Operation Gadgetman! Read Online Free PDF Page A

unhappily. ‘A whole load of ten- and twenty-pound notes poured out of the machine, even though Dad and I tried to put our hands over the money slot to keep them from coming out. There were so many notes they started falling on the ground. It was so embarrassing. Luckily, there was no-one around at the time or it would have been even worse.’ Beans looked at Detective Warner, her eyes wide with anxiety. ‘Dad didn’t mean any harm – honest he didn’t.’
    â€˜What commands and numbers did your dad type into this oscillator?’ Detective Warner leaned forward.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said Beans unhappily. ‘I wasn’t really paying attention until all the money started falling out.’
    â€˜So how much was there?’ Louisa asked.
    â€˜Five thousand and seventy pounds,’ Detective Warner answered. ‘At least, that’s what your dad gave back to the building society . . .’
    Ann stared at Beans. ‘Five thousand and seventy . . .’
    â€˜That’s all there was, I swear,’ Beans said miserably.
    â€˜Wow!’ Louisa breathed.
    â€˜Dad . . . Dad put all the money in an envelope with a letter explaining what had happened and posted it through the building society’s letterbox,’ said Beans. ‘The building society was shut, otherwise we could have gone in there and then. After that we went straight home. We didn’t go to the DIY shop or try Dad’s card in the machine or anything. Besides, there wouldn’t have been any point. The cash dispenser didn’t have any more money in it.’ Beans looked at Detective Warner, her eyes wide. Did he believe her? He had to believe her.
    â€˜Did you see the letter your dad wrote?’ Detective Warner asked at last.
    Beans nodded. ‘Yeah, it was addressed to the manager of the building society. Dad explained what had happened and said that anyone with enough know-how could make an induction oscillator just like his that would do exactly the same thing. He offered to visit them and show them exactly what he did to get the money out so they could stop it happening in future.’
    Beans swallowed hard. How could she make the police understand? It was an accident .
    â€˜Do you know how your dad’s invention works?’ asked the detective.
    â€˜Dad explained it to me, but I only got some of it.’ Beans frowned. ‘Apparently, when you put your card into those machines, a computer reads the magnetic strip on the back of your card and gets your card number and the maximum amount of money you can take out at any one-time, and all kinds of other details. It’s only when you key in your card number correctly that you can choose how much money you want to take out. Then the computer sends a signal to the electronic motor which feeds out the money. But when Dad started using his induction oscillator, electrical signals from his gadget bypassed the computer completely and just set the electronic motor going. Dad said that that’s how induction in physics works, but I didn’t really get the physics bit. Anyway, because the electronic motor hadn’t been told by the computer how much money to give out, it gave out the whole lot.’
    â€˜Seriously brill!’ Ann said, impressed.
    â€˜Hhmm!’ the detective stroked his light brown eyebrows. ‘And of course, the induction oscillator will make any cash dispenser in the country do the same thing.’
    â€˜Wasn’t your dad even a little tempted to keep the money?’ Ann asked.
    â€˜Of course not,’ Beans said furiously. ‘It didn’t belong to him.’
    â€˜So why didn’t your dad just hold the money until the next day, then go in and explain?’ Louisa asked.
    â€˜Dad said that if he held on to the money for even a day, someone might think that he intended to keep it,’ Beans explained. ‘Besides, he . . . we