"I'll see who it is," Tom said, and hurried to the door, feeling a twinge of apprehension.
Was this a new attempt by Brungarian agents?
He switched on the porch light and peered out cautiously through the one-way glass pane in the door. A slim, hatless figure in a dark suit was just coming up the steps. Tom gave a smile of relief.
It was Harlan Ames!
"Hi, Harlan!" Tom opened the door before Ames had a chance to ring the doorbell. "We heard you coming!"
The security chief was startled when he realized he had activated the alarm system.
"That's strange," he said uneasily. "Tom, I wonder if—"
He broke off to dart a quick glance at his wrist. Then his face relaxed into a look of chagrin.
"Great! I forgot my wrist watch!" he murmured. "Haven't visited your house in so long I neglected to wear it."
The other Swifts smiled in amused relief, and Mrs. Swift invited him to join them for dessert. Ames, however, declined politely.