Chapter 20: To Town with a BANG

Next day, for a change, the entire Hallett “family” was together.  Mr. Hallett was going to the courthouse to make sure nothing had changed in the status of the golf course property.   His wife was going along to be with him.  As for the kids—well, they had their own plans.

“Once we get to town,” said Drew, “please drop us off at the Fairmont Building on Fleet Street.”

“What are you planning to do there?” asked Mr. Hallett.

“We’re just going to call on someone,” said Carol.  “Peter, Hannah’s boyfriend.  His office is there.”

“I see,” said Mr. Hallett.  “How’s the—the work going, if I may ask?”

“We’re making progress,” said Drew.  “In fact, we’ve got something we’d like your help with.”

“I hope it’s not too dangerous,” said Mrs. Hallett.

“It shouldn’t be,” said Drew.  “This morning, I went by Mr. Blaine’s office.  I found out there was a small fire in the library three months ago.”

“A fire?” said Mr. Hallett.  “I didn’t notice any damage in there.”

“No, you didn’t,” said Drew.  “Broadman and Sons, Contractors, came in and repaired the mess.  They finished up about a month ago.  However, the renovated area now includes a secret room.”

“A secret room?” said Mr. Hallett.

“Yes,” said Drew.  “Blaine doesn’t know about it, which means two things.  Either Broadman and Sons discovered it when they were fixing the library, or they installed it.  The room is accessed by tugging a book on the bookshelf, and I don’t know of any construction firm that would leave books on the bookcase while doing renovations.  That company must know something about it.”

“So what do you want me to do?” asked Mr. Hallett.

“Here’s their address,” said Drew.  “Swing by there sometime while you’re still in town and ask about the room.  If they admit to installing, ask who told them to do it.  It wasn’t Blaine.”

“Anything else?” said Mr. Hallett.

“That’s all you need to do,” said Drew.  “Oh, take a right here.  The Fairmont Building’s off this street.”

Mr. Hallett turned and soon found the building.  It was two stories tall and smack in the middle of a bunch of other office buildings.  “I’ll let you all off here,” he said.

“Thanks!” said Drew.  “Call us when you’re done.”  He and his siblings got out and waved as the car pulled away.

“Now, what’s the name of Peter’s company?” asked Drew.

“It has to be Osgood Jets,” said Renee.  “That’s the only airplane company besides Boeing in town.  I checked.”

“Osgood Jets,” said Drew.  “Ah.  Office 214.  Let’s go.”

Up a dingy, smelly flight of stairs they went.  “This must not be the newest building in town,” said Drew.  “Smells like McDonald’s.”

“It’s actually Burger King,” said Carol, “based on that wrapper.”

“I hope the office is cleaner,” said Drew, opening the door to the second floor hallway.  “207-214.  To the right.”

They walked down the hall and found 214, all the way at the end.  “Here we go,” said Drew, opening the door.  He walked in and went right up to the receptionist.

“Hi,” he said.  “We’re here to see our friend, Peter Coffman.  Is he here today?”

The clerk, a short, middle-aged lady with sharp-cornered red glasses, stared at Drew questioningly.  “Peter who?”

“Coffman,” said Drew.  “Peter Coffman.  He works here, doesn’t he?”

“There’s no one here by that name,” said the lady.

“Are you sure?” asked Carol.  The woman fixed her stare on Drew’s sister.

“Look, miss, I’ve been working here for thirty years.  I’ve seen three different buildings, two mergers, and a couple hundred different employees.  There is not, and there has never been, a Peter Coffman working for us.”  She scowled at the four youths.  “Do I make myself clear?”

“Quite,” said Drew.  “Thanks.  You’ve actually given us a lot of information.  Come on,” he said, leading the way out of the office.

Out in the hallway, Renee said, “I don’t understand.  We know he doesn’t work for Boeing, and Osgood Jets is the only other aerospace company around.”

“That’s weird,” said Drew, leading the way back to the staircase.  “Are you sure you didn’t miss any?”

Renee thought a moment, then shook her head.  “I might have,” she said.

“I checked too, though,” said Edward, “and I couldn’t find any others.”

“You checked?” said Drew.

“Sure,” said Edward.  “I was remembering that other time, when Renee couldn’t find a fire hydrant company—”

“That article said they went bankrupt!”

“But they were still in business,” said Edward.  “I just wanted to make sure something similar didn’t happen here.”

“If you’re going to do all my jobs,” said Renee, “then why should I even—”

“Look!” said Carol.  They’d reached the first floor, and she was pointing out the door.  “Isn’t that Coffman across the street?”

“Where?” asked Drew, staring through the glass.

“Coming out of that coffee shop?  He’s heading to the right—”

“That’s him!” agreed Drew.  “Come on, everybody!  Let’s find out where he’s going!”

The four spies rushed out the door and started down the street on the opposite side, keeping just back of their quarry.  Coffman obviously wasn’t worried about being followed.  He walked at a normal pace, never looking back.

“If he gets in a car,” said Drew, “call a cab.  I think there are enough—”

“He’s going in that office building,” said Carol.  “Over there!”

“Quick, Edward!  Go figure out where he’s going!”

Edward bolted across the street, almost getting hit by two cars but making it across in one piece.  He darted into the building just in time to see Coffman get in an elevator.  The building was five floors tall, and Edward watched the lights blink.

1—2------

Nothing more happened, and Edward darted up some stairs to two.  He reached it just in time to see Coffman disappear through an office door. He sped down the hall, read the sign, and ran back downstairs, where he found his siblings working for him.

“Got it!” he said.  “Room 207!”

“Great!” said Drew.  “Is that an airplane company?”

Edward laughed.  “Uh-uh.  Just wait till you see.”

“It’s not?”

Edward laughed even harder.  “I can’t even say it.  Just follow me.”

Curious, Edward’s siblings followed him up the stairs and down the hall to room 207.  Edward stopped and gestured at the door.  “See?”

At this point, the rest of his siblings burst out laughing.  “Coffman’s Clowns, Inc.” read Drew.  “He sells clown materials?”

“Maybe he makes their outfits,” said Edward.  “Size 18 shoes, water-squirting ties, funny noses—”

“If that’s his office, that’s a far cry from airplane parts,” said Carol.

“I’ll say!  Let’s go in and ask him about it.”

They wandered into the office, where they were greeted by another secretary.  This one looked friendlier than the last.  “Welcome to Coffman Clowns!” she said.  “What can we do for you?”

“We’re here to see Mr. Coffman,” said Drew.  “Is he available?”

“Why, certainly,” said the secretary.  “Who should I say is visiting?”

“Never mind,” said Drew.  “We’re friends; we’ll surprise him.”  Walking past her, he pushed open the door to Coffman’s office.

“Mr. Coffman!  Fancy meeting you here!”

A horrified expression came over Peter’s face.  “You’re one of the Hallett kids!”

“We all came,” said Carol.  Edward and Renee followed her in, much to the prospective son-in-law’s chagrin.

“Yes,” said Drew.  “Dad’s doing something in town in connection with the golf course, so we thought we’d call on you.  We would have been here earlier, only we thought you worked at Osgood Jets.”

Coffman pushed past the four kids and sped to his door.  “Elena,” he said.  “Don’t let anyone into my office until I’m done with these kids.  Thank you.”  He slammed the door and turned to his visitors.

“I don’t know how you figured out I work here,” he said, walking back behind his desk, “but I guess my secret’s up.  Blaine sent you, didn’t he?”

“No!” said Drew.  “We just thought we’d pay you a call while we’re in town.  Of course, it looks a little suspicious, you claiming to work for an airplane company when you really work here—”

“I know,” said Coffman.  “Go ahead.  Tell Blaine.  I might as well kiss my chances of marrying Hannah goodbye.”

“Oh, come now, Mr. Coffman,” said Drew.  “I’m sure you had bigger things on your mind than Hannah.”

“What could be bigger than the most beautiful woman in the world?” asked Peter, looking up.  “When I first met Hannah, I knew there was something special about her.  There’s no one else so kind, so patient, so loving.  After a few months, I knew I had to marry her.

“Her father was a big man for Boeing, and he disliked me from the start.  I couldn’t tell him I sold clown accessories!  There’s no way he’d have given her permission!  So, I told him I worked for an airplane company too.  I even pretended to be interested in his project.  He wanted to keep it quiet; that was fine with me.  I could care less about it anyway.  But by acting like I knew about planes and worked in that industry, I felt I would be more acceptable to him.”  He sighed and put his head down on the desk.  “If he finds out I sell clowns, I guess my relationship with Hannah is over.”

Drew shook his head.  “I don’t know, Mr. Coffman,” he said.  “You’re future father-in-law works on some pretty important stuff.  It’s a little hard to believe you had no interest in it.”

“I didn’t—I swear I didn’t!” said Coffman.  “Wait a minute—what does it matter whether I had an interest in it or not?  I’m through the minute Blaine finds out what my real job is.”

“This is more serious than you think,” said Drew.  “If you’re plotting to steal Blaine’s project—”

“Plotting to steal it?”  Coffman looked up in surprise.  “Why would I be planning to steal it?  I just make clown accessories.  What would interest would an aerospace project have for—oh, wait a minute!  You thought I was trying to steal something from Mr. Blaine?”

“Posing as an employee of a jet company would make nice cover, wouldn’t it?” said Carol.

“No!” said Peter.  “I’d never steal!  Lie, maybe, but stealing’s another thing!  I can’t think of anyone who—wait a minute!”

“What?” asked Drew.

Coffman didn’t answer right away.  He looked towards the ceiling, as if he was thinking hard about something.  When he spoke again, it was as if he wasn’t fully there.  But only for a moment.

“Once he’s done, we’ll get out…it’ll be too late for them by then…know exactly where they are…Listen!” said Peter, snapping back into focus.  “If someone’s after the project, I think I know who it is!  This morning—”

He never finished his sentence.  There was a BANG!, the window shattered, and Peter fell to the floor!

“Mr. Coffman!” exclaimed Drew, running around the desk.  Renee gasped.

“Is he—” started Carol.

“Unconscious,” said Drew, “but he’s been shot.  Quick, call the police!  Use a cellphone; this one could be tapped.”

Carol quickly dialed a number.

“Should we go after whoever fired the shot?” asked Renee.

“No, don’t!” said Drew.  “We don’t want them to know we’re here.  If they want to silence Peter, they’d want to do the same to anyone who might have overheard.  Edward, peek through the window and see—”

Edward was already at the window.  He put his head on the wall and shifted it sideways until he could see out with one eye.

“See anything?”

“Nope,” said Edward.  “There’s a two-story building with a flat roof next to us.  The shot could have either come from the second floor or the roof.”

“No trace,” said Drew.  “That doesn’t surprise me.  Whoever we’re up against is tough.  We’d better be careful when we get back home!”