Westervelt turned right past the stairs, and went to the door of the library.
It will be perfectly natural, he told himself. We made out on two cases. I just want to tell him about it, in case he hasn't heard. Why the hell don't they get that cable fixed? They want their bills paid on time, don't they?
He could hear the newcasts now, about how tough a job the electricians faced, and how tense was the situation. Westervelt decided he would not listen.
He opened the door to the library casually and sauntered in. The pose was wasted; Lydman was not there.
Westervelt went on to the conference room on this side, and found it empty as well. He looked in on Joe Rosenkrantz, who, from the door, appeared to be alone. Just to leave no stone unturned, he retreated up the hall to the door marked "Shaft" and poked his head inside. He had to grope around for a light switch, and when he found it was rewarded with nothing more than the sight of a number of conduits running from floor to unfinished ceiling. A little dust drifted down on him from atop the ones that bent to run to outlets on the same floor.
"Well, nobody can say I overlooked anything," grumbled Westervelt.
He went back to the communications room. Rosenkrantz was listening in on some conversation from a station on Luna that was none of his business.
"Any sign of Lydman around here?" asked Westervelt.
"Not since the Yoleen brawl," grunted Rosenkrantz. "That's a good-looking babe running that Lunar station. Why can't we dig up some messages for them?"
"I'll work on it," promised Westervelt halfheartedly.