CALLING SQUAD CAR 18

The stick-ups during the last month had got Inspector Kelley’s goat; he asked Fordney to ride a squad car with him. As the Professor was aroused by the recent crime wave, he assented.

With Sergeant Reynolds driving, the three set out from headquarters at 11 p.m., with rain swirling from every direction, blown by the shifting wind. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

The first call to their car, repeated three times, was: “Car 18 investigate robbery, first floor apartment, 2088 Leopold Boulevard. WPPJ.”

Reynolds stepped on it, and with siren shrieking the car speeded through the stormy night.

Arriving at the scene they found two excited young women, one blonde, the other brunette. While Fordney questioned the blonde, Kelley interrogated the brunette. The blonde stated she was a collector for an ice cream company. She said that she had visited a number of stores collecting for deliveries during the day. They both said that as their car drew up in front of the apartment two men jumped on either running board of the sedan and jammed guns in their ribs, demanding the money. The brunette handed it over.

Fordney learned that the last collection, and their last stop, was made about a mile away.

He noticed the two large diamonds on the blonde’s hand and said: “I’m afraid, girls, we’ll have to take you to headquarters.”

Why did Fordney think the alleged robbery was faked? Turn page for solution.