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Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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know he hates me, but he'd never do anything like this."
"Maybe you'd like to come with us and confront him."
"No way! I don't want to go near him anymore."
"In that case," Joe said, climbing out of the pool, "why don't I stay here to guard Tessa while you go, Frank?"
"Yeah, good idea, Joe," Frank said. "In fact, I think I'll call Callie. She can help me follow Squinder."
Joe disappeared into the changing room as Frank went to the cottage to call Callie. After she agreed to meet him at Squinder's house, he reminded her of the address, and he threw on his clothes and jogged out to the driveway.
"So long, Tessa!" Frank yelled as he jumped into the van.
"Oh! Just a minute!" she called out. Tessa ran toward Frank with her arms outstretched. Frank looked out the window, and she gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.
"I just wanted to thank you for caring about so much. Good luck." With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Frank sighed with relief as she let go. Then he was aware of a car pulling up behind him. He turned to look. A feeling of dread washed over him when the car pulled up beside him. Staring at him through the passenger window, an angry Harley Welles. "Um, morning, Harley," Frank said. "Sure is a hot one, huh?"
With a wave of his hand, he sped down the driveway.
Squinder lived in a section of Bayport only four blocks from Cliffside Heights, but it seemed light-years away. Old two-family houses stood side by sIde with run-down apartment buildings. Tiny old lawns had become nothing but - dirt with gray patches of weeds. Except for the squeals of children and the barking of stray dogs, everything as silent and still in the hot summer air. On arches and in open windows, people stared into the distance, lazily fanning themselves. As Frank rove by, they gave him hard unseeing looks.
He made a right up Lakeview Avenue, looked for number 94. Up the street about half a block was a row of attached houses. Callie's was parked in front of the last one. As Frank approached, Callie jumped out of her car, waving to him.
He parked his car and hopped out. "What took you so long?" she said. "I don't like waiting.
"I had a longer drive than you," Frank answered.
"How's Tessa?" Callie asked, raising an eye brow.
"I'm sure she's in her glory right now. She's got both Harley and Joe fighting for her attention."
"Good! That leaves you and me to bust this case wide open!" She grabbed Frank's hand and pulled him toward the house marked 94.
"Hey, just a minute. You have to promise you won't go sneaking off on your own again just to show us up."
Callie put an innocent look on her face. "Me, I wouldn't dream of it! Scout's honor!" She raised three fingers.
"Okay, partner, let's go."
Ninety-four Lakeview Avenue was a small brown house in dire need of a paint job. Just below the roof, some of the siding had fallen of A battered cyclone fence which had enclosed the tiny fron yard, which hadn't seen grass in years.
Hanging on the fence was a rusted metal sign. Frank squatted down next to it.
"Can you read it?" asked Callie as she pushed open the front gate.
"Not really. It's all covered with graffiti. No, wait a second, I can make out — "
"Never mind, Frank. Look, there's a note taped to Squinder's door!"
"Bo — ware — No, that's beware—of — " "Beware of what?" asked Callie, halfway to the front door.
"D - dog! Dog! Look out, Callie!" Callie froze as she heard a deep growling and a jingling sound. Before she could react, a huge black animal came barreling around the house.
Thinking fast, Frank picked up a stick from the ground. He ran through the gate and stopped in front of Callie, holding the stick high over his head.
"Don't even try it!" Frank shouted. The dog stopped short, baring its huge white teeth.
Frank slowly approached the dog, threatening it with the stick. The dog barked furiously as it backed away.
"Go ahead, Callie! I'll hold him off while you try the front door!" "Are you sure?"
"No problem!
"Maybe you'd like to come with us and confront him."
"No way! I don't want to go near him anymore."
"In that case," Joe said, climbing out of the pool, "why don't I stay here to guard Tessa while you go, Frank?"
"Yeah, good idea, Joe," Frank said. "In fact, I think I'll call Callie. She can help me follow Squinder."
Joe disappeared into the changing room as Frank went to the cottage to call Callie. After she agreed to meet him at Squinder's house, he reminded her of the address, and he threw on his clothes and jogged out to the driveway.
"So long, Tessa!" Frank yelled as he jumped into the van.
"Oh! Just a minute!" she called out. Tessa ran toward Frank with her arms outstretched. Frank looked out the window, and she gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.
"I just wanted to thank you for caring about so much. Good luck." With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Frank sighed with relief as she let go. Then he was aware of a car pulling up behind him. He turned to look. A feeling of dread washed over him when the car pulled up beside him. Staring at him through the passenger window, an angry Harley Welles. "Um, morning, Harley," Frank said. "Sure is a hot one, huh?"
With a wave of his hand, he sped down the driveway.
Squinder lived in a section of Bayport only four blocks from Cliffside Heights, but it seemed light-years away. Old two-family houses stood side by sIde with run-down apartment buildings. Tiny old lawns had become nothing but - dirt with gray patches of weeds. Except for the squeals of children and the barking of stray dogs, everything as silent and still in the hot summer air. On arches and in open windows, people stared into the distance, lazily fanning themselves. As Frank rove by, they gave him hard unseeing looks.
He made a right up Lakeview Avenue, looked for number 94. Up the street about half a block was a row of attached houses. Callie's was parked in front of the last one. As Frank approached, Callie jumped out of her car, waving to him.
He parked his car and hopped out. "What took you so long?" she said. "I don't like waiting.
"I had a longer drive than you," Frank answered.
"How's Tessa?" Callie asked, raising an eye brow.
"I'm sure she's in her glory right now. She's got both Harley and Joe fighting for her attention."
"Good! That leaves you and me to bust this case wide open!" She grabbed Frank's hand and pulled him toward the house marked 94.
"Hey, just a minute. You have to promise you won't go sneaking off on your own again just to show us up."
Callie put an innocent look on her face. "Me, I wouldn't dream of it! Scout's honor!" She raised three fingers.
"Okay, partner, let's go."
Ninety-four Lakeview Avenue was a small brown house in dire need of a paint job. Just below the roof, some of the siding had fallen of A battered cyclone fence which had enclosed the tiny fron yard, which hadn't seen grass in years.
Hanging on the fence was a rusted metal sign. Frank squatted down next to it.
"Can you read it?" asked Callie as she pushed open the front gate.
"Not really. It's all covered with graffiti. No, wait a second, I can make out — "
"Never mind, Frank. Look, there's a note taped to Squinder's door!"
"Bo — ware — No, that's beware—of — " "Beware of what?" asked Callie, halfway to the front door.
"D - dog! Dog! Look out, Callie!" Callie froze as she heard a deep growling and a jingling sound. Before she could react, a huge black animal came barreling around the house.
Thinking fast, Frank picked up a stick from the ground. He ran through the gate and stopped in front of Callie, holding the stick high over his head.
"Don't even try it!" Frank shouted. The dog stopped short, baring its huge white teeth.
Frank slowly approached the dog, threatening it with the stick. The dog barked furiously as it backed away.
"Go ahead, Callie! I'll hold him off while you try the front door!" "Are you sure?"
"No problem!
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