condensed master

Will Bonner
confined to his work, in case questions were asked.
Opening up all the equipment drawers and cupboards he set up his test gear
in readiness to get started. It would only take fifteen minutes or so, thirty at the
most to run the tests, assuming no problems. Everything had to look normal, so it
was essential that he left after that time span.
It was his policy always to leave doors open in the areas where he was
working, and he could faintly hear the hum of the vacuum way over on the other
side of the house. Now was the time to find the tapes and slides. The conditions
could not be better, but that did not prevent a feeling of anxiety from creeping over
him.
A quick look in all the cupboards and drawers revealed nothing, and the
thought of having to look elsewhere in the house temporarily pressed his panic
button. The fact that time was slipping by was ever present, but he kept telling
himself over and over again to slow down, and start to think logically.
These were private tapes taken by a business man, they've got to be around
here somewhere! He scanned the whole room again to check that he had not
missed a drawer or cupboard and the only place left was the projection room. It
was natural to only think in terms of film in such a room - but just maybe?
The door opened outwards. Had it been otherwise, it would have been
impossible to get inside, the room was so small. Only enough space for two men
to stand, one on each side of the projector, which was mounted on a bench top
with drawers below. No room existed for cupboards on the walls.
The two top drawers contained everything he was looking for and his heart
rate doubled. Even though he had a perfect right to be in there, his ulterior motive
compelled him to go back to the study door to listen for activity in the near vicinity.
But there was nothing.
Returning with a notepad he jotted down the inscriptions on the individual
pieces, and after a cursory glance around at the projection equipment, he left and
closed the door behind him. Switching on the test tapes he filled the study and
auditorium with music and sat down to wait for his pulse rate to return to normal.
After the customary time period had elapsed, Will packed up his gear, and finding
the cleaning lady, left a message to the effect that he would call again tomorrow.
Concentrating on his other work during the course of the day proved to be
exasperating, invariably leading him into error and costing him valuable time. When
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