The Case of the Problem Prone Bodyslammers--Part Four
by HA
"Magnets?" Mr. Hammond said in disbelief.
"Yep, magnets," Bill Turner confirmed, showing his boss the electromagnets. He and the other wrestlers had managed to get the barbell off Captain Courageous. It was about one hour later, and Mr. Hammond had been called in by the security chief.
"Where were these located?" Mr. Hammond asked.
"Underneath the bench," Bill Turner said.
Shirley looked at her surroundings. On a bench, Captain Courageous was nursing his neck with an ice pack. Sy Coe and some of the other wrestlers were watching him and trying to comfort him. In another part of the room, Marvin Marvelous was being interrogated by two security guards. He was proclaiming his innocence loudly.
"So how did magnets get underneath that bench?" Mr. Hammond asked. "I thought you guys did a complete security sweep before letting the guys in."
Bill Turner looked at Marvin Marvelous. "I have a good idea who's the culprit," he said with certainty.
Mr. Hammond fixed his gaze on Marvin Marvelous. "Why am I not surprised?" He marched up to the prime suspect, who was still denying the charge against him.
"For the umpteenth time, I didn't do anything!" Marvin Marvelous said, frustrated.
Mr. Hammond's face was red with anger. "I give you a chance to do some honest work, and this is how you thank me! Why do you keep doing this to me?!!"
Marvin Marvelous glared at Mr. Hammond. "Oh, sure, every time something goes wrong, I get blamed for it!" His glare on the wrestling promoter intensified. "Of course, it's pretty much easy for you. You just love to blame me for everything, don't you?"
"Now, see here...!" Mr. Hammond began, stepping closer to his employee.
Shirley watched the argument with interest. She watched as both Marvin Marvelous and Mr. Hammond exchanged heated words. As they continued to shout at each other, Shirley noticed their faces.
"This is normal?" Blake asked the Masked Marauder.
"Oh yeah," the wrestler replied. "Although to be honest, this is worse than all the other times put together."
While everyone was watching Marvin Marvelous and Mr. Hammond argue, Bo saw something near the bench where the incident occurred. He reached for it and picked it up. At first glance, he saw that is was a small photograph of a little boy.
Suddenly, Bo felt someone grab his shoulder. He turned around to face Bill Turner. "Did you just pick up something from the floor there, son?" the security chief asked.
"Uh, yeah," Bo answered, trying not to lose his nerve.
Bill Turner held out his hand. "Better give it to me quickly then. It could be evidence."
"Okay." Bo handed the photograph to the security chief.
"Thank you." Bill Turner left Bo and joined the argument between Marvin Marvelous and Mr. Hammond, taking the latter's side.
Shirley saw that Sy Coe was jotting down something in his notepad as he watched the argument. He was also talking to himself.
"Well, there he goes again," Bo said as he returned to his friends.
Blake rubbed his chin as he looked at Sy Coe. "You have to wonder what he writes in there..."
"Well, we can try the direct approach." Shirley walked up to Sy Coe.
"Here we go," Bo said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, Sylvester," Shirley greeted.
The ring worker was surprised momentarily, having been totally immersed in his writing. "Hi there, little lady," he greeted back in a friendly manner. "Can I help you?"
Shirley formed her mouth into a big smile. "I see that you like writing a lot," she said, looking at the notepad.
Sy Coe nodded. "Yep. I like to write. Writing's in my blood."
"Well, can you tell me what you're writing?"
Sy Coe was taken aback. "Uh..."
"Come on. What do you have in that little notepad?" As she spoke, Shirley reached for the notepad.
Sy Coe held the notepad tightly to his chest. "Um, it's a secret," he said nervously.
Oh come on. I won't tell."
Sy Coe gulped. "Uh, I gotta go." He bolted out of the weight room.
"Direct method, huh?" Bo remarked as Shirley rejoined her friends.
"He's definitely hiding something," Shirley said.
"Not a big surprise to me," the Masked Marauder said. "Sylvester's always been like that."
Blake saw "Breaker" Brody enter the weight room. "Hey, guys. Look who's back."
"Breaker" Brody surveyed the scene before him. He walked up to the Masked Marauder. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Well, Captain Courageous was nearly choked to death by a barbell," the Masked Marauder explained. "Magnets were involved."
"Is he okay?" "Breaker" Brody asked with concern.
"Well, he's still breathing," Bo said. "He's a bit shaken, but otherwise he's okay."
"I hope he is," the bearded wrestler said. "Cap's my opponent for the charity event. We've been practicing for a while now."
"Where did you go?" Shirley asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Breaker" Brody gulped. "I'd better go see how Cap is." He walked past Shirley and the others and joined the group of wrestlers who were trying to comfort Captain Courageous.
"That worked," Bo said dryly.
"At least we know he's hiding something. He seems rather hesitant on where he went," Blake pointed out.
"Indeed." Shirley looked thoughtful.
The Masked Marauder looked at the people with Captain Courageous and the argument between Mr. Hammond and Marvin Marvelous. I'd better try to help get things under control here. So..."
"We get the message," Bo said. "We'll leave."
Blake looked at the arguing men. "Definitely not a good time to be here."
The three kids started for the door. Shirley turned to the Masked Marauder. "Just out of curiosity, where are you staying?"
"The Low Rate Motel," the wrestler replied. "The whole group's staying there."
Shirley memorized the name so that she could find it later. "I see. Will there be any workouts or something like that?"
"Well, we've got to practice for the charity event at the rec center. We're going there after this workout. It'll be closed to the public for security reasons."
"How long will it take?"
"Maybe until five or six."
"Hmm. Can we stop by your motel after that? Say, around six?"
"Sure thing. I'll clear it with security."
"Ah, that's perfect. Thank you for your help. I'll see what I can do."
The Masked Marauder went back to deal with the volatile situation, and Shirley and her friends left the gym.
"We definitely have quite a list of suspects," Shirley said as they walked away from the gym.
"Oh yeah," Bo agreed. "There's Marvin Marvelous, Stink with muscles..."
"He strikes me as too easy to pigeonhole," Blake said. "He may be a practical joker, but I believe him when he says he's innocent."
"Well, we've got 'Breaker' Brody," Bo said. "He left right before Captain Courageous was nearly choked. Then there's Sy Coe, who's hiding something."
"Remember, motive, means, and opportunity," Shirley told her friends. "Let's look at our suspects keeping those in mind."
"Okay," Bo began. "So far, everyone thinks that Marvin Marvelous is behind everything. I'm guessing from all his earlier pranks that he has access to the others' stuff somehow, not to mention he has all that gag stuff. He can set up a prank when no one's paying attention and it'll go unnoticed until it's too late."
"You've hit opportunity and perhaps means also," Shirley said. "Now what about motive?"
After thinking for a moment, Bo replied, "When Blake and I went to the locker room last night, we heard the security chief say that Marvin was upset with his current position in the promotion and wanted to go to one of the bigger promotions."
"From all this, Marvin Marvelous is the prime suspect," Shirley said. "It also makes him the perfect fall guy. Now, if this is true, then it is the basis for all the other's possible motives."
"Okay, 'Breaker' Brody was upset about the fake rats in his gym bag, and Sy Coe isn't exactly liked by the wrestlers," Blake said. "Revenge is a common factor here."
"You said that Sy Coe has extra keys to the lockers, but I don't think he has the malice to go through with anything harmful," Shirley said.
"Then what about him writing in his notepad?" Bo asked.
"That requires further investigation," Shirley replied. "Also, 'Breaker' Brody doesn't strike me as a person who has access to the wrestlers' personal belongings."
"So why did he leave the weight room early?" Blake asked.
"That also requires further investigation," Shirley replied.
"You know, what if Marvin is really guilty?" Bo asked.
"His chances of that are minimal," Shirley answered. "The jokes you described to me were quite harmless. Why would he switch to causing harmful accidents?"
"Things can change in about a year's time," Blake said.
"True. Everything must be thoroughly examined before we reach any definite conclusions," Shirley said. "In fact, we might find another suspect."
Bo noticed that they were heading towards Shirley's house. "So what do we do now?"
They stopped in front of Shirley's house. "For now, I'll resume the organization of my newspaper clippings," Shirley said, giving the two boys a look. "With some help, of course," she added with a smile.
* * * * *
After managing to organize most of Shirley's newspaper clippings, the amateur detective and her two friends rode their bikes to the Low Rate Motel around six. Bo looked at the motel. It was not a run-down place or not properly maintained, but it was not glamorous.
"Not exactly what I'd expect for wrestlers to stay in," Bo remarked.
"Well, it does save on staying at the Hilton," Blake commented.
"Looks like there's been more trouble," Shirley said, pointing to an ambulance parked in the front.
They secured their bikes to the bicycle rack near the main office. Shirley spotted the Masked Marauder near the ambulance. The ambulance left just as they joined the Masked Marauder.
"What happened, Uncle Sean?" Blake asked, noticing the downcast look on the wrestler's face.
The Masked Marauder sighed. "Try a total disaster," he said. "Two of our guys got hurt after the ring collapsed while they were practicing. They're in the hospital right now."
"What about that?" Bo asked, pointing to the departing ambulance.
"Food poisoning," the Masked Marauder answered. "Three of the guys ate a bad pepperoni pizza. They just took a few bites, and the last thing we knew, they're on the floor moaning in pain and clutching their stomachs."
"Ooogh," Bo said.
"Things got worse from there," the Masked Marauder said. "Now most of the guys are scared stiff of working. I've been hearing some of the guys saying they're quitting ASAP. They can't take it anymore."
"I presume Mr. Hammond is quite upset?" Shirley said.
"'Upset' would be an understatement. He's chewing out Bill right now in his room," the Masked Marauder said.
"He's mad at the security chief?" Bo said, surprised. "What about Marvin?"
"Oh, he had his turn," the Masked Marauder replied. "He's in his room right now, still fuming."
"But why get mad at Turner?" Blake wondered.
"Oh, somehow the pizza got through security without being checked out," the Masked Marauder explained. "Mr. Hammond's pretty angry about that with Bill."
"Considering everything that's been happening to this promotion, I'm amazed that Mr. Hammond is upset with Mr. Turner now," Shirley commented.
"I guess it's because the charity event's tomorrow," the Masked Marauder said. "The stress is finally getting to him."
"You know, security's been lousy if whoever's behind these accidents is getting away with them," Bo pointed out.
"How true," Shirley acknowledged. "Can you take us to Marvin Marvelous?" she asked the Masked Marauder.
"Sure thing," the Masked Marauder said, leading the way.
* * * * *
"I'm telling you, Sean, I didn't do anything wrong," Marvin Marvelous declared in front of the Masked Marauder, Shirley, and the others.
"I believe you, Marv," the Masked Marauder said reassuringly. "We're here to help you out."
"Help me out?" Marvin Marvelous looked at Shirley, Bo, and Blake skeptically. "You mean these kids are going to help prove my innocence?"
"You'd rather call the police and risk the boss's wrath?" the Masked Marauder asked.
Marvin Marvelous sighed. "Good point. Besides, the guys would probably have me arrested instead."
Shirley started the questioning. "Okay, so you have a reputation as this promotion's practical joker, correct?"
"That's right. Darn proud of it, too," Marvin Marvelous said, flashing a big grin.
"And he's wondering why everyone's blaming him for the accidents," Bo whispered to Blake.
Shirley arched an eyebrow at Bo and gave him the usual glare before continuing. "So why are you innocent, Mr. Marvelous?"
"Because I don't do harmful things to people," Marvin Marvelous replied firmly. "I pull pranks because I've been always a comedian. I like to liven things up. Make it less serious. Get rid of the tension. But in all that time I've never done anything that hurt people. The guys know that."
"Well, Marv, the guys think you're bitter about being a minor player in this promotion," the Masked Marauder said.
"Aw, Sean, I may be discontent, but I'm not mad," Marvin Marvelous admitted. "Besides, I can't be mad at Mr. Hammond forever. Can't really hate him."
"Why not? He keeps blaming you for everything that's been going wrong," Blake asked.
Someone knocked on the door before Marvin Marvelous could respond. "It's me, Marvin," a voice called from outside. "Now let me in!"
"It's Mr. Hammond," the Masked Marauder said, recognizing the voice.
"We'd better let him in, Sean," Marvin Marvelous said. He lowered his voice. "Before he huffs and puffs and blows it down."
The Masked Marauder flashed a grin and opened the door. The owner of the wrestling promotion marched in.
"Marvin, we have to talk," Mr. Hammond said as the Masked Marauder closed the door. He was about to say more when he spotted the junior detective and her friends. "What is going on here?" he said, wide-eyed.
"We are trying to establish your nephew's innocence," Shirley stated calmly.
Mr. Hammond's jaw nearly fell to the ground. For a moment, none of the men in the room spoke. Instead, they stared at the young sleuth.
END OF PART FOUR
by HA
"Magnets?" Mr. Hammond said in disbelief.
"Yep, magnets," Bill Turner confirmed, showing his boss the electromagnets. He and the other wrestlers had managed to get the barbell off Captain Courageous. It was about one hour later, and Mr. Hammond had been called in by the security chief.
"Where were these located?" Mr. Hammond asked.
"Underneath the bench," Bill Turner said.
Shirley looked at her surroundings. On a bench, Captain Courageous was nursing his neck with an ice pack. Sy Coe and some of the other wrestlers were watching him and trying to comfort him. In another part of the room, Marvin Marvelous was being interrogated by two security guards. He was proclaiming his innocence loudly.
"So how did magnets get underneath that bench?" Mr. Hammond asked. "I thought you guys did a complete security sweep before letting the guys in."
Bill Turner looked at Marvin Marvelous. "I have a good idea who's the culprit," he said with certainty.
Mr. Hammond fixed his gaze on Marvin Marvelous. "Why am I not surprised?" He marched up to the prime suspect, who was still denying the charge against him.
"For the umpteenth time, I didn't do anything!" Marvin Marvelous said, frustrated.
Mr. Hammond's face was red with anger. "I give you a chance to do some honest work, and this is how you thank me! Why do you keep doing this to me?!!"
Marvin Marvelous glared at Mr. Hammond. "Oh, sure, every time something goes wrong, I get blamed for it!" His glare on the wrestling promoter intensified. "Of course, it's pretty much easy for you. You just love to blame me for everything, don't you?"
"Now, see here...!" Mr. Hammond began, stepping closer to his employee.
Shirley watched the argument with interest. She watched as both Marvin Marvelous and Mr. Hammond exchanged heated words. As they continued to shout at each other, Shirley noticed their faces.
"This is normal?" Blake asked the Masked Marauder.
"Oh yeah," the wrestler replied. "Although to be honest, this is worse than all the other times put together."
While everyone was watching Marvin Marvelous and Mr. Hammond argue, Bo saw something near the bench where the incident occurred. He reached for it and picked it up. At first glance, he saw that is was a small photograph of a little boy.
Suddenly, Bo felt someone grab his shoulder. He turned around to face Bill Turner. "Did you just pick up something from the floor there, son?" the security chief asked.
"Uh, yeah," Bo answered, trying not to lose his nerve.
Bill Turner held out his hand. "Better give it to me quickly then. It could be evidence."
"Okay." Bo handed the photograph to the security chief.
"Thank you." Bill Turner left Bo and joined the argument between Marvin Marvelous and Mr. Hammond, taking the latter's side.
Shirley saw that Sy Coe was jotting down something in his notepad as he watched the argument. He was also talking to himself.
"Well, there he goes again," Bo said as he returned to his friends.
Blake rubbed his chin as he looked at Sy Coe. "You have to wonder what he writes in there..."
"Well, we can try the direct approach." Shirley walked up to Sy Coe.
"Here we go," Bo said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, Sylvester," Shirley greeted.
The ring worker was surprised momentarily, having been totally immersed in his writing. "Hi there, little lady," he greeted back in a friendly manner. "Can I help you?"
Shirley formed her mouth into a big smile. "I see that you like writing a lot," she said, looking at the notepad.
Sy Coe nodded. "Yep. I like to write. Writing's in my blood."
"Well, can you tell me what you're writing?"
Sy Coe was taken aback. "Uh..."
"Come on. What do you have in that little notepad?" As she spoke, Shirley reached for the notepad.
Sy Coe held the notepad tightly to his chest. "Um, it's a secret," he said nervously.
Oh come on. I won't tell."
Sy Coe gulped. "Uh, I gotta go." He bolted out of the weight room.
"Direct method, huh?" Bo remarked as Shirley rejoined her friends.
"He's definitely hiding something," Shirley said.
"Not a big surprise to me," the Masked Marauder said. "Sylvester's always been like that."
Blake saw "Breaker" Brody enter the weight room. "Hey, guys. Look who's back."
"Breaker" Brody surveyed the scene before him. He walked up to the Masked Marauder. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Well, Captain Courageous was nearly choked to death by a barbell," the Masked Marauder explained. "Magnets were involved."
"Is he okay?" "Breaker" Brody asked with concern.
"Well, he's still breathing," Bo said. "He's a bit shaken, but otherwise he's okay."
"I hope he is," the bearded wrestler said. "Cap's my opponent for the charity event. We've been practicing for a while now."
"Where did you go?" Shirley asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Breaker" Brody gulped. "I'd better go see how Cap is." He walked past Shirley and the others and joined the group of wrestlers who were trying to comfort Captain Courageous.
"That worked," Bo said dryly.
"At least we know he's hiding something. He seems rather hesitant on where he went," Blake pointed out.
"Indeed." Shirley looked thoughtful.
The Masked Marauder looked at the people with Captain Courageous and the argument between Mr. Hammond and Marvin Marvelous. I'd better try to help get things under control here. So..."
"We get the message," Bo said. "We'll leave."
Blake looked at the arguing men. "Definitely not a good time to be here."
The three kids started for the door. Shirley turned to the Masked Marauder. "Just out of curiosity, where are you staying?"
"The Low Rate Motel," the wrestler replied. "The whole group's staying there."
Shirley memorized the name so that she could find it later. "I see. Will there be any workouts or something like that?"
"Well, we've got to practice for the charity event at the rec center. We're going there after this workout. It'll be closed to the public for security reasons."
"How long will it take?"
"Maybe until five or six."
"Hmm. Can we stop by your motel after that? Say, around six?"
"Sure thing. I'll clear it with security."
"Ah, that's perfect. Thank you for your help. I'll see what I can do."
The Masked Marauder went back to deal with the volatile situation, and Shirley and her friends left the gym.
"We definitely have quite a list of suspects," Shirley said as they walked away from the gym.
"Oh yeah," Bo agreed. "There's Marvin Marvelous, Stink with muscles..."
"He strikes me as too easy to pigeonhole," Blake said. "He may be a practical joker, but I believe him when he says he's innocent."
"Well, we've got 'Breaker' Brody," Bo said. "He left right before Captain Courageous was nearly choked. Then there's Sy Coe, who's hiding something."
"Remember, motive, means, and opportunity," Shirley told her friends. "Let's look at our suspects keeping those in mind."
"Okay," Bo began. "So far, everyone thinks that Marvin Marvelous is behind everything. I'm guessing from all his earlier pranks that he has access to the others' stuff somehow, not to mention he has all that gag stuff. He can set up a prank when no one's paying attention and it'll go unnoticed until it's too late."
"You've hit opportunity and perhaps means also," Shirley said. "Now what about motive?"
After thinking for a moment, Bo replied, "When Blake and I went to the locker room last night, we heard the security chief say that Marvin was upset with his current position in the promotion and wanted to go to one of the bigger promotions."
"From all this, Marvin Marvelous is the prime suspect," Shirley said. "It also makes him the perfect fall guy. Now, if this is true, then it is the basis for all the other's possible motives."
"Okay, 'Breaker' Brody was upset about the fake rats in his gym bag, and Sy Coe isn't exactly liked by the wrestlers," Blake said. "Revenge is a common factor here."
"You said that Sy Coe has extra keys to the lockers, but I don't think he has the malice to go through with anything harmful," Shirley said.
"Then what about him writing in his notepad?" Bo asked.
"That requires further investigation," Shirley replied. "Also, 'Breaker' Brody doesn't strike me as a person who has access to the wrestlers' personal belongings."
"So why did he leave the weight room early?" Blake asked.
"That also requires further investigation," Shirley replied.
"You know, what if Marvin is really guilty?" Bo asked.
"His chances of that are minimal," Shirley answered. "The jokes you described to me were quite harmless. Why would he switch to causing harmful accidents?"
"Things can change in about a year's time," Blake said.
"True. Everything must be thoroughly examined before we reach any definite conclusions," Shirley said. "In fact, we might find another suspect."
Bo noticed that they were heading towards Shirley's house. "So what do we do now?"
They stopped in front of Shirley's house. "For now, I'll resume the organization of my newspaper clippings," Shirley said, giving the two boys a look. "With some help, of course," she added with a smile.
* * * * *
After managing to organize most of Shirley's newspaper clippings, the amateur detective and her two friends rode their bikes to the Low Rate Motel around six. Bo looked at the motel. It was not a run-down place or not properly maintained, but it was not glamorous.
"Not exactly what I'd expect for wrestlers to stay in," Bo remarked.
"Well, it does save on staying at the Hilton," Blake commented.
"Looks like there's been more trouble," Shirley said, pointing to an ambulance parked in the front.
They secured their bikes to the bicycle rack near the main office. Shirley spotted the Masked Marauder near the ambulance. The ambulance left just as they joined the Masked Marauder.
"What happened, Uncle Sean?" Blake asked, noticing the downcast look on the wrestler's face.
The Masked Marauder sighed. "Try a total disaster," he said. "Two of our guys got hurt after the ring collapsed while they were practicing. They're in the hospital right now."
"What about that?" Bo asked, pointing to the departing ambulance.
"Food poisoning," the Masked Marauder answered. "Three of the guys ate a bad pepperoni pizza. They just took a few bites, and the last thing we knew, they're on the floor moaning in pain and clutching their stomachs."
"Ooogh," Bo said.
"Things got worse from there," the Masked Marauder said. "Now most of the guys are scared stiff of working. I've been hearing some of the guys saying they're quitting ASAP. They can't take it anymore."
"I presume Mr. Hammond is quite upset?" Shirley said.
"'Upset' would be an understatement. He's chewing out Bill right now in his room," the Masked Marauder said.
"He's mad at the security chief?" Bo said, surprised. "What about Marvin?"
"Oh, he had his turn," the Masked Marauder replied. "He's in his room right now, still fuming."
"But why get mad at Turner?" Blake wondered.
"Oh, somehow the pizza got through security without being checked out," the Masked Marauder explained. "Mr. Hammond's pretty angry about that with Bill."
"Considering everything that's been happening to this promotion, I'm amazed that Mr. Hammond is upset with Mr. Turner now," Shirley commented.
"I guess it's because the charity event's tomorrow," the Masked Marauder said. "The stress is finally getting to him."
"You know, security's been lousy if whoever's behind these accidents is getting away with them," Bo pointed out.
"How true," Shirley acknowledged. "Can you take us to Marvin Marvelous?" she asked the Masked Marauder.
"Sure thing," the Masked Marauder said, leading the way.
* * * * *
"I'm telling you, Sean, I didn't do anything wrong," Marvin Marvelous declared in front of the Masked Marauder, Shirley, and the others.
"I believe you, Marv," the Masked Marauder said reassuringly. "We're here to help you out."
"Help me out?" Marvin Marvelous looked at Shirley, Bo, and Blake skeptically. "You mean these kids are going to help prove my innocence?"
"You'd rather call the police and risk the boss's wrath?" the Masked Marauder asked.
Marvin Marvelous sighed. "Good point. Besides, the guys would probably have me arrested instead."
Shirley started the questioning. "Okay, so you have a reputation as this promotion's practical joker, correct?"
"That's right. Darn proud of it, too," Marvin Marvelous said, flashing a big grin.
"And he's wondering why everyone's blaming him for the accidents," Bo whispered to Blake.
Shirley arched an eyebrow at Bo and gave him the usual glare before continuing. "So why are you innocent, Mr. Marvelous?"
"Because I don't do harmful things to people," Marvin Marvelous replied firmly. "I pull pranks because I've been always a comedian. I like to liven things up. Make it less serious. Get rid of the tension. But in all that time I've never done anything that hurt people. The guys know that."
"Well, Marv, the guys think you're bitter about being a minor player in this promotion," the Masked Marauder said.
"Aw, Sean, I may be discontent, but I'm not mad," Marvin Marvelous admitted. "Besides, I can't be mad at Mr. Hammond forever. Can't really hate him."
"Why not? He keeps blaming you for everything that's been going wrong," Blake asked.
Someone knocked on the door before Marvin Marvelous could respond. "It's me, Marvin," a voice called from outside. "Now let me in!"
"It's Mr. Hammond," the Masked Marauder said, recognizing the voice.
"We'd better let him in, Sean," Marvin Marvelous said. He lowered his voice. "Before he huffs and puffs and blows it down."
The Masked Marauder flashed a grin and opened the door. The owner of the wrestling promotion marched in.
"Marvin, we have to talk," Mr. Hammond said as the Masked Marauder closed the door. He was about to say more when he spotted the junior detective and her friends. "What is going on here?" he said, wide-eyed.
"We are trying to establish your nephew's innocence," Shirley stated calmly.
Mr. Hammond's jaw nearly fell to the ground. For a moment, none of the men in the room spoke. Instead, they stared at the young sleuth.
END OF PART FOUR