Free Eye on Crime by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

Iola and Callie look guilty.”
    â€œExcept, one—we know in our hearts they didn’t do it; and two—this stub is not for the seats we were sitting in. In fact, it doesn’t have a seat number.”
    â€œLike it was a special pass?”
    â€œPossibly.”
    â€œSo where does that lead us, Frank?”
    â€œRemember what you found in Rojas’s locker? That picture of him and Wingfoot with Monty Andrews?”
    â€œI follow you. These two crimes are starting to link themselves to that TV show.”
    â€œExactly,” Frank said. “Let’s head for the van to see if we can contact those guys.”
    â€œSo you think it really might be them? Who did the robbery, I mean,” Joe asked.
    â€œCould be,” Frank replied.
    Frank and Joe went back to the van. They called telephone information and learned that there was only one listing for the name Wingfoot. They dialed the number on their cellular phone and were pleased with the results.
    â€œBingo,” Frank said as he clicked off the phone. He hooked his seat belt and started the van.
    â€œWhere are we going?”
    â€œWingfoot’s house. Turns out that he and Rojas were at the Monty Mania show before they supposedly robbed the Jewelry Exchange. And to top it all off, they were hypnotized, just like Callie and Iola.”
    â€œAnd that proves what? That everybody is innocent?” Joe asked.
    â€œNo, of course it doesn’t. But it may lead us to a theory or to other suspects. Wingfoot has a copy of their performance on Monty Mania. Maybe it will give us some ideas.”
    â€œSo we’re counting them out as suspects?” Joe continued his questioning.
    â€œNot all the way, Joe. But I’m willing to go innocent until proven guilty for them. They’re being helpful. I’m not sure they’d help us if they were guilty.”
    Frank gunned the van and headed for Pepper Wingfoot’s house. Ten minutes later they were standing in his living room. Roberto Rojas had joined them.
    â€œHow do you think this Monty Mania thing ties in to the robberies?” Rojas asked as Wingfoot cued up the videotape of the pair’s appearance on the show.
    â€œI’m not sure yet,” Frank answered. “Part of detective work is taking a hunch and breathing life into it.”
    The four young men sat on the couch andwatched the videotape. While Wingfoot fast-forwarded through the stuff that didn’t involve him and Rojas, Joe picked up a newspaper from the coffee table.
    â€œOh,” he said, “this is yesterday’s paper.”
    â€œYeah,” said Pepper. “I figure to keep it because the front page makes me famous. It’s got a snapshot from the video surveillance camera catching me and Roberto in the act of something we didn’t do.”
    Joe put the newspaper back down on the table and turned his attention to the videotape. As he watched Monty Andrews hypnotize the two Shoreham baseball stars, he was eerily reminded of what he had witnessed happening to Iola and Callie.
    â€œYou know,” Frank said, “Monty’s act is sort of the same every time. It must be that whole idea of seeing yourself or somebody you know on television that makes the show popular.”
    â€œOr maybe he’s hypnotizing the whole world through the screen,” Rojas said.
    Everybody laughed nervously.
    â€œNow, there’s a scary thought,” Frank said.
    Pepper shivered. “The world would be doomed if somebody could actually do that.”
    â€œPause the tape!” Joe suddenly shouted. Wingfoot clicked the remote control.
    â€œCan you go back a few frames?”
    â€œThis is a cheap VCR,” Wingfoot said. “Thebest it can do is go forward and backward. I can’t go frame by frame or slow motion.”
    Joe took the remote. “Here, let me reverse it a bit. There.” Joe hit Pause, freezing a scene on the screen.
    â€œWhat did he have you