The Dangerous Transmission by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

inventor. He needs money to save his business.”
    â€œExcept it will take years just to work his lawsuit through the system,” Jax pointed out. “And he’s got to know I will never settle out of court with him voluntarily.”
    â€œSo you’re saying he stole the tooth. But why?” Frank asked.
    â€œTo force me to make a deal with him,” Jax answered. “He holds the Molar Mike for ransom. I get the tooth back, he drops the suit, and he gets money to cure his financial ills.”
    â€œIn other words,” Joe said, “you think he’s jumping over the courts and going straight for the money? Holding the prototype for ransom so he can settle out of court?”
    â€œExactly,” Jax said.
    â€œOkay, he definitely has pretty easy access to your place,” Frank said, his mind gearing up to full speed. “His jewelry store is right there. Nobody’s going to think it’s odd if he’s hanging around the area.”
    â€œSpeaking of jewelry, what about that pewter piece Frank found?” Joe said. “Maybe it’s something he was working on or repairing for someone.”
    â€œAnd the pearl essence you found, Frank,” Jax said. “He might use that in one of his jewelry creations.”
    â€œHe could have been the one we surprised that first night,” Joe said. “I didn’t get a good look at the face of the guy who threw you down the stairs, but the body type and size would fit Halstead’s.”
    â€œOkay, we’ll check him out,” Frank said.
    â€œAnd Nick’s right—we can’t rule out Pierre, either,” Joe said. He told Jax what he’d found out about the coach’s legal and financial problems.
    â€œWell, the top of my list belongs to AA42,” Frank said.
    â€œWhat’s an AA42?” Jax asked.
    â€œNot a what, ” Joe answered, “but a who. ”
    The Hardys told Jax everything they knew about AA42.
    â€œI always knew the Molar Mike would be a valuable weapon for investigation and for information gathering,” Jax said.
    â€œShe knows where you live because she followed us yesterday,” Frank pointed out. “She’s also a top spy, with all the experience, skills, and tools she needs to pull off the theft.”
    Frank stood up. “Okay, we’ve got to get to work. You pay attention to the doctor and call us if you’re released.”
    The Hardys left Jax’s room at noon. Once outside the hospital they stopped at a food cart and picked up some sandwiches and sodas. They walked to a small park and sat on a bench to eat their lunch—and between bites, they planned their strategy.
    â€œI’m going to try to see Pierre,” Joe said. “I’ll go back to the flat where Jax thinks he might be staying. I want to see if he’s been straight with us or not. I’ll also check out a few stores and see if I canfind out anything about this shoe. I’ve never seen one like it before.”
    â€œI’m going to start with Geoffrey Halstead,” Frank said, “and then I’ll try to track down AA42. The only place we know she might be is St. Martin’s. Maybe the attendant at the Brass Rubbing Centre knows something.”
    â€œLet’s keep in touch,” Joe said, checking his watch. “It’s about twelve thirty now.”
    The Hardys finished eating, and Frank went to the Underground to catch the train back to Jax’s neighborhood. The sun was still shining as he walked the few blocks to Geoffrey Halstead’s store. The front door of Jax’s taxidermy shop was boarded up, just as Jax had ordered.
    Frank walked into the jewelry store next door. There was no one there. “Mr. Halstead?” he called out. No one answered. “Mr. Halstead? Anyone here?”
    Still no answer. Frank made a few loud noises, but there was no response. He walked to the back of the store and peered into what looked