girls could almost hear the omit- ted sound.

"I must be going," Helene said, standing and giving Denise another gentle smile. "I'll be in touch later, Denise."

Heinrich Langer wanted to get together with Denise - and soon. "There is a little house in Walden, a friend's," he said eag- erly. "If you can get away just for a night, or a weekend..

Denise was dutifully sorry. Colonel Simons was now com- plete in his work. He wanted Denise to be around for a big weekend party.

"Ah," said Langer bitterly. "General Martin's birthday party I should have remembered.' Denise stood, smoothing down her dark-blue, pleated skirt "But next week," she whispered, leaning forward so that her ear- rings brushed her chin, and so that Heinrich could get a good whiff of her perfume. "Next week, Richard is sure to be work- ing late. We can get together then."

She left him with an ex- aggerated sway in her walk. She had intended to go right to Rich- ard about Helene Gaudet, but Jody barred her way as she left the luncheon room.

"I have to talk to you, De- nise." Jody's face was flushed with anger. She pointed into

Gene Chaplin's office. "Gene is out for the afternoon."

Denise was puzzled but she followed Jody into the empty office and closed the door.

"I saw that performance with Herr Langer," Jody blazed at her. "What kind of woman are you? Aren't you satisfied with Rick? How could you treat him like that? Haven't you heard what people are saying about you?"

"No," said Denise, feeling a tightness about her bra and chest "What are people saying about me?"

"That you're you're a tramp," Jody spat out the words. "Be- hind your soft, delicate manner, you're just a sex-starved tramp. Denise was surprised to see that behind the damning words, Jody's eyes were brimming with tears.

"And what do you think?" Denise asked, folding her arms underneath her tight bust.

Jody looked at the blonde girl standing watching her, her chin raised, a little smile on her face. She swallowed hard and her bright, brown eyes looked away. "I - I saw you with Langer before today," she said tremulously. "And I've been out with you. I didn't think you were like that at all!"

Denise's red lips parted in a

self-deprecatory smile. "But you

do now," she said softly.

"I saw you in there," Jody's arm trembled as she pointed to- wards the door, "with that. that Nazi! How could you do that to Rick? And what do you think Rick will do when he finds out?"

Denise sighed. Was this an act on Jody's part or was she truly sincere in her concern for Richard Simons?

"He'll be hurt," a tear trick- led over Jody's eyelid and ran down her soft cheek. "Rick can't stand disloyalty in anyone. Then, you'll be the one to be hurt. Í don't want that to happen either.

Then it was that Denise felt the full weight of the impersona- tion dragging on him. Now was the time to take this lovely girl in his arms, to console and reas- sure her. She had taken out a lit- tle handkerchief to dab at her tears. Denise moved closer to her and put out a tentative hand to the American girl.

"It's all right, really," said Denise huskily as Jody seemed more embarassed than Denise would have thought by her show of emotion. "It'll all work out, you'll see."

"Yes." Jody couldn't look at Denise directly. She moved suddenly and quickly past De- nise towards the door. She mum- bled something else as she left but Denise couldn't catch exact- ly what she said.

"Harry didn't think that you would recognize him - dressed up like he is.

Richard Simons ignored Denise's concern about Jody. "She'll get over it," he said terse- ly. "Now, let's go over how you might possibly steal the Werch- statter File."

Denise was wearing a short peignoir over her short night- dress. High-heeled, fluffy slippers dangled on her feet as she sat in the big chair opposite Richard Simons. "She's really concerned about us," said Denise, running a finger about her wine glass. The bugging of the apartment hadn't come up again between them, but Denise presumed that Richard wouldn't speak of their plans unless he knew for sure that the apartment was safe.