The Sinister Signpost by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

groom had been tied and gagged. It took him over four hours to work himself free after he regained consciousness.”
    Joe let out a whistle. “Five hours!” he exclaimed. “The truck could be hundreds of miles away by now.”
    The Hardys did not want to upset Alden any further by asking him about Roger’s whereabouts that evening. Instead, they discussed the case from another angle.
    â€œWe don’t know if this was an inside job or not,” Mr. Hardy remarked. “But we can be reasonably sure what the motive is. Ransom!”
    â€œIn that case, the thieves will try to contact me,” Alden said. “If they do it by telephone, they’ll call my office, since I have an unlisted number at home.”
    â€œI suggest we go there right away and wait,” Frank put in. “The horsenappers may start early to call.”
    Alden accompanied the Hardys in their car. During the drive, Mr. Hardy outlined a basic plan.
    â€œIf you should receive a call demanding ransom,” he advised the horse’s owner, “stall him off. Tell him you want proof that they actually have Topnotch. That’ll give us more time to hunt a lead.”
    Arriving at the plant, Alden led the way to his office. There he and his companions each selected a comfortable chair and settled down to wait.
    â€œHave you a private line here in addition to your regular company phone?” Mr. Hardy asked the executive.
    â€œYes, I do,” Alden replied, pointing to one of two phones on his desk.
    â€œGood,” the elder detective said. “I’ll use it to have the call traced if the thieves should contact you.”
    The night dragged on slowly. The boys were restless and found it difficult to sleep. When morning finally came, Alden arranged to have breakfast served in his office.
    It was a little after nine when there was a short buzz on the company phone. Alden scooped it up, listened for a moment, then covered the mouthpiece with his hand.
    â€œIt’s my secretary in the outer office,” he informed the Hardys. “She says a man wants to speak to me. He refuses to identify himself.”
    â€œThis might be the call we’re waiting for!” Joe exclaimed softly.
    Mr. Hardy rushed to the private phone. “I’ll get to work on having the number traced,” he announced quickly. Seconds later, he signaled Alden to proceed.
    â€œOkay, put him on,” Alden ordered his secretary
    The boys fixed their eyes on the executive and waited anxiously.
    Alden suddenly sat bolt upright in his chair. “You want fifty thousand dollars’ ransom to return Topnotch?” he shouted into the phone. “You’re out of your mind! I’d want absolute proof before I handed out that kind of money!”
    A few seconds later the executive placed the phone down. “He hung up,” Alden announced.
    Mr. Hardy frowned. “Too bad. There wasn’t enough time to trace the call. Obviously we’re not dealing with amateurs.”
    â€œWhat did he say when you asked for proof that they had Topnotch?” Frank put in.
    â€œHe said he’d think about it and let me know later,” Alden replied.
    Mr. Hardy stretched out his arms and yawned. “You boys must be as exhausted as we are,” he said. “Why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’ll stay here. You’ll hear from me immediately if anything comes up.”
    His sons readily agreed. But it was not rest that interested them. Their father’s suggestion offered an excellent opportunity for them to question Roger without Alden’s knowledge.
    â€œLet’s go back to the stable and see if he’s working today,” Frank said as they drove off in their convertible.
    When the Hardys arrived, Roger was busy painting a section of the fence that surrounded the paddock.
    â€œWe’d like to ask you a few questions,” Frank called out.
    Roger quickly glanced at his