Read Online Hot Wheels by William Arden - Free Book Online Page B

the sergeant’s new laser printer, Jupe said, “This is my cousin Ty. He’s out from the East helping us on a case.”
    Sergeant Cota looked at Ty for a moment, then smiled. “Nice to meet you. So, what can I do for you, Jupe?”
    “I’m doing a car-theft report,” Jupiter told him. “I need a readout on all stolen cars reported from Santa Monica up to Ventura in the last month.”
    “Sure, no problem.”
    The sergeant punched various keys on the computer to relay his commands, and after a short wait, his printer began spewing out pages. It printed for nearly three minutes!
    “Is that a lot of stolen cars?” Ty asked.
    Sergeant Cota nodded. “We think there’s a new ring operating, but there’s always a lot of car thefts. We’re an automobile country.” He gave Jupiter the printout.
    “Thanks, Sergeant.”
    “No sweat, Jupiter.”
    Outside, they hurried to the pickup. There was no sign of the black Olds, but as they drove off it appeared far behind them.
    “They don’t know we spotted them,” Ty said.
    “We’ll keep it that way. Let them tail us until we have to lose them.”
    He headed for the salvage yard.
    *
    The black Buick did not take Joe Torres back to the bodega, but to a seedy, dilapidated building on the edge of the main downtown shopping area. It left Torres in front of the building and drove on.
    Pete parked on the street and followed Torres into the run-down building. There was no elevator inside. Only a feeble light filtered in through the dusty sky-light over the stairwell. Torres went up to the third floor. Rows of scarred half-glass doors lined the uncarpeted hallways. Torres opened the last door on the right and went in.
    The lettering on the door read:
    Jake Hatch,
    Talent & Bookings.
    Pete hurried back down the stairs to his Fiero and drove off toward the salvage yard. He watched for the black Olds but saw no sign of it.
    “Jupe!” he shouted as he leaped out of the Fiero and ran to the workshop. Inside, Jupiter and Ty were studying a long computer printout. “Torres came to the garage with another car! I tailed him — ”
    Jupiter whirled around. “Pete! I’ve got a car! A real little beaut, right, Ty? It’s got a new engine, and — ”
    “Great, Jupe, but listen — ”
    “ — it’s only a Honda Civic. I’d hoped to get a bigger car, but it gives us three cars, so — ”
    “Torres went to Jake Hatch’s office!”
    “ — white with a big blue stripe, and I get it tomorrow… ” Jupiter stopped. “What? Torres went where?”
    “Jake Hatch’s office!”
    Ty said, “Hatch — is that the agent guy?”
    The others nodded.
    “Now you’re making some connections,” Ty said.
    “So what do we do?” Pete said. “Tail Hatch?”
    “Perhaps later,” Jupiter said. “First we’ve got to check this computer printout against all the places Tiburon and the Piranhas played this month.”
    “How are we going to do that?” Pete asked.
    “That’s easy,” Bob’s voice said behind them.
    They’d been so busy talking, they hadn’t even heard Bob come into the workshop.“Tell us how it’s so easy,” Pete demanded.
    “We sneak into Jake Hatch’s office and check his band schedule!” Bob grinned.
    “If he catches us,” Jupiter warned, “our chances of helping Ty are just about zero.”
    “I’ll call Gracie and find out where he’ll be tonight. He always watches his bands, just like Sax. We’ll know when to show up and how much time we have. I’ll take Gracie out for a pizza or something and leave the door unlocked so you and Pete don’t even have to bust in.”
    Pete reddened. “Sorry, guys. I’m taking Kelly to a movie tonight.”
    “I’ll go with Jupe,” Ty said.
    “What about the police?”
    “Police?” Bob said.
    Jupiter explained about the black Oldsmobile.
    “We’ll have to shake them,” Ty said. “They’ll know we’re on to them. But I guess this is the time to do it.”
    Bob went into HQ to call Grace Salieri.
    *
    Jupiter and Ty sat