Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day Read Free Page B

CLUE?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    (Turn to page 90 for solution to The Case of the Bound Camper.)

The Case of the Junk Sculptor
    Harold Finnegan wore eyeglasses, but none of the children called him “Four Eyes.”
    They called him “Four Wheels.”
    He was the only boy in the neighborhood who owned two bikes. He had a new bike for clear days and an old bike for rainy days.
    However, he was riding his new bike when, on a rainy morning, he came to the Brown Detective Agency for help.
    “Hi, Four Wheels,” Encyclopedia said cheerfully.
    “Call me Three Wheels,” said Four Wheels. “I’m down to a bike and a half.”
    “Did you have a wreck?” asked Sally.
    “No, somebody stole the front wheel of my old bike,” he said. “I’m pretty sure the thief was Pablo Pizarro.”
    “How can you say such a thing?” demanded Sally. “Pablo is no thief. Pablo is a great artist! Pablo has feeling! Pablo has—”
    “Pablo has my front wheel,” insisted Four Wheels. “He stole it ten minutes ago.”
    Four Wheels rolled twenty-five cents on the gas can. “I’ll need your help to get it back, Encyclopedia.”
    Encyclopedia took the case despite Sally’s angry look. On the way to Pablo’s house, Four Wheels told what had happened.
    “Last night I started fixing my old bike,” he said. “I took it all apart. When I went out to the garage this morning, I saw a boy running off with the wheel.”
    “You aren’t sure it was Pablo?” said Sally.
    “I never saw his face,” admitted Four Wheels. He glanced at Encyclopedia. “You know what’s been going on,” he said.
    Encyclopedia knew. For the past few weeks things had been disappearing from garages in the neighborhood. Strangely, the things were worthless—junk like broken mirrors, bits of wood, old newspapers, and rusty metal parts.
    Encyclopedia had not told Sally, but Pablo had been seen hanging around the garages from which the junk disappeared.
    The children reached Paplo’s house, and Encyclopedia rang the bell. Pablo’s mother leaned out a second floor window and called, “Come in. Pablo’s in the attic.”
    Upstairs, Encyclopedia found the attic door locked. He pounded loudly. After a long moment Pablo opened the door.
    “Enter,” he said with a sweep of his arm. “Welcome to my studio.”
    Sally’s hand fluttered to her mouth as she gazed upon Pablo. He wore a soft flat hat, a large bow for a necktie, and a dirty smock. “You’re dressed just like a real artist!” she gasped in admiration.
    “Of course,” said Pablo with a careless shrug. “I am at work.”
    “He must be working at building a junk yard in his attic,” thought Encyclopedia.
    Junk—anything that stayed put—filled every corner. Some of it stood in newly painted mounds. Most just stood rusting away.
    Four Wheels got to the point. “Where’s my bicycle wheel?”
    “Bicycle wheel?” repeated Pablo.
    “The one you stole from my garage this morning!” growled Four Wheels.
    “My dear fellow, you are talking rot,” said Pablo. “It is true that I collect things to use in making my sculpture. But I do not steal!”
    The boy artist walked across the attic.
    “This is my newest piece,” he said, pointing to a pile of wire clothes hangers, coffee pots, magazines, stove legs, an apple, and an automobile tire. “I shall paint it white and call it Still Life with Apple.”
    “Bravo!” squealed Sally in delight.

    “This is my newest piece,” Pablo said.
    Encyclopedia and Four Wheels, being struck speechless, could only stare.
    “I haven’t been out of the house today,” said Pablo. “So how could I steal a bicycle wheel? I’ve been sitting right here in this old chair working since breakfast. I got up only to answer your knock.”
    Encyclopedia studied the old chair. It was pulled close to Still Life with Apple. The chair was falling apart, but it looked better than Pablo’s sculpture.
    Small drops of white paint were splattered over