“I’ll give it to him,” Frank assured her.
The nurse walked on down the hall, and Frank turned back to the water fountain. As he sipped, he replayed in his mind the conversation he, Joe, and Jax had shared before they were interrupted. Toothnapping . . . ransom note, Frank thought. Could Jax be right?
He wiped his hand across his dripping mouth and stepped into the shadows at the end of the hall. He pulled the flap from the unsealed envelope the nurse had given him. Inside was a plain white card with a message hand printed on it:
Hey Dad—miss me?
Get 100,000 euros together.
I’ll tell you later where to bring them.
Then I’ll come home.
M. Mike
12 The Fog of Fear
* * *
Frank took a big breath—he realized he hadn’t taken one since before he read the ransom note—and then he hurried to Jax’s room. Joe and Nick were back inside.
“The new wax figures have been poured,” Nick was saying, “and I’ve got a crew working on the costumes and accessories at this very moment. We have lots of extras in storage. We salvaged a lot of the teeth from the fire wreckage. I need you to clean them up and repair what needs fixing, and get them into the heads as soon as possible.”
Nick turned to the physician. “What do you say, doctor? When can I take my friend home and chain him to his worktable?”
“I believe we can release him this afternoon,” the doctor said. “I’m waiting for the results of the test we took this morning, but I’m expecting it to be favorable. I’ll check back with you in a couple of hours, Mr. Brighton.”
“Excellent,” Jax said.
The minute the doctor left the room, Jax began talking. “I didn’t think they’d ever leave,” he said. “We’ve got to talk more about the tooth.”
“What tooth?” Nick asked. “The Molar Mike? What about it?”
“I want to tell Nick what happened,” Jax told the Hardys. “This guy’s got a network that won’t quit. He’s worked all over the world and has contacts everywhere.”
Quickly Jax told Nick about the theft of the Molar Mike.
“What did the police say?” Nick asked. “Do they have any leads?”
“I’m not telling them yet,” Jax said. “I think the tooth has been taken for ransom. And if the thief thinks the police are in on this, I’ll never see the Molar Mike again.”
“What about that guy who’s been bugging you to let him try out the tooth?” asked Nick. “That coach from Canada. He seems like a pretty good bet to me.” He told Jax about their encounter with Pierre at the Fire Pit.
“And he did case your flat two nights ago,” Joe added.
“I think you’re making a mistake by not calling the police,” Nick said. “You don’t even know for sure that you’re going to get a ransom note.”
“He does now,” Frank said, taking the envelope from his pocket. “The nurse said this came with the flowers.”
“I was wondering who sent them,” Jax said. He took out the card and read the note out loud.
“Whew, a hundred thousand euros,” Nick said. “That’s a lot of change.”
“The Hardys are super detectives,” Jax told Nick. “I’m counting on them to help me find the tooth before it gets on the black market. With their detecting skills and your international network, we’re bound to solve this case.”
“Okay, I’m going to get right on it and see what my buddies around the world have heard,” Nick said. “In exchange, you get out of this place and help me get the exhibit ready for Sunday.”
Nick bolted out of the room with an encouraging wave.
“So the exhibit is on anyway?” Joe asked.
“Yes,” Jax answered with a grin.
“Do the Tower guards know you’re still working on the exhibit?” Joe asked. “I mean, they seem to think you’re an arson suspect.”
“You’re going to love this,” Jax said with a gleeful grin. “They not only checked out your dad, as you suggested, but they were so impressed with who he is, they actually called him. Apparently he vouched for my sterling character.”
“Thank you, Dad,” Joe said, smiling. Then he told Jax about being kicked onto the Underground tracks.
“Whoa . . . hold on!” Jax jumped to his feet, then reached for the chair to steady himself. “This is getting way too serious. I don’t have any right to put you in this kind of danger.”
“Hey, I’m okay,” Joe assured his friend. “The sooner we get this guy, the safer we’ll all be.”
“Do you have any suspects, Jax?” Frank asked.
Jax shook his head and suddenly looked downcast. “What am I going to do, guys? I don’t have a hundred thousand euros. Everything I have is tied up in the tooth.”
“Who do you think stole the tooth?” Frank asked again.
“You can start with Geoffrey Halstead,” Jax said.
“The jeweler?” Frank said, surprised. “He’s already suing you for stealing the idea from him. He doesn’t need to steal the actual tooth.”
“Yes, he does,” Jax reasoned. “He doesn’t have a case for his lawsuit, I can guarantee that. And I’ve heard rumors around the neighborhood shops that his business is in financial trouble.”
“Maybe that’s the real reason behind his suit,” Joe offered. “He’s not in it for fame or recognition for being the inventor. He needs money to save his business.”
“Except it will take years just to work his lawsuit through the system,” Jax pointed out. “And he’s got to know I will never settle out of court with him voluntarily.”
“So you’re saying he stole the tooth. But why?” Frank asked.
“To force me to make a deal with him,” Jax answered. “He holds the Molar Mike for ransom. I get the tooth back, he drops the suit, and he gets money to cure his financial ills.”
“In other words,” Joe said, “you think he’s jumping over the courts and going straight for the money? Holding the prototype for ransom so he can settle out of court?”
“Exactly,” Jax said.
“Okay, he definitely has pretty easy access to your place,” Frank said, his mind gearing up to full speed. “His jewelry store is right there. Nobody’s going to think it’s odd if he’s hanging around the area.”
“Speaking of jewelry, what about that pewter piece Frank found?” Joe said. “Maybe it’s something he was working on or repairing for someone.”
“And the pearl essence you found, Frank,” Jax said. “He might use that in one of his jewelry creations.”
“He could have been the one we surprised that first night,” Joe said. “I didn’t get a good look at the face of the guy who threw you down the stairs, but the body type and size would fit Halstead’s.”
“Okay, we’ll check him out,” Frank said.
“And Nick’s right—we can’t rule out Pierre, either,” Joe said. He told Jax what he’d found out about the coach’s legal and financial problems.
“Well, the top of my list belongs to AA42,” Frank said.
“What’s an AA42?” Jax asked.
“Not a what,” Joe answered, “but a who.”
The Hardys told Jax everything they knew about AA42.
“I always knew the Molar Mike would be a valuable weapon for investigation and for information gathering,” Jax said.
“She knows where you live because she followed us yesterday,” Frank pointed out. “She’s also a top spy, with all the experience, skills, and tools she needs to pull off the theft.”
Frank stood up. “Okay, we’ve got to get to work. You pay attention to the doctor and call us if you’re released.”
The Hardys left Jax’s room at noon. Once outside the hospital they stopped at a food cart and picked up some sandwiches and sodas. They walked to a small park and sat on a bench to eat their lunch—and between bites, they planned their strategy.
“I’m going to try to see Pierre,” Joe said. “I’ll go back to the flat where Jax thinks he
might be staying. I want to see if he’s been straight with us or not. I’ll also check out a few stores and see if I can find out anything about this shoe. I’ve never seen one like it before.”
“I’m going to start with Geoffrey Halstead,” Frank said, “and then I’ll try to track down AA42. The only place we know she might be is St. Martin’s. Maybe the attendant at the Brass Rubbing Centre knows something.”
“Let’s keep in touch,” Joe said, checking his watch. “It’s about twelve thirty now.”
The Hardys finished eating, and Frank went to the Underground to catch the train back to Jax’s neighborhood. The sun was still shining as he walked the few blocks to Geoffrey Halstead’s store. The front door of Jax’s taxidermy shop was boarded up, just as Jax had ordered.
Frank walked into the jewelry store next door. There was no one there. “Mr. Halstead?” he called out. No one answered. “Mr. Halstead? Anyone here?”
Still no answer. Frank made a few loud noises, but there was no response. He walked to the back of the store and peered into what looked like a workshop. “Mr. Halstead?” he called. When there was no answer again, he stepped inside the room.
Beautiful, polished tools nestled in flannel cloths sat on a long table. Magnifying glasses were perched on top of flexible arms on heavy stands. Small vises and saws were bolted to the edge of the table. No jewels or precious metals were visible, but there were several large black cases in the back of the room, and each of them had a digital combination lock. Frank suspected the jewels were inside.
A couple of shelves lined one wall. As Frank stepped over to get a closer look, he had an odd feeling: Someone was watching him, he was sure of it. He whirled around just in time to see a tall, thin man with dirty blond hair standing right in front of him. His arm was raised—and in his hand was a thick wooden pole.
13 Tracking Suspects
* * *
The stranger swung his arm down, aiming the pole at Frank’s head. Frank raised his own arm and blocked the man’s blow, then punched the man in the midriff with all the strength he could muster. The adrenaline was racing through his system so powerfully that he barely felt the pinch of his rotator cuff.
“Unnnghhh!” the man groaned as he doubled over, and the pole clattered to the floor. Frank pumped his knee up into his attacker’s chin, and the man crashed onto his back. He looked up at Frank with a dazed expression, and then his head fell back almost in slow motion. He was out.
Frank scrambled around the workshop until he found a long, heavy chain and a padlock. He wrapped the chain around the man’s wrists and ankles and secured it with the padlock. The he ran his hands over the man’s pockets and carefully pulled out a revolver. He placed the weapon on top of a display case and called the police.
Checking again to make sure his prisoner was still unconscious, Frank checked the rest of the store. He found Geoffrey Halstead in the bathroom bound with rope. A cloth was tied around his mouth.
As soon as Frank released him, Geoffrey took a deep breath. “Thank you, thank you,” he said.
Frank showed Geoffrey the man on the floor. “That’s him,” Geoffrey said. “That’s the man who tried to rob me. He has a gun somewhere.”
“It’s up there,” Frank said, pointing to the weapon. “What happened?”
“I was working on a necklace behind the counter, and he snuck up behind me,” Geoffrey said, running to his case in the front of the store. “Several pieces are missing. He must have them on him somewhere.”
“We’ll wait for the police,” Frank said. “I’ve already called them. There—I hear the sirens now.”
Two police vehicles rolled up. A couple of officers jumped out of a van. Officer Somerset and a policewoman were in the car that followed.
The policewoman talked to Geoffrey about what had happened. Frank led Officer Somerset and the other two officers over to his prisoner.
One of the officers checked the prisoner’s pulse. “Sleeping like a baby,” he reported.
While Frank told Officer Somerset what had happened, the other two policemen began frisking the man. His pockets were full.
“My necklaces, my brooches,” Geoffrey wailed, as the officers laid out the jewelry.
“Mr. Halstead seems to be fine physically,” the policewoman reported. “He’s pretty shaken by the experience, though. I was able to get a full statement from him. We should finally be able to put this guy away for a while.”
“Well, it looks as if you might have caught our neighborhood burglar, Mr. Hardy,” Officer Somerset said. “He fits the description of the thief we’ve been seeking. He has the stolen items on his person. And it sounds as if Mr. Halstead can give us an eyewitness account of an actual burglary. I have to agree with my colleague. This case seems closed.”
“What case?” a familiar voice called from the front door. “What’s going on?”
“Jax!” Frank called. “You’re out of the hospital.”
“Indeed,” Jax said. “I took a cab home but was surprised to find police cars in front of my flat. What happened?”
“This time it was your neighbor—Geoffrey Halstead—who had an encounter with the burglar,” Officer Somerset related. “But due to the excellent skills of your houseguest, we seem to have the culprit in custody.”
“Great, Frank,” Jax said, clapping Frank on the back.
The other two officers escorted the chained prisoner out to the van. The man had awakened by now and was mumbling something about being innocent.
“Mr. Hardy, the city of London thanks you, as do I,” Officer Somerset said. “We may have to call on you for more information or further identification, but I assure you, we will not bother you needlessly. If this goes as I expect, we will wrap up this case for good in a short time—and you and your neighbors will recover your stolen items, Mr. Brighton.”
“I’m afraid I have something more to report,” Jax said. “It’s kind of a long story. But I will not tell you unless I can count on your absolute confidence.”
Officer Somerset sent his three colleagues off with the prisoner in the van. Then he, Frank, and Jax stepped outside the store to talk in private.
“You might not have heard of this yet, but I invented a device called the Molar Mike,” Jax said.
“I read about it just today,” Officer Somerset related. “It is fortunate that it was not stolen by the person who broke into your store yesterday.”
“As a matter of fact,” Jax began, “it was.”
Frank and Jax told the officer about the theft, explaining why Jax had not reported it yet. “Now that it looks as if Frank has caught our local burglar, it seems a good idea to tell you. Please keep your eye out for it when you search the burglar’s belongings and residence.”
“Do you have the ransom note with you?” Officer Somerset asked.
“I do,” Jax answered, reaching into his pocket. “You understand that we have to keep this from getting out, because if it does, I may never see my invention again.”
“Excuse me, but can we get a copy of that before we turn it over?” Frank asked. “There’s a copier in the back of the store.”
“I don’t see why not,” Officer Somerset replied.
Frank went to the back of the jewelry store. Geoffrey’s attention was completely absorbed by taking inventory of the stolen items. He barely responded when Frank told him he was going to use the copier.
Frank put the copy of the ransom note in his pocket and brought the original back to Officer Somerset.
“I’ll assume you will not be getting any more notes because I believe the writer is now in our custody,” the policeman said. “But if you should receive more, you must let me know immediately.”
“Yes, I will,” Jax said.
“Now I’d better take a look at your office and lab,” the policeman said.
“You two go ahead,” Frank said. “I want to ask Mr. Halstead a couple of questions—as a customer.”
Jax and Officer Somerset walked around the
store toward the staircase that led up to Jax’s flat. Frank walked back into the jewelry store.
“Mr. Halstead,” Frank began.
“Please call me Geoffrey, and I shall call you Frank. After all, you saved my life and my store.”
“Great,” Frank said. “I just have a couple of questions to ask you—and they have nothing to do with what happened today. Think of me more as a customer.”
“I’m at your service,” Geoffrey said, smiling.
“I’m looking for a pewter clasp,” Frank said. He took out the photograph of the fragment he’d found and showed it to the jeweler. “As you can see, this one is broken and I’d like to replace it. It’s sort of a leaf shape and has a hinge on one end.”
“I see that,” Geoffrey said. “I’ve never had anything like that, but I specialize in custom-made jewelry. If you left this photograph with me, I’m sure I could make a satisfactory replica for you.”
“Thank you,” Frank said. “I’ll definitely consider that. Now I have another question.” He closed his fingers around the small container of pearl essence in his pocket.
“I have a string of clear glass beads that I bought for my girlfriend back home,” Frank said, weaving the story as he went along. “I haven’t given them to her yet because she recently told me she really wants some pearls. I figure maybe a jeweler like you can fix up these beads I bought to make them look like pearls?”
“I don’t follow you,” Geoffrey said.
“I mean, maybe you have some paint or some kind of material that you can put on these beads so they’ll look like pearls?”
“Surely you’re joking,” Geoffrey said. “I would never, never try to pass glass off as pearls. You can buy ready-made imitations at any ordinary store. You don’t need to engage a master jeweler to create them for you.”
“Okay. Well, thanks,” Frank said.
Frank walked up the stairs to Jax’s flat and went immediately to the office in the medical suite. Jax and Officer Somerset were there, looking over the damage. Then they all went down to the taxidermy shop and checked it. They found nothing new.
The Dangerous Transmission Page 8