eir threats."
"That's exactly right," Captain Killian said. "Now how about telling
me how you found me? Did Chick give me away?"
"Not on purpose," Cap'n Mike assured him. "Rick was trailing him when
he telephoned you this morning, and he found out the number Chick had
called. The rest was easy."
"I see. And what am I supposed to do now?"
"I don't see how you can stay in that hotel," Cap'n Mike said, a
little distastefully.
Captain Killian smiled. "Pretty bad, all right. You know, last time I
spent a night in New York I stayed there. It was right nice. There was
a real pretty garden out in back."
"How long ago was that?" Rick queried.
The fisherman hesitated. "Oh, must be all of twenty-five years ago. I
was some upset when I saw the place, but I'd already told Chick to
call me there, so nothing for it but to stay. Wish I could stay
somewhere else, but it wouldn't be safe to go back to Seaford."
"Whiteside would be all right," Rick said. "You could stay there."
"I'd rather. But are you sure it'd be safe?"
Jerry spoke up. "Captain, I'm on the Whiteside _Morning Record_. I'll
make a deal with you. Give us your story exclusively, when the right
time comes, and the paper will guarantee your safety."
"It sounds good," Captain Killian admitted. "But when is the right
time going to come? Maybe never."
"Sooner than you think," Rick said quietly. "Look, gang. There's only
one way to crack this case. We know now we can't get Captain Tyler
cleared unless the whole outfit is rounded up. So we'll just have to
get busy and find the evidence we need. We'll start over again, and
this time we won't go wrong because we know what to look for, and
where to look."
"Fighting talk," Cap'n Mike chuckled happily.
Scotty laughed. "Do we dare put our heads inside the Seaford city
limits again after what we did to Carrots? He'll be waiting for us
with a squad of thugs and that little popgun of his."
"The popgun maybe, but no thugs," Rick corrected. "What will you bet
he never even tells his father what happened to him?"
"No bet there," Jerry said, grinning. "I'll bet the same thing." He
put the car in gear. "We may as well head back to Whiteside. First,
though, we'll have to collect Captain Killian's baggage."
The captain spoke his agreement. "I'll take your offer, son." He shook
his head. "You know, I'm real surprised at Brad Marbek. I knew he
wasn't above turning a dishonest dollar, but I thought he had more
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