Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                       Chapter 37

                                                                              Doors, Doors, Doors

                                                                                   

     Matt grinned at him.  "Well, we know one thing.  We know how they got into the computer room; by picking the lock...." Sam started, and then was interrupted, "Or with a key," Matt said with a nod.  "Right, or with a key," Sam agreed.  "So, the crooks either went up those stairs, which makes the most sense.  Or back up the steps to the trap door and out," Sam said.

     "Well, we pretty much know how they did it.  Now we just have to figure out "who" did it,"  "Yep," Nick agreed.  The three of them walked back to the trap door, all of them forgetting they were going to see where the hidden stairwell went too.  But as Nick readied to pull the cord attached to the single light bulb, he glanced back at the small ancient door in the cement wall with longing in his eyes.  He told himself he would come back one day and find out how to open it and then, what it concealed.

     When the boys reached the computer room Nick closed the lid of the trap door and then ran his hand over the wood tile to make sure it was flush to the floor.  "Whoever put that there knew their business.  If I didn't know it was there, I wouldn't know it was there," Sam said, making his brother and Nick chuckle and shake their heads at him.

     "Well, we'd better go.  Nothing more we can do here today," Nick said, heading for the door while the other two followed.  He poked his head out and peered down the hall both ways.  As he expected, no one was about.  The band had started a new selection as the three boys reached the bottom of the main staircase.

     All of a sudden Nick threw out an arm to keep Matt and Sam from going any further, motioning them back up a few steps.  "Who is it?" Sam mouthed.  Nick whispered, "Two band members are standing by the restrooms near the main entrance doors."  "Do you guys realize if we're caught here like this, people may think we're the thieves coming back for more loot," Matt said with a horrified look on his face.  Sam nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

     "The thought has crossed my mind," Nick said in an obvious tone.  Then he silently crept down a couple of steps and peered around the corner.  "Whew! Nick said in a hushed voice, "They're gone."  Matt and Sam both breathed sighs of relief.  After a moment to collect himself, Nick led the other two out the main entrance doors and into the crisp sunlit December air.

     The boys climbed into Nick's car which he had parked on a side street near the school and headed for his house.  Knowing now that Fletch was at home that day, the three of them felt they better do their detecting in a house where no parents or siblings could listen in on their conversations.

     "So.... any ideas how we find out who the thieves are?"  Sam asked the other two.  We've tried getting information from our fellow students with no success."  "Changing the subject slightly," Matt started, "Are we agreed then that the crooks took the "loot" out of the school on Monday night?"

     "I would say so," Nick said.  "I believe Glenna was right in her thinking, that the crooks just hid somewhere in the school after everyone left after the hostage situation was over, hid the equipment in the basement, not knowing when they'd get to it.  But it worked out that they could get it yet that night, and did so."

     "How do you figure the fire fits in to the theft?"  Sam asked him.  "I don't think it had anything to do with it.  I think when the thieves took the computers or whatever other electronic stuff they carried off, they left "hot" wires exposed and they caught fire," Nick said, then added.  Of course I'm not an electrician, so I don't know for sure."

     "I guess it doesn't matter to the case really," Matt said, "I mean the important thing is to catch the thieves.  The fire inspector will no doubt have his findings at what caused the fire at some point.  "Yeah.  You're right," Sam said.  "Hey," Sam started again, "Can we take the rest of the weekend off?  My brain hurts."  Nick and Matt laughed heartily.  But they did.

     Monday morning dawned with cold temperatures and more snow added to the ground.  Nick drove to Matt and Sam's house and picked them up for school.  Fletch, Alex, Anna, Dawn, Chet, Lee and Glenna were standing by Alex's locker when Nick and Fletch's brothers arrived, where  there were greetings all around.

     "How was your weekend?" Alex asked Nick, Matt and Sam.  "Pretty uneventful," Nick answered casually.   Sam had wore a guilty look when the question was asked and Alex noticed.  "And yours?"  Nick inquired of Alex and the others.  "Well, we had a pizza eating, card playing and moving watching party at my house,"  Alex said with his crooked grin.  "Sounds like fun," Sam said.  "It was very relaxing," Alex replied.  "And we intend to make it a regular thing.  Don't we guys," he asked, looking at his friends.

     "That's right," Fletch answered, while chewing on a cookie he'd taken from his shirt pocket.  His was the only comment.  The others just nodded in agreement.  "Oh, by the way, and if anyone is interested, Detective Burns called me this morning, to ask if any of us had any info for him on the computer case."

     Everyone shook their heads.  Except Nick who said, "Just out of consideration for Detective Burns I asked around a little.  But everyone I talked to said they didn't know anything."  "I can believe it,"  Alex said. "Oh, and I also reminded Detective Burns that the North Side Detectives were on an indefinite vacation."  Alex ended.

     "But I did tell Detective Burns one thing I had forgotten for a while; about that guy running down the hall on the second floor just as the hostages were taken,"  Alex told everyone.  "I mean, except for us who were upstairs in Dad's classroom everyone else supposedly were in the cafeteria, absent or seniors on that school trip."

     "But Detective Burns didn't think the guy was connected to the hostage deal," Alex ended.  "I agree," Fletch said, finishing up his cookie while Dawn gave him a disgusted look when crumbs dribbled down his chin.   Then she turned to Alex, "This case could go on forever without our help,"  Dawn said, shaking her head.  Chet rolled his eyes at Alex and the rest.  And Alex had to suppress a grin.

     "Oh I doubt that Dawn," Lee said.  "Detective Burns managed to solve crimes before we came along," he had a smirk on his face as he said it.  Dawn then looked embarrassed.  "I'm sorry.  I was very arrogant to say that."  "Forget it about it," Alex told her.  "We know you're not that way....  all the time."  Alex cringed out of the way as Dawn aimed at elbow at his side.

     "Well, as entertaining as this is, we've got to get to class," Matt said.  "Us too," Fletch echoed.  Everyone waved as they hurried off to their classes.  Everyone except Nick, Matt and Sam who lingered by the lockers for a few more minutes, and then made their way slowly to their first class.  "Was that a hint Alex was giving us about that guy he saw on the second floor that day?"  Sam asked the other two.  "I mean.... that he could have been one of the bad guys?"

     "Oh I don't know," Nick said, entering their Bio-Chem class.  "I think he was just passing on a conversation he'd had with Detective Burns."  "I don't know.  It could've been a "hint."  Matt said, taking his seat.  It would be just like Alex to give us a helpful clue, since he's not involved in the case."  Nick chuckled, "Yeah.  It would."

                                                                           End of Chapter 37