Encyclopedia Brown and the case of the midnight visitor Read online

  "Don't apologize," said Sally. "The only way the Tigers can hear anything good about themselves is to talk to each other."

  The three children hiked off to the country club. John carried two tennis rackets, a towel, and the can of balls in his handlebar basket.

  At the club he took out the rackets, the towel, and the balls, but left the empty can behind.

  "It's bad luck to take the can along," he said. "Last year, the only match I lost was when I brought a can to the court."

  The tournament officials had set up a long table outside the pro shop. Boys and girls were Lined up in front of it.

  **I have to report in," said John. '*See you in a while."

  For ten minutes the detectives wandered by themselves, watching the matches already underway. John was entered in the "boys ten-and-under" group.

  **There's Fremont Smith with Bugs Meany," said Sally.

  Fremont was thirteen and lived on Sally's block. He spied the detectives and walked over to them.

  "Are you a tennis fan?" asked Encyclopedia.

  "Hardly," replied Fremont. "I can't tell a racket from a rolling pin. But Bugs Meany wants me to join his service club, the Tigers."

  ''Service club?" gasped Sally. "Their only service is repainting the bikes they steal!"

  "Bugs said the Tigers do a lot of good deeds," protested Fremont. *'Today they're helping out as judges. Bugs suggested that I come here and see for myself."

  Before Sally could answer, John came running up.

  **Somebody stole my racket and tennis balls!" he cried.

  When he caught his breath, he told what had happened.

  '^Before I got in the line to report to the officials/' he said, "I put my towel, tennis balls, and both rackets on a counter in the pro shop. The balls and my lighter-weight racket were gone when I returned for them.

  *'I don't mind so much losing the balls," he continued. **But the racket is the one I wanted to use today. These courts are hard and fast. With a light racket, I can take a quicker backs wing."

  ''Whoever knew enough to steal your hght racket must know a lot about tennis," said Encyclopedia.

  "Using my heavy racket on these fast courts means I'll have to change my timing," said John. ''Ike Quilp might beat me."

  "We've got to find that racket," said Sally. "But where to look for it?"

  "Let's start in the pro shop," said Encyclopedia. "All kinds of sporting goods are sold there. The thief wouldn't draw atten-

  tion to himself by having a racket and balls."

  "Ike Quilp has a great net game," said John. "If he beats me, you can blame those Tigers, the no-good thieves!"

  "That's not fair," said Fremont. "The Tigers are all straight shooters. Bugs Meany says so."

  "Let's find out," said Encyclopedia.

  The pro shop was crowded with buyers and lookers. In one corner Encyclopedia saw a steel basket filled with tennis balls. "What's that?" he asked John.

  "The tennis teacher uses those balls when he gives lessons," John answered. "He stores them there when it rains or when all the courts are taken for a tournament, like today."

  "I think your new tennis balls might be among them," said the boy detective. "Would you look, Fremont? They're brand-new number eights."

  "And they have the manufacturer's name, Wilkins, printed above the number," added John.

  While Fremont dug into the basket of practice balls. Encyclopedia found the

  Fremont dug into the basket of practice balls.

  missing tennis racket. It was hanging on the wall, hidden behind four rackets that needed new strings.

  Suddenly Fremont held up three balls with the word "Wilkins" and the number 8 printed on them. "Here they are!"

  ''These two might be mine," said John. "But the third ball is too old. Mine were never used."

  Fremont looked disappointed. He continued hunting.

  ''Fremont could be the thief," Sally whispered to Encyclopedia. "Bugs Meany gives every boy who wants to become a Tiger some test of dishonesty."

  "You don't sound very certain," said Encyclopedia.

  "Maybe John hid the racket and balls himself," said Sally. "Then he'd have an excuse if he lost to Ike Quilp. I just don't know. . . ."

  "You will," said Encyclopedia, "if you stop and think."

  WHOM DID ENCYCLOPEDIA SUSPECT?

  (Turn to page 109 for the solution to The Case of the Tennis Racket.)

  ¥

  tlie Fifty 9I
  Sunday afternoon, Encyclopedia and Sally biked to South Park to watch the Odd-Ball Olympics.

  Boys and girls from all over Idaville had entered. The games were open to any child under thirteen who could do a crazy stunt.

  The detectives reached the park shortly after the judging had begun. They leaned their bikes against a tree and joined the crowd around Rosemary Williams.

  Rosemary was blowing "The Missouri Waltz" on her left arm.

  "A girl has never won," said Sally. "Maybe Rosemary will."

  '*No chance," said Pete McGrane, who was standing nearby. Pete was fifteen and an official timekeeper. ''Rosemary is nervous. She missed a note on her elbow and two more on her wrist."

  The judges agreed with Pete. They gave Rosemary only five points. A perfect score was ten.

  ''Don't lose hope," Pete said to Sally. "Plenty of other girls are competing."

  "Hattie Grossman is our best bet now," said Sally. "Hattie plans to recite 'What Is So Rare As a Day in June' backward."

  "Bad news," said Pete. "She tried five minutes ago. Halfway through she got the hiccups. She wiped out."

  "Then it's up to Lindylou Duckworth," said Sally stubbornly.

  "Maybe," said Pete. "But a lot of boys are good and don't count out Stinky Redmond."

  "Stinky Redmond!" howled Sally. "Ugh! Remember last year?"

  Last year Stinky had imitated a blizzard by shaking dandruff out of his hair.

  "The stunt didn't make too many parents happy," said Encyclopedia.

  '*Bugs Meany thought it was great," said Pete. "Bugs says Stinky should start a summer ski camp near his pillow."

  **What is Stinky going to do this year?" asked Sally.

  "He was supposed to take a shower in six seconds," replied Pete.

  "Towel and soap included?" gasped Sally.

  "Yup," said Pete. "A lot of mothers complained about the stunt last year. They said it was awful. So he promised to do something clean. But he won't."

  "Why not?" inquired Sally.

  "Because there is no shower in the park," said Pete. "Instead, he's going to swat mosquitoes."

  Sally frowned. "There aren't any mosquitoes around."

  "That's the hard part of his stunt," said Pete. "First he'll have to coax them here by buzzing like a female laying eggs. Then he'll use a flyswatter— swissh-splat! He said he'll down fifty mosquitoes in one hour."

  "Yuk!" exclaimed Sally. "Dandruff was cleaner."

  "You're wrong," said Pete. ''Mosquitoes spread some of the worst diseases, like yellow fever. Killing a mosquito is in the public interest."

  ''I don't see Stinky anywhere," remarked Encyclopedia.

  "He's over there." Pete pointed to a circle of bushes at the edge of the park. "Stinky said he has to be alone to buzz in mosquitoes. At three o'clock he'll be judged."

  For the next forty minutes the two detectives and Pete moved with the judges from stunt to stunt.

  Lindylou Duckworth surprised everyone except Sally. Lindylou wrist-wrestled all comers while balancing on a banana peel. She won every time.

  The judges gave her nine points.

  "She lost a point because she's bigger than the boys she beat," explained Pete. "Still, she's in first place."

  "She hasn't won yet," said Encyclopedia. "It's three o'clock and time for Stinky Redmond."

  As they walked toward the bushes, Sally said, "Stinky is completely hidden. Who knows what he's been up to!"

  Around and under the picnic table and benches was nothing b
ut dirt and dead mosquitoes.

  "The Odd-Ball Olympics are run on the honor code/' Encyclopedia reminded her. "No cheating."

  "Who told Stinky?" said Sally. "Even if he were voted Boy of the Hour, I'd watch him every minute."

  The judges and onlookers entered the ring of bushes through an opening on the far side. Stinky was lying on a picnic table chewing gum.

  "Boy, did I buzz 'em here," he cried. "I whomped so many in the first twenty minutes that I lay down and took a nap. See for yourselves."

  Everyone looked. Around and under the picnic table and benches was nothing but dirt and dead mosquitoes.

  "Count 'em," said Stinky.

  A slight breeze stirred the mosquitoes and chased a bubblegum wrapper toward Encyclopedia. It came to rest six feet from the table, beside an ant hill.

  Encyclopedia preferred to watch the ants rather than count mosquitoes. A few of the ants were crawling out of the hole in the center of the hill.

  "I've been thinking of selling my ser-

  vices to the Department of Health in Washington," said Stinky. "I just might be the greatest gift to mankind since floating soap."

  "The big liar!" whispered Sally. "Lindy-lou Duckworth deserves to win."

  "I think so, too," said Encyclopedia.

  '*Then tell the judges that Stinky cheated," urged Sally. "You can prove he did, can't you?"

  "Of course," said Encyclopedia.

  WHAT WAS THE PROOF?

  (Turn to page 110 for the solution to The Case of the Fifty Mosquitoes.)

  J

  The Case of Blue-Point Blaekle

  Caswell Philpott laid a towel on the floor of the Brown Detective Agency and sat down on it.

  'The Lotus Position," he announced proudly, crossing his legs so that the soles of his feet touched his thighs. 'In yoga, that's what sitting like this is called.'

  "How cute," said Sally.

  "Yoga is the science of relaxing the body and clearing the mind," said Caswell. "Every position has a name except the headstand. The headstand is the headstand. I'm still learning it, but it's my favorite position."

  He got up and folded the towel across his arm.

  ''Something usually happens when I try a headstand," he said. ''Yesterday I spotted a dime under my head. Today I overheard two men talking about robbing somebody."

  He explained. While fishing in Mill Pond, he had got the urge to practice a headstand. As he was balancing himself, two men passed on the footpath. They were talking.

  "One man said that they'd have to steal Blue-Point Blackie's overnight bag when he arrived by bus this afternoon," said Caswell.

  "Who is Blue-Point Blackie, and when is his bus due in?" asked Encyclopedia.

  Caswell shrugged. "I didn't hear."

  "Well, what did the two men look like?" said Sally.

  "They looked upside down," said Caswell. "I was standing on my head."

  "Do you think we should telephone your father?" Sally said to Encyclopedia.

  The detectives decided against calling

  in the police. They hadn't enough facts. Blue-Point Blackie might not be coming to Idaville.

  "If you don't call the police, you should do something yourselves," said Caswell. "Blue-Point Blackie sounds like a gangster's name. I'll bet he has stolen money packed in his overnight bag . . . and a gun!"

  Encyclopedia wished there were a yoga exercise Caswell could do with his mouth—such as shut it.

  "It's only ten minutes to noon," said Sally. "We can hang around the bus station this afternoon and keep our eyes open."

  Caswell insisted on coming along. Encyclopedia was soon sorry that he let him. Everyone in the bus-station waiting room looked like a gangster to Caswell.

  First it was a man in a tan hat who stood by the magazine rack thumbing through a movie magazine. The man finally bought a newspaper and sat down on a bench.

  "See, he's not reading," said Caswell. ''He's really watching for Blue-Point Blackie!"

  8 8 Encyclopedia Brown

  "You overheard two men," Sally pointed out.

  ''What about those two by the soda machine?" said Caswell.

  The two men were drinking from paper cups by the soda machine. The taller man glanced at his wristwatch.

  "Maybe they're just thirsty," said Encyclopedia.

  "Look over by the ticket window," said Caswell. "Those two men in dark suits aren't buying tickets. They're probably asking if Blue-Point Blackie's bus is on time."

  "Caswell, is there anyone you don't suspect?" demanded Sally.

  "Those two must be big-shot crooks from out of town," said Caswell. "Nobody in Idaville wears dark clothes in summer. You'd better follow them. I'll watch things here."

  Encyclopedia and Sally followed the men in the dark suits out to where the buses arrived and departed. Encyclopedia was glad to get away from Caswell.

  During the next twenty minutes, buses came and went. Yet the two men in the

  dark suits remained waiting by the railing.

  Encyclopedia lost sight of them when passengers, streaming from the two o'clock bus from Glenn City, blocked his view. Suddenly a woman screamed.

  The detectives rushed over. A black-haired man lay on the floor, unconscious. No one seemed to know what had happened to him.

  Officer Carlson came hurrying up. 'It's Blue-Point Blackie," he said in surprise. **What is a Chicago crook doing in Idaville?"

  *'If he ever had an overnight bag with him, it's gone now," whispered Sally.

  The detectives found Caswell. He could tell them nothing.

  '1 got bored," he admitted. '*So I practiced my headstand."

  ''You did whatr' gasped Sally.

  "The man in the tan hat folded his newspaper in half and was reading the bottom half," said Caswell. "So the headlines were on my side. I tried reading them while standing on my head. They were upside down, and it took a long time—"

  A black-haired man lay on the floor, unconscioiLS.

  *'Never mind the headlines!" cried Sally. "Did you see anyone running away with an overnight bag?"

  "Everyone was running after some woman screamed," said Caswell. ^'That's when the man in the tan hat left the bench. I was just combing my hair when you came back."

  *'I ought to comb it with a blowtorch," said Sally furiously.

  ''I think the headlines began, *Earth-quake Hits . ..' " said Caswell.

  "You missed everything trying to read a headline," shrieked Sally. "Blue-Point Blackie was slugged, and we don't have a clue!"

  "Oh, yes, we do," corrected Encyclopedia.

  WHAT WAS THE CLUE?

  (Turn to page 111 for the solution to The Case of Blue-Point Blackie.)

  1

  The Case of Oie HttpRim Car

  Encyclopedia and Sally were walking on a quiet street in downtown Idaville when they heard a screech of tires.

  Around a corner roared a blue car. Inside were two men. They looked scared.

  The car raced down the block and turned onto Ninth Street.

  "They're in a mighty big hurry," said Encyclopedia.

  **The driver should be arrested before he kills someone," said Sally angrily.

  It had been a peaceful afternoon until then. The detectives had just visited Benny Breslin at Mercy Hospital. Benny's tonsils had been removed.

  Suddenly they heard a woman shouting. They ran to Jefferson Place, tlje street from which the blue car had come.

  A woman was standing near the sidewalk. She was shouting at the top of her lungs. ''Call an ambulance! Call the police!"

  A man lay by a parked car. He was holding his back. His face was twisted with pain.

  As if in answer to a prayer, an ambulance sped up. Its lights were blinking and its siren screamed.

  The woman stepped into the middle of the street and threw up her arms.

  "Stop!" she shouted. "Stop!"

  Parked cars narrowed the one-way street, and the ambulance driver could not steer around the woman. He slammed on his brakes.
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  "Lady, get out of the way!" he pleaded. "We're on a call!"

  "Take this man to the hospital," she insisted. "He's been hit by a car!"

  The driver tried to argue. He had no time to stop. "A man on Bradley Square has suffered a heart attack," he said.

  The woman stepped into the middle of the street and threw up her arms. ''Stop!" she shouted.

  The woman held her ground in the middle of the street. "What's the matter with you? This man's hurt!"

  The injured man protested. ''Let them answer their call,"-he said. ''Mercy Hospital is only two blocks away. I can make it."

  "Don't you try!" scolded the woman. "Crazy drivers! Crazy ambulances!"

  By now a large crowd of men and women had gathered to watch. They seemed to side with the excited woman.

  "Okay, okay, lady, you win," the ambulance driver said, shaking his head. "This could cost me my job, but I guess there is room."

  He nodded to his partner and both men got out of the ambulance, their white uniforms bright spots of comfort. They opened the back doors and reached for a wheeled stretcher.

  "Heck, I don't need that," said the injured man.

  "Yes, you do," said the woman. "The blue car knocked you six feet. I saw it. Oh, I wish I'd got the license number!"

  So did Encyclopedia. He had glimpsed only the last part—008.

  The two men in white were carrying the stretcher when more sirens sounded. Four pohce cars halted behind the ambulance.

  Chief Brown leaned out of the first car. **Move that ambulance to one side/' he commanded.

  As the ambulance was being moved, Chief Brown spied Encyclopedia. "What are you doing here, Leroy?" he called.

  "We were visiting Benny Breslin at Mercy Hospital," replied Encyclopedia. *'This man was struck down by a speeding car."