Encyclopedia Brown and the case of the midnight visitor (5 page)

Around and under the picnic table and benches was nothing but 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.

"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."

*'Did you see it happen?"

**No," said Encyclopedia. "But I'm pretty certain I saw the car that hit him."

"Are you chasing it?" asked Sally.

"Chasing robbers," said Chief Brown. "The First City Bank was held up ten minutes ago. The bank teller who phoned the station was still so scared she didn't know how many robbers there were. She remembered only that they wore masks and long black capes."

The ambulance had pulled into an open parking space. Chief Brown sent the other police cars on to the bank.