The Case of the Two Spies

I
daville looked like an ordinary seaside town.

It had beautiful beaches, four banks, and two delicatessens. It had churches, a synagogue, and a Little League.

Still, there was something mysterious about Idaville.

For more than a year no one, grown-up or child, had gotten away with breaking the law there.

Policemen from coast to coast wondered, how did Idaville do it?

Only three people knew the answer, and they weren't telling.

The three lived in a red brick house at 13 Rover Avenue—Mr. Brown, Mrs. Brown, and their only child, ten-year-old Encyclopedia, America's crime-buster in sneakers.

Mr. Brown was chief of police. He was honest, brave,
and wise. Especially wise. Whenever he had a puzzling case, he did what was necessary. He went home.

Encyclopedia solved the case for him at the dinner table. Usually before dessert. Usually with one question.

Chief Brown would have liked Encyclopedia's sneakers bronzed and hung in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

But he knew that could never be. Who would take him seriously? Who would believe that the mastermind behind Idaville's war on crime was a fifth-grader?

So Chief Brown never boasted of his son. Neither did Mrs. Brown.

For his part Encyclopedia kept the secret. He never dropped a hint about the help he gave his father. Bragging was for people who didn't know enough.

But there was nothing he could do about his nickname.

Only his parents and his teachers called him by his real name, Leroy. Everyone else in Idaville called him Encyclopedia.

An encyclopedia is a book or set of books filled with facts from A to Z. So was Encyclopedia's head. He read more books than anybody, and he never forgot a word.

His pals said he was better than a computer for getting answers. His brain didn't stop during a power failure.

After saying grace Friday evening, Chief Brown stared at his cream of potato soup.

“I know that look, dear,” Mrs. Brown said. “A case is troubling you. Give Leroy the facts. He hasn't failed you yet.”

Chief Brown nodded. “I'm going to.”

Encyclopedia instantly put down his spoon and came alert.

Chief Brown said, “Last Monday Mrs. Joan Todd's Great Dane was kidnapped.”

“Royal Blackie?” exclaimed Mrs. Brown. “Oh, my! The dog is a champion!”

“Mrs. Todd received a ransom note in the mail yesterday,” Chief Brown said.

He took a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Mrs. Brown. “This is a copy of the ransom note.”

“How strangely it's worded,” murmured Mrs. Brown, who had taught English and other subjects in high school. She passed the sheet to Encyclopedia.

He read: Mrs.
Joan
T.:
Your pooch is okay. You may obtain him for $500.
I
shall inform you by horn on fifth of this month of a spot at which you must put your $500.

“The fifth of the month is Sunday, two days from now,” Chief Brown said. “That doesn't give us time to find the kidnapper.”

“Why not?” Mrs. Brown asked. “You can catch him when he picks up the ransom money on Sunday.”

“That may be true,” Chief Brown answered. “However, Mrs. Todd can't wait until Sunday. The Idaville Kennel Club dog show is this Saturday. Royal Blackie has a good chance of winning Best in Class again—if he's there.”

“Then you'll have to find Royal Blackie by tomorrow,” Mrs. Brown said glumly.

A silence fell upon the room. Both parents stared at Encyclopedia. He hadn't said a word. He was not yet ready to ask his one question.

Chief Brown continued with the facts of the case.

“The ransom note was mailed three days ago in Idaville, according to the postmark. Chances are that someone living here is the kidnapper.”

“What about the typewriter used to write it?” Mrs. Brown said. “No two typewriters print the same. They're like fingerprints, aren't they?”

“Yes,” Chief Brown agreed. “However, this note was written on a computer and printed on a laser printer made by the Mayfair Company. Laser printers print alike.”

“Then you don't have a clue ?” Mrs. Brown said.

“I have a lead,” Chief Brown said. “Last month two Idaville men bought Mayfair laser printers. I had the stores in town that sell computers check their records. The two men, Howard Bass and Hal Gibson, live near Mrs. Todd. Both have complained to the police about Royal Blackie getting into their vegetable gardens last month.”

“So the dog wasn't kidnapped for the ransom money?” Mrs. Brown said.

“Hardly likely, or the kidnapper would have asked for more than five hundred dollars,” Chief Brown said. “He probably wants revenge for what Royal Blackie did to his vegetable garden. What better way than to make the dog miss the dog show!”

Chief Brown paused. “Then he said, “That's about it.”

He regarded Encyclopedia hopefully. So did Mrs. Brown.

The boy detective had closed his eyes. He always closed his eyes when doing his deepest thinking.

After a few seconds he opened his eyes and asked his one question.

“Did Mr. Bass and Mr. Gibson go to college?” Chief Brown seemed amazed by the question. “Y-yes,” he answered. Mr. Bass is a lawyer. Mr. Gibson is an engi-neer. What has their education to do with the kidnaps ping?”

“The ransom note doesn't appear to be written by a college graduate,” Encyclopedia observed.

Chief Brown frowned. “Then you don't think the kidnapper is Mr. Bass or Mr. Gibson?”

“I don't mean that, Dad,” Encyclopedia declared.

“Perhaps Mr. Bass or Mr. Gibson tried to throw off sus-picion by wording the ransom note poorly, like an uneducated man,” Mrs. Brown said.

“No, or he would have purposefully misspelled a word or two,” Encyclopedia answered.

“Well, what
do
you mean?” Chief Brown demanded.

“For one thing,” Encyclopedia said, “the kidnapper wrote that he would inform Mrs. Todd where to leave the money ‘on fifth of this month.’ That's Sunday. Why didn't he write ‘Sunday’?”

“I give up, Leroy,” Chief Brown said. “Why?”

“Because he couldn't,” Encyclopedia answered.

Chief Brown and Mrs. Brown seemed about to jump out of their seats.

“Leroy!” cried Chief Brown.

“Leroy!” cried Mrs. Brown.

“Who is the kidnapper?” they cried together.

Encyclopedia smiled. “He has to be—”

Who is Royal Blackie's Kidnapper?

(Turn to page 64 for the solution to
The Case of the Kidnapped Dog.)