Read Online The Genius Thieves by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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said, interrupting. "What's going on over there?" They both heard a loud splashing noise by the boathouse. As they got closer, they could see the gleam of metal behind a hedge. Joe turned off the headlights and pulled over to the side of the road.
They stepped out of the van and ran quietly across the street to the boathouse. By now they could see that the shining metal was a car, reflecting the light of a street lamp. Beyond it they could make out the silhouette of a person throwing a box into the river.
They sneaked up to the car and immediately recognized it.
"It's Jed's," whispered Frank. He looked inside to see a stack of cardboard boxes in the backseat.
"Why is he trying to get rid of these boxes?" Joe asked. He stuck his head above the car to watch as Jed threw another box into the river. Then Jed turned to walk back to the car.
"Oops," Joe said, ducking down. But it was too late. Jed stopped in his tracks. He looked left and right and then darted onto the dock and into an open side entrance of the darkened boathouse.
Joe immediately ran after him. "Forget it," Frank called out. "You'll never find him in there. Besides, he has to come back to the car eventually."
They opened the car door. The ceiling light shone on the boxes in the backseat. Joe reached in and ripped one open. Inside were a dozen pocket-size devices that looked like electronic beepers. On the side of each was a metal button.
"What in the name of — " Joe picked one up and shook it. He pressed the button and put it up to his ear. No sound.
"Let me try something," Frank said. He took the device and pressed the button, pointing it at the car's ceiling light.
Dzzzzit! With a sputtering sound, the light flickered out.
"I thought that might happen! You know what this is?" said Frank, his eyes glowing with recognition.
Before Joe could answer, both of them were distracted by the sound of squealing brakes. Across the street, a sports car had stopped behind the van. A dark green Porsche.
The door flew open, and Mr. Rogers stepped out. In the glow from the overhead light it was impossible to misread the expression on his face. He oozed anger. He slammed the door and stormed over to Frank and Joe's van and yanked the door open. Seeing nothing, he spun around and walked toward the river. "All right, Kenyon, I know you and your greasy buddy are around somewhere!"
"Greasy?" said Joe. "Hey, where does he get off — "
"Shhh!"
Rogers jerked his head in Frank and Joe's direction. He reached into his breast pocket. Frank's body tensed as he watched Rogers pull out a shiny object.
"It's a gun!" he whispered.
Chapter 12
"QUICK, OUT OF sight!" Frank said. Crouching low, he and Joe ran for the dock of the boathouse and crawled underneath it.
A shot rang out as Rogers ran toward the boathouse. Frank and Joe heard a splash as the bullet sailed over the dock and into the water. Rogers cursed under his breath. The sound of muffled footsteps was all the brothers could hear for the next minute—and then there was total silence.
Carefully, they positioned themselves so they could see out from under the dock.
Rogers had found Jed's car and was examining the contents of the cardboard box.
"He put his pistol away," whispered Frank.
"Maybe he thinks those little electronic things are ray guns or something," said Joe.
From within the boathouse came a crashing noise. Rogers ran toward it, jumped onto the dock, and found the open door.
"Feeling a little clumsy tonight, Kenyon?" he snarled. Pulling a flashlight out of his pocket, he stepped inside.
Dzzzzit! The flashlight flickered out.
"These cheap dime-store pieces of trash!" he muttered to himself. He gave one last look into the boathouse, but obviously could make out nothing in the pitch blackness.
Frank and Joe heard the crick, crick, crick of the dock's wooden planks as Rogers walked directly above them.
Then, with a sigh of disgust, Rogers put the flashlight and the electronic device into his pocket
They stepped out of the van and ran quietly across the street to the boathouse. By now they could see that the shining metal was a car, reflecting the light of a street lamp. Beyond it they could make out the silhouette of a person throwing a box into the river.
They sneaked up to the car and immediately recognized it.
"It's Jed's," whispered Frank. He looked inside to see a stack of cardboard boxes in the backseat.
"Why is he trying to get rid of these boxes?" Joe asked. He stuck his head above the car to watch as Jed threw another box into the river. Then Jed turned to walk back to the car.
"Oops," Joe said, ducking down. But it was too late. Jed stopped in his tracks. He looked left and right and then darted onto the dock and into an open side entrance of the darkened boathouse.
Joe immediately ran after him. "Forget it," Frank called out. "You'll never find him in there. Besides, he has to come back to the car eventually."
They opened the car door. The ceiling light shone on the boxes in the backseat. Joe reached in and ripped one open. Inside were a dozen pocket-size devices that looked like electronic beepers. On the side of each was a metal button.
"What in the name of — " Joe picked one up and shook it. He pressed the button and put it up to his ear. No sound.
"Let me try something," Frank said. He took the device and pressed the button, pointing it at the car's ceiling light.
Dzzzzit! With a sputtering sound, the light flickered out.
"I thought that might happen! You know what this is?" said Frank, his eyes glowing with recognition.
Before Joe could answer, both of them were distracted by the sound of squealing brakes. Across the street, a sports car had stopped behind the van. A dark green Porsche.
The door flew open, and Mr. Rogers stepped out. In the glow from the overhead light it was impossible to misread the expression on his face. He oozed anger. He slammed the door and stormed over to Frank and Joe's van and yanked the door open. Seeing nothing, he spun around and walked toward the river. "All right, Kenyon, I know you and your greasy buddy are around somewhere!"
"Greasy?" said Joe. "Hey, where does he get off — "
"Shhh!"
Rogers jerked his head in Frank and Joe's direction. He reached into his breast pocket. Frank's body tensed as he watched Rogers pull out a shiny object.
"It's a gun!" he whispered.
Chapter 12
"QUICK, OUT OF sight!" Frank said. Crouching low, he and Joe ran for the dock of the boathouse and crawled underneath it.
A shot rang out as Rogers ran toward the boathouse. Frank and Joe heard a splash as the bullet sailed over the dock and into the water. Rogers cursed under his breath. The sound of muffled footsteps was all the brothers could hear for the next minute—and then there was total silence.
Carefully, they positioned themselves so they could see out from under the dock.
Rogers had found Jed's car and was examining the contents of the cardboard box.
"He put his pistol away," whispered Frank.
"Maybe he thinks those little electronic things are ray guns or something," said Joe.
From within the boathouse came a crashing noise. Rogers ran toward it, jumped onto the dock, and found the open door.
"Feeling a little clumsy tonight, Kenyon?" he snarled. Pulling a flashlight out of his pocket, he stepped inside.
Dzzzzit! The flashlight flickered out.
"These cheap dime-store pieces of trash!" he muttered to himself. He gave one last look into the boathouse, but obviously could make out nothing in the pitch blackness.
Frank and Joe heard the crick, crick, crick of the dock's wooden planks as Rogers walked directly above them.
Then, with a sigh of disgust, Rogers put the flashlight and the electronic device into his pocket
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