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Authors: Donald J. Sobol

Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case (6 page)

BOOK: Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case

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Every morning Buttercup dropped by for a free meal
when Corby fed his four dogs and four cats.

Beside the garbage can he found something else—a piece of notebook paper, the kind school-children use. On it was typewritten:

“In order to succeed you have to proceed to exceed.”

Encyclopedia showed the paper to Corby.

“It’s not mine,” said Corby. “What does it mean? Is it a clue?”

“Maybe,” said Encyclopedia. “It must have dropped from the guilty person’s pocket when he pulled out the bottle of poison. Did you see anyone near the house this morning?”

“Jim Carnes, Bert Fenton, and Chuck Mitchell always cut through the yard on the way to summer school,” said Corby. “I don’t remember if I saw any of them this morning, though.”

“Do they walk together?” asked Sally.

“No,” replied Corby. “But sometimes they pass the house within five minutes of each other.”

Encyclopedia knew the three boys. They were taking makeup courses so they could be promoted to seventh grade in the fall.

“One of them could have poisoned Buttercup’s food while he was eating and tossed the bottle into the garbage can,” said Encyclopedia.

“Which one?” said Sally

“We’ll have to go over to the school to learn that,” said Encyclopedia.

Sally pressed him to explain. But Encyclopedia wasn’t ready to discuss the case. He needed one more clue.

The eleven-o’clock classes had just begun when the three children reached the Idaville Elementary School. They went straight to the office.

Encyclopedia spoke with Mr. Pearlman, the assistant principal. He told him about the poisoning, and that he suspected Jim Carnes, or Bert Fenton, or Chuck Mitchell.

Mr. Pearlman listened, frowning. “But how can I help you?” he said.

“You could find out if one of the boys had to take a test this morning,” said Encyclopedia.

Mr. Pearlman seemed puzzled by the request. Nevertheless, he said, “Wait here,” and left the office.

He was gone half an hour.

“I’ve a surprise for you,” he said upon his return. “All three boys had tests scheduled today.”

“In what subjects?” inquired Encyclopedia.

“Jim Carnes took a history test at eight,” said Mr. Pearlman. “Chuck Mitchell took a spelling test at nine. Right now, Bert Fenton is taking a test in Spanish.”

Mr. Pearlman paused and regarded Encyclopedia questioningly.

“If you think you know who poisoned Corby’s skunk, I wish you’d tell me his name,” he said.

“And me!” exclaimed Sally.

“Well, then,” said Encyclopedia. “I think the guilty boy is ...”

WHO?

(Turn to page 95 for the solution to The Case of the Pet Skunk.)

The Case of the Seven-Foot Driver

Baxter Cronkmeyer wobbled stiffly up to the Brown Detective Agency. He wore a paper moustache and a skirt made of old curtains that hung to the ground.

“Hi,” he said, ducking under the door frame.

Baxter was a growing boy. Still, it was hard to believe that he’d grown three
feet
since Encyclopedia had seen him last.

The boy detective stood up, startled. His eyes were on a level with Baxter’s knees.

“Baxter!” gasped Sally. “What have you been eating? Vitamins or curtain rods?”

“Shook you up, eh?” said Baxter gleefully.

Grinning, he untied the rope at his waist. The curtains fell to the floor, showing the reason for his jiffy growth. He was standing on stilts.

“I’m going to scare Jack Hightower pop-eyed,” he declared.

The name gave Encyclopedia gooseflesh. Jack Hightower was eighteen. He had a temper as short as he was long, which was seven feet. He usually did the scaring.

“What makes you so mad at Jack?” inquired Sally.

“Reckless driving,” snorted Baxter.

He explained. Two hours ago he had been riding his yellow bike when Jack drove his car around the corner at high speed. Baxter barely had time to jump clear.

“I wasn’t hurt,” said Baxter. “But Jack ran over my bike. It looks like mashed noodles.”

“Are you sure it was Jack?” asked Sally.

“Farnsworth Grant saw him,” said Baxter. “But Farnsworth won’t come with me to Jack’s house.”

“The fraidy cat!” said Sally.

“I’m on my way to speak with Jack,” said Baxter. “That’s why I’m dressed like this. Jack hasn’t looked
up
at anyone since he was thirteen. When he sees me, he’ll be glad to pay for my bike.”

“You don’t weigh a hundred pounds,” Sally said. “Jack weighs two hundred and forty. Get him mad, and he’ll pull your curtain-tails and sling you over the roof. Then he’ll stuff the stilts up your nose.”

Baxter winced. “That’s why I stopped here,” he said. He laid twenty-five cents on the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia. “If I don’t fool Jack, I may need lots of help.”

Encyclopedia considered the twenty-five cents. He also considered how it must feel to be stepped on by two hundred and forty pounds, or even leaned on. His fast brain worked on a way to wiggle out of the case.

He said weakly, “You’re not sure it was Jack.
You
didn’t see him behind the wheel.”

“No, but I saw it was Jack’s green car,” replied Baxter.

“We’ll take the case,” said Sally, glancing reproachfully at Encyclopedia. “First, we’ll have to do something about your getup. You look more like a French window than a giant.”

The two detectives got busy. Sally pinned the curtains to form trousers. Encyclopedia stuffed a clothes hanger under Baxter’s shirt to widen his shoulders.

“You’ve got the shortest arms of anybody over eight feet tall,” said the boy detective. “Keep your hands in your pockets, and Jack won’t notice. Let’s go.”

The Hightowers lived three blocks away. After walking a block, Baxter seemed to lose heart. “I can’t go through with it,” he whined.

He plodded to a halt beside a small girl. She jumped off her tricycle and fled into the house crying.

“Zowie!” Baxter yelped excitedly. “I scared her!”

“Zowie!” Baxter yelped excitedly. “I scared her! I can do the same to Jack, the dirty hit-and-run artist!”

Encyclopedia saw Jack’s green car parked in the driveway of his house. Jack loomed by the garage. He stared at the three children.

“Who’s the little dude on stilts?” he asked.

“He means me,”
whimpered Baxter. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve got too much bone in my head and not enough in my back.”

Desperately, Encyclopedia signaled Sally to retreat. It was too late. She had her fists planted on her hips and her jaw stuck out.

“You nearly killed Baxter Cronkmeyer this morning with your reckless driving,” she said to Jack. “And you ran over his bike and ruined it. We’ve come to collect for a new one!”

“You bucking for a stretcher or something?” growled Jack. “I wasn’t in my car this morning. My sister was the only one to use it today. She’s a careful driver.”

He turned toward the house.

“Alice,” he called. “Come out here a minute.”

Alice Hightower was seventeen, but hardly taller than Sally. Jack told her what was going on.

“I wasn’t in the car today,” he said to her. “You were the only person to drive it. Isn’t that correct?”

Alice looked frightened. “Y-yes,” she stammered.

“Now, do I look like my sister?” demanded Jack. “Anyone who mistakes me for Alice ought to adopt a seeing-eye dog. You’re accusing the wrong man.”

He opened the door of his car and slipped comfortably behind the wheel without bothering to use the seat belt. He started the engine.

“I’ve got an appointment,” he said, slamming the door. “It’s with a man who thinks I’ll be the next heavyweight boxing champion of the world.”

“You come back and pay for Baxter’s bike!” screamed Sally. “Encyclopedia, don’t let him get away with it!”

Encyclopedia’s legs felt like rubber bands, and the breeze was twanging them. Nevertheless, he shouted, “You’re lying, Jack. You drove over Baxter’s bike!”

WHAT WAS THE PROOF?

(Turn to page 96 for the solution to The Case of the Seven-Foot Driver.)

Solution to The Case of the Stolen Money

After stealing the money and hiding it in his own house, Mr. Aukland returned to the Richters’ house with rope.

He called the police, claiming the rope had been used by two thieves to tie him; before he could free himself the thieves got away with the money.

However, he claimed to have seen them clearly before they knocked off his glasses.

Impossible!

Entering a house heated to seventy degrees—a comfortable temperature-from the outdoors on a freezing day, Mr. Aukland could not have seen anything.

His eyeglasses would have been steamed over!

Thanks to Encyclopedia, Mr. Aukland confessed.

Solution to The Case of the Talking House

When Scoop thought the house bit him, he dropped his money and ran.

Bugs didn’t have a chance to hide. He knew Scoop had seen him as he raced to Encyclopedia for help.

The Tigers’ leader wanted the detective to find the money and so believe him innocent. Therefore, he put the half dollar on top of the dollar bill to weigh it down in the sand.

That was his mistake!

When a coin and a bill are dropped, the coin lands first. The bill floats down and lands on top of the coin, not underneath it.

Trapped by his own mistake, Bugs admitted that he had pretended to be the house and had asked Scoop for money.