Mystery of the Samurai Sword Read Online Free PDF Page A

Festival. For that matter, where’s your father?”
    â€œDunno, Aunty,” Frank replied. “Last we saw of him, he was pretty busy coping with what happened tonight.”
    â€œWell, for mercy sakes, what did happen? I couldn’t make head or tail out of the news broadcasts!”
    The Hardy boys described the strange disappearance of Takashi Satoya, and their own subsequent adventures. The bathrobed spinster listened with keen interest.
    â€œHmph, sounds to me as though Satoya’s been snatched by business enemies!” she declared. “Not surprising either, when you stop to think how big a corporation he’s running. That’s probably why he’s been hiding from public view. He knew someone was out to get him.”
    â€œI’ll buy that about someone being out to get him,” Chet piped up. “If you ask me, it’s probably a mysterious gang of Oriental killers!”
    â€œSuch as?” Joe said.
    â€œHow do I know? Maybe that creep you spotted who was all in black could be one of them!”
    â€œ If we spotted him,” Frank amended. “But none of that explains how Satoya vanished.”
    â€œThose flashes in the darkness could have blinded everyone for a second or two while you were stopped on the highway,” Aunt Gertrude pointed out. “Perhaps that was long enough for a kidnapper to drag him out of the car before you got going again.”
    â€œWhat about his aide Ikeda, who was drugged?”
    â€œPerhaps the kidnapper had a confederate who jabbed him with a hypodermic needle.”
    â€œHm, it’s an interesting theory,” Frank said politely if a bit skeptically.
    Just then a car was heard pulling into the driveway. Soon afterward Fenton Hardy strode into the house. He greeted everyone in his usual friendly fashion, but Frank and Joe could see that their father was both angry and deeply concerned over the night’s events. However, his sons’ report about the limousine’s secret compartment made him feel somewhat better.
    â€œWhat was Mr. Satoya planning to do in this country, Dad?” Frank inquired.
    â€œAmong other things, confer with officials of the Road King Motorcycle Company. There’s talk of a merger between Road King and Satoya’s own motorcycle division.”
    â€œYou see? What did I tell you!” Aunt Gertrude cut in triumphantly. “A move like that could easily have stirred up business enemies!”
    â€œQuite true,” Mr. Hardy agreed. “What I’d like to lay hands on fast is the enemy in Satoya’s own corporation.”
    â€œHow do you mean, Dad?” Joe queried.
    The detective rose from his chair to pace the kitchen floor. “Someone tipped off the press that Satoya was coming to this country. The tip came in the form of anonymous calls to the news services and networks, and naturally, since Satoya’s such a mystery man, they were all eager to get a look at him. Yet I’m absolutely sure there was no leak in my security setup!”
    â€œThen where did the leak occur?”
    â€œIt has to be in the Satoya Corporation,” Mr. Hardy replied. “Aside from the jet plane crew and his chauffeur, the only other people who knew in advance about his visit were Kawanishi, Oyama and Ikeda—though I’ll admit it’s hard to believe Ikeda would deliberately have landed himself in such an unpleasant predicament.”
    â€œSo right off the bat,” Frank reflected grimly, “we have at least three important suspects!”
    Next day, the Hardy boys decided to check up on Axel Gorky’s story. The best way to do this seemed to be to interview Warlord. The famous dancer and his troupe were to perform at the Bayport Summer Festival and were staying at Bayshore College, which was sponsoring their appearance.
    The boys arrived on campus about 10:30 in the morning and were directed to the gymnasium, where the troupe was working out. As they