99 was the first to awaken. She found herself in a strange bedroom lying on top of a double bed. Max was lying next to her. They still had their clothes on—Max wore a gray suit and 99 wore a red dress—but not their shoes.
She nudged him. "Max, wake up."
"Mommy, I don't want to go to school, today!"
"Max!"
He woke up and looked around. "99, where are we?"
"That's just what I was wondering. What do you recall about last night?"
He thought for a bit. "We were called to the Getaway Bar to talk with a contact. We ordered drinks, which we drank—and that's all I remember."
"Me too, Max."
"We were slipped mickeys, and have been kidnapped!"
"Yes, Max!"
They got out of bed and looked around. There was a letter sitting on a table by the bed. Max picked it up and read it:
"Dear Max and 99.
"As you can see, you are locked up in this apartment. Your job will simply be to get out!
"Strewn throughout this apartment are clues and objects for you to use. Eventually, you will find a key that will let you out.
"While you're looking, you may enjoy yourselves. I have stocked the kitchen with enough food to last you several days. And I assure you, none of it is poisoned!
"Oh, I've taken the liberty of taking all of your stuff away from you, including your shoes. You see, I know about your shoe phones! (darn!) They are right outside of this apartment in the hallway. And there are no phones, or other communication devices, in the apartment.
"Why am I doing this? Merely a test to see how good the two of you are. I trust that you won't disappoint me!
"Your friendly enemy,
"Boris Kneff.
"Boris Kneff. . . never heard the name before."
"Me neither."
"Why don't we have a good look around this apartment."
"Good idea, Max."
They got up and took a tour around the apartment. Aside from the bedroom they were in, there was:
*A bathroom
*A second bedroom. Rather than a bed, it contained a hot tub. This was filled with water, and had an object at the bottom of it, in the middle.
"A locked door.
*A living room.
*A kitchen.
From the windows, they could tell that they were pretty high up.
"Max, why don't I fix breakfast for us. Then we can start looking."
"Right, 99. I'm famished. And I'm hungry, as well!"
The kitchen was indeed well stocked. She made scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee for the two of them. They sat at the table and ate.
"Max, I recognized that name."
"What name?"
"Boris Kneff. But I'm not sure from where."
"He wasn't involved in one of our cases, is he?"
She thought. "No, I don't think so. Why is he doing this to us?"
"The letter said he wants to 'test us.'"
"Yes, but what for? And what if we can't find the key to get out?"
"Now, don't worry, 99. We will get out sometime today, or my name isn't Maxwell Small!"
"You mean Smart."
"Er, of course! I was just testing you!"
"Oh, Max!"
They finished eating and brought the dishes to the kitchen sink. Then they went back into the living room to begin their search.
There was a bookcase in the living room. Most of the books had dark blue, black, or brown covers. One, however, had a light red cover. Max picked this one out.
"This book is called How to Get Out of the House."
"Let's look at it, Max."
They leafed through it. A key fell out!
They immediately took it to the front door. Unfortunately, it didn't fit!
"Well then where is this supposed to go?," asked Max.
"The locked door!"
"Of course, 99!"
They walked over to it. The key fit!
Inside were towels and wash cloths. On top of them was a 7" square flat white box. On the top were 12 squares. They could be pushed down and up. Max tried pushing some of them down and opening the box, but be couldn't do it.
"It probably needs to be in the right pattern, Max."
"Yes. But what is the pattern?"
"We'll just have to figure it out."
"I'll go to the living room and work on it for a little while."
"OK, Max. I'll look around for a bit."
They parted.
Before checking out the box, Max turned on a television that was there. After warming up, it revealed a color test pattern—red, blue, yellow, orange, and green. He changed channels, but that was the only one there.
"The TV reception here is much to be desired!"
He turned it off, sat down, and worked on the box.
"Max!"
"Yes, 99?"
"Could you come here, please? I'm in the hot tub."
"Be right there, 99."
He put the box down and went into the room.
99 was literally standing in the hot tub! Her dress was soaked, and she had taken her stockings off, before going in. She was holding something.
"99, what are you doing in the water with all your clothes on?!"
"I've found a clue—this screwdriver."
She showed him a Phillips screwdriver.
"Now, why would someone put a screwdriver in the middle of a hot tub?"
"I don't know, Max. Help me out, please."
He helped her out. Towels were nearby. He got one and gave it to her, and she dried off as best she could.
"99, I would've been willing to get in the tub, if you asked me to."
"Thank you, Max!"
He looked at himself. "But not in this suit! It cost me $99.95 on sale."
"Let's go in the living room, Max."
Wearing the towel around her shoulders, she and he left the room. He carried the screwdriver.
"I've been trying to open the box, but I haven't been able to."
"Let's work on it later."
By the couch was a table with a drawer. 99 tried to open it, but it was locked. Rather than a lock, it had five buttons on it. Pushing them, she found that they changed colors.
"Max, look at this." She showed him the table.
"That explains something."
"What?"
He turned the TV back on and showed her the test pattern.
"Max, that's a clue!"
She pushed the buttons until they were the colors of the TV screen.
It opened!
Inside was a framed drawing of a dog.
"This artist is no Shakespeare!"
"Max, Shakespeare was a playwright, not an artist!"
"Precisely my point!"
They looked at the back. The frame was held together by screws.
"Max, the screwdriver!"
"Yes!"
He took the screws out and opened the back. The back of the drawing had a pattern:
0-0-
-00-
0—0
"Max, that's probably a pattern for the box!"
"That's right!"
He took the box and pushed the squares down to match the pattern. But it didn't open!
"It didn't open!"
"Perhaps it's the other way, Max."
"Oh, yes."
He turned it around and repeated the pattern.
It opened!
Inside was a 7" record. It was only recorded on one side, and there were on labels.
"There's a stereo over there."
"Right, 99."
They took it there and played it.
"Hello, Max and 99," a voice said. "Look for a book with an explosion in its name. That is all."
"Max, I now know who Boris Kneff is. He's an eccentric millionaire."
"Oh, yes, 99. And he's German, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is. Well, let's start looking for that book."
"Right. I'll name a few I'm looking at, and I'll see if they ring a bell."
"Good, Max."
He started rummaging through the books. "Let's see. . . Murder Among Friends. . . Above Suspicion. . . Murder on the Menu. . . The Case of the Blond Bombshell-"
"Max!"
They look through the book. Taped to the final page of it was a key! They took it to the front door.
It opened!
They hugged and kissed, then went out to the hallway. By the door was a large box. It contained their shoes, his wallet, her purse, their keys, and an envelope. Inside was a letter. Max read it:
"Dear Max and 99,
"Congratulations! You have proven yourselves very worthy of me.
"Please accept this gift in return for what I put you through.
"And by the way, your car is in the front parking lot of this apartment building, left-hand side as you exit.
"Also, I have a little proposal for the two of you. Be my dinner guests, for an evening. I promise you one of the best meals you shall ever have. And I give you my word as a gentleman that no harm will come to you in any way! If interested, you may call me at 555-1554.
"Have a great day!
"Your friend, Boris Kneff."
And along with the letter was $1,000 cash!
"Max!"
"Yes, 99!"
They hugged again. Then they went back into the apartment. 99 put her stockings back on and the two of them put their shoes on.
"Max, let's go to dinner with Boris. Maybe he'll tell us why he did this to us."
"I was just thinking the same thing, 99, Yes, let's do that."
They gathered their stuff and left.