The Secret Panel (16 page)

Frank took up the story. “Actually, Merk had given Mike Batton the job of finding a way into our house to steal Dad's file, because Jeff was out of town. Batton took a wax impression of our back-door lock. Then Jeff returned sooner than expected and Merk sent him over in case there was a lock on the files. It was the night that Martha Johnson was here. When Jeff overheard that she was a nurse, he kidnapped her to take care of Lenny.”

“As far as Batton is concerned,” Joe explained, “he was a fairly new member of the gang. He was up to his neck in financial trouble, and a lot of people were threatening him for money. So he did some stealing on the side, cash and jewelry. When we caught him, he was about to hide the gems in the fireplace until he could get rid of them.”

“He told me he knew a man named Jack, who would buy them, but it turned out he was lying,” Mr. Hardy added.

“Did Merk know of Batton's sideline?” Chet inquired.

“No. Batton was the security leak in Merk's organization. He put us on the gang's trail.”

At that point Chet gave a sigh. “Security leak or not, how about some food?”

Frank laughed. “We'll probably have nothing to do from now on but eat. Not a mystery in sight!”

“I wouldn't depend on that,” said Aunt Gertrude, who had just entered the room. “As soon as your convertible which Griff wrecked is repaired, you'll be off on something new.”

She was right. They would be asked to take on another case even before Judd Merk was brought to trial. It involved a strange search for
The Phantom Freighter.

“You know, Chet, we almost caught the thieves twice,” Frank told him. “Once when Joe and I were in the Mead house, Merk was there too. Jeff was outside and yelled to his boss, ‘We'd better go now!'”

“You might have been caught yourselves,” Chet replied dryly.

“Right. The other time was when I heard the groan,” Joe explained. “It came from Lenny Stryker, while somebody was opening the panel from inside.”

“Whew! Did the crooks know you were there?”

“I'm not sure if they were aware of it then, but eventually they found out we were on to them. Merk didn't remove his loot fast enough, though.”

“What about the place on Parker Street?” Chet asked.

“They used that occasionally before you went over there and we all got tricked by Griff,” Frank replied.

“I'm glad you fellows got me out of that pickle,” Chet said.

“And I'm thankful you are all safe,” Mrs. Hardy spoke up. “I never know from minute to minute—”

The doorbell rang again. Mr. Hardy asked Frank to answer it.

“The caller might be Mr. Mead,” he said. “I invited him over. On the other hand, it may be news of another mystery.”

“We sure hope so!” Frank and Joe said together.