Read Online Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs by Donald J. Sobol - Free Book Online Page A

well, but his father’s food was largely untouched.
    Encyclopedia looked at his mother knowingly. If his father wasn’t eating, it meant only one thing. A case was bothering him.
    â€œI’m puzzled by this robbery that occurred yesterday,” he said finally.
    â€œWhat happened?” asked Mrs. Brown.
    â€œTen stamps were stolen from Terrence’s Stamp Store,” Chief Brown replied. “Mr. Terrence says they were collectively worth thousands of dollars.”
    â€œWas every stamp valuable?” Mrs. Brown asked.
    Chief Brown checked his notes. “Mr. Terrence said the thief knew what he was doing. He didn’t just grab what was handy.
    â€œHe took the most valuable stamps that were on display. Three of them were from Europe and over a hundred years old. Then there were six American stamps, including two that had printing mistakes in them. Not many of those were made. Mr. Terrence says that increases their value a lot.”
    â€œI wish my mistakes were valuable,” said Encyclopedia.
    â€œDon’t we all?” said Chief Brown.
    â€œWhat about the tenth stamp?” asked Mrs. Brown.
    â€œThat was just an ordinary stamp, the kind we use every day.” The chief smiled. “You’d think Mr. Terrence wouldn’t have even noticed that one being gone, but he’s very careful with his records.”
    â€œWas there anything else taken?” asked Mrs. Brown.
    â€œNot that Mr. Terrence was aware of,” Chief Brown said. “Some of the stationery on his desk was disturbed, but he wasn’t concerned about that.”
    â€œDo you have any suspects?” Encyclopedia asked.
    â€œAs a matter of fact we do,” the chief replied. “We caught Red Finster near the store not long after the robbery was discovered. Red’s known to fence stolen goods, especially small things that are easily moved. For him, stealing stamps is almost ideal.”
    â€œExcept for what?” asked Encyclopedia.
    â€œExcept that he was clean when we nabbed him,” Chief Brown explained. “We’re holding Finster for questioning. Naturally, he says he’s innocent.”
    â€œDid you search his home?” questioned Mrs. Brown.
    â€œWe did,” said his father, “and that was a little funny. Usually, we need to get a warrant to do a search. But Finster said he had nothing to hide, and we were welcome to look. So we did.”
    â€œI guess you found nothing,” Encyclopedia said.
    â€œThat’s right. Even though we turned the place inside out.”
    â€œWhat if he had a partner?” asked Mrs. Brown. “Somebody who helped with the robbery and now is holding the stamps until the case cools.”
    Chief Brown shook his head. “Finster has a long record, and he always works alone. He doesn’t trust anybody. We’re going to have to let him go tomorrow if we don’t find some proof linking him to the crime. I can’t think of anything that will turn up that fast. We might catch him later, of course, when he tries to sell the stamps. Who knows how long he’ll wait? Or where he’ll try to sell them. Stamps aren’t like stolen cars. They’re pretty easy to keep hidden.”
    Encyclopedia closed his eyes. He always did his deepest thinking with his eyes closed.
    Suddenly, he opened them. “Was any of the stationery missing?”
    â€œI don’t think Mr. Terrence paid any attention,” Chief Brown said. “There were papers and envelopes scattered all around. He was focused on the stamps.”

    Encyclopedia closed his eyes. He always did his deepest thinking with his eyes closed.
    Encyclopedia nodded. “At least you can hold Red Finster till the end of tomorrow,” he said.
    â€œBy law we’ll have to release him after that,” Chief Brown said.
    â€œDon’t worry,” said Encyclopedia. “You’re not licked yet. By then you’ll have the stamp of