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to come,” Frank whispered.
    â€œI didn’t. But I hate to be alone.”
    Opening the door a crack, Frank looked into the garage. Workmen were putting down their tools and preparing to go home.

    Frank whispered over his shoulder. “They’re quitting work. We better move before they start coming in to wash up.”
    He opened the door far enough to slip through and led the way to the three new cars parked near the back door. The boys crouched out of sight between two of them.
    â€œThat’s Vern‘s!” Chet hissed, jerking a thumb at the blue sedan to their left. “It must have been delivered by that truck out there.”
    â€œWhich means Crafty Kraft’s around here somewhere,” Frank replied in a low tone.
    The boys had left the restroom just in time, since workmen began heading toward it to wash up. Frank and Chet lay low until the last of them had finished and had exited through the front door.
    When the big garage was empty, Frank rose to his feet, looked in all directions, and then tiptoed toward the office. Through the open office door, he could see Big Harry behind his desk, talking to two men seated in front of it. One was the tattooed truck driver Fenton Hardy had identified as one of the chief lieutenants of the car-theft ring, Crafty Kraft. The other was the distinguished-looking man who had arrived in the Lincoln Continental.
    Frank retreated behind the cars again, where he was out of sight from the office, and motioned Chet to follow him. Quietly, they moved along the rear wall, then made their way around to the office door. They stopped just before they reached it and positioned themselves so that they could hear everything, but not be seen.
    A voice that Frank guessed belonged to the distinguished-looking man said, “Who, may I ask, are they?”
    â€œAccording to their I.D.s, they’re Joe Hardy and Vern Nelson,” Big Harry replied.
    â€œJoe Hardy! That’s one of Fenton Hardy’s sons. I thought he was in town on other business.”
    â€œSo did Red Sluice,” Big Harry said. “He told me those kids were here to find some coin that disappeared, but this is the second time we’ve caught this one prowling around. The first time he was with a different guy, and they both escaped.”
    â€œProbably his older brother,” a third man said in a raspy voice. Frank assumed this was Crafty Kraft. “I hear they’re always together.”
    â€œWell, what do you want us to do with these two, sir?” Big Harry asked.
    The sir told Frank that he had guessed right about the newcomer being the big boss of the car-theft ring.
    â€œThey’ll have to be kept out of circulation until we finish stripping this shipment,” came the reply. “After that it won’t matter, because we can move to another location. But if we turn them loose now, they’ll run straight to the police. ”
    â€œI’ve got an isolated cottage over on Catalina Island,” Big Harry offered.
    â€œThat would be excellent. You own a boat, too, don’t you?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œThen run them over there and hold them until further notice. Oh, and while you’ve got them, you may as well squeeze out any information you can about how much Fenton Hardy has learned about our operation.”
    â€œYes, sir,” Big Harry repeated.
    There was the sound of a chair scraping. Frank and Chet made a beeline for the nearest hiding place. They hid themselves behind a partially dismantled car and an instant later, the distinguished-looking gentleman stepped from the office.
    As he started toward the front door, it opened and Red Sluice came in with Anton Jivaro. The three met halfway across the garage, near enough for Frank and Chet to overhear them.
    â€œWho is this, Red?” the boss asked sharply.
    â€œMy old partner, Anton, sir. He started work here today.”
    Frowning at the little man, the boss said,