Read Online Witness to Murder by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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the neon vacancy sign.
They had to ring the bell to wake someone up so they could register. A woman unlocked the door. She was tying a bathrobe around her ample waist, her hair in rollers, her eyes heavy with sleep as she came out to greet them.
"Do you have a room left?" asked Joe.
The proprietor eyed the two of them, then smiled when she noticed Annie twisting her ring. Joe saw that she'd switched it to her left hand, and she was looking at him with dreamy eyes. He felt his face heat up. The woman laughed. "I can always spot honeymooners. I'll bet you two eloped, didn't you?" She reached under the desk and fumbled for the guest register. "I guess you'll only want the one night, won't you? Going on to Niagara Falls?"
Joe didn't know what to say. Honeymooners wouldn't choose to spend a week at the Holiday Hideout.
"We don't have much money, Mrs. — " Annie was asking for the woman's name. "Booth. Edith Booth."
"Mrs. Booth. We can't go far. So we thought we'd find someplace clean and inexpensive and then take some day trips. I understand there are lakes near here where we can picnic."
"Why, sure. In the morning I'll give you a map and point out the places of interest. I understand starting out broke. Why, me and Earl, that's my husband, didn't have two quarters to rub together when we got married. But if you love each other — "
"Could I pay three nights in advance?" Joe interrupted the woman, who sounded as if she'd go on forever now that she'd decided to be friendly. "Then we'll see if we want to stay longer."
"That'd be fine." Edith Booth handed the pen to Joe.
He hesitated and glanced at Annie, who took his arm and smiled up at him. "Want me to write it, Joe?"
"No." Joe quickly scribbled Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hardy. This was getting ridiculous, he thought.
He paid cash and, after getting the key, hustled Annie out.
She burst into laughter the minute they got into the van to drive the short distance to the room. "Oh, Joe, you should have seen your face when I pretended we were married."
"Why did you do it, Annie?" he grumbled as he moved the van to Unit 10, the farthest from the office and the street, dark and shadowed except for the small light over the door. Mrs. Booth wanted them to have privacy.
"It was fun, Joe. But how will I explain it when she sees me alone tomorrow, though?"
"You can say we had our first fight and I left you because you're so conniving. Here's some money, Annie. I'll try to call every day." At least Annie's little game had made her forget about being afraid. Joe was glad for that.
He walked Annie to her room. "I hate to leave you here alone. Some husband, huh?" he teased.
"I'll be fine, Joe," Annie assured him. "My suitcase." She hurried back to the van. "I still think I should have left Bayport alone, though. I don't have much money, but if you'd have lent me some — what you're spending for the motel — I'd have paid you back when I got another job."
"I want you to be able to stay in Bayport, Annie." Joe pulled her close. "Frank and I will get to the bottom of this mess. Then you can go back to work and we'll take up where we left off — Mrs. Hardy." Joe laughed.
"Very touching," said a deep voice from the shadows. The tall man, the one Annie had so neatly disposed of, moved forward into the light. The single overhead bulb reflected off the gun that he had shoved into the small of Annie's back.
"You couldn't have followed us!" Joe said, frustrated. He had taken every precaution. How had this man materialized out of the shadows just after they arrived?
"I'll take those diamonds, Annie. Back away and don't try anything," he said to Joe. "Not if you want to see this girl alive in the morning."
Chapter 11
"I don't have any diamonds," Annie snapped.
"But you know where they are. I'll bet on it." The tall man pushed on Annie's shoulder so she was facing him now. There was no doubt that he was in control. "My instincts are never wrong."
"Are you a friend of Phil's?" Annie
They had to ring the bell to wake someone up so they could register. A woman unlocked the door. She was tying a bathrobe around her ample waist, her hair in rollers, her eyes heavy with sleep as she came out to greet them.
"Do you have a room left?" asked Joe.
The proprietor eyed the two of them, then smiled when she noticed Annie twisting her ring. Joe saw that she'd switched it to her left hand, and she was looking at him with dreamy eyes. He felt his face heat up. The woman laughed. "I can always spot honeymooners. I'll bet you two eloped, didn't you?" She reached under the desk and fumbled for the guest register. "I guess you'll only want the one night, won't you? Going on to Niagara Falls?"
Joe didn't know what to say. Honeymooners wouldn't choose to spend a week at the Holiday Hideout.
"We don't have much money, Mrs. — " Annie was asking for the woman's name. "Booth. Edith Booth."
"Mrs. Booth. We can't go far. So we thought we'd find someplace clean and inexpensive and then take some day trips. I understand there are lakes near here where we can picnic."
"Why, sure. In the morning I'll give you a map and point out the places of interest. I understand starting out broke. Why, me and Earl, that's my husband, didn't have two quarters to rub together when we got married. But if you love each other — "
"Could I pay three nights in advance?" Joe interrupted the woman, who sounded as if she'd go on forever now that she'd decided to be friendly. "Then we'll see if we want to stay longer."
"That'd be fine." Edith Booth handed the pen to Joe.
He hesitated and glanced at Annie, who took his arm and smiled up at him. "Want me to write it, Joe?"
"No." Joe quickly scribbled Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hardy. This was getting ridiculous, he thought.
He paid cash and, after getting the key, hustled Annie out.
She burst into laughter the minute they got into the van to drive the short distance to the room. "Oh, Joe, you should have seen your face when I pretended we were married."
"Why did you do it, Annie?" he grumbled as he moved the van to Unit 10, the farthest from the office and the street, dark and shadowed except for the small light over the door. Mrs. Booth wanted them to have privacy.
"It was fun, Joe. But how will I explain it when she sees me alone tomorrow, though?"
"You can say we had our first fight and I left you because you're so conniving. Here's some money, Annie. I'll try to call every day." At least Annie's little game had made her forget about being afraid. Joe was glad for that.
He walked Annie to her room. "I hate to leave you here alone. Some husband, huh?" he teased.
"I'll be fine, Joe," Annie assured him. "My suitcase." She hurried back to the van. "I still think I should have left Bayport alone, though. I don't have much money, but if you'd have lent me some — what you're spending for the motel — I'd have paid you back when I got another job."
"I want you to be able to stay in Bayport, Annie." Joe pulled her close. "Frank and I will get to the bottom of this mess. Then you can go back to work and we'll take up where we left off — Mrs. Hardy." Joe laughed.
"Very touching," said a deep voice from the shadows. The tall man, the one Annie had so neatly disposed of, moved forward into the light. The single overhead bulb reflected off the gun that he had shoved into the small of Annie's back.
"You couldn't have followed us!" Joe said, frustrated. He had taken every precaution. How had this man materialized out of the shadows just after they arrived?
"I'll take those diamonds, Annie. Back away and don't try anything," he said to Joe. "Not if you want to see this girl alive in the morning."
Chapter 11
"I don't have any diamonds," Annie snapped.
"But you know where they are. I'll bet on it." The tall man pushed on Annie's shoulder so she was facing him now. There was no doubt that he was in control. "My instincts are never wrong."
"Are you a friend of Phil's?" Annie
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