The Case of the Exploding Plumbing Read Online Free PDF Page A

who causes suffering,’ ” replied Encyclopedia.
    “Luther was suffering plenty,” said Sally. “It wasn’t from a headache. It was from a neck-ache. Bruno was squeezing his neck so hard I thought his feet would swell up.”
    Suddenly she made a fist.
    “This must have something to do with the theft at the elementary school yesterday,” she said. “Luther must know something that Bruno doesn’t want him to tell!”
    Encyclopedia gave the idea some thought. Fifty dollars—five ten-dollar bills—had been stolen from the school office.
    “Bruno and Luther have morning jobs at the school,” said Sally. “Bruno works in the office. Luther helps Mr. Long, the caretaker, with the grounds.”
    “You may be on to something,” said Encyclopedia. “They both were at the school when the money disappeared.”
    “Luther wouldn’t steal,” said Sally. “But Bruno ... I wonder. He’d throw a drowning man both ends of a rope.”
    “Mrs. Watts, the assistant principal, came to our house last night,” said Encyclopedia. “She told my dad about the theft.”
    “Did you overhear anything?” asked Sally.
    “There wasn’t much to overhear,” said Encyclopedia. “The money had been left on a desk in the office to pay for a delivery. After the theft, Bruno demanded to be searched to prove his innocence. So did Luther. The money wasn’t on either boy.”
    “Bruno wouldn’t demand to be searched unless he had already hidden the money,” snorted Sally. “He probably discovered Luther watching him hide it. So Bruno is staying close to Luther till he has a chance to go back for it.”
    “I think that’s the answer,” agreed Encyclopedia. “If Luther tells on him, Bruno will beat him up.”
    “What can we do?” asked Sally worriedly.
    “We must get the money before Bruno does,” said Encyclopedia. “But we can’t let him think Luther squealed. We better get started.”
    “Where do we begin?” asked Sally. “At the school?”
    “At Luther’s house,” said Encyclopedia. “I want to make sure of the facts.”
    Luther was clipping the hedge when the two detectives biked up. Bruno was standing beside him like a watchdog.

    Luther was clipping the hedge when the two detectives biked up. Bruno was standing beside him like a watchdog.
    “Hi, Luther,” called Encyclopedia. “Sally says your short story is great. It didn’t need one word edited.”
    At the word ‘edited,’ Luther’s face lit up. He had looked frightened. Now he looked hopeful.
    “She did a good job of typing,” he said quietly. “And er ... er ... I’m writing better, too. Do you remember my first story two years ago?”
    “It wasn’t very good,” said Encyclopedia. He picked his next words carefully. “To tell the truth, it smelled worse than an onion.”
    Luther turned his back on Bruno. A smile flashed across his lips. “Take care,” he said, and waved good-bye.
    Encyclopedia was halfway down the block before Sally caught up with him.
    “Where are you going now?” she asked.
    “To the school,” replied Encyclopedia. “The money is hidden in one of the classrooms. I would guess in one that is not used during the summer.”
    “We’ll never find it,” protested Sally. “You can hide five ten-dollar bills anyplace!”
    “It won’t be difficult,” Encyclopedia assured her. “Check the blackboards. The money is hidden under ...”
     
    UNDER WHAT?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    (Turn to page 94 for the solution to The Case of the Frightened Witness.)

The Case of the Exploding Toilet
    Encyclopedia was finishing breakfast Saturday morning when Winslow Brant telephoned.
    Winslow was Idaville’s master snooper. He snooped around in the city dump and the neighborhood trash piles. Whenever he found junk that was worth keeping, he fixed it up and sold it as an antique.
    He wasn’t calling about antiques, however. He was calling about his life.
    “You’d better get to my place quick!” he said. “I was nearly