Read Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All Online
Authors: Donald J. Sobol
Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All (4 page)
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Mr. Mackey looked like he hadn’t slept a wink in four years.
So Encyclopedia, after finishing breakfast, went with his father. It was eight o’clock when they got out of the patrol car at Mr. Mackey’s house. A woman was standing by the front door.
“I’ve already rung the bell,” she announced. She gave Chief Brown’s police uniform a nervous look. “Is there trouble here? I came in answer to an ad for a maid. I won’t work in a house where there is trouble!”
Before Chief Brown could reply, the door squeaked. It opened no more than a crack. Mr. Mackey peered out.
“Chief Brown!” he said. “Thank heaven you’ve come!”
He swung the door open. He was wearing slippers and pajamas, and he looked like he hadn’t slept a wink in four years.
Chief Brown introduced Encyclopedia. Mr. Mackey smiled and shook hands. Then he noticed the woman.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
“I’m Molly Haggerty,” she answered. “I’ve come about that job for a maid—”
“Oh, yes,” said Mr. Mackey. “I forgot for the moment. Well, come in—come in.”
Inside, Mr. Mackey said, “I’m sorry, Miss Haggerty, that I can’t talk with you about the position now. I must speak with Chief Brown. But I’m hungry as a bear. Could I trouble you to fix something to eat? You’ll find everything you need in the kitchen.”
Molly Haggerty asked the way to the kitchen and strode off. Mr. Mackey led Chief Brown and Encyclopedia into the living room.
“Yesterday I put an ad in the newspaper for a maid,” said Mr. Mackey. “I had to discharge my old one—caught her snooping! I can’t trust anybody!”
“Do you live here alone?” asked Chief Brown.
“Yes, except for a maid—when I have one,” said Mr. Mackey. “I hope this Molly Haggerty works out. She seems bright and eager to please.”
Encyclopedia wondered about Mr. Mackey. Was he so all-fired scared simply because he had lost a maid?
“What is it you wanted to see me about?” inquired Chief Brown.
“Do you remember the gasoline station holdup last week in Allentown?” asked Mr. Mackey.
“Three gunmen held up the station and wounded the owner,” recalled Chief Brown. “They go on trial tomorrow.”
“And I’m going to appear in court against them,” said Mr. Mackey.
“Why?”
“Because I saw what happened,” replied Mr. Mackey. “I had stopped for gas, and I saw everything. I’m the only eyewitness.”
Suddenly Chief Brown looked concerned. “You’re afraid the gunmen’s friends will try to keep you from appearing in court?”
“They’ll kill me!” said Mr. Mackey fearfully. “I need a police guard day and night! Do you know how I’ve been living for the past week?”
Chief Brown shook his head. “How?”
“Like a mole—sneaking out at night!” said Mr. Mackey. “During the day I live behind locked doors. I sleep during the morning and afternoon. I was out all last night walking—where’s that maid? I’m starved. I want to eat and go to bed.”
He had hardly spoken when Molly Haggerty entered the room. She was carrying a tray of food.
She set a bowl of soup, a sandwich, and a glass of ice tea on the end table by Mr. Mackey.
“Very nice, thank you,” mumbled Mr. Mackey, picking up the sandwich hungrily.
Encyclopedia needed but a split second to see the clue.
“Don’t eat!” he cried.
An instant later Chief Brown understood, too. He caught Molly Haggerty as she tried to escape by the back door. He put her under arrest.
“What’s this all about?” cried Mr. Mackey.
“Miss Haggerty is a friend of the three gunmen who held up the gas station,” answered Encyclopedia.
“H-how do you know?” gasped Mr. Mackey.
HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW?
(Turn to page 91 for the solution to the Case of the Frightened Playboy.)
The Case of the Hair Driers
Sally Kimball braked her bike to a skidding halt in front of the Brown Detective Agency.
“Fire!” she shouted excitedly. “The Glade Theater is on fire! Come on!”
Encyclopedia had never seen a theater burn. Since he was not working on a case, he closed the detective agency at once. He and Sally hopped on their bikes and rode quickly toward the center of town.
“Golly, I hope nobody is hurt,” she said.
“It’s only three o’clock,” said Encyclopedia. “The first show doesn’t start till five. The theater was probably empty when the fire started.”
By the time they reached the theater, the fire had been put out. Most of the onlookers had moved away. The firemen were winding the hoses back on the fire engines.
The partners hung around watching the work. At last all the equipment was back in place. The fire engines drove off. Officer Wilson blew his whistle, waved, and traffic moved down the street again.
Encyclopedia and Sally walked their bikes on the sidewalk. In the middle of the block, Sally gave a gasp.
“Encyclopedia!”
A man had staggered from the alley between Mr. Albert’s Shoe Store and the Sunset Five-and-Dime. He held his hands to his head.
It was Mr. Jorgens, who ran the beauty parlor on the comer, across the street from the theater.
At first Encyclopedia thought he had been hurt in the fire. But Mr. Jorgens moaned, “I’ve been robbed!” He slumped against a lamp post. “I’ve been robbed.”
The two children guided Mr. Jorgens back to his beauty parlor. It was empty except for Mrs. Jorgens, who helped her husband run the business.
“I was slugged and robbed,” said Mr. Jorgens to his wife.
Mrs. Jorgens gave a cry of fright. “Wh-who did it?”
“I don’t know. That’s the mystery,” said Mr. Jorgens.
Mrs. Jorgens ran to get a doctor. Encyclopedia sent Sally to fetch Officer Wilson from the comer.
When Officer Wilson saw the lump on Mr. Jorgens’s head, his first question was, “Are you able to tell me what happened?”
“I can talk,” said Mr. Jorgens. “But I can’t tell you very much. Somebody hit me from behind as I walked through the alley on the way to the bank. I never saw who it was.”
“Do you usually go through the alley to get to the bank?” asked Officer Wilson.
“Yes, it’s a shortcut,” said Mr. Jorgens. “How ever, I usually go on Fridays. I went today because I had more cash than I like to keep on hand.”
The doctor examined Mr. Jorgens’s head and frowned.
“Whom did you tell that you were going to the bank today instead of Friday?” asked Officer Wilson.
“Only my wife,” replied Mr. Jorgens.
At that moment Mrs. Jorgens returned with the doctor. He examined Mr. Jorgens’s head and frowned. “You had better come to the hospital. I want to take X rays,” he said.
“Can I have another minute to question him?” asked Officer Wilson.
“One minute,” said the doctor. “No more.”
“You said the only person who knew you were going to the bank today was your wife,” said Officer Wilson. “Couldn’t someone else have overheard you tell her?”
“They could have seen me, but they couldn’t have overheard me.” said Mr. Jorgens.
“What do you mean?”
“There were three customers here,” said Mr. Jorgens. “They were sitting under those hair driers. The hair driers make so much noise that the three women couldn’t have heard a word, even if I had shouted.”
“Perhaps you were overheard by someone else—someone who works for you?” suggested Officer Wilson.
“I have only one assistant,” said Mr. Jorgens. “Today is her day off.”
“How long after you told Mrs. Jorgens that you were going to the bank today did you leave?”
“I told my wife about two o’clock,” answered Mr. Jorgens. “It was shortly after the fire engines arrived at the theater. I left for the bank about two-thirty.”
“And how much money was stolen?”
“Seven hundred and twenty dollars,” said Mr. Jorgens.
Officer Wilson had carefully written everything down. He put his notebook away and thanked Mr. Jorgens. He went outside shaking his head, as though he believed the thief would never be caught.
Encyclopedia said nothing. He did not offer to solve the crime till the Browns sat down to dinner that evening.
Chief Brown brought up the case as he was finishing his mushroom soup.
“The only person who knew that Mr. Jorgens was going to the bank was his wife,” he said. “She couldn’t be guilty. The Jorgenses have been happily married for thirty years.”
“It wasn’t Mrs. Jorgens,” said Encyclopedia.
“I know that,” said Chief Brown. “But who was it?”
“It was one of the three women sitting under the hair driers,” said Encyclopedia.
“Impossible!” objected Chief Brown. “The hair driers make too much noise. None of the women could have overheard Mr. Jorgens tell his wife about going to the bank.”
“The guilty woman didn’t overhear him, Dad,” said Encyclopedia.
“Well, who did?” said Chief Brown.
“No one,” said Encyclopedia. “That’s what makes the case so simple.”
“Leroy!” said his mother sharply. “Are you making a joke?”
“I’m not joking, Mom,” said Encyclopedia. “All Dad has to do is find out which one of the three women is—”
IS WHAT?
(Turn to page 92 for the solution to the Case of the Hair Driers.)
The Case of Cupid’s Arrow
Tyrone Taylor was the youngest ladies’ man in Idaville. He was always holding some girl’s hand.
But on the morning he entered the Brown Detective Agency, he was holding an arrow.
“Look what Cupid shot at me,” he said. “Am I lucky he missed. Feel the point!”
Encyclopedia felt the point. It was sharp as a needle. “You could have been killed,” he agreed.
“I want to hire you right away,” said Tyrone, banging twenty-five cents on the gasoline can.
Encyclopedia did not touch the money. “You ought to write to Miss Lonely Hearts at the newspaper,” he said. “She gives advice on love. Cupid is out of my line.”
“Maybe Cupid shot the arrow,” said Tyrone, “or maybe a jealous rival is out to get me!”
“You stole someone’s girl friend?” asked Encyclopedia.
“Certainly not,” said Tyrone. “At the moment, I’m crazy over Ruth Goldstein. So is half the class. Some kid might be out to win her for himself by shooting all her other admirers. In a week, Idaville may look like the Indians raided it.”
Encyclopedia pictured arrows flying and half the fifth grade wiped out. This was an emergency!
“I’ll take the case,” he said quickly. “Tell me what happened.”
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