terminology.â
âHey, maybe heâs in the military,â Chet remarked.
âThanks, Chet,â Joe said politely. âI think thatâs where Frank was headed with that.â
âDid you tell Mrs. Gregory about the huskies?â Frank asked.
âYeah, when I described them, she said they sounded exactly like the âwolfâ she saw in her cottage,â Chet replied.
âGood work, Chet,â Frank told their friend.
âThanks. Now, if youâll excuse me,â Chet said, groaning as he pulled himself to his feet. âI have five minutes to eat.â
âI think we ought to eat lunch on the run, Joe, to pay a visit to Gus Jons before I have to go to work,â Frank suggested.
âA visit?â Joe asked.
âTo ask about his meeting in the lobby last night and about his exciting trip in Russia,â Frank said, clarifying.
âYou really think heâll tell us the truth?â Joe asked.
âNot if heâs involved,â Frank said, âbut I think we could learn a lot, even from his lies.â
After buying two sandwiches from the canteen, they drove to Gus Jonsâs cabin.
Joe parked and sounded the horn. âI donât want to be mistaken for a thief again,â he told Frank.
As they approached the cabin, Frank saw that the main door was shut and the pickup truck was nowhere to be seen. âWe may be out of luck, Joe.â
Frank knocked on the door. Inside the cabin, a dog started barking.
âWell, his Doberman is home,â Joe joked.
Frank waited awhile, then called, âMr. Jons?â
More barking, but no Gus Jons. The curtains were drawn over the windows so that the boys couldnât see in.
âHold it, Frank,â Joe said, holding very still and listening to the barking. âI hear two dogs.â
âYouâre right, Joe,â Frank said. âEither Jons has a second dog or we were right about those big pet carriers you saw. Jons may have some canine visitors from Siberia.â
âWhy would he bring them all the way from Russia?â Joe said. âAnd why use them to snoop around Konawa?â
âMaybe theyâre like those police dogs that can sniff out explosives,â Frank guessed. âOnly theyâre specially trained to track down Russian soap.â
âIf we can connect Jons to the huskies who attacked us at the asylum and were used in the break-in at Mrs. Gregoryâs, Mr. Craven is going to have to start believing us,â Joe suggested.
âLetâs go get him,â Frank agreed.
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
The Hardys pulled up to Jim Cravenâs office and were surprised to see a brown pickup truck parked outside.
âThatâs Gus Jonsâs truck!â Joe exclaimed.
Frank peeked into the cab of the pickup. The Doberman pinscher jumped at him, barking through the opening in the window. âWell, now weknow we didnât hear Jonsâs dog at his cabin,â he remarked to Joe.
Craven stepped out of his office, shaking hands with Gus Jons. âIâm glad thatâs all settled,â Craven said, smiling.
âHello, Mr. Jons,â Joe said, stepping up to the two adults. âWe were just at your house.â
âOh?â Jons said, smiling innocently.
âWe tracked down that shipment of yours from Russia,â Frank informed him.
âThe soap,â Craven cut in. âYes, weâve discussed it.
âI hear that it got scattered to the four corners of Konawa,â Jons said, chuckling.
âMr. Jons has been gracious enough to accept a fifty-dollar check to reimburse him for the cost of the package,â Craven said, smiling at the Hardys but warning them with his eyes.
âWell, itâs really the mailmanâs fault, not yours,â Jons said, smiling.
Frank and Joe looked at each other, puzzled. Jons put on his cap. âWell, if youâll excuse me.â
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