Read Online See No Evil by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
Ads: Link
crack.
Cautiously, he peered inside.
"Oh!" he gasped.
There, lying side by side on the floor in the middle of the room, were two bodies. Joe and a young girl with black hair streaked with purple.
Frank reached them first and kneeled down beside them. At closer range he recognized Lisa. "Lisa did disguise herself," he remarked grimly.
Then he swiftly felt their wrists. He looked up at Callie, who was trembling, all color drained from her face.
"They're alive," he said, and Callie felt her heart begin to beat again. "But they're out cold."
Callie dampened her scarf at the water cooler and pressed it against Joe's forehead, then Lisa's.
Joe was the first to show signs of life. His body twitched and he groaned softly. "What happened?"
Then Lisa began to stir. She rubbed her shoulder. "Ouch," she said. "Something stung me."
Joe's hand went to his thigh. "Me, too."
Then a voice came from an open doorway, making the foursome look up.
"This gun doesn't have darts in it, kids. It has bullets. They don't sting — they kill."
A tall man in a white lab coat was standing in the doorway. His coat was spotted with reddish brown stains. Only one substance dried to that unmistakable color — blood. And in the man's hand was a gleaming, nickel-plated .45.
"Dr. Purvis," Joe gasped.
"I think we can forget the 'doctor,' " said Lisa. "And probably the 'Purvis,' too."
"Smart kids," said the man. "There are four of you now, I see. What is this, some kind of class project? Follow me. Let's see what the boss wants to do with you."
The phony doctor herded the four of them down a hallway lit by fluorescent lights. He stopped outside a door marked President and knocked loudly. "It's Rocky. With some visitors."
"Come in," said a voice with a strong French accent.
Rocky pushed open the door and ushered his prisoners in.
The man behind the desk in the center of the office was holding a thin slice of toast heaped with glistening caviar. He looked at his visitors, put down the caviar, and belched loudly.
"All this excitement when I am eating," he complained. "It is so bad for the digestion."
He reached for a glass filled with bubbling champagne and took a sip.
"There, that is better," he said, his tongue circling over his thick lips to catch the traces of champagne. Then he stood up, patting his huge stomach.
The president of Eat-Right looked like a living advertisement for the joy of eating. He had a blimplike body that his expensively tailored pin-striped suit could not begin to disguise. A roll of pink flesh bulged over the collar of his wide-striped silk shirt. Only dining well and often for years could have produced the man who now introduced himself as Jacques Karnovsky.
"And you kids, who are you?" he demanded.
"These two are the high school reporters that we caught snooping out back," said Rocky, indicating Joe and Lisa. "I just caught the other two coming to rescue them."
"Look, I apologize for butting in here," said Joe. "I can see how you might have thought we were thieves and all. But, honest, we were just curious about Eat-Right. I guess we shouldn't have been. I mean, we haven't found anything wrong with your operation. And if you just let us go, we'll forget about the whole thing."
"How much did they see?" Karnovsky asked Rocky.
"They must have gotten a good look at the vegetables that came in tonight," said Rocky. "And they could have gotten a look at the meat delivery."
"Good thing the driver had the dart gun handy," said Karnovsky. "Otherwise they would have gotten away."
That was all the information it took for Frank to put two and two together. The answer he came up with made his stomach lurch.
"Did you say dart gun?" he asked to make sure, hoping he was wrong. "Is that what you used on Lisa and Joe?"
"Should I tell him?" Rocky asked his boss.
"Why not?" said Karnovsky shoving the toast and caviar into his mouth. With his mouth full, he added, "They are not going to pass on the information. We will make
Cautiously, he peered inside.
"Oh!" he gasped.
There, lying side by side on the floor in the middle of the room, were two bodies. Joe and a young girl with black hair streaked with purple.
Frank reached them first and kneeled down beside them. At closer range he recognized Lisa. "Lisa did disguise herself," he remarked grimly.
Then he swiftly felt their wrists. He looked up at Callie, who was trembling, all color drained from her face.
"They're alive," he said, and Callie felt her heart begin to beat again. "But they're out cold."
Callie dampened her scarf at the water cooler and pressed it against Joe's forehead, then Lisa's.
Joe was the first to show signs of life. His body twitched and he groaned softly. "What happened?"
Then Lisa began to stir. She rubbed her shoulder. "Ouch," she said. "Something stung me."
Joe's hand went to his thigh. "Me, too."
Then a voice came from an open doorway, making the foursome look up.
"This gun doesn't have darts in it, kids. It has bullets. They don't sting — they kill."
A tall man in a white lab coat was standing in the doorway. His coat was spotted with reddish brown stains. Only one substance dried to that unmistakable color — blood. And in the man's hand was a gleaming, nickel-plated .45.
"Dr. Purvis," Joe gasped.
"I think we can forget the 'doctor,' " said Lisa. "And probably the 'Purvis,' too."
"Smart kids," said the man. "There are four of you now, I see. What is this, some kind of class project? Follow me. Let's see what the boss wants to do with you."
The phony doctor herded the four of them down a hallway lit by fluorescent lights. He stopped outside a door marked President and knocked loudly. "It's Rocky. With some visitors."
"Come in," said a voice with a strong French accent.
Rocky pushed open the door and ushered his prisoners in.
The man behind the desk in the center of the office was holding a thin slice of toast heaped with glistening caviar. He looked at his visitors, put down the caviar, and belched loudly.
"All this excitement when I am eating," he complained. "It is so bad for the digestion."
He reached for a glass filled with bubbling champagne and took a sip.
"There, that is better," he said, his tongue circling over his thick lips to catch the traces of champagne. Then he stood up, patting his huge stomach.
The president of Eat-Right looked like a living advertisement for the joy of eating. He had a blimplike body that his expensively tailored pin-striped suit could not begin to disguise. A roll of pink flesh bulged over the collar of his wide-striped silk shirt. Only dining well and often for years could have produced the man who now introduced himself as Jacques Karnovsky.
"And you kids, who are you?" he demanded.
"These two are the high school reporters that we caught snooping out back," said Rocky, indicating Joe and Lisa. "I just caught the other two coming to rescue them."
"Look, I apologize for butting in here," said Joe. "I can see how you might have thought we were thieves and all. But, honest, we were just curious about Eat-Right. I guess we shouldn't have been. I mean, we haven't found anything wrong with your operation. And if you just let us go, we'll forget about the whole thing."
"How much did they see?" Karnovsky asked Rocky.
"They must have gotten a good look at the vegetables that came in tonight," said Rocky. "And they could have gotten a look at the meat delivery."
"Good thing the driver had the dart gun handy," said Karnovsky. "Otherwise they would have gotten away."
That was all the information it took for Frank to put two and two together. The answer he came up with made his stomach lurch.
"Did you say dart gun?" he asked to make sure, hoping he was wrong. "Is that what you used on Lisa and Joe?"
"Should I tell him?" Rocky asked his boss.
"Why not?" said Karnovsky shoving the toast and caviar into his mouth. With his mouth full, he added, "They are not going to pass on the information. We will make
Similar Books
