket.No, we're dealing with somebody who's too smart to catch.He'snot going to get his hundred thousand, but we can't stop him from ruining thecompany in revenge."He turned his flashlight abruptly away from the little metal contrivance whichhad destroyed their hopes."Let's get out of here," he said."I've still gotto keep that dinner date."The sounds of their three pairs of footsteps on the metal stairs a few minuteslater had the measured beat of a funeral march, Ken found himself thinking -adirge for a thriving factory that had been murdered for one man's greed.Withno other weapon than a handful of photographs of the plans for Lew Collins'new machine-THE PHANTOM ENEMY 123Ken's thoughts crashed to a standstill before a question that reared upsuddenly in the forefront of his mind.How had those plans been photographed?With all the other questions they had been trying so desperately to answerthat one had been temporarily forgotten.But now that they knew neither Catonnor Winters had taken the pictures, that whole part of the mystery remainedunsolved.With a couple of electronic gadgets and a few yards of wire the man had beenconstantly at Collins' elbow without ever having to enter Collins' office.Buthow had he obtained the photographs that-Suddenly Ken's mind made one of those leaps which always surprised him andwhich he could explain only by saying he had had a hunch.The leap took him from the thought of listening to a conversation withoutseeing the speakers to the possibility of taking a picture without seeing thesubject.Would it have been possible? he asked himself [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]