The Holmes Brigade by F.C. Shaw

Author:F.C. Shaw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Future House Publishing
Published: 2016-09-09T21:48:56+00:00

Black and White Proof

“You know, Mr. Hood, we appreciate your watching over us, but it’s not polite to be so quiet to your host. The rule is when you are staying at someone’s house, you engage in a little conversation here and there. We’re hoping you’ll have more to say to us when you join the family for dinner tonight. I mean, you don’t have to tell us your whole life story, but you could comment on the unusually snowy weather or compliment the meal. Did you ever take any etiquette classes? Well, I have. I’m taking Spy Etiquette and Interrogation at Sherlock Academy this year . . . ”

Eliot yakked Euston’s ear off as his comrades donned their winter clothing and crept out the back kitchen door.

Rollie led Wesley and Cecily across the snowy garden and out through the side gate. Seeing that Euston’s back was to them, they dodged next door and through Zilch’s side gate. Crunching through the snow, they found the cellar window and dropped through it.

By now they knew the layout of the vacant house almost as well as the Wilson manor. They rushed upstairs and into the study at the end of the hallway. The drape was drawn closed, and the paint supplies still cluttered the center of the small room.

Rollie yanked off a mitten and ran his hand along the wall with the window. “She painted the whole wall except for around the window. That should be our top priority—figuring out why she’s come back to paint the walls. I have an instinct that could be the key to this whole mystery of Zilch’s missing list and whereabouts.”

The three sleuths roamed the room, studying the walls, looking up at the ceiling. Wesley yanked open the drape again. Cecily knelt on the wooden-planked floor in hopes of finding footprints. Rollie inspected the paint supplies.

Squeak, creak!

Rollie stood in the center of the room and pressed his toes on the noisy floorboards. “This is the only section of the floor that squeaks.” He knelt down to examine the wooden planks. “These floorboards are loose!”

Wesley and Cecily crowded around him. They worked their fingers into the seams and pried up a board. They gasped at the small cache beneath the floor. In the space, a small black attaché case was nestled. Rollie immediately reached down and brought the case up.

“It’s not locked!” he said excitedly. He opened the lid.

The attaché case held several folders, papers, and photos. The three children sifted through the material.

“Wait, we need to be organized about this information,” Wesley stopped them. “Let’s look through one thing at a time carefully.” He started with a folder.

“What about Eliot?” Cecily ran to the window and peered out. “He’s looking impatient.”

“Let’s take this back to my house.” Rollie closed the case and held it by its handle. “We can go through it in my room.”

They hurriedly left Zilch’s vacant house. Since soft snow was falling, they did not bother to cover their tracks. Once they were safely back at the Wilsons, Rollie raced to the front door.

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