Free Skin and Bones by Franklin W. Dixon

wooden lid into its groove, slid it closed, and put the box on the kitchen counter. Then he and Joe went to their room to clean up.
    Frank showered first. He pulled on jeans and a blue sweater. Then, while Joe took his turn in the shower, Frank turned on Sergeant Chang’s computer and searched the Internet for the mailing station company. He wanted to track down the locker that matched the disk Joe had found in the windmill.
    â€œYes,” he said aloud, when he found that the company had a website. There was information about the company’s services, branch offices and addresses, and other contact information.
    The company had several branches, and each specialized in a specific type of mailing or storage facility. There was only one branch that featured large refrigerated lockers—the one where Cody had his account.
    The website also featured layouts of each branch, showing different sizes of lockers and mailboxes. Each box and locker was numbered. Number 5773 was a large refrigerated box in the same branch as Cody’s.
    Then Frank called the courier service that had delivered the strange package.
    â€œListen to this,” Frank reported when Joe emerged from the shower. “I just talked to the delivery service that brought us the anteater claw. It’s an outfit that specializes in offbeat deliveries.”
    â€œI think ours certainly qualifies,” Joe said. He pulled on jeans and a Forty-niners sweatshirt.
    â€œThey advertise that they will deliver anything, anywhere, anytime. The girl I talked to said they get a lot of unusual jobs. She took the order for our package by phone.”
    â€œNo name, I’m sure,” Joe said.
    â€œRight.”
    â€œCould she tell if it was a man or a woman?” Joe asked.
    â€œShe thought it was a man, but she wasn’t sure. No one ever saw the person who ordered the delivery. The weird part is where they had to pick up the package.”
    â€œWhere?” Joe said.
    â€œMuir Woods,” Frank announced.
    â€œThe redwood forest? North of the city?” Joe asked.
    â€œThat’s what the courier said,” Frank answered. “He was directed to a hollow tree in a secluded area of the forest. The package was in there, along with an envelope of cash to pay for the delivery.”
    â€œNo check, no credit card,” Joe observed. “Nothing to trace back to the sender.”
    Frank grabbed the keys to the van and his beat-up leather jacket. “I’m going to the delivery service office. They’re open twenty-four hours. The girl says the courier who brought us the claw is on a run right now, but should be back in about fifteen minutes.”
    â€œOkay, I’ll stay here. Cody should be here soon—I’ll try to save some food for you.” Joe gave his brother a big grin.
    While Joe was combing his hair, he thought he heard a sound in the driveway.
    â€œCody?” Joe called. “Sergeant Chang?”
    Then it was quiet. He heard nothing.
    Then another noise caught his attention. It was like a scraping or a scuffling outside.
    â€œIs that you, Frank?” Joe called. “I’m just about—”
    Joe’s words were cut off by a thunderous pounding on the front door. It felt as if the whole house was vibrating.
    â€œBoy, somebody definitely wants in,” Joe said in a low voice, “or we’re having one of San Francisco’s famous earthquakes.”
    The pounding stopped and it was very quiet.
    Joe moved soundlessly to the front door, every nerve alive and alert.
    He looked through the peephole but saw nothing.Slowly, he inched open the front door. A cool wash of foggy evening air sent a chill through him.
    At first he saw nothing. Then from beside the door, a man took one step toward him and fell into Joe without a word. “Cody,” the man whispered as he slid to the floor, his jacket smeared with streaks of blood.

10 Two Heads Are Better
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    Dave Cloud fell