Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace (2 page)

“I’m afraid that part doesn’t matter,” said Chief Brown. “We can’t prove that he didn’t see the holdup man’s face any more than we can prove he made up the whole story. Maybe there was a holdup man, maybe there wasn’t. We’re back where we started.”

“Not quite, Dad,” said Encyclopedia. “We know that Mr. Holt is lying! ”

 

WHAT MADE ENCYCLOPEDIA SURE?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the winter Encyclopedia solved cases in the dining room. In the summer he solved them in the garage as well.

When school let out, he opened his own detective business. He wanted to help the children of the neighborhood. Outside the garage each morning he hung a sign. It read:

One morning Gary Hale brought in a beer can. The bottom was missing.

“Look at this,” exclaimed Gary.

He poked his thumb through a hole in the side of the can.

“The hole is for air,” said Gary. “Bugs Meany made it before he stuck the can over my dwarf.”

Encyclopedia stayed calm. He tried to recall the last time anyone had stuck a beer can over a dwarf. Only Bugs Meany would do such a thing.

Bugs was the leader of a gang of tough older boys who called themselves the Tigers. They should have called themselves the Tea Bags. They were always getting into hot water.

“I want to hire you,” said Gary, putting twenty-five cents on the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia. “Somebody’s got to stop that Bugs Meany, and I’m too small.”

“I think I can handle Bugs,” said Encyclopedia. Since opening his detective agency, Encyclopedia had been hired to stop many of Bugs’s shady deals. “What are the facts?”

“Did you know about Mr. Whitten’s jelly-bean contest?” asked Gary.

“Sure. Children had to guess the number of jelly beans in the window of his toy shop.”

“My guess was closest,” said Gary. “But I’m not proud of winning.”

“Is Mr. Whitten your uncle or something?”

“No,” said Gary. “My guess was honest—seven thousand and twenty-three jelly beans. The real number was eleven thousand and six. My guess was closest, so I won. But I looked bad.”

“It hurt your standing to miss by so much,” said Encyclopedia sympathetically.

“Right,” said Gary, whose hobby was entering contests.

So far this year Gary had finished eighty-first in a national TV hair-tonic contest, winning two free shaves at a barbershop in Denver, Colorado. He had also won a year’s subscription to
The Hardware Store News
and many smaller prizes.

“First prize in the jelly-bean contest was seven candles shaped like Snow White’s dwarfs,” said Gary. “Last night I picked up the candles at Mr. Whitten’s shop. I’d hardly got out the door before Bugs Meany and his Tigers took them away.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing,” said Gary. “I told you, I’m too little. But I followed the Tigers to the highway. They used a candle to light firecrackers. When a firecracker went off, it sounded like a tire blew. Cars were stopping all over the place.”

“What about the empty beer can?”

“There was a strong breeze,” answered Gary. “Bugs Meany put the beer can over the candle so it wouldn’t go out. He lighted the firecrackers through the hole in the side.”

“Hmmm,” said Encyclopedia. “We better pay Bugs a visit.”

The Tigers’ clubhouse was an unused tool shed behind Mr. Sweeny’s Auto Body Shop. Bugs Meany was alone. He had a deck of play-ing cards and was marking the backs of the aces and kings.

“Get off the earth,” he snarled upon seeing the boy detective, “or I’ll twist your nose so far around you’ll part your hair every time you sneeze.”

Encyclopedia was used to Bugs’s welcomes. He stepped inside. Immediately his gaze fell upon an object standing on an orange crate.

It was a candle shaped like a dwarf!

Although the head had melted away, Encyclopedia could tell that the front of the dwarf faced the door. All the drippings had slid down the chest and legs, forming a beard clear to the little wax boots.

“That’s one of the candles you stole from Gary last night,” said Encyclopedia. “He won seven of them in Mr. Whitten’s jelly-bean-counting contest.”

“You’ve got bubbles in your think tank,” jeered Bugs. “If I had nothing better to do than enter contests, I’d go jump in the lake.”

“You used one of my candles to light firecrackers by the highway last night,” said Gary.

“Man, oh, man!” sang Bugs. “I’m accused of everything! I bought that candle two days ago and put it there on the orange crate. I haven’t touched it since!”

“How come it’s burned down,” demanded Gary.

“I said I didn’t
touch
it,” replied Bugs. “I didn’t say I didn’t
light
it. I lit it last night to show the other Tigers I was in the clubhouse.”

“They couldn’t see the light. The clubhouse has no windows,” pointed out Encyclopedia.

“What I put up with!” groaned Bugs, rolling his eyes. “I left the door open, you blubber-brain!”

“There was a strong breeze last night,” said Encyclopedia. “It probably would have blown out the candle.”

For a moment Bugs looked as if he’d taken a karate chop to the throat.

“W-well, the breeze wasn’t strong
enough
,” he insisted. “You can see the candle burned pretty well.”

“Too well,” corrected Encyclopedia.

 

WHAT DID ENCYCLOPEDIA MEAN?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world of Bugs Meany was divided in two.

One half was filled with mischief. The other was filled with the desire to get even with Encyclopedia.

Bugs hated having Encyclopedia outsmart him all the time. He longed to knock the boy detective colder than the paint on an icehouse floor, and twice as flat.

Bugs didn’t dare throw a punch, however. It wasn’t because Encyclopedia’s father was chief of police. It was because of Sally Kimball.

Bugs had never dreamed that a pretty ten-year-old
girl
could beat the ground with him—till Sally had caught him bullying a Cub Scout.

Bugs had laughed when Sally had told him to pick on someone his own size. He had roared in surprise when she had dropped him with her first punch. He had gotten up, but after she had served him a helping of lefts and rights, he had just lain on the grass and groaned.

Because of Sally, Bugs never threatened Encyclopedia with his muscles. Sally was the boy detective’s junior partner.

“Bugs hates me, and he won’t ever live down the licking you gave him,” warned Encyclopedia.

“We’d better keep on our guard,” agreed Sally. “He’s like a spinning restaurant—always trying to turn the tables.”

“I suppose we ought to thank him,” said Encyclopedia. “His troublemaking brings in business.”

“That reminds me,” said Sally. “I came by around noon and saw Duke Kelly, one of Bugs’s Tigers, stealing out of the detective agency. Where were you?”

“Out,” said Encyclopedia. “I received a telephone call from a boy who called himself Mike Gaither,” said Encyclopedia. “He asked me to meet him out by the old lighthouse right away. I waited there an hour. He never showed up.”

“A phony telephone call.... Then, while you were gone, Duke Kelly....” Sally frowned. “I smell Bugs Meany!”

“I doubt that Bugs will bother us for a while,” said Encyclopedia. “He’s too busy building himself into Mr. Junior Idaville.”

“Mr. Junior Idaville?” asked Sally.

“The Y.M.C.A. is holding a body-building contest next week,” said Encyclopedia. “The man with the best build will be crowned Mr. Idaville. The title Mr. Junior Idaville will go to the boy with the biggest muscles.”

“If Bugs takes off his hat, he’s a cinch to win,” said Sally.

Just then a police car stopped in the Brown driveway. Officer Friedman got out, followed by Bugs Meany. The Tiger leader wore a bathing suit and a beautiful suntan.

“I’ve said all summer this detective business isn’t on the level. It’s just a front for passing stolen goods!” exclaimed Bugs.

“Cool off, Bugs,” said Officer Friedman. And to Encyclopedia he said, “Bugs claims you have his wristwatch.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Encyclopedia.

“Oh, yes you do!” bellowed Bugs. “Those two gorillas gave it to you!”