Trouble Times Two by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

10: Whistle-blow-up!

Joe couldn’t believe his luck in getting Tom Gilliam to talk.

As the other boy started, however, Joe couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You saw how my dad lost it last Saturday when I made fun of whistle-blowers?” Tom said. “That’s because he is one!”

“What?” Joe stared.

“Our whole life would have been different, Mom told me,” Tom went on. “Dad was working for this high-tech company in Illinois. We had a nice home—that much I remember. Anyway, Dad was working on some defense contract. He found out his company was cheating the government.”

“And he blew the whistle?”

“First, he tried to talk to his bosses. They just told him to keep quiet. But he didn’t. Finally, he went to the government.” Tom gave Joe a lopsided smile. “Even then he had a hard time getting people to listen to him. But in the end, Dynodyne was socked with a big fine. They paid it—and closed the plant where my dad had worked.”

“And?” Joe asked.

Tom shrugged. “A lot of people in town lost their jobs, and a rumor went around that my father was responsible. Kids weren’t allowed to play with me anymore. And then, one day, our house burned down.”

Joe stared again. “Was the fire deliberately set?”

Tom spread his hands. “Who knows? The cops and fire department weren’t much help. But then, they all had relatives who’d just lost what were supposed to be lifetime jobs.”

“Sounds like a good incentive to leave town,” Joe finally said.

Tom nodded. “No way Dad was getting a job around there. The fact was, he had a hard time getting a job anywhere.”

“Is that why your folks split up?”

Hands in his pockets, Tom slouched along. “I guess it didn’t help. Mom always blamed Dad for ‘ruining things.’ That’s the way she put it. He wrecked his career and got us thrown out of town. And for what? Dynodyne is still around. They moved a lot of work down to Mexico.”

Tom sighed. “And they’re probably still cheating the government. Everybody does. It’s not as though my dad got any reward for what he did. He wound up out a lot of money.”

“So what happened?” Joe asked.

“As you said, Mom and Dad split up. Mom got me and all their savings. Dad—well, Dad just hit the road, working wherever he found a job. I thought he was just a glorified bum. But then he began sending us pretty big checks.”

Joe stared yet again. I can’t believe it! he thought. Is Frank going to turn out to be right?

“Where did the money come from?” he asked.

“It almost sounds funny,” Tom said, shaking his head. “Dad made a career for himself as a whistle-blower.”

“What?”

“He’s become a professional whistle-blower,” Tom explained. “He switches jobs often because he’s always looking for companies with dirty little secrets.”

“You’re kidding me!” Joe burst out. “Wouldn’t your dad get—well, a reputation?”

“If a company is clean, Dad just leaves. No reason to suspect why he was there. If not, there’s a confidentiality clause in the agreement Dad makes with the bosses.

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