CHAPTER V

How Was It Done?

when the Pritos' family doctor assured them that Tony would be all right after a day's rest, Frank and Joe drove to the site of the whale heist. But after a careful search, they had turned up no clues to the thieves.

"We can't even locate any truck tracks," Joe said ruefully. "The rain washed out everything."

"Maybe it wasn't carried off by a truck," Frank said thoughtfully.

"How else, then?" Joe retorted impatiently. "They sure didn't carry it off on their shoulders."

"I don't know, Joe. It just doesn't make any sense to me. We'll have to dope this out later."

Deciding that a further examination of the site would be fruitless, the Hardys returned to Tony's house. Now that Tony was over the initial shock of his experience he might be able to tell them something he hadn't remembered before.

39

40 Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

"I'm sorry, fellows," Tony said apologetically, "but everything's a blank from the moment I got a whiff of that gas until the moment I woke up."

Biff Hooper, who had rushed to the Prito house as soon as he had learned the news, was stalking up and down the living room.

"Boy!" he said angrily. "Would I like to get my hands on Knocker Felsen. I'll bet anything he's the one who did this. I shouldn't have let him off so easy the first time!"

"Hold it," Frank said. "We can't leap to conclusions, Biff."

"Wait a sec!" Joe cried suddenly. "I know how they could have stolen the whale. A helicopter! A big cargo helicopter, powerful enough to hoist the whale up on cables and fly away with it!"

"Hey! That just might be it!" Frank agreed excitedly. "Let's phone Jack Wayne and see what he can tell us about helicopters in the area."

Jack was Fenton Hardy's personal pilot and a close friend of many years' standing. He told Frank and Joe he would get a rundown on all helicopters, including those for hire, within a fifty-mile radius of Bayport and call back. It did not take him long to gather the information.

"Frank, I hate to disappoint you," Jack reported, "but the storm last night was pretty widespread and there wasn't a single helicopter flying."

"I guess we can knock out that possibility," Frank said. "I still think Joe's idea is a good one,

How Was It Done? 41

though. Somehow, I'm sure it was done by air. After all, even if you could find a truck big enough, you couldn't just drive through the middle of town with a whale!"

"Not without being noticed by an awful lot of people," Jack agreed.

"I think it would be worth our while to do some scouting by air. Would you get our plane ready right away, Jack?"

"Sure thing."

Forty-five minutes later the Hardys were at Bay-port Airport. Both boys were licensed pilots. Frank slid behind the control wheel, obtained clearance from the tower, then taxied the single-engine, blue-and-white plane to the active runway and took off.

Frank flew around Bayport in ever-widening circles, drifting farther and farther from the city, while Joe scanned the ground through high-power binoculars. Four hours of searching were in vain.

"We're below the halfway mark," Frank said, indicating the gas gauge. "I think we should go down and refuel."

"Right," his brother answered. "Harrington Field is ten miles to the east. That's where they have the Strato Balloon Club. So keep an eye peeled."

Harrington Airport had a single paved runway pretty much off the mainstream of air traffic. It

42 Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

had only a rickety office building and one gas pit. Frank guided the plane down to a gentle landing, then taxied to the pit. Grizzled old Mr. Harrington came out to meet them.

"Hi, Frank. Hi, Joe. Top her off?"

"Okay," said Frank. While the man pumped gas into the plane, he added, "What's new, Mr. Harrington?"

"Only thing new around here," the man replied with a snort, "is that someone stole a couple of balloons belonging to the club. What do you think of that?"

"Pretty mean," Joe said. "We'll keep a lookout for the balloons."

The boys paid him for the gas and took off. Half an hour later Joe pointed to a stand of oak trees and cried, "Look there!"

Frank took the plane as low as he safely could and Joe got an excellent look through the binoculars. He relayed what he saw to Frank. "Those are the balloons all right. They're torn apart-all deflated. And, Frank, there are ropes attached to them, ropes with frayed ends!"

Satisfied, they headed back to Bayport. The method of the theft was now clear to them. The whale had been lifted silently and efficiently from its resting place by the balloons. The thieves evidently had depended upon air currents to carry it to whatever site they had selected. But the storm had wrecked their plans and the balloons as well.

How Was It Done? 43

Somewhere along the line the whale had been torn loose and lost.

As soon as they landed at Bayport Airport, Frank reported their find to Harrington. Then he called Jack Wayne and asked him to check on the wind velocity and direction over Bayport the previous night.

"Give us all the meteorological info you can get your hands on," Frank urged.

The boys had something to eat and then drove out to the carnival.

Now that the carnival had no competition, business was booming. Sid Solo was happy about this, but he was wringing his hands over a new problem.

"Boko's act is due to start in ten minutes," he said. "But he's disappeared. What am I going to do? The tent is packed and the customers are going to raise a big ruckus if I can't give them a clown."

"Boko's gone?" Frank exclaimed with alarm.

"Yes. He hasn't been seen since late last night."

Frank said to Joe, "I think we'd better call Chief Collig and tell him to be on the lookout. Boko's either in danger, as he told us last night, or else he's tied in with the stolen whale."

As Joe went to call Chief Collig, Solo moaned. "There's no way out of this one. Those people are going to want their money back, and I don't blame them."

44 Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

"Cheer up, Mr. Solo," Frank said. "I think we can find a clown for you."

Solo's head snapped up. "Who? Where?"

"Chet's been on pickpocket duty until we got here, right?"

Solo nodded.

"Well, we're back," Frank said.

Afraid of being disappointed, Solo was almost unwilling to let himself hope. "Do you think Chet will . . . ?"

"We won't know until we ask him."

They found Chet and put the question to him. The chubby boy grinned and said, "Well, sounds like fun. Sure, I'd be happy to."

Solo pumped his hand. "Thank you. Thank you. If you pull this one off, you have my permission to eat free at every food concession in the carnival."

"Let's go!" Chet said eagerly.

The trio rushed to the costume and makeup trailer, hastily fitted Chet out in a clown suit, and daubed his face with grease paint. Solo grabbed a handful of props and stuffed them into Chet's pockets.

"It's time," Solo cried. He took Chet's hand and pulled the tubby youth toward the big tent. "Wait here until I call you."

A bareback riding troupe had just completed its act and the ringmaster was standing in the center of the arena looking unsure of himself. Appar-

How Was It Done? 45

ently he did not know what announcement to make since the next slot was Boko's. Solo rushed forward, waved to the crowd, then took the microphone from the ringmaster.

"Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages," he announced. "Due to circumstances beyond our control, Boko will not appear." The audience made loud sounds of disappointment. "But," Solo hurried on, "we have been very fortunate in securing for you the services of-of Chesterton the Great!" He turned away from the microphone and whispered to the bandleader, "Give 'em Number Three."

The band struck up a very serious and pompous march.

"Oh, oh," Chet said nervously. "That's for me."

"Good luck," Frank said.

Chet moved into the arena. He walked with great and exaggerated dignity, then suddenly he tripped and fell, shot quickly to his feet, and whirled around as if to see who had tripped him. The crowd roared at Chet's antics.

Chet shook his fist at them and stalked over to the nearest seats in mock anger. He selected a man and pointed a plastic flower at him, then showed the rest of the audience a squeeze bulb that would send water squirting into the man's face. He pressed the bulb-and the water squirted out the back of the flower into Chet's face! Chet feigned

46 Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

surprise and the audience howled with delight.

Next, the newly born clown drew a long chalk line on the floor. He opened a tiny umbrella, then stepped gingerly onto the chalk line, as if it were a wire stretched high above the ground, and began a balancing routine. The audience was laughing heartily by the time Solo rejoined Frank, who was howling in glee. Solo chuckled.

"It's really great!"

"I'd love to stay and watch," Frank said. "But I think there's something we should do." He told the carnival owner of Boko's instructions concerning the strongbox.

"Well," said Solo, "I think the situation justifies your opening it."

They left the Big Tent, found Joe, and went to Boko's wagon. As they drew near it, a figure burst from inside and dashed away.

"After him!" Joe shouted.

Frank threw all his strength into the chase, moved ahead of Joe and Solo, and gained on the fugitive. The man rounded a corner, Frank close behind. Then suddenly a low-strung tent rope caught Frank by the ankle and sent him pitching headlong to the ground. Joe and Mr. Solo came pounding up as Frank was pushing himself to his feet.

"What happened?" Joe asked.

"I tripped," Frank said disgustedly. "We'll never find him in the crowd now."

The crowd roared at Chet's antics

48 Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

"Are you all right?" Joe asked.

"Fine. Let's get back to Boko's wagon and see what that guy was up to."

They walked back, mounted the wagon's steps, and pushed through the half-open door. "I smell smoke," Joe said.

Frank sniffed the air. "You're right."

The young detectives went directly to Boko's bunk, pulled up the mattress, and after a moment's search located the loose board. Frank raised it and stared into the empty hole. "The box is gone!"

A quick check of the wagon turned up the missing container under a pile of rags in a corner.

"I found it!" Joe exclaimed. Mournfully he added, "We're too late!"

He held the strongbox up for Frank and Solo to see. The lock had been broken open. The box was empty!