The Mystery of the Antique Doll

you.”
    Trixie really didn’t see how the Inspector could help, but she finished explaining her plan. He agreed, and the Bob-Whites stationed themselves along the hedge. They stayed outside the circle of light around the shop, and watched silently as Trixie tiptoed to the door and quietly placed the paper bag containing the doll right in front. Before she could knock, though, Mart materialized at her elbow. “Too dangerous,” he whispered, then tugged her away from the building.
    Once they were back in the shadows, Trixie blew up. “What’s the matter with you?” she snapped angrily. “I have to let them know that the doll is out there, don’t I? Now let go of me, so I can knock on the door.”
    “Don’t worry, Trixie,” Mart said. “Have some faith in your smarter sibling. Let me handle this, okay?”
    Trixie fumed, but stayed put, as Mart sneaked over to the driveway. He picked up a handful of pebbles, then backed into the shadows again. Taking careful aim, he tossed the handful of little rocks at the glass window.
    Within a few moments, the door was flung open and Mr. Reid appeared silhouetted in the light.
    “Who’s there?” he said loudly, seeing no one and taking a step out onto the landing. At this moment his foot knocked against the paper bag. “What the...”
    He picked it up, ripped open the paper, and pulled out the doll. Then he began to laugh.
    “Hey, Bill, get a load of this! Those thieving little teen-agers returned our dolly,” he called behind him. “Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna check and see if the contents are still there.”
    They could easily make out the way he squeezed the doll’s satin skirt. Then they heard a relieved laugh.
    “It’s all here, Bill,” he called inside. “All here.”
    Then the door slammed behind him, and once more it was silent outside. Trixie shivered slightly and whispered to Brian, who was crouching next to her.
    “Now comes the boring part.”
    But the boring part didn’t last too long. Shortly the door of the shop opened again, and three men came outside. The observers could see the mist of their breath against the light shining through the door. They opened the trunks of both Cadillacs and started unloading cartons.
    “Let’s get moving,” one of the men said. It was Carl Reid. “We have to bring in this paper and we don’t have all night.”
    “I hate this cold weather. Why didn’t you set up this operation in Florida like I told you?” said one of the other men.
    “They were on to us, that’s why,” Carl Reid said. “Now quit your noise and start unloading. Those stupid kids threw off our entire schedule.”
    “Yeah, yeah. We should have started printing yesterday. But who cares?”
    “Louie cares, that’s who. The pickup men have been waiting since yesterday.”
    The Bob-Whites listened, stunned. Trixie, even though this was exactly what she’d suspected, was suddenly amazed at being right. And rather frightened. All along, she had half hoped Mr. Reid wasn’t involved, or that it was all an accident of some kind. Deep inside she had hoped that the plates had been hidden in the doll’s dress for years—unbeknownst to Mr. Reid or even to André. But apparently that was not the case. Not only was Mr. Reid involved, but so was she—and so were the other Bob-Whites.
    Inspector Patou held his finger to his lips, and everyone stayed quietly in the shadows and waited. It felt like hours to Trixie, and her feet were numb with the cold. Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to stand it another minute, the Inspector tapped her on the shoulder.
    “It has been about forty-five minutes,” he whispered, “and judging from the sounds I hear, I think the time has come for me to make my move, as they say.”
    “Good,” Trixie whispered. “We’re right with you.”
    “No, no, mademoiselle,” Marcel replied. “This is no place for children. It is best for you to stay behind, thank you very much. I have only to catch him with the money, and my case is solved. But this could be a very dangerous moment.”
    He held up his hand to the rest of the Bob-Whites, gesturing for them to stay behind. Crouching, he silently crossed the space separating them from the shop. Then, looking a great deal like a large scarecrow who had gotten off his pole in the farmer’s field, he climbed the steps and kicked open the door.



12 * No Escape

    CROUCHED in the dark by the hedge, Trixie watched the Inspector’s gangling frame become silhouetted