The Mummy Case by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

best shot at finding this gang before it’s too late,” responded Compton. “Just be careful, and if you see anyone eyeing you suspiciously, get out fast. He only caught a fleeting glimpse of you anyway, and you’ll both look different when you put on your Plumbers Union outfits.”
    The group left and walked to the hotel parking lot. An unmarked car stood next to a blue van with the wording LOMA PLUMBING COMPANY on both sides.
    â€œYou’ll find everything you need in there,” Mr. Hardy said to his sons, “including the key. And here’s something else that might come in handy.”
    He handed each boy a tiny detective kit. “All the officers in Colonel Palos’s command carry one of these,” he said. “It contains a screwdriver, a tiny knife, a file, and a couple of explosive pellets. If you throw them far enough away from you, they won’t harm you but can create a disturbance long enough for you to get out of a tight spot.”
    Frank grinned. “Thanks, Dad. I hope we don’t get into any tight spots.”
    â€œSo do I. I’m taking your bags to the embassy with me. See you later.” He got into the car with the other two men and they drove off while Frank and Joe donned the overalls they found in the back of the van. They equipped themselves with wrenches and screwdrivers and a map, then Joe drove to the address on the card their father had given them.
    Before getting out of the van, they agreed that Joe would inspect the basement while Frank would go upstairs.
    A genial young man answered the door.
    â€œMr. Watson?” Frank asked.
    â€œYes. What can I do for you?”
    â€œThe owner of this house has called us and asked us to check the pipes,” Frank replied. “Some of them apparently are quite old, and Mr. Baldwin wants them replaced before they give you any trouble.”
    â€œCome in,” Reggie Watson replied. “I live here with my mother, who is out visiting. I don’t mind if you check the basement and the bathrooms, but don’t go into any of the other rooms. Mother wouldn’t like it.”
    â€œUnderstood,” Frank said.
    When they entered the house, Joe said he would inspect the basement, while Frank went upstairs. Reggie accompanied Joe, who walked around banging on the pipes with a wrench. “I wish I looked more like a plumbing pro,” the boy thought, “but there’s nothing I can do except stick to the act.”
    Circling the basement, he came to a small room that had been erected in one corner of the large cellar. He turned the doorknob. It did not budge!
    â€œNo need to go in there,” Reggie said hastily. “No pipes in that room. Here, let me show you the washing machine.”
    Joe felt there was something Reggie did not want him to see in the locked room, but he had no reason to insist on going in. Pretending to examine the washing machine connections, he resumed banging on the pipes at random.
    Meanwhile, Frank checked out the rooms upstairs. Suspicious of Reggie’s warning that his mother did not want anyone in the bedrooms, he went in anyway.
    The first two produced no clues, and there was no evidence that Reggie’s mother was living in the house. As Frank was about to leave the second bedroom, he heard a muffled sound in the hall. He stood stock-still. “Somebody’s sneaking up on me!” he thought.
    Gripping a wrench for self-defense, he hid behind the door and waited. Seconds passed and nothing happened. As the sound continued, Frank peered into the hall. A cat was sharpening its claws on the wall!
    He grinned, relaxed, and stealthily entered the master bedroom. There was still no sign of a woman living in the house. But a slip of paper under the bedside lamp caught Frank’s eye. Leaning over, he read a telephone number.
    Beneath it was a notation: Hide arms pending further orders from Luxor.
    Frank’s heart pounded. The message was