Free The Crowning Terror by Franklin W. Dixon

know where Uncle Hugh and Charity live, but we haven't the faintest idea where to find Starkey."
    "What did he say his agency's cover was?" Joe asked. "Transmutual Indemnity?"
    "Yep," Frank said. "Same as Uncle Hugh's old company. Of course, he'll be at that office, and we know how to get there."
    Joe grinned. "Let's stake out the place and wait for him to come out."
    Frank chewed his lip, calculating the problems. "It'll be tricky. If we hang around too long, they'll see us. We can't afford to be spotted."
    "Let's check in some yellow pages to see if there are any secondhand clothing stores around. And also the closest place we can buy charcoal."
    At first Frank stared at his brother, puzzled. Then, slowly, he smiled and went to get a phone book.
    "I think that saleswoman wondered what we were up to," Joe said as he walked down Pine Street. He wore an oversize, crumpled suit with stains on it. A battered, floppy hat obscured his face, and two different shoes were on his feet. He tried to ignore the pain in his toes. He had carefully smeared charcoal over his face, giving the impression that he had neither shaved nor washed his face for days.
    "We just should have told her we were going to be bums," Frank replied. He saw a modern concrete office building down the street. A bank was housed on the main floor, he knew, but an upper floor also contained the San Francisco offices of Transmutual Indemnity. "Good luck, and watch yourself."
    They parted company at the street corner. Frank began to circle the block as Joe walked up to a trash can and began to paw through it. People walked near him as he dug, and wrinkling their noses, steered clear of him. Joe liked that. It made it easier for him to keep his eyes on the front door of the Transmutual office building.
    By noon Frank had walked around the block a hundred times, and Joe had stretched on a lawn in front of a building across the street from Transmutual. He was pretending to be asleep, but one eye was open, watching everyone who moved on the street. People were swarming out of buildings, going to lunch. A tall, dark-haired man stood in front of the Transmutual building, glancing impatiently at his watch. I've seen him before, Joe thought, but try as he might he could not place him, and he dismissed the feeling.
    At last the man called Mickey came out, his face a mask of rage. A few steps behind him was Starkey. Joe looked up, alarmed.
    Frank had just rounded the far corner and was heading straight toward them. There was no warning Joe could give without blowing his own cover. Nervously he held his breath, watching Frank and waiting for the right moment to spring into action to rescue his brother.
    To Joe's surprise, neither Mickey nor Starkey noticed as Frank walked by them. They were only interested in the dark-haired man. So, I should know him from somewhere, Joe realized. But he couldn't think of the name of the dark-haired man or where he knew him from.
    Mickey turned abruptly and left, and Starkey and the dark-haired man strolled together down the block. They glanced in disgust at Frank and continued walking. When they were half a block on, Frank and Joe both followed, but separately.
    At the corner Joe and Frank met. "That man," Frank whispered breathlessly. "You know who he is?"
    "I've tried to place him, but couldn't," Joe admitted. "I'm sure I've seen him somewhere."
    "You saw him in a limousine last night," Frank continued. "Picture him with a beard and an eye patch."
    Joe blinked. "What? You mean — " "It's Feodor," Frank said. "He's working with Starkey."

Chapter 12
    "Wait a minute," Joe said. "Starkey working with the Russians? That doesn't make sense."
    "I'm starting to think nothing does anymore," Frank said. "Every time I think I've got a handle on this business, some new wrinkle turns up. It's making me mad, Joe. When I think how people are playing games with Uncle Hugh's life — "
    "We'll get to the bottom of it, Frank. One way or another." Joe kept his