Read Online The Secret of the Unseen Treasure by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Campbell
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extended horizontally over toward the pump.
“If there’s nothing wrong with the suction line,” Dan continued, “there should be water in it all the way up to the pump, higher than the water level of the well. There’s a valve at the bottom of the pipe that keeps the water from dropping back into the well when the pump isn’t running.”
Trixie nodded again and pointed to the elbow where the pipe made a bend toward the pump. “If there’s nothing wrong with the valve at the bottom, the water should be up to here now. Right?”
“Right,” Dan said. “And it is.”
“But the pump still wasn’t drawing water,” Trixie said in a confused tone. “I don’t understand.”
“I didn’t, either,” Dan admitted. “But there had to be some reason why the pump suddenly stopped drawing water and ruined itself.”
Dan placed his hand on the underside of the pipe where it extended horizontally from the well to the pump. “Feel the pipe.”
Trixie touched the cold smoothness of the pipe. As she slid her hand along underneath it, the tips of her fingers went into a notched opening.
“That opening let air in,” Dan explained. “The pump was pulling air instead of water, and that’s what wrecked it.”
“That’s not a crack,” Trixie said. “It’s too smooth.”
“It was done with a metal file,” Dan confirmed. “I stuck my head under to have a look. Somebody filed a hole in that pipe. It was deliberately sabotaged.”
Trixie scowled. “First the arson attempt, and now this. Someone is definitely trying to ruin Mrs. Elliot’s flower business. But who? And why?”
“What about Max?” Dan asked.
Trixie shook her head. “He was working in the cornfield during the arson attempt,” she reminded him.
“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have known about it,” Dan pointed out.
“But he was so mad—” Trixie began.
“Maybe he was mad at you for preventing the fire,” Dan said.
Trixie pondered that for a moment. “Why would Max do those things to his own stepmother?” she asked.
Dan shrugged. “It doesn’t make any sense, does it?” He stood up and brushed off his knees. Trixie stood, too.
“There’s something I’d better tell you,” Dan said slowly. “It’s been bothering me for a long time now.”
Trixie nodded. “I knew something was wrong, Dan.”
Dan grinned slightly. “Was it that obvious? I’m sorry. It’s just that I didn’t want you and Honey getting involved in something that could be really dangerous.”
Trixie raised her eyebrows, curious.
“I was in town on the day of the arson attempt,” Dan went on. “And I ran into somebody I knew. Somebody from the city.”
“You mean, someone from the—the gang?” Trixie asked.
Dan nodded. “Sort of. An older guy named A1 Finlay. Lots of the gang members used to hang around with him. He’s a real rat.” Dan’s hand clenched as he spoke. “It’s a good thing Regan got me out of that gang before I was in too deep.”
“We’re all glad for that, Dan,” Trixie said. “You must have thought this man Finlay had something to do with the arson attempt. That’s why you kept asking us if anyone got a close look at the man in the garden.”
Dan nodded. “Among other things, A1 Finlay is a firebug. He said he was just passing through when I bumped into him in town. But when you told me about the arson attempt, I couldn’t help thinking he was involved. Arson is just one of his ways of forcing people to do something they don’t want to do.” Dan nodded toward the pump. “Sabotage is another way.”
“But why Mrs. Elliot?” Trixie asked. “What has she got that he would be interested in?”
“The only thing Al Finlay’s interested in is money,” Dan said.
Trixie was confused. “If that’s so, and he stole the Social Security checks, then why did he throw them away?”
Dan shrugged.
“What about hidden money?” Trixie asked. “Maybe Mr. Elliot did hide some money here, and Finlay is trying to
“If there’s nothing wrong with the suction line,” Dan continued, “there should be water in it all the way up to the pump, higher than the water level of the well. There’s a valve at the bottom of the pipe that keeps the water from dropping back into the well when the pump isn’t running.”
Trixie nodded again and pointed to the elbow where the pipe made a bend toward the pump. “If there’s nothing wrong with the valve at the bottom, the water should be up to here now. Right?”
“Right,” Dan said. “And it is.”
“But the pump still wasn’t drawing water,” Trixie said in a confused tone. “I don’t understand.”
“I didn’t, either,” Dan admitted. “But there had to be some reason why the pump suddenly stopped drawing water and ruined itself.”
Dan placed his hand on the underside of the pipe where it extended horizontally from the well to the pump. “Feel the pipe.”
Trixie touched the cold smoothness of the pipe. As she slid her hand along underneath it, the tips of her fingers went into a notched opening.
“That opening let air in,” Dan explained. “The pump was pulling air instead of water, and that’s what wrecked it.”
“That’s not a crack,” Trixie said. “It’s too smooth.”
“It was done with a metal file,” Dan confirmed. “I stuck my head under to have a look. Somebody filed a hole in that pipe. It was deliberately sabotaged.”
Trixie scowled. “First the arson attempt, and now this. Someone is definitely trying to ruin Mrs. Elliot’s flower business. But who? And why?”
“What about Max?” Dan asked.
Trixie shook her head. “He was working in the cornfield during the arson attempt,” she reminded him.
“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have known about it,” Dan pointed out.
“But he was so mad—” Trixie began.
“Maybe he was mad at you for preventing the fire,” Dan said.
Trixie pondered that for a moment. “Why would Max do those things to his own stepmother?” she asked.
Dan shrugged. “It doesn’t make any sense, does it?” He stood up and brushed off his knees. Trixie stood, too.
“There’s something I’d better tell you,” Dan said slowly. “It’s been bothering me for a long time now.”
Trixie nodded. “I knew something was wrong, Dan.”
Dan grinned slightly. “Was it that obvious? I’m sorry. It’s just that I didn’t want you and Honey getting involved in something that could be really dangerous.”
Trixie raised her eyebrows, curious.
“I was in town on the day of the arson attempt,” Dan went on. “And I ran into somebody I knew. Somebody from the city.”
“You mean, someone from the—the gang?” Trixie asked.
Dan nodded. “Sort of. An older guy named A1 Finlay. Lots of the gang members used to hang around with him. He’s a real rat.” Dan’s hand clenched as he spoke. “It’s a good thing Regan got me out of that gang before I was in too deep.”
“We’re all glad for that, Dan,” Trixie said. “You must have thought this man Finlay had something to do with the arson attempt. That’s why you kept asking us if anyone got a close look at the man in the garden.”
Dan nodded. “Among other things, A1 Finlay is a firebug. He said he was just passing through when I bumped into him in town. But when you told me about the arson attempt, I couldn’t help thinking he was involved. Arson is just one of his ways of forcing people to do something they don’t want to do.” Dan nodded toward the pump. “Sabotage is another way.”
“But why Mrs. Elliot?” Trixie asked. “What has she got that he would be interested in?”
“The only thing Al Finlay’s interested in is money,” Dan said.
Trixie was confused. “If that’s so, and he stole the Social Security checks, then why did he throw them away?”
Dan shrugged.
“What about hidden money?” Trixie asked. “Maybe Mr. Elliot did hide some money here, and Finlay is trying to
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