Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  The Case of the Stolen Stamps

  The Case of the Secret UFOs

  The Case of the Scrambled Eggs

  The Case of the Roman Pots

  The Case of Grandma’s Cookies

  The Case of the Grabbed Groceries

  The Case of the Giant Shark Tooth

  The Case of the Missing Medallions

  The Case of the Shipwreck

  The Case of Mrs. Washington’s Diary

  Solution to The Case of the Stolen Stamps

  Solution to The Case of the Secret UFOs

  Solution to The Case of the Scrambled Eggs

  Solution to The Case of the Roman Pots

  Solution to The Case of Grandma’s Cookies

  Solution to The Case of the Grabbed Groceries

  Solution to The Case of the Giant Shark Tooth

  Solution to The Case of the Missing Medallions

  Solution to The Case of the Shipwreck

  Solution to The Case of Mrs. Washington’s Diary

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN AND THE CASE OF

  THE SECRET PITCH

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN FINDS THE CLUES

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN GETS HIS MAN

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SOLVES THEM ALL

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN KEEPS THE PEACE

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SAVES THE DAY

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN TRACKS THEM DOWN

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN TAKES THE CASE

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN LENDS A HAND

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN AND THE CASE OF

  THE DEAD EAGLES

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN AND THE CASE OF

  THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN CRACKS THE CASE

  ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, SUPER SLEUTH

  DUTTON CHILDREN’S BOOKS

  A division of Penguin Young Readers Group

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. • Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) • Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa • Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2010 by Lobos Enterprises, LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites of their content.

  CIP Data is available.

  Published in the United States by Dutton Children’s Books,

  a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

  345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

  www.penguin.com/youngreaders

  eISBN : 978-1-101-46457-1

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  For Jim Eiler and David Lile

  The Case of the Stolen Stamps

  To a person passing through, Idaville looked like many seaside towns. It had lovely white beaches, four banks, three movie theaters, and two delicatessens. It was a wonderful place to live and work.

  Unless you were a crook.

  No one, grown-up or child, got away with breaking the law in Idaville. The reason for the town’s spotless police record was to be found in a redbrick house on Rover Avenue. There lived Mr. and Mrs. Brown and their only child, ten-year-old Encyclopedia.

  Mr. Brown was chief of police. He was always being praised for his work. It seemed no case was too tough for him.

  In truth, Chief Brown was brave and smart, as were his officers. He knew what to do when a case had him stumped. He went home to dinner. Encyclopedia, the real mastermind behind the war on crime, solved the case at the dinner table. Usually before dessert. Usually by asking only one question.

  The chief would have liked to give his son credit. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops or take out a full-page ad in the Idaville News. But even if he did that, what good would it do? Who would believe a ten-year-old boy could outsmart hardened criminals?

  Besides, Encyclopedia wasn’t looking for the extra attention. He was already a little different because only his parents and teachers called him by his real name, Leroy. Everyone else in town called him Encyclopedia.

  An encyclopedia is a book or a set of books filled with facts from A to Z, like Encyclopedia’s head. He had read more books than just about anyone, and he never forgot what he read.

  One Tuesday evening at the dinner table, Encyclopedia was finishing his meat loaf. His mother was almost done eating as well, but his father’s food was largely untouched.

  Encyclopedia looked at his mother knowingly. If his father wasn’t eating, it meant only one thing. A case was bothering him.

  “I’m puzzled by this robbery that occurred yesterday,” he said finally.

  “What happened?” asked Mrs. Brown.

  “Ten stamps were stolen from Terrence’s Stamp Store,” Chief Brown replied. “Mr. Terrence says they were collectively worth thousands of dollars.”

  “Was every stamp valuable?” Mrs. Brown asked.

  Chief Brown checked his notes. “Mr. Terrence said the thief knew what he was doing. He didn’t just grab what was handy.

  “He took the most valuable stamps that were on display. Three of them were from Europe and over a hundred years old. Then there were six American stamps, including two that had printing mistakes in them. Not many of those were made. Mr. Terrence says that increases their value a lot.”

  “I wish my mistakes were valuable,” said Encyclopedia.

  “Don’t we all?” said Chief Brown.

  “What about the tenth stamp?” asked Mrs. Brown.

  “That was just an ordinary stamp, the kind we use every day.” The chief smiled. “You’d think Mr. Terrence wouldn’t have even noticed that one being gone, but he’s very careful with his records.”

  “Was there anything else taken?” asked Mrs. Brown.

  “Not that Mr. Terrence was aware of,” Chief Brown said. “Some of the stationery on his desk was disturbed, but he wasn’t concerned about that.”

  “Do you have any suspects?” Encyclopedia asked.

  “As a matter of fact we do,” the chief replied. “We caught Red Finster near the store not long after the robbery was discovered. Red’s known to fence stolen goods, especially small things that are easily moved. For him, stealing stamps is almost ideal.
”

  “Except for what?” asked Encyclopedia.

  “Except that he was clean when we nabbed him,” Chief Brown explained. “We’re holding Finster for questioning. Naturally, he says he’s innocent.”

  “Did you search his home?” questioned Mrs. Brown.

  “We did,” said his father, “and that was a little funny. Usually, we need to get a warrant to do a search. But Finster said he had nothing to hide, and we were welcome to look. So we did.”

  “I guess you found nothing,” Encyclopedia said.

  “That’s right. Even though we turned the place inside out.”

  “What if he had a partner?” asked Mrs. Brown. “Somebody who helped with the robbery and now is holding the stamps until the case cools.”

  Chief Brown shook his head. “Finster has a long record, and he always works alone. He doesn’t trust anybody. We’re going to have to let him go tomorrow if we don’t find some proof linking him to the crime. I can’t think of anything that will turn up that fast. We might catch him later, of course, when he tries to sell the stamps. Who knows how long he’ll wait? Or where he’ll try to sell them. Stamps aren’t like stolen cars. They’re pretty easy to keep hidden.”

  Encyclopedia closed his eyes. He always did his deepest thinking with his eyes closed.

  Suddenly, he opened them. “Was any of the stationery missing?”

  “I don’t think Mr. Terrence paid any attention,” Chief Brown said. “There were papers and envelopes scattered all around. He was focused on the stamps.”

  Encyclopedia closed his eyes. He always did his deepest thinking with his eyes closed.

  Encyclopedia nodded. “At least you can hold Red Finster till the end of tomorrow,” he said.

  “By law we’ll have to release him after that,” Chief Brown said.

  “Don’t worry,” said Encyclopedia. “You’re not licked yet. By then you’ll have the stamp of approval you need.”

  WHAT MADE ENCYCLOPEDIA SO SURE?

  (Turn to page 75 for the solution to “The Case of the Stolen Stamps.”)

  The Case of the Secret UFOs

  In the summer, Encyclopedia ran his own detective agency out of the family’s garage. The Brown Detective Agency was well known throughout the town. Every morning, Encyclopedia Brown hung out his sign right after breakfast:

  It usually didn’t take long for a new client to appear.

  This time it was Flash Borden who came running up. Flash was in fifth grade, like Encyclopedia. His real name was Gordon. He had left Gordon Borden behind in kindergarten. Flash, he had decided, suited him better.

  He wasn’t called Flash because he could run fast. The name had stuck to him because he was a big fan of flash photography. He liked to take pictures at night. Flash had the best collection of bat and owl photographs in Idaville. He was known for his patience and for not being afraid of the dark.

  Flash stopped to catch his breath. “I d-don’t have much time,” he gasped.

  “Why not?” asked Encyclopedia. “Is someone chasing you?”

  “No, no, not that.”

  “Then what’s wrong?” Encyclopedia asked. Flash took a deep breath. “I just don’t want to be late. Bugs Meany is selling pictures of unidentified flying objects, and I want to buy one.”

  Encyclopedia frowned. Bugs Meany was the leader of the gang of older boys, the Tigers. They should have been called the Shepherds. They were always trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.

  Encyclopedia spent a whole lot of his time stopping their attempts to take advantage of the kids of the neighborhood.

  “Are you sure the pictures are real?” said Encyclopedia.

  “No, I’m not,” Flash admitted. “Frankly, I’d give anything to be able to take a picture of a UFO myself. I don’t even know how to look for a UFO. Having one of those pictures will be the next best thing.”

  He plunked a quarter down on the empty gasoline can that Encyclopedia used as a counter. “I have to be careful not to buy a fake. Bugs’s pictures are pretty expensive. That’s why I want you to come with me.”

  “Fair enough,” said Encyclopedia. “Let’s go see if those pictures will fly.”

  They found Bugs Meany outside the Tiger clubhouse, an empty toolshed behind Mr. Sweeny’s Auto Body Shop. He had set up his pictures on a small table.

  There were several shots of a flat round object sailing high in the air. The shots had been taken from different angles, though they all showed the same spaceship—if that’s what it was.

  “Step right up,” said Bugs. “Buy yourself a genuine photograph of an unidentified flying object. Are aliens spying on us from outer space? Should we be worried or welcoming? You be the judge.”

  Several kids were looking at the pictures.

  “The spaceship is kind of blurry,” said one kid.

  “Of course it is,” said Bugs. “Those aliens were not just standing around saying ‘Cheese!’ They were probably on a secret mission, traveling at hypersonic speed.”

  “Hypersonic?” said another kid. “I’ve heard of supersonic, but what’s hypersonic?”

  “It’s something we don’t have,” Bugs explained. “I mean, the aliens have to be able to get here from some other planet, right? They can’t do that using the kind of speed we have here on earth.”

  He paused for effect. “They need something faster. That’s what hypersonic is. Considering how fast their ships go, we’re lucky to have any images of them at all.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” said the first kid. “But how do we know these spaceships are real? They don’t seem to have any weapons or antennas sticking out.”

  “Of course not,” said Bugs. “That would not be aerodynamic. All those things are pulled in when they’re not in use. The aliens don’t want a bumpy ride while traveling millions of miles through space. I don’t blame you for being suspicious.”

  Bugs cleared his throat. “That’s why we only got pictures that are clearly stamped USAF in the lower left corner. That stands for the United States Air Force. Now, it’s one thing to accuse me of faking a picture. Man, oh, man, it would be unpatriotic to accuse the United States Air Force of doing that.”

  Two of the Tigers stood up straight and saluted into space.

  “No, no,” said the first kid. “I am patriotic! I was just asking to make sure.”

  Bugs nodded. “Of course you were. Okay, who wants to collect a piece of history? Ten dollars apiece, that’s all I’m asking.”

  The kids moved forward for a closer look.

  The Tiger leader was wound up, talking a mile a minute.

  “Note that the picture even has the date and time it was taken: June twenty-fourth at 4:47 P.M.,” he declared. “You can’t get more precise than that.”

  Flash held up one of the pictures. The spaceship itself was a little blurry, but the date and time were perfectly clear.

  “That proves it, right?” Flash whispered to Encyclopedia. “The pictures are just what Bugs says they are.”

  Encyclopedia took a look for himself. “If any aliens were checking us out,” he said, “they weren’t doing it from this spacecraft. This picture is a fake.”

  Bugs looked shocked. “Are you accusing the United States Air Force of something underhanded?”

  “Actually,” said Encyclopedia, “I’m doing just the opposite.”

  WHAT DID ENCYCLOPEDIA MEAN?

  (Turn to page 76 for the solution to “The Case of the Secret UFOs.”)

  The Case of the Scrambled Eggs

  Bugs hated Encyclopedia. His plans to cheat the children of the neighborhood were always blocked by the boy detective.

  Bugs dreamed of getting even. A good poke on the nose was worth trying. That is, until he thought of Sally Kimball.

  Sally was Encyclopedia’s junior partner in the Brown Detective Agency. She was also the best athlete in the fifth grade.

  Bugs didn’t care about any of that.

  What he did care about was Sally’s punching po
wer. He felt it for the first time when she had defended a boy Bugs was bullying. She jabbed with a left to the nose, followed by a right to the belly.

  Bugs made a crash landing in the grass. “Send in the cavalry,” he groaned.

  Afterward he insisted she had caught him cold. He didn’t have time to warm up.

  “You have to watch out for Bugs,” Sally often reminded Encyclopedia.

  “He’s not happy about you, either,” Encyclopedia said.

  A few minutes later, who should show up at the garage but Bugs himself. He was carefully carrying a carton of eggs. Sally immediately jumped to her feet.

  “Now, now,” said Bugs, “there’s no need to get excited. I came here to get some help.”

  “You did?” said Sally.

  “Really?” said Encyclopedia.

  Bugs nodded. He took out a quarter and slapped it down on the gasoline can. “There! You see? It’s official.”

  “Tell me more,” said Encyclopedia.

  “I want you to guard these eggs for me this morning,” Bugs said. “At one o’clock, meet me at the corner of Main and Elm Streets.”

  “That’s it?” said Encyclopedia.

  “Yup,” Bugs said. “If you think you can handle it.”

  “Why hire Encyclopedia?” asked Sally. “Why not use one of your Tigers? You’re all in the same gang. Don’t you trust them?”

  “Of course I trust them,” said Bugs. “But they’re all busy doing their homework or helping little old ladies across the street. I thought anybody with a problem was welcome here.”

  “May I see the eggs?” asked Encyclopedia.

  “Be my guest,” said Bugs. He opened the carton, which was filled with eggs. “Take a look.”