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Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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Jeanne asked.
"Willis Gramatkee?" Frank stood up. "The big industrialist? Dad did mention last week that Gramatkee's being pressured to sell out his empire to a big European group."
Joe frowned. "I knew the name was familiar. Sounds like Gramatkee doesn't want to sell."
Frank nodded grimly. "But Curt Branders will take care of that, so they can buy from whoever inherits after Gramatkee dies. It works perfectly. Gramatkee has a mansion somewhere between here and Kirkland."
"Right in Branders's old stamping grounds," Joe pointed out. "So he gets his brother Kevin to start up the Circle as a distraction for the Kirkland and Bayport cops."
"Better than that," Frank said. "If Gramatkee got killed during, say, a burglary, it'd be blamed on the kids. Nobody would even know about Curt Branders. He'd be out of the country, with no one the wiser."
"I think that has to be what's going on," agreed Joe.
"Do you think he'll try to go through with it?" asked Jeanne. "I mean, his plans are falling apart. Thanks to Joe, I'm free and can talk."
"In the league Branders plays in, he doesn't have a choice — he'll have to go ahead." Frank started pacing. "What we have to do, Joe, is get in touch with the police. I think Con may listen to us."
Joe opened his mouth to protest, but Frank cut him off. "We may be talking about an assassination here, Joe. We need all the help we can get to prevent it."
"You're right," Joe agreed grudgingly.
Jeanne asked, "What about Biff?"
"That's right, he's tangled up in this mess, too," said Frank. "I saw him at the meeting place."
"If we're going to the police," said Jeanne, "Biff should have the chance to come along with us. It's my fault he's in this. I don't want them treating him as though he's some kind of criminal, taking part in Curt's plan."
"Okay, we'll call him." Joe picked up the telephone and dialed the Hooper home.
Biff's mother answered. "Yes, hello?"
"Hi, Mrs. Hooper, it's Joe Hardy. Could I speak to Biff, please?"
"I'm afraid he's not here." Mrs. Hooper sounded worried.
Joe checked his watch and noticed it was close to midnight. "Would you happen to know where he is?"
"I'm somewhat concerned about him myself, Joe," she answered. "He came home a little while ago, very upset, but he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Then a few minutes ago somebody came by and he went out again."
"Who was it?"
"A boy I don't know very well, or care for. His name is Kevin."
"Kevin Branders?"
"Yes, that's who. He was even more upset than Biff, saying something important had come up — they had to have a special meeting — "
Mrs. Hooper suddenly cut off, then said, almost pleadingly, "Do you have any idea what Biff's got himself mixed up with, Joe? I can't help feeling that something is wrong. This isn't like the time he went off to that survival camp, is it?"
Joe hesitated for a second, remembering how Biff had gotten himself kidnapped by a bunch of mercenaries. Before it was over, Frank, Joe, and Biff had all nearly been killed. "I wouldn't worry, Mrs. Hooper," he finally said. "Would you have any idea where they were going?"
"I heard Biff say something about not being able to use the academy. And the other boy said they'd use the old barn."
"Okay, I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon. Good night, ma'am." Hanging up, Joe turned to Jeanne, "The old barn — where is it?"
"It's the one at the deserted apple orchard about a mile above the academy," she said.
"Obviously they can't use Bushmiller Academy now," said Frank. "They know somebody's been checking the place out."
"Maybe they've been spooked into moving their schedule up," Joe said. "Maybe they'll try to do something tonight—and now it looks like they've dragged Biff into it!"
Chapter 12
Joe was in luck—or so he thought.
The boys had split up. Frank's job was to find the industrialist Willis Gramatkee and warn him that Curt Branders was in town, ready to use him for target practice.
Joe, in the meantime, was to head to the
"Willis Gramatkee?" Frank stood up. "The big industrialist? Dad did mention last week that Gramatkee's being pressured to sell out his empire to a big European group."
Joe frowned. "I knew the name was familiar. Sounds like Gramatkee doesn't want to sell."
Frank nodded grimly. "But Curt Branders will take care of that, so they can buy from whoever inherits after Gramatkee dies. It works perfectly. Gramatkee has a mansion somewhere between here and Kirkland."
"Right in Branders's old stamping grounds," Joe pointed out. "So he gets his brother Kevin to start up the Circle as a distraction for the Kirkland and Bayport cops."
"Better than that," Frank said. "If Gramatkee got killed during, say, a burglary, it'd be blamed on the kids. Nobody would even know about Curt Branders. He'd be out of the country, with no one the wiser."
"I think that has to be what's going on," agreed Joe.
"Do you think he'll try to go through with it?" asked Jeanne. "I mean, his plans are falling apart. Thanks to Joe, I'm free and can talk."
"In the league Branders plays in, he doesn't have a choice — he'll have to go ahead." Frank started pacing. "What we have to do, Joe, is get in touch with the police. I think Con may listen to us."
Joe opened his mouth to protest, but Frank cut him off. "We may be talking about an assassination here, Joe. We need all the help we can get to prevent it."
"You're right," Joe agreed grudgingly.
Jeanne asked, "What about Biff?"
"That's right, he's tangled up in this mess, too," said Frank. "I saw him at the meeting place."
"If we're going to the police," said Jeanne, "Biff should have the chance to come along with us. It's my fault he's in this. I don't want them treating him as though he's some kind of criminal, taking part in Curt's plan."
"Okay, we'll call him." Joe picked up the telephone and dialed the Hooper home.
Biff's mother answered. "Yes, hello?"
"Hi, Mrs. Hooper, it's Joe Hardy. Could I speak to Biff, please?"
"I'm afraid he's not here." Mrs. Hooper sounded worried.
Joe checked his watch and noticed it was close to midnight. "Would you happen to know where he is?"
"I'm somewhat concerned about him myself, Joe," she answered. "He came home a little while ago, very upset, but he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Then a few minutes ago somebody came by and he went out again."
"Who was it?"
"A boy I don't know very well, or care for. His name is Kevin."
"Kevin Branders?"
"Yes, that's who. He was even more upset than Biff, saying something important had come up — they had to have a special meeting — "
Mrs. Hooper suddenly cut off, then said, almost pleadingly, "Do you have any idea what Biff's got himself mixed up with, Joe? I can't help feeling that something is wrong. This isn't like the time he went off to that survival camp, is it?"
Joe hesitated for a second, remembering how Biff had gotten himself kidnapped by a bunch of mercenaries. Before it was over, Frank, Joe, and Biff had all nearly been killed. "I wouldn't worry, Mrs. Hooper," he finally said. "Would you have any idea where they were going?"
"I heard Biff say something about not being able to use the academy. And the other boy said they'd use the old barn."
"Okay, I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon. Good night, ma'am." Hanging up, Joe turned to Jeanne, "The old barn — where is it?"
"It's the one at the deserted apple orchard about a mile above the academy," she said.
"Obviously they can't use Bushmiller Academy now," said Frank. "They know somebody's been checking the place out."
"Maybe they've been spooked into moving their schedule up," Joe said. "Maybe they'll try to do something tonight—and now it looks like they've dragged Biff into it!"
Chapter 12
Joe was in luck—or so he thought.
The boys had split up. Frank's job was to find the industrialist Willis Gramatkee and warn him that Curt Branders was in town, ready to use him for target practice.
Joe, in the meantime, was to head to the
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