Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day (5 page)

“Wednesdays my dad closes the store at three o‘clock,” she said. “Today he was in a hurry to get to Glenn City. So he left the store five minutes early. He told me to close up.

“I locked the front and back doors,” Jane continued. “Then I went to the washroom to comb my hair. Suddenly I heard the cash register ring. I hurried out and saw someone race out the side door.”

“How many doors does the store have?” asked Sally.

“Three—front, back, and side,” answered Jane. “The side door is seldom used. I just forgot to lock it.”

“Did you get a look at the thief’s face?” asked Encyclopedia.

“No,” said Jane. “Everything happened so fast. I don’t know if the thief was a man or a woman, or a boy or girl.”

The bus had come to their stop. The three children got off and walked to a two-story white building. The Sunset Five-and-Dime took up the entire first floor except for a brown wood door at one end.

“What door is that?” asked Encyclopedia.

“It leads to living quarters above the store,” said Jane.

She unlocked the front door of the store. Sally and Encyclopedia followed her inside.

Encyclopedia stared at the counter before the cash register. On the counter were a pack of rubber bands, a can of oil, a magnet, a sheet of sandpaper, and a pack of blotters.

“Were those things on the counter when you locked the front and back doors at closing time?” he asked.

“I don’t remember them,” said Jane. “Are they clues?”

Encyclopedia didn’t answer. Instead he asked to see the side door through which the thief had fled.

The side door opened into a hall. At one end was the staircase going up to the living quarters above the store. At the other end was the brown door which opened onto the street.

“Is that brown door kept locked?” asked Encyclopedia.

“It locks by itself when it shuts,” said Jane.

“Then the thief must be someone who lives upstairs,” said Encyclopedia. “He had to have a key to get past the brown door.”

“Do you know who did it?” exclaimed Sally.

“Not yet,” said Encyclopedia.

He paused thoughtfully. Then he said, “The thief came down the stairs shortly before closing. He—let’s say the thief was a man—didn’t know Jane had closed the store a few minutes early today.”

“You mean the thief didn’t plan on robbery?” asked Sally.

“Correct,” said Encyclopedia. “The thief took five things he wanted and went to the cash register to pay for them.”

Sally cried, “When he realized he was alone in the store, he decided to rob it. He didn’t know Jane was in the washroom!”

“That’s how it looks,” said Encyclopedia. “When the cash register rang as he opened it, he got scared. He fled with the money. But he left behind the five things he had wanted to buy.”

“Who lives above the store?” Sally asked Jane.

“The front two apartments belong to Mr. Corey and Mr. Evans,” said Jane. “Each lives alone. Mr. Corey works for the Health Department. Mr. Evans is the night watchman at the First Federal Bank.”

“Who lives in the rear apartments?” asked Encyclopedia.

“Mrs. O‘Quinn lives with her daughter Mary in one apartment,” said Jane. “Mrs. O’Quinn works as a cleaning woman and takes in sewing at night. The other apartment has been empty since the Andersons moved away two months ago.”

“Can’t you tell us anything more about the people upstairs?” asked Sally anxiously.

“I’m sorry,” said Jane. “I don’t know any more. I don’t see them often.”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” said Encyclopedia. “You’ve told us enough.”

 

WHO WAS THE THIEF?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Encyclopedia biked past the empty lot on Rock Garden Lane, he saw Nathan Winslow swinging a pickax at top speed.

The boy detective braked to a halt. “Hey, Nathan,” he called. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” said Nathan. “I’m digging. Now leave me alone. Go wash an elephant or something. I have to practice.”

His snappish answer surprised Encyclopedia. A quiet boy of nine, Nathan was known for his good manners. In fact, he was so polite he never visited Echo Valley. He didn’t want to talk back.

Encyclopedia wheeled his bike onto the sidewalk. He tried again. “What are you practicing?”

“Digging rocks if you must know,” said Nathan. “I’ve got to show Wilford Wiggins I can help him dig for gold.”

Wilford Wiggins was a high school dropout. He had more get-rich-quick ideas every minute than fingerprints on a volleyball. Encyclopedia kept busy stopping Wilford from cheating the children of the neighborhood.

“Wilford says he found a gold mine,” guessed Encyclopedia.

“Yep,” said Nathan. “The mine is out west someplace. Any kid with five dollars can buy a share of it. Since I’m broke, I thought I could work for a share.”

Nathan put down his pickax. “Wilford’s holding a meeting at ten o‘clock in South Park,” he said. “I’d better get over there.”

“Wilford didn’t tell me about the meeting,” said Encyclopedia.

“He hates you like poison,” said Nathan.

“What’s like poison is Wilford’s big talk,” said Encyclopedia. “But it can’t hurt you if you don’t swallow it.”

Nathan suddenly looked worried.

“Maybe Wilford’s gold mine is as phoney as bull’s wool,” he said uneasily. “You’d better come to the meeting, Encyclopedia. You might save the day.”

Encyclopedia agreed to go. On the way, Nathan apologized.

“I’m sorry I was so fresh to you,” he said. “I guess I wasn’t myself.”

“Forget it,” said Encyclopedia. “The shine of gold can be worse than a close shave. It has made lots of people lose their heads.”

At South Park, Encyclopedia saw a crowd of children gathered around the statue of Abra ham Lincoln.

Wilford Wiggins was leaning against the statue, trying to look honest. He was about to start his sales talk.

The children stepped closer. They were eager to hear how he would make them dirty rich.

“You’ve all heard about the gold strike out west,” said Wilford. “My partner, Digger Dan, found the mine. But we need money to, buy a mule. So I’m going to make each of you a junior partner for a mere five dollars.”

“Sure, sure,” said Bugs Meany, pushing his way to the front. “I’ll be so rich my little sister will have to quit piano lessons and take up playing the cash register!”

“That’s a fact, kid,” replied Wilford.

“Exactly where is your gold mine?” asked Benny Breslin.

“I wish I could tell you,” answered Wilford. “But I’m too good an American. If I told, all the people in the east would rush out west. The whole country would tip into the Pacific Ocean and sink.”

“Aw, cut the comedy or get off the air,” sneered Bugs.

“If you found a gold mine,” said Hector Conklin, “why didn’t you dig enough gold to buy a mule? Why do you need our money?”

“I’ll tell you, friend,” said Wilford. “Six months ago my partner, Digger Dan, went into the hills looking for gold. He took along his faithful mule Queenie to carry supplies.

“Digger Dan has been looking for gold for thirty-three years,” went on Wilford. “This trip his bad luck ended. He hit the mother lode, the richest gold strike ever! But did he get greedy and haul it away? No! Queenie was about to have a baby and Queenie came before worldly riches.”

Wilford paused to let his words settle upon the animal lovers in the crowd.

Then he went on. “Digger Dan waited at the gold mine. He needed Queenie to carry back the gold. At last, Queenie had her baby, Strike-It-Rich. But instead of growing stronger, Queenie grew weaker. Days passed. Food and water ran low. Little Strike-It-Rich died. Five days later Queenie died, too.”

Wilford bowed his head. When he looked up again, there was a tear in his eye.

He said, “Digger Dan might have taken a fortune in gold from the mine if he were heartless. He might have made two or three quick trips back to town even though Queenie wasn’t fit for heavy work.”

The children were silent. Jane Foster was crying. So was Lucy Fibbs.

“Now you know why we need money,” said Wilford. “Digger Dan didn’t bring back enough gold to buy a shoelace. But if I can raise the money, he’ll be able to buy another mule, go back to the hills, and start working the mine.”

The children pressed around Wilford, waving their money. Bugs Meany bought the first share. He biked off as pleased with himself as a millionaire.

Before anyone else could buy a share, Encyclopedia held up his hands.

“Don’t throw away your money,” he said. “There is no gold mine!”

 

HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Encyclopedia was biking past Casper Keane’s house when he saw something on the roof. It was Casper.

“Hey, come down!” shouted Encyclopedia.

“Don’t bother me,” said Casper. He had a paper wing tied to each arm. He closed his eyes and began to rock.

“What are you doing?” said Encyclopedia.

“I’m hypnotizing myself,” answered Casper.

“Can’t you hypnotize yourself on the ground?”

“Once I get myself hypnotized, I’m going to tell myself I’m a bird,” said Casper, who was eight and a great believer. “Then I’ll fly.”