Encyclopedia Brown and the case of the midnight visitor Read online

  Bugs looked like a boy who had swallowed a school of goldfish. Finally he stammered, "I—it's my-my girl friend's sweater. I borrowed it this morning."

  **What girl friend?" jeered Sally. "On a date, you throw money around like a man in a straitjacket."

  Bugs snarled. Sally snarled back. Officer Murphy had to step between them.

  Encyclopedia glanced down at his own red sweater. It had stains where he had leaned against the oil drum. The stains on Bug's sweater were different.

  Officer Murphy said, **Mr. Dillon didn't see a girl, but Bugs says he saw you, Sally. Bugs claims you two spoke about coming back in an hour to change the hiding place. So I agreed to wait with him and watch."

  Bugs clapped his head. *The son of our beloved chief of police is a cheap shoplifter!" he cried. "Oh, the shame of it!"

  Sally was shaking with anger. "Encyclopedia, you can't let Bugs get away with this!"

  "Don't worry," said Encyclopedia. "He won't."

  WHY NOT?

  (Turn to page 105 for the solution to The Case of the Red Sweater.)

  nie Case off <]ie Painting Gerbils

  On the day the summer art show opened Mark Reardon trotted into the Brown Detective Agency. He was alone.

  Immediately Encyclopedia smelled trouble. Mark seldom went anyplace without Herman and Sherman, his gerbils.

  Mark's father ran a training school for pets and always said, **I never met a problem gerbil."

  But Encyclopedia guessed that the gerbils had a problem. "Is Herman hurt?" he inquired. "Or Sherman?"

  ''Just their pride," replied Mark. "They've been insulted. Somebody told on them."

  "Told what?" asked Sally.

  "That they're gerbils," said Mark.

  **Nobody would mistake them for kangaroos," remarked Encyclopedia. "I mean, don't they like being gerbils?"

  "Yes, but they want to be artists, too," said Mark. "Read this."

  He handed Encyclopedia a newspaper story.

  It told about a Texas chimpanzee named Manfred Simpson. Manfred was allowed to throw fruit against a sheet of wood. After a month, the wood was caked with goo. His owner had called the mess "Earth Mother" and had entered it in an art show in Chicago.

  "Earth Mother" won first prize. Before the world discovered it was done by an ape, the painting was bought for $15,000 by a museum in New York.

  "I get it," said Encyclopedia. "What a chimp can do, two gerbils can do!"

  "You better believe it," said Mark. "But somebody told the judges at the art show this morning that Herman Sherman is really two gerbils. The judges wouldn't accept their painting."

  "Who told?" asked SaUy.

  "I'm sure it was Farnsworth Grant or Jerry Tilson or Scott Wells," said Mark. "They were the only ones besides me and my folks who knew what Herman and Sherman can do."

  Mark laid twenty-five cents on the gas can by Encyclopedia.

  "I want to hire you to find out which one is the dirty snitch," he said. "All three are my pals—or were. Two days ago they played over at my house. One of them must have stolen a peek at Herman and Sherman's painting."

  The detectives went with Mark to his house. Encyclopedia wanted to look at the gerbils' workshop.

  Mark led them through the kitchen and into the garage. On the floor was a large piece of plywood covered with many colors. One corner was cut off.

  "It's really pretty good for modern art," said Encyclopedia in surprise.

  "My dad said most of it is too good," replied Mark. "He said that if the judges thought it was beautiful or looked like something, the gerbils wouldn't win a

  On the floor was a large piece of plywood covered with many colors.

  prize. So he sawed off the worst part and entered that in the show."

  **Your dad knows the secret of modern art," said Encyclopedia.

  "I don't understand how the gerbils do it/' said Sally.

  ''You might say they finger-paint it," answered Mark. "I spill cans of different colors on the wood. Then Herman and Sherman slide their paws around. It's their hobby."

  ''Cleaning them afterward must be hard," said Sally.

  "Naw, the paint has a water base," said Mark. "All I do is squirt them with an electric water pick."

  "You suspect Farnsworth Grant or Jerry Tilson or Scott Wells of telling on them?" said Encyclopedia. "Why?"

  "All three knew Herman and Sherman are artists," said Mark.

  He explained that the day before yesterday, the four boys had been together in his sun room.

  "Farnsworth and I played Ping-Pong," he said. "Scott watched television. Jerry read. Suddenly Jerry asked what 'misled'

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  4 0 Encyclopedia Brown

  meant. We all thought it was the past tense of *misle.'

  ** Jerry went into the kitchen and looked up the word in the dictionary that Mom keeps by her cookbooks and shouted back the meaning."

  **Jerry could have opened the door to the garage and peeked at the gerbils' painting," said Sally.

  *'And so could have Scott and Farnsworth," said Mark. *'Farnsworth banged his wrist on the edge of the Ping-Pong table. It was just a scratch, but he ran into the kitchen to use the first-aid kit."

  "What about Scott?" asked Sally.

  ''He went last and stayed longest. He wanted a drink of ice water, but he had trouble, he said, getting the ice out of the ice tray."

  "So at one time or another, all three boys were alone in the kitchen," mused Sally. "Did they know that the dictionary and the first-aid kit are kept there?"

  "Yep, they've used both before," replied Mark.

  Sally looked discouraged. "Perhaps the tattletale is someone else completely."

  **Uh-uh," said Mark. '^Consider this. Each of the three boys had good reason for knocking the gerbils' masterpiece out of the art show. Scott's mother entered a painting, and so did Farnsworth's grandmother and Jerry's sister."

  *'Being beaten by a pair of gerbils would be hard to take," said Encyclopedia.

  Sally sighed. "We don't have one real clue. All three boys had an excuse for going into the kitchen alone." '

  *'But one had a phony excuse," said Encyclopedia.

  Sally gasped. "Have you proof?"

  "The proof," said Encyclopedia, "is still in the kitchen."

  WHAT WAS THE PROOF?

  (Turn to page 106 for the solution to The Case of the Painting Gerbils.)

  I

  TheClaseoff tlie Time Capsule

  Nothing like the time capsule had ever happened to Idaville.

  For months children and grown-ups had thought about what to put into it. They had bought special envelopes and filled them with everything from toys to pictures of Idaville's main streets.

  The capsule, loaded with thousands of envelopes, was to be lowered deep into the earth and remain buried for a hundred years.

  On the day of the big event. Encyclopedia and Sally hiked to the city golf course.

  A large hole had been dug behind the sixth green. The capsule stood beside it,

  chained to a derrick. More than a hundred persons, including the mayor, were on hand for the ceremony.

  ''There's been a delay," said Benny Breslin, one of Encyclopedia's closest pals. 'The capsule still has room for three hundred more envelopes. You can buy them over at that table for a dollar apiece if you hurry."

  It was a bargain. The regular price had been two dollars.

  "No, thanks," said Encyclopedia. "I've already filled one with a report of my toughest case. A hundred years from now people will know that even kids fought crime."

  "Mine has an essay about pollution," said Sally. "I want my greatgrandchildren to know that kids fought for clean air and water."

  "Gee, you're neat," exclaimed Benny. "All I put in my envelope was my third-grade report card, the one Dad said should be buried."

  Benny walked off to buy another envelope and try again. The detectives strolled toward the time capsule.

  "Encyclopedia, there's Abe Smathers. He lo
oks terrible. Do you suppose he's sick?"

  Abe was founder and president of the Idaville Riddle Club.

  '*Abe, are you feeling all right?" asked Sally. "You look awful."

  "I always look like this before I faint," said Abe, without raising his head. "What's the best way to get to the hospital?"

  "Stand in traffic," answered Encyclopedia.

  Abe glanced up. At the sight of the boy detective he made an effort to grin.

  "Try this," he said. "What does it mean if you go home and you don't have to do any homework or clean your room?"

  "It means you're in the wrong house," said Encyclopedia.

  "Drat!" grumbled Abe. He thought hard for a moment. "What is twelve feet tall, has three legs, and—"

  "Hold on," said Sally. "If you're well enough to tell riddles, you're well enough to tell us what was wrong with you a minute ago."

  .yijh,.

  'Abe, are you feeling all right?" asked Sally. "You look awful."

  ''My lunch was stolen," said Abe. ''I left it under the iron bench over there while I looked at the capsule."

  "Maybe you're mistaken, and you left it somewhere else," said Sally.

  ''No soap," said Abe. "I found my lunch bag in a trash basket. It was empty. I don't mind losing the lunch. It was two bagels with lox. Lox is salty. It makes me thirsty as a horse, and the nearest water fountain is on the fourth green."

  Encyclopedia saw the water fountain. It was only about a three-minute walk. "What's the big problem?" he asked.

  "I had a time capsule envelope in the bag, too," said Abe.

  He explained. Last week he had sent in one envelope with a riddle. But he wasn't happy with it. So he had brought another envelope with a better riddle to the burial ceremony.

  "I figured boys and girls of the future would be interested in the riddles of today," he said. "My first riddle was. Why is the Statue of Liberty standing in New York Harbor?"

  "Because it can't sit down," said Sally.

  "Phew! A hundred years from now, that will be four hundred years old."

  'It's patriotic, but pretty bad," admitted Abe. "That's why I brought along the second riddle today."

  "Get it over with," said Encyclopedia, bracing himself.

  "Why is the Statue of Liberty hollow?"

  "Why?" said Sally.

  "You'd be hollow too if you'd given birth to a nation!" Abe sang. Then he looked grim. "I'd like to catch the little thief."

  "What makes you believe the thief is a kid?" Sally asked.

  "No grown-up would steal a lunch bag," said Abe. "Or my riddle."

  "You think the thief copied the riddle, bought an envelope, and put it in the time capsule with his name on it?" said Encyclopedia.

  "Sure," replied Abe. "I can't use it now. Imagine me, the president of the Idaville Riddle Club, putting in the same riddle as someone else. I'd be ruined!"

  "There isn't time, anyway," said Sally.

  "See, they've stopped selling envelopes. The ceremony should begin soon."

  "I'll hire you to find the thief," said Abe. "I have a clue. My riddle wasn't in any of the trash baskets hereabouts. So the thief must still have it in his pocket—and it has my name on it."

  "But, Abe, we can't search every boy and girl here," protested Sally.

  "That won't be necessary," said Encyclopedia.

  WHAT DID ENCYCLOPEDIA MEAN?

  (Turn to page 107 for the solution to The Case of the Time Capsule.)

  A

  The Case of Fred«fy <1m$ Great

  53

  I

  Farnsworth Grant poked his head into the Brown Detective Agency long enough to shout:

  "Cuthbert DeVan DeVoe is heading this way, and you should see what he's got!"

  '*A bad case of fallen arches, I hope," said Sally. Cuthbert DeVan DeVoe was not one of her favorite people.

  "Cuthbert means well," said Encyclopedia. "He's just a little stuck up."

  "He should be stuck to the ceiling," grumbled Sally. "He thinks he's so much better than anyone else."

  The two detectives hastened outside. Cuthbert was walking a gray dog no big-

  ger than a bulldozer. A crowd of children followed at a safe distance.

  "That's the biggest, ugliest dog I Ve ever seen," remarked Encyclopedia.

  "That dog would scare an alligator," said Sally. "Do you see his teeth?"

  "He must be three parts dragon," answered Encyclopedia.

  Cuthbert spotted the detectives and grinned.

  "We DeVan DeVoes don't need private detectives to guard our house," he announced. "We have Frederick the Great."

  "That's a fancy title for a mutt," said Sally.

  "He's named after the famous king of Prussia," said Cuthbert. "His mother was an African wild dog. His father was an Alaskan wolf."

  "He looks like he was put together in a junkyard," someone in the crowd called.

  Cuthbert stiffened. He glared around. No one moved.

  "Frederick the Great is pure killer," warned Cuthbert. "He fears nothing. He can carry an auto tire in his teeth and

  break wood with his jaws. One word from me, and—"

  A cat meowed.

  Cuthbert's gaze found Nancy Pringle. She was hugging her cat Juno fearfully.

  ''Frederick the Great swallows cats whole," said Cuthbert.

  Juno and Frederick the Great eyed one another.

  The dog bared his teeth. The cat's fur stood on end. Suddenly she hissed, leaped out of Nancy's arms, and landed on Frederick the Great.

  The dog yelped in fright and shook her off. He whirled and fled down the block, with Juno hot on his heels.

  '*You better call him Freddy the Frightened from now on," advised Sally.

  Everyone roared with delight except Cuthbert. He had turned red with anger.

  "That cat," he cried, "is a gone goose if Frederick the Great gets her in the house. He doesn't eat cats outdoors."

  Nancy Pringle let out a wail and ran after the two animals. Cuthbert ran after Nancy.

  Half an hour later Nancy came into the Brown Detective Agency. She put a quarter on the gas can beside Encyclopedia.

  "I want to hire you," she said. '*Cuthbert has Juno and won't give her back!"

  She explained. Juno had chased Frederick the Great into Cuthbert's backyard, which was enclosed by a wire fence. Cuthbert had gone into the yard and shut the gate, keeping Nancy out.

  "Then Cuthbert opened the back door of the house," said Nancy. **The dog raced inside and Juno followed. Cuthbert went inside, too, and slammed the door. I haven't seen Juno since!"

  Sally looked worried. "This could be serious," she said. "Cuthbert is so mad he might hurt Juno."

  The detectives and Nancy hurried to Cuthbert's house. He was standing in the backyard as if waiting for them.

  "We've come for Juno," said Sally. "We know you have her."

  "Your tongue is working overtime," sneered Cuthbert. "I let that stupid cat out the back door to save her life. Frederick

  The dog raced inside and Juno followed. Cuthhert slammed the door behind them.

  Encyclopedia Brown

  the Great is a terror when he defends his house."

  '^Applesauce!" said Nancy. **Where is my Juno?"

  *'She jumped over the fence," said Cuthbert. He pointed to three boxes arranged Uke stairs by the fence. "See for yourselves."

  The detectives and Nancy entered the yard and stepped close to the boxes. Nearby was a large muddy spot. The paw prints of a cat were on each box.

  **I can tell if Juno made the prints," said Nancy. '*She broke the claw on the fifth toe of her left front paw last week."

  "There aren't any claw marks," said Sally.

  "That cat was scared and running fast," said Cuthbert. "Maybe cats don't always run with their claws out."

  "He may be right," admitted Nancy.

  "I still don't think Juno made those prints," said Sally. She stared hard at Cuthbert. "Tell us what you've done with her, or I'll pin y
our ears back."

  "Easy, Sally," cautioned Encyclopedia.

  Cuthbert was two years older and a head taller.

  "Don't worry," said Cuthbert. *'I've boxed a bit. I belieue I can deal with her like a gentleman and not do her bodily harm."

  Cuthbert, however, didn't fight like a gentleman. In fact, after swinging and missing, he didn't fight at all. Sally knocked him flat with two fast rights to the jaw.

  Encyclopedia stepped over Cuthbert and studied the paw prints on the three boxes.

  Eleven of the prints showed Juno's five toes clearly. The twelfth print was unclear.

  "Cuthbert's pride has taken enough of a beating today," Encyclopedia said to Sally. "When he wakes up, he'll tell us where he's hidden Juno."

  WHAT WAS CUTHBERT'S MISTAKE?

  (Turn to page 108 for the solution to The Case of Freddy the Great.)

  Hie Case of the Tennis Racket

  }

  John Stanley, Idaville's best young tennis player, came into the Brown Detective Agency. He was smiling on one side of his face.

  "IVe got good news and bad news," he said.

  "The good news first," urged Sally.

  *'I just opened a can of tennis balls. They're number eights."

  He explained. A can held three balls. Balls from the same can bore the same number, like two or six or eight, and the manufacturer's name.

  '*Eight is my lucky number," said John. '^I've never lost a match playing with number-eight balls."

  Encyclopedia Brown

  "And the bad news?" said Encyclopedia.

  ''At two o'clock I have to play Ike Quilp in the semifinals of the county-club championships. Ike Quilp is the kid brother of Rowdy Quilp, one of Bugs Meany's Tigers."

  John backhanded a quarter onto the table in front of Encyclopedia.

  "I want to hire you to keep an eye on things," he said. ''It isn't nice to speak bad of anyone, even Tigers, but—"