Eddie's mother was cool and wary.
"Have you information as to the whereabouts of Dr. Mitchell Prell, Mrs. Dukas?" she was asked. "We know that the last Moon rocket landed with him aboard."
Before she could lie Eddie blurted, "He was here all that day. He's gone now. He didn't make his destination very clear."
Eileen Dukas's eyes widened with panic and surprise. She had expected Eddie to be more discreet.
"You have no right to question my son!" she stated coldly.
"Mrs. Dukas," she was informed, "when there is an investigation of the deaths of two hundred million people, we have more than the right to question anybody."
Young Ed was scared. But he felt some of the hero-impulse. Or the desire to follow faithfully the instructions of his idol, Uncle Mitch.
"If you psych my memory, what little I know will come clearer than if I just told it," he challenged.
This was done forthwith, out in the police car parked in the street. When the helmet of the apparatus was removed from Eddie's head, the police had certain comments of Mitchell Prell's to study. Possibly they could puzzle out some of their hidden meaning. But this couldn't have satisfied them very much.
The next day the letter Prell had mentioned arrived. At least it could be assumed that it was the one. Uncle Mitch had managed to make one step of his purpose anyway! Under the heading of "Vital Section, Schaeffer Laboratories," it said: