Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case (5 page)

Encyclopedia and some of the gang were on their way to a picnic. Ace Harvey, a retired major-league baseball player, invited all of Idaville's Little League teams to his estate near the beach.

Encyclopedia, Pinky Plummer, Billy and Jody Turner, Herb Stein, Charlie Stewart, and Sally Kimball took the number nine bus. They carried baseballs, gloves, and bats that they hoped Mr. Harvey would autograph.

“Do you think we'll get to see the baseball?” Pinky asked.

No one had to ask what baseball. Ace Harvey had made the most famous catch in baseball history. He made the game-winning catch in the ninth inning of the seventh game of the World Series. Not only did his team win the game, they became world champions with just one catch.

After the game, he had every single one of his teammates sign his lucky ball. Mr. Harvey had been offered thousands of dollars for his baseball, but he refused to sell.

“I hope we do get to see the ball,” Billy Turner said. “I'd love to hold it in my hand for just one second. Do you think it would bring me good luck?”

Everyone knew that Billy's team had lost a big game when Billy dropped a high fly. Ever since, he didn't seem to be able to catch a ball. He even dropped the ball when he was pitching! He was in a real slump.

“You need more than luck,” Jody teased. “You need a new sport.”

Sally shushed Jody with a look, then turned to Billy. “I hear he keeps the ball locked up in a glass case,” she said. “But maybe just looking at it will break you out of your slump.”

“Then I'll look at it until my eyes hurt,” Billy said, ignoring his twin.

The bus stopped on Mr. Harvey's corner and the children got off. The friends were suddenly shy when they got a look at Ace Harvey's mansion. It was one of the biggest in Idaville. Then Encyclopedia rang the doorbell. It played
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
, and they all relaxed.

A maid answered and led Encyclopedia and his pals through a center hall toward the backyard. On the way, they passed the glass case. A spotlight shone on the game-winning baseball. The ball turned on its pedestal so that they could see every autograph. Billy stared at it without blinking.

Then the friends were led to the back door. Ace Harvey shook hands with everyone and signed their balls, bats, and gloves. He waved them into the backyard, which was already filled with kids playing catch on the baseball diamond, splashing in the pool, or eating as many hot dogs and hamburgers as they could fit in their stomachs.

Mr. Harvey had hired a baseball coach, lifeguards, barbecue chefs, and even a games director to make sure everyone had a good time.

Billy flopped in the grass next to Encyclopedia and Sally. The detectives had just won a three-legged race.

“I can't get my mind off Ace Harvey's baseball,” Billy said. “Do you think if I asked as a special favor he'd let me hold it?”

Encyclopedia looked at his friend. Billy had dropped his egg in the egg-carrying contest and there was dried yolk all over his shirt. “You can ask,” Encyclopedia said. “But holding someone else's baseball won't break your slump. All you need to get your confidence back is one good catch.”

“Catch?” Billy groaned. “I can't catch my reflection in the mirror.” He got to his feet. “I'm going to go and stare at the ball some more.”

Encyclopedia entered the relay race with Pinky and Charlie, and he forgot all about Billy until he saw two police cars pull into Ace Harvey's driveway. His father waved and then headed into the house.

Encyclopedia went inside to see what was up. Mr. Harvey had a tight grip on Billy's left arm and was talking to Chief Brown.

The baseball case was broken. A few bits of glass lay scattered on the pedestal, and the baseball was nowhere to be seen.

Three officers were searching the rooms on the first floor.

Billy's eyes darted from Chief Brown to Mr. Harvey and back again. He held his right hand in front of him, palm up. It was bleeding. He tried not to let it drip on Mr. Harvey's floor.

“I found this hooligan in front of the case. The glass was broken and my baseball is gone.” Mr. Harvey said. “He won't tell me where he hid it, so I called you.”

“I didn't take it,” Billy moaned. “I just came in to look at it again, and it was gone. There was glass everywhere. I cut my hand, and then Mr. Harvey came in and started yelling.”

Encyclopedia heard a gasp behind him. Other kids from the picnic had followed him into the house.

“He kept saying he wanted to hold that ball,” Charlie muttered.

“Billy, you didn't…” Sally said.

“You can't trust any friends of brainhead Brown,” Bugs Meany shouted. “Give up the ball, Billy. Tell the cops where it is.”

“But I didn't steal it,” Billy said again.

Chief Brown asked Officer Lopez to take Billy into the bathroom for some first aid. The other officers led the kids back outside.

“Can I stay, Dad?” Encyclopedia asked.

His father nodded. “Do you have any information that might help us, Leroy?”

“I know Billy was in a slump,” Encyclopedia said. “But I don't believe he'd try to steal Mr. Harvey's baseball.”

“Well that's exactly what he did,” Mr. Harvey insisted. “I found him standing in front of the case with a bleeding hand.” Mr. Harvey shook his head. “He must have hidden the baseball with a plan to come back for it later.

“It's a good thing I just insured that baseball,” Mr. Harvey continued. “It's worth thousands of dollars.”

“It looks bad for your friend, Leroy,” Chief Brown said. “Do you think you can get him to tell you where he hid the baseball?”

Encyclopedia looked into the case again. There were pieces of glass all over the bottom and on the pedestal that had held the baseball just this morning. “Can I ask a question first?”

His father nodded.

Encyclopedia turned to Mr. Harvey. “How many people have keys to the case?” he asked.

“I have the only key,” Mr. Harvey answered.

“I unlock the case for the maid when the glass needs cleaning.”

“There's no need to question Billy, Dad,” Encyclopedia said. “Mr. Harvey is the only one that can tell us where the ball is hidden.”

 

HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW?

 

(Click here for the solution to “The Case of the Lucky Catch.”)

On Saturday, Encyclopedia and his father headed to the west side of town to help build houses.

An organization called Shelter from the Storm was building three houses on what used to be a farmer's field. Where tomatoes and cucumbers once grew, families who lost their homes in hurricanes would be putting down roots of a different kind.

A busy team of volunteers was already at work. Encyclopedia and Mr. Brown grabbed their hammers and walked up to the chief carpenter to get their tasks.

Patrick Freeman wore a carpenter's apron that had a small picture of a house in the center. The apron held all kinds of tools, including nails and a tape measure in the two front pockets. A hammer hung from the loop on the apron's right side.

Mr. Freeman thanked the Browns for coming and pointed to two other carpenters. Both wore carpenter's aprons with the same picture. “That's Fred,” he said. Fred was framing the walls on house number two.

“And there's Dan.”

Dan was showing a group of volunteers how to put up wallboard.

“If you get into any trouble, be sure to ask one of us to lend a hand,” Mr. Freeman said.

Encyclopedia and his father spent the first half of the morning helping to frame a house. The volunteers were amazed at how quickly a house could be built when so many people worked together.

It was hot, thirsty work. Encyclopedia took a break and ran into Mr. Freeman by the water table. A car was just driving away, and Encyclopedia noticed Mr. Freeman slip a twenty dollar bill into an inside pocket on his apron.

“The folks in Idaville sure are generous,” he said. “People keep stopping by to give me donations. At this rate, we'll be able to build three more houses next weekend.”

A few minutes later, their house was framed and Mr. Freeman showed Encyclopedia's team how to hammer down the floorboards. He grabbed a nail from his front left pocket and reached for his hammer.

“You want to use a firm grip,” he said, demonstrating. “And hit the nail right in the center.”

Encyclopedia watched him drive the nail in, then reach for another nail, then another.

All three houses were well on their way to being finished by lunchtime. The front porch was already in place on house number one.

Encyclopedia and his father sat at a portable picnic table with the rest of the volunteers while Mr. Freeman and his carpenters inspected the morning's work. Encyclopedia kept his eyes on them while he unpacked the ham and cheese sandwiches, apples, and cookies that Mrs. Brown had made for him and his father. He watched Dan remove a crooked nail and hammer a new one in its place with the same easy rhythm as Mr. Freeman.

The carpenters seemed satisfied. They hung their aprons over the porch railing of house number one and joined the volunteers for lunch. Mr. Freeman entertained the crowd with stories of building houses all over the country.

“Once, in Idaho, we discovered that we were erecting a house in a field full of snakes,” he said with a laugh. “Boy, did we change our location—and fast.”

“Have you ever been as far away as Alaska?” Encyclopedia asked.

“Sure have,” Dan said. “I've built houses in every one of the fifty states.”

Fred was brand new to the carpentry field. “I've only been in a couple of states so far,” he said. “I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the country.”

While they were eating, three more people stopped by with donations. It seemed like anyone from Idaville who wasn't on the building site with a hammer in his or her hand stopped by with money to help build more houses.

After lunch, everyone cleaned up their garbage and grabbed their hammers. Dan and Fred put their carpenters' aprons back on and showed the volunteers how to raise the walls on house number two. Mr. Freeman stepped into his trailer to take care of some paperwork.

Chief Brown and Encyclopedia held a wall in place. Dan fumbled reaching for his nails and almost hammered a hole in the middle of his tape measure with his left hand.

A few minutes later, they heard a cry. Mr. Freeman stood in front of house number one with his carpenter's apron.

Chief Brown rushed over, followed by Encyclopedia.

“Someone's stolen the donations,” Mr. Freeman said. “I put them in an inside pocket in my apron, and now they're gone.”

“Are you sure that's your apron?” Chief Brown asked.

Mr. Freeman examined it again. “It sure looks like mine. But new Shelter from the Storm aprons were issued to us just last month, and they all look the same.”

Fred and Dan came over as soon as they could get away. Chief Brown asked to see their aprons. Mr. Freeman was right. They were exactly the same. The inside pockets of all three aprons were empty.

“Hundreds of dollars—gone!” Mr. Freeman shook his head. “That money would have helped build new houses for people who need them.”

“One of the volunteers must have taken the money,” Dan said.

Chief Brown surveyed the group, who were still busy hammering, sawing, and building. “The aprons were in plain view all during lunch,” he said. “If someone picked up an apron and removed a stack of bills, they would have been seen.”

“Someone's stolen the donations,” Mr. Freeman said.

Encyclopedia cleared his throat.

“Did you see something, Leroy?” Chief Brown asked.

“Are you left-handed?” he asked Mr. Freeman.

“No, I'm right-handed,” he asked with a puzzled expression.

Fred looked worried and confused. “Chief Brown, don't you think you had better start questioning the volunteers?” he asked. “What if the thief sneaks away?”

“You don't have to do that, Dad,” Encyclopedia said. “I can tell you who took the money.”

 

ENCYCLOPEDIA KNEW WHO TOOK THE MONEY. DO YOU?

 

(Click here for the solution to “The Case of the Missing Money.”)