The Dangerous Transmission by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

like a workshop. “Mr. Halstead?” he called. When there was no answer again, he stepped inside the room.
    Beautiful, polished tools nestled in flannel cloths sat on a long table. Magnifying glasses were perched on top of flexible arms on heavy stands. Small vises and saws were bolted to the edge of the table. No jewels or precious metals were visible, but therewere several large black cases in the back of the room, and each of them had a digital combination lock. Frank suspected the jewels were inside.
    A couple of shelves lined one wall. As Frank stepped over to get a closer look, he had an odd feeling: Someone was watching him, he was sure of it. He whirled around just in time to see a tall, thin man with dirty blond hair standing right in front of him. His arm was raised—and in his hand was a thick wooden pole.

13 Tracking Suspects
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    The stranger swung his arm down, aiming the pole at Frank’s head. Frank raised his own arm and blocked the man’s blow, then punched the man in the midriff with all the strength he could muster. The adrenaline was racing through his system so powerfully that he barely felt the pinch of his rotator cuff.
    â€œUnnnghhh!” the man groaned as he doubled over, and the pole clattered to the floor. Frank pumped his knee up into his attacker’s chin, and the man crashed onto his back. He looked up at Frank with a dazed expression, and then his head fell back almost in slow motion. He was out.
    Frank scrambled around the workshop until he found a long, heavy chain and a padlock. He wrappedthe chain around the man’s wrists and ankles and secured it with the padlock. The he ran his hands over the man’s pockets and carefully pulled out a revolver. He placed the weapon on top of a display case and called the police.
    Checking again to make sure his prisoner was still unconscious, Frank checked the rest of the store. He found Geoffrey Halstead in the bathroom bound with rope. A cloth was tied around his mouth.
    As soon as Frank released him, Geoffrey took a deep breath. “Thank you, thank you,” he said.
    Frank showed Geoffrey the man on the floor. “That’s him,” Geoffrey said. “That’s the man who tried to rob me. He has a gun somewhere.”
    â€œIt’s up there,” Frank said, pointing to the weapon. “What happened?”
    â€œI was working on a necklace behind the counter, and he snuck up behind me,” Geoffrey said, running to his case in the front of the store. “Several pieces are missing. He must have them on him somewhere.”
    â€œWe’ll wait for the police,” Frank said. “I’ve already called them. There—I hear the sirens now.”
    Two police vehicles rolled up. A couple of officers jumped out of a van. Officer Somerset and a policewoman were in the car that followed.
    The policewoman talked to Geoffrey about what had happened. Frank led Officer Somerset and the other two officers over to his prisoner.
    One of the officers checked the prisoner’s pulse. “Sleeping like a baby,” he reported.
    While Frank told Officer Somerset what had happened, the other two policemen began frisking the man. His pockets were full.
    â€œMy necklaces, my brooches,” Geoffrey wailed, as the officers laid out the jewelry.
    â€œMr. Halstead seems to be fine physically,” the policewoman reported. “He’s pretty shaken by the experience, though. I was able to get a full statement from him. We should finally be able to put this guy away for a while.”
    â€œWell, it looks as if you might have caught our neighborhood burglar, Mr. Hardy,” Officer Somerset said. “He fits the description of the thief we’ve been seeking. He has the stolen items on his person. And it sounds as if Mr. Halstead can give us an eyewitness account of an actual burglary. I have to agree with my colleague. This case seems closed.”
    â€œWhat case?” a familiar