Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs Read online

“Ah,” said Charlie, “you must have a loose tooth.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” said Encyclopedia. “Appearances can fool you. Every detective knows that.”

  Charlie looked disappointed. “You mean you don’t have a loose tooth?”

  “Afraid not,” said Encyclopedia. “The truth is, I just like apples.”

  “Too bad,” said Charlie. “It’s a well-known fact that eating an apple is a good way to get a loose tooth to come out.”

  “Well known to you, Charlie,” said Sally, “but not to everyone else.”

  This was true. Charlie Stewart was the proud owner of Idaville’s best tooth collection. Other kids might put their baby teeth under their pillows, hoping to get money from the tooth fairy. Not Charlie. His baby teeth were the first things he had collected. He kept them in a display at home, each one labeled with the date it had fallen out. Although he also had a bear tooth, a lion’s tooth, and a rattlesnake fang, he wasn’t satisfied. He was always on the lookout for new teeth to collect.

  “Haven’t found any hen’s teeth yet, have you?” Sally asked.

  Charlie laughed. “That would really be something. As I suspect you already know, hens don’t have teeth.”

  “Beaks don’t count?” said Sally.

  “Not the same at all,” Charlie insisted. “Sharks do have teeth. Rows and rows of them. That’s why I’m here. Duke Kelly, one of Bugs Meany’s Tigers, is selling what he says are the largest shark teeth ever. If it’s true, I just have to have one. It would be the star of my collection.”

  “Duke Kelly’s family has a boat,” said Encyclopedia. “I don’t know how many fish stories they have to go with it.”

  “Neither do I,” said Charlie. He put a quarter down on the gasoline can. “That’s why I want to hire you to come with me. Duke says he’s selling the teeth for a good cause. The children’s hospital in Cincinnati will get the money.”

  Sally snorted. “The only place the money will go is into Duke’s pocket.”

  “That may be,” said Charlie, “but a chance to get a special shark’s tooth is too good to pass up.”

  “We’ll soon find out,” said Encyclopedia, “one way or the other.”

  Duke was making his pitch down at the dock by the marina. A crowd of young boys and girls listened to what he had to say.

  “Glad to see so many of you believe in me,” he began, “because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That doesn’t come around very often.” He glanced at Encyclopedia and Sally. “I’m sure there are a few doubters here, too. They’re welcome. Who knows, maybe they’ll see the error of their ways.”

  Sally folded her arms.

  “So let me explain,” Duke went on. “My uncle is a deep-sea fisherman. It’s cold, back-breaking work, but he loves it. It’s a life of adventure and surprises.”

  “I wonder if he isn’t really a pirate,” Sally whispered.

  “Sometimes, the surprises aren’t good ones,” Duke went on. “Last week my uncle had one of the worst surprises ever. He was about six miles out when he hooked an enormous shark on one of his lines. The shark didn’t give up. It pulled and thrashed for hours. Three times my uncle thought the fishing line would break. Three times the line held. Finally the shark wore itself out. Or at least that’s what my uncle thought. He reeled it in. As he was lifting it onto the deck, the shark started thrashing again. My uncle jumped back to safety. Some parts of his boat were not so lucky. The shark crushed a few things on the deck before he finally stopped moving. It was nine feet long from nose to tail, with the fiercest teeth my uncle had ever seen. Luckily, he recognized that this shark was really old. Because it was so old, it had really large teeth. He sent me a box of them to sell.”

  Duke reached down into a box at his side and pulled out a long white tooth.

  “Whoa!” said Charlie. “Look at the size of that thing.”

  “Scary, eh?” said Duke. “Even from a distance, you can see how jagged it is. You shouldn’t wonder at that. Given everything a shark chews on, you’d expect a lot of wear and tear.”

  “That doesn’t count the things it swallows whole,” Charlie whispered.

  Duke walked around with the tooth, making sure everyone got a look. “Sharks’ teeth like this are pretty rare. That’s why I’m asking ten dollars apiece. That’s a real bargain for something this unusual.”

  A lot of the kids came forward to stand in line.

  Even Sally was a little impressed.

  Charlie, though, could barely contain himself. “Wow! This is really amazing. A tooth like that would be the highlight of my collection. Right, Encyclopedia?”

  “A shark tooth is certainly worth having,” Encyclopedia answered, “but in this case, I wouldn’t bite.”

  WHY NOT?

  (Turn to page 81 for the solution to “The Case of the Giant Shark Tooth.”)

  The Case of the Missing Medallions

  Chief Brown picked up Encyclopedia one night at the library. “Did you get all the information you need for your report about dinosaurs?” he asked.

  “I think so,” said Encyclopedia.

  His father smiled. “Have you solved the mystery of why they disappeared?”

  “Most experts think a comet was responsible,” Encyclopedia said. “It hit the earth about sixty-five million years ago. The explosion filled the air with superheated clouds that changed the climate and the landscape, so that the dinosaurs could not survive.”

  “Do you believe that?”

  “I do,” Encyclopedia said, “and I feel sorry for the dinosaurs. They never knew what hit them.”

  Suddenly, the police radio started crackling.

  The chief picked up the receiver. “This is Chief Brown,” he said. “Go ahead.”

  The dispatcher told him there was a robbery in progress at a shop in town called the Den of Antiquities.

  “I’m on my way,” said the chief.

  Encyclopedia had heard his mother mention the shop. It had only been open a couple of months. The owner was a man named Roger Cuthbert. His ads in the Idaville News claimed that his shop featured rare and valuable artifacts from around the world.

  The Den of Antiquities was on a side street near the harbor. It had a fancy dark green sign with gold lettering above the entrance.

  Roger Cuthbert was standing out front. He was holding Winslow Brant roughly by the arm.

  What’s Winslow doing here? Encyclopedia wondered.

  Winslow Brant was Idaville’s master snooper. The city dump was his home away from home, and he had never met a trash barrel he didn’t like. Moreover his snooping had a purpose. He could see value in other people’s junk. He could find an antique needle in a haystack if he knew he could sell it at a profit.

  Chief Brown and Encyclopedia got out of the squad car.

  “Thank goodness you’re here, Chief,” said Mr. Cuthbert. “I caught this young scoundrel in the act.”

  “Mr. Cuthbert, let’s back things up a little,” said Chief Brown, “and I think you can let go of Winslow. He’s not going anywhere. Are you, Winslow?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Why don’t we continue this conversation inside?” said Chief Brown. “Watch your step everyone. Stay clear of the broken glass.”

  Inside the shop, Encyclopedia took a careful look around. The shelves were lined with small clocks, carved wooden boxes, porcelain figurines, brass lamps, and other collectibles. On the floor were a spinning wheel, spindle-backed chairs, some rolled-up oriental rugs, and a few small tables.

  “Tell me what happened,” said the chief, taking out his notebook.

  “I had closed up for the day,” Mr. Cuthbert said, “and was updating my accounts. I still had some work to do, but I decided to get a cup of coffee at the restaurant around the corner. I was only gone a few minutes. When I got back, this boy was standing in front of my shop, and one of my windows was broken.” He pointed to the broken glass on the sidewalk. “See that display case inside the window? I had three ancient Ro
man medals, called medallions, there. Now they’re gone.”

  “When I got back, this boy was standing in front of my shop, and one of my windows was broken.”

  “I didn’t take them,” said Winslow. “I’m innocent.”

  “Oh, really?” said Mr. Cuthbert. “Were you innocent earlier this afternoon when you came into my shop?”

  “I was just curious,” said Winslow. “The shop has a lot of nice things.”

  “Especially the medallions,” said Mr. Cuthbert. “Do you deny asking to hold them?”

  “No,” said Winslow.

  “Where are they now?” asked Mr. Cuthbert.

  “I don’t know,” said Winslow. “All I did was come by for another look. When I got here, the window was broken and the medallions were gone.”

  “Will you empty your pockets, Winslow?” Chief Brown said.

  Winslow did as he was asked. He took out three bottle caps, a rusty skate key, and a bottle opener.

  “Is that all?” asked the chief.

  “Not quite,” said Winslow. From his other pocket he took out a fountain pen and a bent spoon. “I did some collecting on the way here,” he explained.

  “No medallions, though,” said Encyclopedia.

  “That proves nothing,” said Mr. Cuthbert. “Maybe he stashed them somewhere before I grabbed him. Or maybe he had a partner in crime.”

  “Is anything else missing?” the chief asked.

  Mr. Cuthbert glanced around the shop. “I can’t be sure without a thorough examination. It doesn’t look like the rest of the shop was disturbed.” He pointed a finger at Winslow. “He knew exactly what he wanted.”

  “How valuable were the medallions?” the chief asked.

  “Taken together? Perhaps a few thousand dollars,” Mr. Cuthbert replied.

  Winslow whistled. “I’ve never found anything like that at the dump.”

  “No, I imagine you wouldn’t,” Mr. Cuthbert said. “That’s why you robbed me. I caught you red-handed, boy. You watched me leave for the restaurant. You came up to the window. Maybe you hesitated at the last second, I don’t know. Whatever, the lure of the medallions was too strong for you. You broke the window, reached in, and stole them.”

  “Winslow’s always made his money fair and square,” said Encyclopedia.

  “Only because he’s never been tempted before,” said Mr. Cuthbert.

  “Don’t you worry,” said Chief Brown. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, the case is closed,” Mr. Cuthbert said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have some plywood in the back that I can use to board up that window until I can get it fixed. If you could just wait here while I get it, I’d feel much safer.”

  “Of course,” said Chief Brown. He closed his notebook as Mr. Cuthbert disappeared. “It doesn’t look good, Winslow.”

  “I never stole anything,” Winslow said glumly.

  Encyclopedia had closed his eyes to think. Now he opened them. “Actually,” he said, “I have a pretty clear idea who the thief is now.”

  “You mean you’ve cracked the case?” said his father.

  “You could say exactly that,” said Encyclopedia.

  WHO WAS GUILTY OF THE THEFT?

  (Turn to page 82 for the solution to “The Case of the Missing Medallions.”)

  The Case of the Shipwreck

  Sally fanned herself because of the heat in the Brown Detective Agency.

  “We ought to open a branch office at the beach,” she said. “I’m sure the beach has mysteries all the time.”

  “It’s a thought,” Encyclopedia said.

  “We could be missing out on something big,” Sally insisted.

  Encyclopedia went so far as to say only, “The heat must be the record for this day of the month.”

  “If the temperature goes up another degree, I’m going to melt,” Sally said, and took a swig of bottled water.

  Penny Nichols, a fourth grader, came up the driveway. “Thank goodness you’re here!” she declared. “I was afraid you might be at the beach trying to beat the heat.”

  “We would be if we had any sense,” Sally said.

  “What can we do for you?” Encyclopedia asked.

  Penny laid a quarter on the gasoline can. She didn’t let go of it, though, not for a second. Penny didn’t part with her money easily.

  “We’re hired,” said Sally. “Tell us the problem.”

  “Wilford Wiggins has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone with a little extra cash,” Penny informed them

  “Wilford?” Encyclopedia groaned. “Oh, not Wilford again!”

  Wilford Wiggins was a high school dropout and as peppy as a pillow. He couldn’t stand to watch people work before noon.

  “I’m saving myself until something important comes up,” he explained.

  His chief exercise was trying to swindle the little neighborhood kids out of their savings. Happily, Encyclopedia was there to halt his phony big deals. Only last week the detective had stopped him from collecting money to manufacture a new-car smell. It was for people who want to smell like a new car.

  “Wilford is holding a secret meeting today at five o’clock at the city dump. It’s just for little kids,” Penny said.

  “It’s nearly five now,” Sally said. “We better get going if we want to hear his latest big deal.”

  When they got to the dump, a crowd of about twenty little kids was waiting, eager to learn how they could get rich quick.

  Wilford stood on a rusted washing machine. “Gather round. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Time is money. I’m glad all my little friends could make it. Your faith in me will be rewarded—if you tell no one. I don’t want grown-ups reaching the treasure first.”

  The children made anxious noises, fearful for the money they didn’t yet have.

  “Your treasure is safe if you don’t speak of it,” Wilford said. “Loose talk is dangerous.” He motioned the children to come closer. “I have an uncle who lives down at the southern tip of South America. Last week it was really hot there, kind of like today. He went to the beach to cool off.”

  “Smart man,” Sally muttered.

  “He was standing at the edge of the water,” Wilford continued, “when a sea chest washed up onto the shore. The chest held tools and several gold coins. My uncle is convinced there’s a shipwreck nearby. It could be a pirate ship or one of those treasure galleons that sailed the waters hundreds of years ago. Considering the coins he found, he figures there’s a fortune on board. It’s waiting at the bottom of the sea.”

  A scattering of “Ooohs” and “Ahhhs” rose from the children.

  “I got excited, too, when I first heard my uncle talk about a wreck,” Wilford confessed. “He said a lot of ships went down in those parts during the 1600s and 1700s. Spanish ships and ships of other countries sailed there loaded with gold bars, coins, and jewels worth millions, and sank.”

  “I have a question,” Penny asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier for your uncle to borrow money from grown-ups he knows?”

  “An excellent question,” Wilford said. “I asked him the same thing. He explained that if he tells anybody about the sea chest, they’ll start looking for the ship themselves. So he has to keep it a secret. That’s when he thought of me. He figures that his secret is safe this far away. At the moment, he doesn’t have the money to hunt the ship. He hopes he can still get the money he needs from me and my loyal little friends.”

  “Why don’t you loan him the money yourself?” asked a boy.

  “My money is tied up in oil wells,” said Wilford. “So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Buy a share in the sunken treasure ship for a measly five dollars. It will return you ten times or even a hundred times that amount when my uncle finds the ship.”

  Ten times! A hundred times!

  The crowd of children buzzed with excitement.

  “What do you think, Encyclopedia?” Sally asked.


  The boy detective shook his head. “I think Wilford’s shipwreck won’t hold water,” he said.

  WHAT WAS THE CLUE?

  (Turn to page 83 for the solution to “The Case of the Shipwreck.”)

  The Case of Mrs. Washington’s Diary

  The Idaville flea market was open every Saturday in the summer. It was held in the vacant field behind the library. The vendors sold everything from secondhand furniture to old sets of china and silver.

  Encyclopedia and Sally were moving slowly down one of the aisles, checking out things in the different booths. They passed leather-bound books and old maps of different states.

  “There has to be something here,” said Sally. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Encyclopedia. He turned over a cut-glass bowl.

  “That’s easy for you to say,” said Sally. “You’re not the one whose mother is having a birthday tomorrow. You’re not the one who still doesn’t have the perfect present.”

  “True,” said Encyclopedia. “I’m also not the one who waited till the last minute to shop for her.”

  “I know, I know,” said Sally. “Don’t remind me. I’m sure I’ll find something. My mother loves American history. Around here, there’s plenty of history, though most of it is a bit dusty and crumpled. That only proves that it’s old.”

  They passed a booth featuring cast-iron pots and pans hanging on a string. They were jet black and encrusted with a layer of hardened grease.

  “These look very old,” said Encyclopedia.

  “I don’t think that kind of history would appeal to her so much,” said Sally. “Let’s keep looking.”

  The booths were laid out in rows, and the detectives carefully went up and down each one. A couple of times they stopped to look at something closely, but there was always a problem of one kind or another.

  They had come about three quarters of the way through the market. Sally was beginning to get a little nervous when they saw a high school boy with a booth of his own. A few younger kids were looking at some old toys on his table. There were three yo-yos, some tops, and a wooden chess set that somebody’s dog had chewed.