The Clue of the Hissing Serpent (5 page)
Read The Clue of the Hissing Serpent Online
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
“What happened?” she asked. “Why did Mr. Horgan run off like that? And he left his case!”
Frank quickly explained and showed Mrs. Snyder the scratches on his arm.
“Did Princess do that? Oh dear! I'll get some antiseptic.” She returned a few minutes later and daubed Frank's arm.
“What are you going to do with that sample case?” she asked.
“Use it for evidence,” Frank replied. “Maybe we can identify that salesman through his finger prints. I'm sure Horgan uses an alias.”
Frank took out his handkerchief and clicked the case shut. “If he comes back for it, tell him it's being delivered to Associated Jewelers. And thanks for your help, Mrs. Snyder.”
When he arrived home, the repair work on the car was done and Biff and Tony had left. Frank went up to their father's comfortable study, where he found the detective talking to Joe.
“Dad, tell Frank what you found out,” Joe urged.
Mr. Hardy sat back in his swivel chair and smiled. “The Hong Kong tailoring racket I'm supposed to crack is tied in with various jewelry sales operations. When the jewelry business slacks off, they offer to have their customers measured for a suit.
“After they receive the down payment, the clothing is never delivered. By the time the customers catch on, the swindlers have skipped town.”
“What are you grinning at?” Joe asked his brother.
“I found out the same thing.”
“At the Snyders'?”
“Right. And here's the sample case of an Associated Jewelers salesman.”
“That ought to be a real good clue,” Mr. Hardy said. “You didn't disturb the fingerprints, I hope.”
“No. I was careful about that,” Frank replied.
Joe went for their fingerprint kit and set to work dusting the black plastic covering of the sample case. Horgan had provided them with a neat set of prints of both his left and right hands.
“We'll take these down to headquarters. Maybe Chief Collig can find out whether Horgan really is who he says.”
“What I don't understand,” Frank said, “is why Smith and Jones, who are obviously connected with Associated Jewelers, wanted to bug Greene's phone. I mean, that's out of their line.”
“We assumed that they worked for Jervis because he acted so strange when we mentioned their names,” Joe said. “Maybe we were wrong.”
“But they also wanted to meet Radley at the Treat Hotel, where Associated Jewelers had a sales meeting,” Frank said. “It's just too much coincidence.”
“And Krassner's an enigma, too,” Mr. Hardy added. “You said he was a chess player himself. Maybe there's a connection between him and Greene.”
Joe sighed. “And where do those crazy balloonists come in? And who blew up our tail pipe?”
“Questions and no answers,” Frank said. “What do we do next?”
“Take the fingerprints to the police first thing in the morning,” the detective said. “And keep Associated Jewelers under surveillance.”
“There's a vacant building right across the street,” Joe said. “Maybe we could use that to spy on them.”
“By the way, Dad, did you warn Conrad Greene about the bug?” Frank asked.
“I tried but no one's home yet.”
Just then the doorbell rang. It was Chet. “I have some good news,” he said brightly.
“No kidding,” Frank said. “Did you get your balloonist's license?”
“No, not yet. But Mr. Krassner feels better and wants to see you.”
“When and where?” Joe asked.
“Tomorrow afternoon at the clubhouse. Can you make it?”
“Sure. We'll be there.”
The next morning the Hardys took the fingerprints to Chief Collig. He was a heavy-set, slow-talking man, who had cooperated with the Hardys on many cases.
When Frank and Joe told their story, he congratulated them on their detective work. “We'll take the sample case to Associated Jewelers to see Jervis's reaction,” Frank said. “Is that okay with you, Chief?”
“Sure. Go ahead. If the prints tell us anything, I'll let you know.”
When they arrived at Jervis's office, the receptionist told them that her boss was out.
“Well, we have something that belongs to him,” Frank said. “When will he be back?”
“Wait a moment,” she said and walked out of the room. A few seconds later she returned. “He's in now,” she said.
The boys entered the office and laid the sample case on the man's desk. “We thought you'd like to have this back,” Frank said. “It must be valuable.”
Jervis opened the kit. “This doesn't belong to us,” he said.
“Mr. Horgan, who used it, claimed to be a representative of Associated Jewelers,” Joe said.
Jervis remained cool. “We have been bothered by impostors lately,” he said. “Trying to use our good name.”
“And you don't try to sell Hong Kong tailored suits, either?” Frank said.
Jervis's mouth twitched a little. “Of course not. And now, get lost. I'm busy!”
As the boys walked out they could hear him grab the telephone off the cradle.
“Somebody's going to catch it!” Joe said with a grin.
“Tsk, tsk.
Poor old Horgan,” Frank said in mock sympathy as they drove home.
Poor old Horgan,” Frank said in mock sympathy as they drove home.
During lunch Chief Collig phoned. “Horgan is an alias,” he reported. “The man's real name is Gerard Henry. He has a long record of petty crime.”
“I had a hunch he wasn't on the level,” Frank said, and told about their visit to Jervis. “We'd like to stake out his place,” he concluded.
“There's an old building across the street where we could set up some cameras.”
“Just be careful,” the chief warned. “The place is unsafe. Also, we flush out vagrants now and then. Mostly junkies. They stay there at night.”
“We'll watch out,” Frank promised. “Thanks for your help, Chief.”
The boys told their father the latest news and that they were planning to set up surveillance equipment.
“We'd like to start right away,” Frank said, “but we have an appointment with Krassner this afternoon.”
“I can't pitch in, either,” Mr. Hardy said. “I have a meeting. But maybe Sam Radley could help us out.”
A telephone call brought the detective's sandy-haired operative to the Hardy home. He agreed to begin surveillance immediately.
Frank and Joe loaded film into a movie camera and a still camera with a telescopic lens. They also brought a two-way radio and a folding chair and drove off with Sam.
They parked on a street behind the old building and worked their way through an alley to the rear entrance.
“This place certainly is in bad shape,” Sam commented as they entered a broken door leading to a flight of badly tilted stairs.
“It even smells rotten,” Joe said, sniffing the musty odor of the interior.
They climbed to the third floor and saw no sign of habitation. Sam checked all the windows until he found a suitable spot. “How about right here?” he suggested.
The boys set up the cameras on tripods and focused clearly on the entrance to the Associated Jewelers office.
“If anyone goes in or leaves, take his picture,” Frank said. “We'll join you later.”
“Okay.” Radley adjusted the folding chair and waved to the boys as they made their way downstairs and out the back.
When the young sleuths arrived at the balloon club, Krassner and Chet were already there.
“Frank, Joe I'm glad you came,” Krassner greeted them.
“You're looking great today,” Frank said.
“That's the way it is. These attacks knock me out for a couple of days, but I bounce right back.”
“We thought that snake balloon got you upset,” Joe said.
Krassner smiled. “Oh no. That was nothing.”
Frank said, “We noticed a similarity in the balloon design and the serpent figure on your vase.”
“You mean the one in the hall?”
“That's the one.”
“Oh yes. Antique Chinese. They used that pattern a lot Well, Fearless is going to inflate his father's balloon. Chet, why don't you see if he needs help?”
“Sure thing,” Chet replied, and hurried out to the grassy clearing.
Turning to the Hardys, Krassner said, “I want to talk to you alone about my problem. And I don't want to go to the police. Once the newspapers get wind of a thing like this, there's a lot of publicity, even notoriety. And in the investment businessâwell, you know how it is.”
“Just what is the trouble?” Frank asked.
“My life has been threatened,” Krassner said. “I'll be killed unless I hand over the Ruby King!”
CHAPTER VII
Aerial Surprise
“THE Ruby King? What's that?” Frank asked.
“A fabulous chess piece,” Krassner replied. “A beautiful work of art made centuries ago in China. It is decorated with Burmese rubies and was part of a set made for an ancient warlord.”
“Where are the other pieces?” Joe asked.
“Gone. Vanished in the mists of antiquity,” Krassner said poetically. “That's one of the reasons why the Ruby King is so valuable.”
“And you're in possession of it?” Frank queried.
“Yes. But it's not really mine.” Krassner explained that he was part of a consortium of wealthy chess enthusiasts who had purchased it in China.
“We're going to present it to the winner of the world chess championship. Meanwhile, the prize is in my safe.”
Frank and Joe knew about the match, which was to take place in Hong Kong the following month. It would pit the United States champion, Conrad Greene, against the Oriental title holder, a Korean named Chan Loo Duc.
Was there a connection between the valuable Ruby King and the intended wiretap on Greene's telephone? Obviously someone wanted the chess piece badly.
“Isn't your safe a rather vulnerable place?” Frank asked. “I think a bank vault would be better.”
“My safe is very strong,” Krassner replied. “Now I want you to keep our conversation in confidence. The whereabouts of the Ruby King is known only to a few people.”
“Whoever threatened you must have found out,” Joe said.
“That's what worries me. I want both of you to be on call in case of emergency.”
Frank felt an uneasy suspicion about the man. Why would a rich banker ask the Hardys to shield him when he could well afford to hire an entire protection service? He put the question to Krassner.
“I'll tell you why,” Krassner replied. “Life would be unbearable with an army of bodyguards. The press would be on my back with all kinds of speculations and innuendos.” He stopped and smiled. “Besides, Chet Morton tells me you have never failed to carry out your assignments to the fullest satisfaction of your clients.”
“You flatter us,” Joe said with an embarrassed grin. “We'll do all we can to help you.”
“But first,” Frank added, “we'd like to see the Ruby King.”
“Yes, I'll have you over the house soon. Here comes Chet.”
The husky boy strode purposefully over to the three. “How about some ballooning today, Mr. Krassner?” he asked.
“That was my plan.”
“Great. You can take Frank and Joe, and I'll go with Fearless.”
“That'll be keen,” Joe said.
“You've never been up before?” Krassner asked.
“Only in airplanes,” Frank replied. Both Hardys were experienced pilots and often flew a plane which their father kept at Bayport Airport.
“I'm sure you'll like this kind of flying,” Krassner said. “Come on. Let's get ready.”
Everybody helped with the preparations. Krassner telephoned for two pickup trucks while the boys inflated the envelopes. People from the surrounding farms gathered to watch the spectacle of a twin ascension.
“They can hold the ground ropes for us,” Fearless said. “It's a great sport.”
Between bursts of hot air from the burners, the boys discussed ballooning. Chet proved to be a competent historian on the sport. He said two Frenchmen, the Montgolfier brothers, made the balloon used in the first recorded human flight over Paris. The year was 1783.
“Aeronauts have had plenty of adventures since then,” Chet said. “Did you know that Napoleon used balloons to spy on the enemy? They were popular in the Civil War, too. And then there was a guy named Andrée who tried to fly over the North Pole in a giant balloon.”
“Did he make it?” Joe asked.
Chet shook his head sadly. “I'm afraid not.”
“All right, men,” Krassner called out. “We're nearly ready.” He and Fearless checked their radios and altimeters. The pyrometers, which measured the heat in the bags, were in working order. So were the variometers, needed to tell the rate of climb.
Just then the two pickup trucks arrived. The crowd cheered as the five stepped into the baskets. They held on tightly to the ground ropes until Fearless bellowed, “Hands off!”
Up went the two craft in perfect weather conditions. There was hardly any wind and a clear blue sky. The huge license numbers on the rounded sides stood out brightly in the late-afternoon sunshine.
Standing beside Krassner, Frank felt an exhilaration unlike anything he had experienced in an airplane. As the ground fell away beneath them in silence, the boy was engulfed in an unreal feeling of total peace.
Below, the waving spectators grew smaller, and the pickup trucks set off on the road, as a gentle fluff of wind sent the balloons on their way.
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