The Case of the Exploding Plumbing by Donald J. Sobol Read Free Book Online Page A

run away from a little circus which had just arrived in town.
    “An hour later Mr. Xippas came to Mr. Hunt’s house. Mr. Xippas owned and trained Jimbo. By then the Hunts had taken a liking to the animal. They asked Mr. Xippas if he would sell him.
    “Mr. Xippas agreed. He also agreed to stay at the Hunts’ house a week or two. The couple wanted to learn how to care for Jimbo. Mr. Xippas, however, asked to see their money first. So that afternoon Mr. Hunt drew the cash from the Oceanside Bank and showed it to the animal trainer.
    “After nearly two weeks, the Hunts felt they could handle the friendly Jimbo. Mr. Hunt offered Mr. Xippas the money. Mr. Xippas wouldn’t take it because it was Friday the thirteenth, which he said was bad luck for him.
    “The same night Mr. Xippas left Idaville. He left a forwarding address, and Mr. Hunt mailed him the money.”
    Chief Brown looked up from his notebook.
    “That’s Mr. Hunt’s story,” he said. “Mr. Xippas insists he never got the money. The address was his sister’s house in New Jersey. He says she was sick and had telephoned him to come and be with her.”
    “Why did Mr. Xippas wait seventeen years before coming back to Idaville to claim Jimbo?” asked Encyclopedia. “It doesn’t sound right.”
    “He says his sister died shortly after he reached her bedside,” replied Chief Brown. “A day after her death, he got an offer of a job in India. He’s been overseas all this time. He only returned to the United States five days ago.”
    “I wonder about him,” said Mrs. Brown. “Why did he ask to see Mr. Hunt’s money that very first day? I don’t think that was nice. He should have trusted Mr. Hunt.”
    “Mr. Xippas says he didn’t ask to see the money,” answered Chief Brown. “He says Mr. Hunt never went to the bank. Furthermore, the only reason he stayed so long with the Hunts was that every day Mr. Hunt promised to pay him the following day.”
    Chief Brown closed his notebook.
    “I should add,” he said, “that Mr. Xippas denies that he refused the money on Friday the thirteenth because it was bad luck. He says the only thing Mr. Hunt gave him were promises to pay.”
    “What about the bank?” said Mrs. Brown. “Don’t banks keep records?”
    “A hurricane struck later that year,” said Chief Brown. “It flooded the Oceanside Bank, Mr. Hunt’s home, and most of the buildings in Idaville. All the records were destroyed.”
    “I still don’t understand something,” said Mrs. Brown. “Mr. Xippas worked in the circus. How could he take nearly two weeks off to stay with the Hunts?”
    “Mr. Xippas told me that he had become tired of circus life,” said Chief Brown. “By selling Jimbo, he could quit and open his own business.”
    “Whom to believe?” sighed Mrs. Brown.
    She had risen to clear the dishes and bring in the dessert. She glanced at Encyclopedia with concern. He always solved a case before dessert. Was this case too hard?
    The boy detective closed his eyes. He always closed his eyes when he did his deepest thinking.
    Suddenly his eyes opened. “Dad,” he said. “Both men have memories like an elephant. But the one who is lying is Mr.—”
     
     
     
     
     
     
    WHO?
     
    (Turn to page 87 for the solution to The Case of the Runaway Elephant.)

The Case of the Worn-Out Sayings
    During the summer, Encyclopedia ran a detective agency in his garage. He wanted to help the children of the neighborhood.
    Every morning he hung out his sign.

    Thursday morning he received a telephone call from Max Corrigan. Max was ten and needed help.
    Encyclopedia biked to the corner of Maple and Main streets, where Max sat glumly behind a tableful of books. Above him was a beach umbrella on which was written: “All Kinds of Information—5¢ to 15¢.”
    “I’m quitting this corner,” announced Max. “It’s too dangerous.”
    Just then a car pulled up. A man got out. “How do I get to Tigertail Drive?” he asked.
    Max opened a map and