Free Brother Against Brother by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

across his chest. A metal bar pinned below his badge indicated that the cop's name was Higgins.
    Patrolman Higgins didn't say a word. He merely glared at Frank as if he suspected Frank were an escaped convict or something.
    Frank was so distracted that he nearly jumped when the counterman appeared before him.
    "Sit anywhere you want," the man said, handing Frank a menu.
    Frank took a seat in a vinyl-covered booth.
    "You just take your time," the counterman said with a grin. "As you can see, the kitchen isn't exactly swamped with orders." With that, he returned to Higgins.
    "You wouldn't believe my night so far," Higgins said. "Just before I pulled in here, I got an all-points bulletin over the radio. Dispatch said keep an eye out for a young guy with blond hair traveling with a girl. And get this—they said there was a hit man, some professional trigger-puller, loose in the area."
    Higgins twisted his stool and gave Frank another hard look. "Didn't hear you come driving in, son," he said.
    "No. My car broke down up the road," Frank said. "I think the clutch went out — the old wreck just died on a hill. So I left it and walked here."
    "Is that right?" Higgins said.
    "Is there a bus coming by?" Frank asked. "I need to get to the county seat." "Bus service was stopped on this route months ago," the counterman broke in. "No profit left. Too bad about your car."
    "What about that pickup out front?" Frank asked. "Could I rent it for a day or two?"
    "Sorry," the counterman said. "That's mine, and I need it to get home.
    "I really have to get somewhere—fast. It's a matter of life and death." Frank looked hopefully at the highway patrolman. "Do you think — "
    "Sorry, son." Higgins didn't sound very sorry at all. "My patrol takes me in the opposite direction. You'll just have to sit tight till morning when a wrecker can help you.
    From the look on Higgins's face, Frank wondered if he might be seeing a posse of local lawmen, first. He didn't dare tell the cop about Joe for fear Joe had really flipped out. Joe could attack this guy, as he had Frank, and be killed. No, Frank decided. I'll just cool it and find Joe on my own.
    Then he looked up again. "I guess you're right," Frank told Higgins and the counterman. "My old wreck isn't going anywhere." He grinned. "So I might as well eat. How about a steak, baked potato, the works?"
    The counterman went into the kitchen, and Higgins returned to his coffee. Frank stared out the window anxiously.
    A big plate of food soon appeared on the table. Frank tore into the steak. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. "Delicious," he told the counterman. "Mind if I take this outside? I'd like to eat under the stars."
    "Suit yourself," the counterman said with a chuckle.
    Frank picked up the plate and went outside. Glancing back inside, he noticed that the counterman and Higgins were paying no attention to him. There was no place for him to go, anyway.
    Frank strolled past Higgins's car, number twenty-eight, and dropped to one knee, glancing nervously to see if either man was looking out. They weren't. He shoved the baked potato into the cruiser's exhaust pipe. Then, putting the plate on the ground, he walked over to the pickup and climbed inside.
    Ducking low, he yanked at the ignition wires. It was a nerve-racking job, hot-wiring a truck in full view of the owner. If either of the two inside glanced his way — The motor caught, backfired, and finally turned over. Frank leapt behind the wheel. He pushed in the clutch and punched the stick on the floor into reverse.
    The noise caught the attention of the two men inside the diner.
    Just as Frank was backing away, Patrolman Higgins burst from the door, hauling his service revolver from its holster.
    "Hold it!" Higgins yelled, dropping into the classic marksman's firing-line position.
    The gun in his hand looked about the size of a cannon and it was aimed straight at Frank.
    "Stop!" Higgins yelled again. "Or I shoot!"

Chapter 13
    "Come on, you old