A DANGEROUS RENDEZVOUS 155
The burly ex-stevedore, shifty-eyed under the boys’ accusing glares, relinquished the wheel to Bud. “It-it wasn’t my idea!”
“You mean you’re not the only one aboard?” Tom said, shooting a glance at the cabin.
“Naw, I mean it was Whaley’s idea,” Moose whined. “He hired me to do it!”
“Whaley!” Bud said, startled. “Is Olin Whaley back in town?”
“Yeah.” Moose said Whaley had shown up in Shopton again and given him his promised shares of stock. He had found out about the picnic and offered Moose a tidy sum of money to steal the
156 COSMIC ASTRONAUTS
ketch if possible and bring it to a secluded inlet. Whaley would arrive at nine, hoping the scheme had worked.
“Why did he plan this?” Tom asked coldly.
“Search me,” Moose said. “I needed money, so I took the job. That’s all I know!”
Tom and Bud were inclined to believe him. After a hasty search of the cabin to make sure no one was hiding there, Tom warmed up the ketch’s radio and called Enterprises. He reported Wix-man’s story to the radioman on duty and asked him to contact the police.
“Tell them to be here to arrest Whaley.”
After he signed off, Tom asked Pete and Bob to return to the beach party and tell the group what had happened. They promised to do so and sped away. Tom and Bud then proceeded in the ketch toward the spot where Moose was to keep the rendezvous with Whaley.
The willow-fringed inlet lay in deep shadow. There was not a sound except those made by hoot owls and frogs. At quarter to nine Moose and the boys were startled as two frogmen suddenly appeared over the side.
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