The Case of the Vanishing Boy Read Online Free PDF

to feel that if he handles this right about Jan, he’ll please somebody high up, and that they’ll do a favor for him some day. And that’s not all.”
    â€œWhat’s the rest of it, pet?”
    Ginny adjusted her dark glasses, and rubbed a freckle on her cheek with a dainty finger. “Pops, Jan is awfully important to somebody.”
    â€œHm. But of course, he must be. Do you know why?”
    â€œWell, sort of.”
    â€œThen out with it!”
    â€œBut—but I promised Jan I wouldn’t—”
    â€œJan,” said Heron Rhodes. “You tell us.”
    â€œBut he doesn’t know!” Ginny wailed. “Not the way he is now. And I promised him I wouldn’t pry and find out. All I know is that he’s got something terrific. I mean it’s a dilly! He’s really got two talents, but I don’t think anyone suspects the other one.”
    Jan gaped at her in bewilderment, then her aunt patted his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s all right, son,” she said. “All of us here have our little oddities the world doesn’t know about, and of course I knew you had yours the moment I saw you. It sort of vibrates from a person, if you know what I mean, though it does take someone like Ginny or myself to detect the vibration. So you see, you really are one of us—and especially so because you fill a dreadful void left by the loss of our cousin—” Suddenly she gasped and said, “Heron!”
    â€œWhat is it, Hecuba?”
    â€œCall Jackson Lane immediately and tell him to be here tomorrow before noon without fail.”
    â€œEh? What’s up?”
    â€œHeaven preserve us, I don’t know what’s up, but it just hit me like an avalanche. The back of my mind says we’ll need Jackson Lane’s help by noon tomorrow.”
    â€œHm. Has to be something legal. I’ve had a feeling I ought to get Jackson in on this. He’s got a couple of good Sherlocks on his staff we could start using right away.”
    Heron Rhodes reached for a telephone on the bay window behind him, and dialed a number. There was no answer. He glanced at Otis.
    â€œF’sh’g,” mumbled Otis, his mouth full of cookies. “Bim—Bim—”
    â€œWhat?”
    Ginny said, “He’s trying to tell you Mr. Lane flew to Bimini to go fishing.”
    â€œNow why in double tarnation would he do a silly thing like that when I need him? How’m I gonna—”
    â€œCall the Zorns,” Hecuba suggested. “Milly is his secretary, and Bill does his leg work. They’ll get him back here.”
    â€œThey’d better,” growled her brother, flipping through a phone book.
    While the doctor was concentrating on the phone, Jan fingered his new clothing, curious about it, and said to Ginny, “I’m afraid I’m going to cost your grandfather a lot of money. It doesn’t seem right.”
    â€œAw, don’t be silly. He’s sure got it to spend, and there’s nothing he’d rather spend it on than something like this. He just loves it.” Ginny touched a freckle on the end of her nose, and added, “You are wondering about the Tremaine cousin.”
    â€œWhy—yes,” he admitted, again startled by the ease with which she could pick up thoughts.
    â€œIt—it’s awfully tragic,” she said in a small voice. “You—you tell him, Aunt Heck.”
    â€œIt’s hard to talk about,” Hecuba Rhodes said quietly. “Poor Juan Tremaine was our last remaining relative—and we didn’t even know of his existence till last summer.…”
    She shook her head, and Ginny said, “My mom and dad found out about him when they were in Switzerland doing some research for Pops. They’re doctors too, and they’re back in Switzerland now, finishing up. Anyway, poor Juan’s father died in Vietnam, and nobody even dreamed he’d left a