The Secret of the Soldier's Gold
Page 5
Joe nodded. “If they knew the exact spot, then they’d have no problem finding the gold if it’s still there.”
“So this new map would put the suitcase in an area as far away from the real location as possible?” Frank said.
For a minute Joe didn’t say anything. Then he jumped off the bed and started pacing around the room. Finally he shouted, “Wait—we need two maps!”
“Two maps?” Frank said. “Why?”
Joe returned to his bed and sat down. “Well, we’ll make a new map of Senhora Bragança’s backyard as a safety—just in case Isabel isn’t really our friend—and we’ll hope in the meantime that she is,” Joe said. “The other map will place the gold in an entirely different location, and this will be for the de Feiras and anybody else who Isabel believes is involved.”
Frank thought for a minute. “Complicated but necessary,” he said, “and I think this just might work.”
Frank and Joe dressed quickly and took the elevator down to the lobby. They asked the clerk at the front desk for the envelope that they had put in the safe the day before.
After they got the map the teens went back up to their room and redrew the map of Senhora Bragança’s backyard. This time they put the X as far away from the real location of the suitcase as possible.
Joe put the fake map in his pocket, then he and Frank went back downstairs and returned the brown envelope containing the real map to the desk clerk.
As they headed back up to their room for a second time, Joe said, “We need to study a map of Lisbon and find a big park that has a lot of secluded areas where someone could have buried a suitcase full of gold bars.”
Frank nodded. “That Lisbon guidebook in our room will give us the information we need,” he said, “and it’ll also let us know if the park existed in 1943.”
“Oh yeah—I forgot about that!” Joe said. “Couldn’t have put the gold in a park that wasn’t around then.”
Back in their room Frank got out the guidebook to Lisbon. For several minutes they studied the different maps that showed park locations all over the city.
“Maybe we should choose one that’s not too far from where Frau Rilke’s family lived. If her father had walked all over Lisbon carrying a suitcase, he would have attracted a lot of unwanted attention,” Joe said.
“Well, Joe, remember that Dad said there were a lot of refugees in Lisbon then, so a suitcase in itself might not have been a problem,” Frank countered. “A suitcase full of gold bars would have been heavy, though, and it would have been difficult for Herr Fleissner to carry it too far. That’s probably the best reason for him going to a park that was nearby.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Joe agreed.
They decided to concentrate their efforts in Belém, where the Fleissners had lived.
“Here’s a park that was built in the early 1900s to showcase the plants and trees from the Portuguese colonies all over the world,” Joe said. “The Jardim Agrícola Tropical. And the location is just about right.”
Frank read the description of the park. “Perfect!” he said. “This is now the location of Frau Rilke’s suitcase full of gold bars.”
Frank and Joe drew the new map and put an X in a secluded part of the park, near some dragon trees from the Madeira Islands.
“We’ll leave this map lying around the room and then when someone—,” Frank started to say.
But Joe interrupted. “Wait—I just thought of a better idea!”
“Okay, what is it?” Frank said.
“We’ll go to the Jardim Agrícola Tropical ourselves and dig up the suitcase!” Joe exclaimed.
Frank looked at him for a couple of seconds, then said, “But Joe, hello—this map’s fake.”
“I know it’s a fake, Frank,” Joe said, rolling his eyes. “But what we’re going to do is buy one of those little fold-up shovels so we can hide it easily—and take it to the park along with this map. And we’ll see what happens.”
Frank’s eyes widened and a big grin spread over his face. “So you think that somebody will follow us to the fake location?”
“That’s what I’m hoping!” Joe said. “If they do, they’ll probably wait until we’re just about ready to start digging and then will surprise us. Of course we’ll drop everything—the shovel, the map, everything—and run from the park as if we’re scared to death.”
“Then whoever followed us will start digging up the whole Jardim Agrícola Tropical, hoping to find the suitcase,” Frank said. “Brilliant!” He paused. “Except I’d hate to have that beautiful park destroyed.”
“Oh, I don’t think they’ll really get too far before the authorities stop them,” Joe said. “Remember that we’ll have our shovel hidden, and we’ve put the X in a really secluded part of the park, so I don’t think the authorities will bother us—but when whoever follows us can’t find the suitcase in the spot we’ve marked on the map, they’ll probably start digging all around the area. That’s when the park authorities will stop them.”
Frank laughed. “They’ll be so frustrated! They’ll probably spend weeks trying to outsmart the park police in order to get a suitcase that isn’t there.”
“That’s what I hope will happen,” Joe said. “In the meantime we’ll try to figure out a way to dig up the real suitcase at Senhora Bragança’s house.”
“I just thought of something else, Joe,” Frank said. “We’ll also solve another problem.”
“What?” Joe asked.
“If we really are followed to the Jardim Agrícola Tropical, then we’ll know that Isabel was telling the truth,” Frank said. “She knows that the suitcase is buried in Senhora Bragança’s backyard. I don’t think she—or anyone she might have told—would follow us to this other park.”
“Right,” Joe said. “I really do hope Isabel’s innocent.”
After checking in with Mr. Hardy and telling him that they were still working on Frau Rilke’s case, Frank and Joe took the elevator down to the lobby. A man at the concierge’s desk told them that there was a camping-supply store just two blocks from the hotel. He said that they should be able to buy a fold-up shovel there, and he asked if they needed the locations of some nearby campsites.
“No,” Joe responded. “We already know where we’re going.”
“But thanks anyway,” Frank added.
The Hardy boys found the camping-supply store without any trouble, bought the fold-up shovel and a small canvas bag for carrying it, and then they headed to the tram to Belém.
As they were boarding the train Joe whispered, “Have you noticed anyone suspicious?”
Frank shook his head. “No, but I’m trying to act as normal as possible and not seem too suspicious myself. I don’t want anybody to think that we know they’re following us.”
The tram wasn’t overly crowded when it left downtown Lisbon, but the closer it got to Belém, the more crowded it became. Soon it was hard to see past the people who were standing right around them.
Finally a recorded voice announced in Portuguese and English that the next stop was the Jardim Agrícola Tropical.
Frank and Joe stood up and slowly moved through the crowd of passengers to the rear door of the tram.
Once Frank thought he noticed a man watching them with more than just passing interest, but when he looked at the man again, he was reading a newspaper.
When the doors opened, Frank and Joe jumped off. They knew that several other passengers got off too, but they purposely didn’t turn around to look, just in case it might scare off whoever might be following them to the park.
The teens found the entrance to the park, paid the small entrance fee, and then, after consulting a park map, headed for the area where they had marked the phony X—near the dragon trees.
Frank had read that for some reason this park didn’t attract many visitors, so it was perfect for their mission.
“This is it, I think,” Joe said. He was looking at a sign in Portuguese. “I recognize the word for dragon.”
“See anything?” Joe whispered when Frank had straightened up.
“No,” Frank whispered back. He knew that Joe had used the same maneuver while on other cases.
“Okay, we’re here. Let’s just hope that the suitcase is still here too,” Joe said, talking not so loud that it seemed unnatural but not so quietly that anyone nearby wouldn’t have heard him. He took the map out of his pocket and pointed to it. “The spot where we need to start digging should be around those trees over there.” He pretended to look at one particular tree. “Come on, Frank!”
Frank, taking the hint, took the fold-up shovel out of the canvas bag and unfolded it.
As the Hardys entered the area of the dragon trees Frank thought he heard a noise to his left—but he willed himself not to look in that direction.
Joe must have heard it too, because he said, “It’s been a long time coming, but in a minute we’re going to be really rich!” This time he spoke loud enough for anyone to hear.
At that moment a loud crashing noise made Frank and Joe turn to their left. Two men were rushing toward them.
Frank dropped the shovel and the canvas bag and Joe dropped the map—just as they had planned to do—and they ran as fast as they could toward the main park entrance.
No one followed them.
When they reached the entrance, they nodded to the park official and then left the park, heading back to the tram stop.
“Looks like it worked,” Joe said.
“Good plan, Joe,” Frank told him. “We know now that Isabel is okay to trust.”
“What’s next?” Joe asked.
“We have to figure out a way to convince Senhora Bragança to let us dig up her backyard,” Frank said.
“That means buying another fold-up shovel and canvas bag from the camping-supply store,” Joe said.
“If this little ruse keeps people from bothering us, it’ll be worth it,” Frank said.
8 Dog Attack!
* * *
Frank and Joe waited anxiously for all the passengers to board the tram that would take them back to central Lisbon. Finally the doors closed and the tram started.
“I don’t think anybody followed us,” Frank said. “The other people onboard are mostly women and elderly men.”
Joe nodded. “Those men are too busy digging up the Jardim Agrícola Tropical,” he said. “I wonder how long it’ll be before they realize the map was a fake.”
“It may be a while, Joe,” Frank said. “I think we gave a pretty good performance back there.”
Joe grinned. “Yeah,” he said. “I think the way I dropped that map and ran away should earn me an acting award!”
“Well, you should have seen the way I dropped the shovel and the canvas bag,” Frank said. “Talk about great acting!”
“Let’s not rest on our acting laurels just yet, though,” Joe said. “We need to get the real suitcase as soon as possible.”
“Right,” Frank agreed. “We can only keep those guys fooled for so long.”
“What about going after the gold tonight?” Joe said.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Frank said. “But we’ll have to figure out a way to get into the backyard—past the guards and the dogs.”
“We’ve overcome greater odds before,” Joe said. “Between now and tonight, I’m sure we’ll figure out something.”
For the rest of the trip Frank and Joe enjoyed the scenery. On the walk back to the hotel they decided to buy another shovel and canvas bag at the camping-supply store.
The same clerk waited on them. “If there’s something wrong with what you bought earlier, you may return it,” he said.
“Oh no, we just need another set,” Frank said.
“We’re letting somebody else use what we bought this morning,” Joe said.
That story seemed to satisfy the clerk. He wrapped up the new shovel and canvas bag. At the last minute Joe added a small flashlight and paid for it with some Portuguese money.
“We need to call Isabel and tell her what happened,” Frank said as they left the camping-supply store.
“Right,” Joe said. “It was silly to think she was somehow involved with those fascist groups.”
When Frank and Joe got back to their hotel, they called their parents to let them know that they were all right.
Mrs. Hardy asked them if they’d like to go to a movie that evening. “The concierge told us that there’s a theater just a couple of blocks away that plays American movies,” she said. “Aunt Gertrude would like to hear some English—she’s already feeling a little homesick!”
“We’re going to call Isabel to see if she wants to do something tonight,” Frank told their mother. “Thanks for the invitation, though.”
“All right . . . but if you change your mind, the movie starts at eight o’clock,” Mrs. Hardy said.
“Thanks, Mom,” Frank said.
After Frank hung up Joe dialed Isabel’s number. She answered on the third ring. He told her what had taken place at the Jardim Agrícola Tropical.
“Oh, that was such a brilliant plan!” Isabel said. “No wonder Frank and Joe Hardy are known far and wide for solving mysteries.”
“We have another brilliant plan,” Joe told her. “And we hope you’ll want to be part of it.”
“I trust you guys so much that I’ll say yes before you even tell me what it is,” Isabel said.
“Now, that’s what I call having faith in someone!” Joe said.
Isabel laughed.
Joe told her their plan to find a way into Senhora Bragança’s backyard that night and to dig up the suitcase.
For a few seconds Isabel didn’t say anything, and Joe wondered if she was having second thoughts about going with them. But then she said, “It’s not stealing because the gold belongs to Frau Rilke—and I’m sure we can talk our way out of any trespassing complaint.”
“That’s what we were thinking,” Joe said.
“The Portuguese courts would surely give us permission to dig, anyway—but then, getting that approval would probably take months and months, and I know that you don’t have that much time,” Isabel added.
“No, we don’t—and neither does Frau Rilke,” Joe said.
“We’re probably stretching the law here, but those were terrible times,” Isabel said, “and I know the Portuguese people would be on our side.”
“Well, maybe not everybody,” Joe said. “Those fascists would probably figure out a way to get that money instead of Frau Rilke.”
“Which, as far as I’m concerned, is a very strong argument for going to Senhora Bragança’s house tonight,” Isabel said.
“Can you pick us up at the hotel in your car?” Joe said.
“No problem,” Isabel said. “What time?”
Joe looked over at Frank. “What time should Isabel come by?” he asked.
“Ten o’clock,” Frank said. “We need to be there by eleven.”
Joe repeated the information to Isabel.
“Okay—I’ll be waiting for you in front of the hotel at ten,” Isabel said. “Look for a red Porsche.”
“We’ll be there,” Joe told her.
When Joe hung up the receiver, he said, “Why ten? We never really talked about that. Do you know something that I don’t?”
“I just remembered that when we were at Senhora Bragança’s house the first time, the car with the domestic help arrived just before 3 P.M.,” Frank said. “That’s the beginning of a normal work shift.”
“Oh, yeah!” Joe said. “7 A.M. to 3 P.M., 3 P.M. to 11 P.M., and 11 P.M. to 7 A.M.”
“Exactly. So if we’re there when the car brings in the domestic help at around 11 P.M., we can follow the car through the gate,” Frank
said. “I think that’s the only way we can get past the security guards.”
“What about the dogs?” Joe said. “Once we’re inside, won’t they pick up our scents?”
“We’ll bring a little fresh meat and a mild sedative. Nothing that will harm them,” Frank said. “We’ll get some kind of ground meat and an over-the-counter sleep aid.”
Another conversation with the concierge led Frank and Joe to a nearby meat market, where they bought a pound of ground pork. After that they went two doors down to a pharmacy where—after pondering which one of the many sleep aids to buy, it occurred to Frank that he could ask the pharmacist for whatever pet owners gave to their animals when they were taking them on long trips. The pharmacist went directly to the shelf, picked up a package, and said, “This one is the best!”
A few minutes before ten o’clock the Hardy boys were waiting in front of the hotel. Joe was holding the canvas bag containing the fold-up shovel, a flashlight, and a bag of ground pork that had been mixed with some of the sleep aid.
Isabel pulled up in front of the hotel a couple minutes after ten o’clock, but she was driving a dark-colored late-model Ford instead of the Porsche.
Frank and Joe spotted Isabel in the car and quickly climbed in.
“Where’s your car?” Joe asked.
“I thought it would be too obvious,” Isabel explained. “This was the car Father used when we were in the United States. It’s in great condition and it doesn’t stand out.”
“Good thinking,” Frank said.
Even though the traffic was heavy, with Isabel’s expert driving they made the trip in forty-five minutes. They parked the car two blocks away from Senhora Bragança’s house.
“We have about fifteen minutes to prepare,” Frank whispered as the three of them climbed out of Isabel’s car. “That’s plenty of time. Come on.”
As they headed toward Senhora Bragança’s house Joe explained to Isabel their plan to enter the grounds behind the car that would be carrying the domestic help.
“If everything goes according to schedule, the car will be arriving here just a few minutes before eleven,” Frank said. “We’ll be hiding behind some shrubs beside the gate and we’ll follow the car inside.”