One False Step Read online

  “Well, she’s going the wrong way,” Heather said. “That’s where all the new high-rise apartments are.”

  Joe strained to see down the street. It looked like Elisabeth was pointing to the top of one of the apartment buildings. Suddenly, he had a chilling thought. Would the next robbery take place there?

  8 Tipped Off!

  * * *

  “How can you be sure those guys are from High-Wire Troupe D?” Frank asked.

  “Well, when Elisabeth first told us about Aérocirque, she made the acrobats sound so romantic,” Heather said. She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe we were so naïve back then.”

  “She had pictures of them in her room, and one night when we had a sleepover, she showed us tapes of their practices in Europe,” Alice added. “Her father had filmed them according to their speciality, and we just sort of got to know them.”

  “On tape, they did look handsome and muscular,” Heather said, “but in real life, well, they’re mostly real creeps.”

  Joe looked at Heather and Alice. “Will we see you at tonight’s performance?” he asked.

  “Well, we hadn’t planned to go, even though Elisabeth is expecting us to,” Alice said, “but we’ll go if you guys are planning to be there.”

  Heather took a deep breath. “We were actually planning to break off our friendship with Elisabeth today,” she said, “but I guess we can stand her one more night.”

  “We’ll make sure you’re not alone with her,” Frank said. “We won’t let you out of our sight.”

  “Frank Hardy, I plan to hold you to that,” Alice said.

  • • •

  When Heather and Alice dropped Frank and Joe off at the Zettarella’s house, Chet, Matt, and Tony were just having breakfast.

  “I haven’t felt this great since . . . I don’t know when,” Matt said. “This is the life!”

  “Are you two hungry?” Gina asked as she piled more pancakes on Chet’s plate.

  “No, we had a really great lunch at Betsy Ross’s Kitchen,” Frank said, looking at Chet. “We’ll probably wait until dinner to eat again.”

  “Well, if you get hungry before that, just say something, and I’ll fix it for you,” Gina said. She gave them all a big smile. “I haven’t felt this happy since our boys were home.” She shook her head. “I’m sure that probably sounds silly to you, but I enjoyed being a mother more than I ever enjoyed stocks.”

  “Stocks?” Joe said.

  Gina nodded. “When Mario and I met, I worked for one of the big brokerage houses downtown,” she said. “I was making a lot of money buying and selling stock for my clients.”

  “That’s great,” Frank said.

  “Well, my clients and my colleagues thought I was crazy when I married a police officer and moved out to the suburbs,” Gina said. “I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone—but I made the right decision for myself.”

  • • •

  Just as Chet, Matt, and Tony finished breakfast, Mario arrived home from work. “Well, we struck out on the drivers,” he said to Frank and Joe. “They knew each other all right, but they both have alibis for the nights of the robberies. And frankly, after what I heard from the officers who talked to them, the two men are closer to being saints than crooks.”

  “Really?” Joe said. “Why would Gretchen Wall’s father make up a story like he did?”

  “People love conspiracies,” Mario said. “I really shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, thinking that somebody was hiding something from us, because I know better. It’s just that, well . . . we’re feeling the pressure because of who’s being robbed. These people are movers and shakers in the city. If we don’t arrest somebody soon, we’re the ones who are going to be moved and shaken, if you know what I mean!” He let out a big sigh. “Enough of that, though. Are you boys ready for another Aérocirque performance?”

  “Sure thing,” Joe said.

  “Well, I need to wash up, but then we’ll leave,” Mario said. “I’m driving the van tonight. Bill pulled another detail.”

  • • •

  Everyone was waiting in the police van when Mario finished getting ready. Frank made sure he had the front passenger seat, because there were some things that he wanted to ask Mario on the way to the stadium. Joe was in the seat behind him.

  When they were finally on Highway 611 headed north to the stadium, the time seemed right to Frank to start questioning. “What do you know about Baron von Battenberg and his daughter?”

  “What do you mean?” Mario said.

  “Are they really as wealthy as everyone thinks they are?” Frank asked.

  “What are you getting at?” Mario said.

  Joe leaned forward. “Elisabeth seems fascinated by all the money her friends have. She talks about it constantly,” he said. “If her father were really as wealthy as everyone thinks, would she be doing that?”

  “Maybe rich people like to talk about their money,” Mario said. “You’re really asking the wrong person.”

  “Well, it’s not so much that she’s just talking about it, Mario, it’s the way she’s talking,” Frank said. “She sounds almost envious—as if she wants what she doesn’t have.”

  “I don’t know how we could find out without checking the von Battenberg’s bank accounts,” Mario said, “and at this point, I can’t think of a reason why a judge would let me do that.”

  Frank leaned back. “Yeah . . . I can’t either,” he said.

  “Judges don’t consider hunches as solid evidence,” Joe added, “and that’s about all it is at this point.”

  “Tell me about it,” Mario said.

  They rode the rest of the way to the stadium in silence, but Frank’s mind was mulling over all of the suspicions that were developing in his head. He was trying to get them in some kind of order.

  Joe was doing the same. It was weird how it all worked too. Since he had been around mysteries all his life, certain events, certain things that people said worked their way into his subconscious where they mingled together. Then, all at once, something that hadn’t made sense suddenly did make sense, and he was on to a possible solution to the crime. He knew that that’s what was happening to him now, and probably to Frank, too. He sensed it wouldn’t be long until they cracked this case.

  Mario parked the police van right at gate forty-two and motioned to one of the police officers who was helping with crowd control. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir, but every seat in the house is taken,” the police officer said. “That Baron von Battenberg is going to be richer than he already is!”

  Frank and Joe looked at each other.

  “I think you and I must be in the minority, thinking that they don’t have as much money as everyone thinks they do,” Frank whispered.

  Joe nodded.

  When they got to their seats, Elisabeth, Heather, and Alice were already there, but Joe noticed that Baron von Battenberg was conspicuously absent.

  “Where’s your father tonight?” Frank asked Elisabeth.

  “Oh, he’s around, just checking on the last-minute details,” Elisabeth said. “Why?”

  “We just wanted to compliment him on Aérocirque,” Joe said. He motioned to the crowd. “I don’t mean to sound crass, but this is bringing in a lot of money.”

  “Well, not as much as you might think,” Elisabeth said. “The expenses are huge. Acrobats, helicopters, pilots, stadium fees, insurance.” She shook her head. “He’ll be lucky if he breaks even.”

  Elisabeth suddenly looked away as if she was thinking of something else, so neither Frank nor Joe continued the discussion.

  After several minutes of chitchat with Heather and Alice—who Frank thought must be great actresses considering that they didn’t really want to be with Elisabeth—the public address system crackled. An announcer said, “We wish to apologize, but High-Wire Troupe D will not be performing tonight.”

  Joe felt as though somebody had slugged him. He looked over at Frank and nodded.
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  “Heather and Alice gave me and Joe a tour of historic Philadelphia this afternoon,” Frank said, “and just as we were leaving, we thought we saw you.”

  Elisabeth blinked, gave Heather and Alice a funny look, then turned back to Frank. “Well, yes, I was doing the same thing for some of the acrobats,” she said. “They’re interested in American history too.”

  “High-Wire Troupe D?” Joe asked.

  It was clear to Frank that Elisabeth was getting uncomfortable.

  “Well, as a matter of fact, yes, and it’s probably all my fault that they’re not here tonight, because I insisted they have one of our famous Philly cheese steak sandwiches,” Elisabeth said, “The place where we went was, well . . . kind of a greasy spoon. Their stomachs probably aren’t used to that.”

  Frank looked down the aisle and saw Mario headed in their direction. He stood up. “I just thought of something that Joe and I need to talk to Mario about,” he said. He turned to Heather and Alice. “Could you make sure these three,” he pointed to Chet, Matt, and Tony, “get back to the Zettarella’s?”

  “Of course,” Alice said.

  “It’ll be our pleasure!” Heather added.

  “Where are you going?” Elisabeth asked.

  Joe could hear the concern in her voice. “I hope we’re going to solve a mystery,” he said.

  The Hardy boys hurried down the aisle to intercept Mario.

  When they reached him, Joe said, “We need to head downtown!”

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Mario said.

  “High-Wire Troupe D isn’t performing tonight,” Frank said. “That’s the troupe Elisabeth was with downtown this afternoon.”

  “They weren’t looking at the historic sights,” Joe said. “Frank and I think they were casing some of the high-rise apartment buildings.”

  “What?” Mario said.

  “We’ll tell you all about it on the way downtown,” Frank said.

  The three of them raced toward gate forty-two. Mario radioed the police officer he had talked to earlier and told him to have the van running. Within minutes, they were out of the stadium parking lot and heading back downtown. The traffic was heavier tonight, but Mario expertly maneuvered the van through it all.

  When they finally reached downtown, Mario said, “Do you remember exactly where you were when you saw the acrobats looking up at the high-rise apartments?”

  “I think so,” Frank said.

  “Wasn’t it just past Benjamin Franklin’s grave?” Joe said.

  “Yes, it was, Joe—you’re right,” Frank said. “Hurry—we don’t have much time!”

  Mario made a couple of turns, drove back north for several blocks, then said, “Does this look familiar?”

  Frank and Joe stuck their heads out the van’s windows and scanned the skyline.

  “Over there!” Joe said. “I’m sure of it.”

  “I think he’s right, Mario,” Frank agreed. “Let’s head down that street.”

  Mario made a U-turn and headed toward a couple of high-rise apartment buildings that were across the street from each other. A half block away, he parked the van and the three of them got out.

  “Do you have any binoculars?” Joe asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” Mario said. “Did you see something suspicious?”

  “Not yet,” Joe said.

  Mario handed him the binoculars, and Joe looked at the top apartments on the high-rise to his left.

  “Joe! Wrong one!” Frank said. “I think there’s something hanging from the railing of one of those balconies on the other apartment building!”

  Joe moved the binoculars toward where Frank was pointing. “You’re right!” he said. “Here, Mario, take a look!”

  Mario adjusted the binoculars and looked. “I see a grappling hook. There’s a long rope dangling from it.” Mario handed the binoculars back to Joe. “Count the floors. I’m calling for backup. If we’re lucky, we’ve got a robbery in progress.”

  After Mario was off the phone, he said, “I don’t want to wait. I’ll need your help, boys, but I want you to stay behind me until I know exactly what’s happening, okay?”

  “Okay,” Frank said. “We’ve done this before—we understand.”

  With Mario leading the way, they raced toward the entrance to the apartment building. Mario showed the doorman his identification.

  “I think there’s a robbery taking place on the forty-seventh floor,” he said. “We need to—”

  “Impossible,” the doorman said, interrupting and moving to block their way. “This building has the best security in the city, and there’s no way—”

  This time Mario interrupted with, “If you don’t move right now and show me the elevator to the forty-seventh floor, then I’ll take you downtown and bust you for impeding this investigation.”

  “Yes, sir,” the doorman said, “but I honestly—”

  “Show us the elevator!” Mario shouted.

  When they reached the bank of elevators that would take them to the forty-seventh floor, Mario said, “Do these elevators open into the foyers of the apartments?”

  “No, sir,” the doorman said. “They open into hallways. There are four apartments on each floor.”

  “Are any of the tenants inside their apartments on that floor?” Mario asked.

  “No, sir,” the doorman said. “They’re all at the Aérocirque show.”

  Joe nodded at Frank. “That figures,” he said.

  “Let me have your pass key,” Mario said.

  The doorman reluctantly handed it to him. “I’m only supposed to use this in an emergency,” he said.

  “This is an emergency,” Frank said.

  “In just a few minutes, this place is going to be covered with police officers,” Mario said, “so you need to be prepared.”

  “Yes, sir,” the doorman said.

  The elevator arrived in seconds, and soon Mario, Frank, and Joe were on the forty-seventh floor. They carefully stepped out into the corridor.

  “There are two apartments on each side of the building,” Mario said. “The rope was dangling from the balcony of one of the apartments on the street side.”

  “That means it’s either 4701 or 4702,” Joe said.

  “Let’s try 4701 first, but we need to be very careful,” Mario said. “Make sure you guys stay behind me.”

  Using the pass key, Mario slowly opened the door to 4701. “Police!” he shouted. “Stay where you are!”

  After they had waited in silence for several seconds, Joe said, “It looks like it’s 4702.”

  The plush carpet of the corridor masked their footsteps as they hurried toward the next apartment.

  Mario inserted the pass key and slowly opened the door. There was no one in the second apartment either.

  “I have a feeling that the rope dangling from the balcony means the thieves had to leave in a hurry,” Frank said.

  Joe nodded. “Which means that somebody tipped them off that we were coming,” he said.

  9 Undercover!

  * * *

  As Mario, Frank, and Joe headed toward the balcony, Mario said, “Would you care to venture a guess as to who’s behind this?”

  “I have a feeling it’s all connected to some of the acrobats in Aérocirque,” Frank said.

  “Maybe it’s not just some of them, Frank,” Joe said. “It could be all of them.”

  “I think I agree with Joe, Frank,” Mario said.

  “That would be a major crime operation, but I guess it would make sense, given that each night there’s a troupe of acrobats that don’t perform,” Frank said.

  “Well, we know now that we were right about what made all those scratches on the balconies,” Joe said. “That grappling hook and that rope are pretty much a dead giveaway.”

  Mario nodded. “The evidence technicians will check everything out,” he said, “but I doubt if there’s anything here that will tie Aérocirque to the robberies.”

  “While we’re waiting for th
em, let me tell you about another one of my theories,” Frank said. He pointed to the apartment building across the street. “I think that somehow the thieves shoot the rope from the top of an apartment building across the street and tightrope walk to the empty apartment.”

  “That’s a little far-fetched, isn’t it, Frank?” Mario said. “Wouldn’t people see them?”

  “Think about it, Mario. Who goes around looking up in the sky all the time?” Frank said. “People are so busy hurrying to wherever it is they’re going that they seldom look around, much less up. Anyway, the thieves do it at night. That makes it less likely they’ll be seen.”

  “Frank’s theory makes a lot of sense, Mario,” Joe said.

  “Well, I guess that means you still believe they reached the top of the other apartment building by helicopter,” Mario said.

  “Maybe not the apartment building itself, but a building nearby,” Frank said. “Just look around you. There are helicopters flying all over the night skies of Philadelphia. Police. Radio and television personnel. Doctors. People don’t pay attention anymore.”

  “If they happen to hear a helicopter that’s a little louder than usual, they probably just think something’s going on nearby,” Joe added. “Unfortunately, people don’t want to get involved in anything that doesn’t immediately concern them anymore, so they ignore it.”

  “Why don’t they land on top of the apartment building?” Mario asked.

  “Maybe they don’t want to take a chance on the one person in the apartment building who would get curious about the noise,” Frank said. “They land on office buildings, where there are fewer people around at night.”

  Just then some midtown detectives arrived, along with the evidence technicians.

  Frank and Joe followed Mario back into the living room. “It’s all yours, guys. I can almost assure you that you won’t find anything inside the apartment,” Mario said, “but there’s a grappling hook and a rope attached to it out on the balcony, which I want to see if you can connect to Aérocirque.”

  “That flying circus that’s in town?” one of the evidence technicians said. “You’re kidding me.”