Ben Cody's Treasure (Quickreads Series 2)

BEN CODY’S TREASURE Janet Lorimer

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SERIES

2 The Accuser Ben Cody’s Treasure Blackout The Eye of the Hurricane The House on the Hill Look to the Light! Ring of Fear The Tiger Lily Code Tug-of-War The White Room

Development and Production: Laurel Associates, Inc. Cover Illustrator: Black Eagle Productions Copyright © 2002 by Saddleback Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. Reproduction of any part of this book, through photocopy, recording, or any electronic or mechanical retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, is an infringement of copyright law.

Three Watson Irvine, CA 92618-2767 Website: www.sdlback.com ISBN 1-56254-416-0 Printed in the United States of America 07 06 05 04 03 02 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Toby Polansky wadded up a sheet of notepaper and threw it at an overflowing wastebasket. “Okay, that’s it!” she shouted. “I give up! I quit. My life is ruined. It’s all over for me” Her brother Leo grinned as he closed the book he’d been reading. “Your life is over?” he said. “Does that mean I get first dibs on the bathroom in the morning? Does it mean I get all the ice cream? At last I won’t have to share!” Toby leaned back in her chair and groaned. “You are so cruel, Leo. I can’t write this stupid history paper by myself. You have to help me!” Leo gazed at her as if weighing his options. “What’s in it for me?” “Oh, anything!” Toby snapped. “I’ll 3

make your lunch for a week. I’ll—” “Stop!” Leo begged. “Don’t cook for me—please, Toby! You can’t even boil water! Before I agree, tell me about your assignment.” Toby brightened up. She and her brother were only a year apart. Leo— the oldest—was by far the more serious student. Right now he was a sophomore at Lakewood Community College. Someday he hoped to teach history at the high school level. Toby—the dramatic one—dreamed of becoming an actress. That is, if she was able to survive her freshman year at LCC! At the moment, there seemed to be some question about that. “I have to write a paper on something to do with the history of Lakewood,” Toby said. “If I don’t get a good grade on this assignment, I won’t pass the class. And if I have to take the history class over, I won’t get that drama class I need. And if I can’t take the drama class, I 4

won’t get a part in the spring play. ” “So?” Toby looked as if she was about to cry. “Everyone in Lakewood comes to see that play, Leo. Everyone important, at least. Who knows, maybe a talent scout from Hollywood will—” Toby saw Leo rolling his eyes and sighed. “Okay, okay,” she grumbled. “Maybe the Hollywood scout is too much to hope for, but—” Toby’s face fell as Leo burst out laughing. The loud guffaws went on and on. Finally, he stood up and stretched. “All right, I’ll help you,” he said. “Oh, Leo, you will?” In a flash, Toby’s expression changed from utter despair to sheer delight. “History is a great subject,” Leo said. “I don’t understand why you aren’t having fun with this paper!” Toby shuddered. “Get real, Leo!” she groaned. “History is a drag. It’s all about memorizing meaningless dates. What 5

happened in 1903 or 1847 isn’t exactly hot news. What does it matter now?” Toby jumped to her feet and began to pace. “History is about learning the names of people who are dead and gone,” she went on. “What’s the point? Dead people can’t help my career!” Shaking his head, Leo gazed in stunned disbelief at his sister. Toby was on a roll. “You know what I always say,” she went on. “If something happened before last week, it’s not worth remembering. I consider myself a here-and-now person. What’s important is today. After all, we can’t do anything about yesterday, now can we?” “What if I could change your mind?” Leo said. “What if I could show you that history can be downright fascinating?” Toby crossed her arms in an “I dare you to show me” way. Leo gazed at her thoughtfully. “Last year I took the same history class that you’re taking now—remember?” he said. 6

“I did a lot of research into Lakewood’s past. And I can promise you, Toby, that the history of this town is anything but boring!” “Oh, come on,” Toby shook her head. “Lakewood started out as a farming community. Who cares about cows? Who cares about the price of chicken feed? Who cares about—” “Ah! So I guess you don’t know anything about that old-time judge who mysteriously disappeared,” Leo said. Toby looked startled. “Judge? Disappeared?” “—Or the strange blue lights that were seen one night over a farmer’s field outside of town,” Leo went on. His sister’s jaw dropped. “UFOs? Spotted over Lakewood?” “And those things are just part of Lakewood’s history. But I guess nothing like that would interest you.” “Yes, it would.” Toby grabbed her notebook and pencil. “So tell me—were 7

the strange blue lights really UFOs?” “You’ll never know if you don’t do your research,” Leo said cheerfully. “But I don’t know where to start,” his sister wailed. “The best place is the library,” Leo told her. “You can check out books and read old copies of the newspaper there—” “Old, old copies?” Toby asked. “They’re at the library?” Leo groaned. “Have you ever done any research anywhere?” “Not if I could help it,” Toby admitted. “I figure it’s like a contagious disease. You try to stay away from it.” Leo groaned. “You’re impossible! Come on, I’ll show you how it’s done. Who knows—maybe you’ll learn to like it.”

A n hour later, Leo and Toby were at the library, scanning back issues of the Lakewood News & Sun. The old 8

issues of the newspaper had been put on microfilm. Toby scrolled through back issues until she was dizzy. Finally, she stopped to rest her eyes. She glanced over at Leo, who was sitting next to her, reading. “Have you found the story about the blue lights?” she asked. Leo shook his head. “Not yet. But I can tell you who won the pie-eating contest at the county fair in—” He gasped. “Hello! What’s this?” “What’s what?” Toby asked. She came to stand behind his chair and peered over his shoulder. “Buried treasure,” Leo said. He let out a low whistle. “Listen to this! It has been reported that Lakewood bank robber Ben Cody died last night in the state prison hospital. The doctor there stated that he had died of an apparent heart attack. Cody was due to be released from prison in three weeks.” “I thought you said it was a story about buried treasure,” Toby said. 9

“Wait, there’s more,” Leo said as he quickly scanned the rest of the story. “It says here that Ben Cody got away with a whole lot of money when he robbed the Lakewood Bank. But the loot was never found. That’s the buried treasure.” “When did this happen?” Toby asked. Leo checked the date. “Well, this is a pretty old issue. Actually, Cody died about seventy years ago.” Toby groaned. “You dweeb! I thought this was something recent.” Leo was excited. “This will be fun!” he said. “Let’s get all the information we can about the robbery. Maybe we can find the money ourselves!” Toby’s jaw dropped. She gazed at her brother blankly. “Leo, are you nuts? I have a term paper to write, remember? We don’t have time to go ripping around the countryside like a couple of pirates chasing lost treasure.” Leo looked disappointed. “Think about it, sis. At the time, there was a 10

reward offered for the money. Maybe we can collect it ourselves.” Now Leo’s voice was rising excitedly. “Plus, you’ll have a term paper guaranteed to get an A. And you’ll pass that history class with flying colors. And you’ll—” “Shhh!” Leo and Toby turned to see the librarian standing near them. Leo gave the man an embarrassed smile and dropped his voice to a whisper. “With an A in history, you can take the drama class and be in the play. Maybe you’ll wind up in Hollywood after all.” Toby’s eyes narrowed as she thought about it. “I don’t know, Leo. I only have one week to finish—” “I’ll even help you write the paper.” How could she resist? Toby sighed and nodded. “You’d better be right about all this. Okay, bro—where do we start?” “First, we need to dig up as much information as we can on Ben Cody and the robbery. Let’s get to work!” 11

Later, over lunch at Hannah’s Hamburger Haven, Toby and Leo shared their notes. Hannah’s was a local favorite. They’d been grabbing burgers and fries there since high school. “I couldn’t find very much,” Toby said as they carried their trays to a booth. “I guess I’m not as good as you are at research. So you go first.” “I learned a lot,” Leo said with a grin, sliding into the booth. “After Cody ripped off the Lakewood Bank, he hightailed it out of town and down to the river. It was raining that day, so the cops didn’t pick up his trail right away. By the time they followed him to the river, they found signs of digging at the base of the bridge. Have you got any more ketchup?” Toby handed him a couple of packets. “Keep talking,” she urged. “This is pretty interesting. Is that where ol’ Ben hid the loot—by the bridge?” “The cops thought so,” Leo went on. 12

“But there were several places where the earth had been dug up. Then it started getting dark. By then the cops had found Cody’s trail leading back to town. So instead of hunting for the money, they went after Ben Cody himself.” “Well, that makes sense, I guess,” Toby said. But she looked puzzled. “There are a couple of things I don’t understand, though. Like—why did Ben waste time digging so many holes to bury the money?” Leo shrugged. “Maybe he couldn’t make up his mind where to hide it. Maybe the soil was too rocky, and he couldn’t dig deep enough. Who knows what was going on in his mind?” Leo dribbled ketchup over his fries. “By the time the cops got back to town, it was too dark to go out hunting for him. So they decided to postpone their manhunt until the next morning.” “Hmm. I wonder why Cody would have doubled back to town,” Toby said. 13

“Probably trying to throw the cops off his trail,” Leo said. “It almost worked. The next morning the posse was getting ready to track Cody down when they fell over him—I mean, literally fell over him. You’ll never guess where the guy had been hiding all night.” Toby shook her head. “Right in the basement of the police station!” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Stop it, Leo! You’re kidding!” “Nope!” Leo grinned. “He thought the coast was clear, so he came up out of the basement through an outside door. And he ran right into one of the cops!” Toby was breathless. “What about the money?” she asked. “The paper said it had been a wet spring. The river was swollen with all that rain, and the bridge washed away. The cops figured the money had been washed away, too. So they gave up their search and Ben Cody went to prison. But 14

right up to his death ol’ Ben always laughed about the great trick he’d pulled on the cops.” Toby frowned. “What trick?” “Good question,” Leo said. “Maybe the secret is that the money is still buried somewhere.” “But if it was washed away—” Leo shook his head. “Why did Ben brag about the trick he’d pulled? Maybe he didn’t hide the money by the bridge.” Toby glared at her brother. “Now I’m confused. You just said—” “The cops guessed that the money washed away. But think about it, sis. Cody could have hidden the loot on the trail back to town. Then it would have been waiting for him when he got out of prison. We have to sort out what really happened from what people think might have happened.” Toby took a big bite of hamburger and chewed thoughtfully. “Okay, bright boy,” she said after a moment. “Just how 15

do you think we’re going to do that?” “I figure we need to go back to the scene of the crime,” Leo said. He winked as he popped the last french fry into his mouth. “Come on, Sherlock. Let’s retrace his footsteps. Are you ready?” They carried their trays to the counter. Hannah—the woman who owned Hamburger Haven—nodded and smiled at them. “Haven’t seen you two in a while,” she said. “We’ve missed you, too,” Leo said. “We’ve been busy studying for midterms. But we’ll be back soon—you can count on it!”

Toby and Leo climbed into the car and headed down the street. “First stop, the river—right?” Toby said. Leo shook his head. “First stop, City Hall,” he corrected. “We have to copy a map from that time period. Then we can compare the old map with a map of the 16

city the way it is today. That will help us figure out what landmarks have changed.” An hour later, Toby was holding the two maps and copies of all the news stories about Ben Cody. “I guess we start at the bank,” she said, in a doubtful voice. “The newspaper just called it the ‘Lakewood Bank,’ but now we have so many—” “Back in Ben Cody’s day there were only two banks in town,” Leo chimed in. “Besides the Lakewood Bank there was a bank called Cattleman’s Savings.” Toby looked at her brother in surprise. “How’d you know that?” Leo looked smug. “Research!” He pulled into the parking lot of the downtown Lakewood Bank. “How did you know which branch—” Toby started to say. But then she interrupted herself. “Never mind. I know—research.” “And logic,” Leo added. “This is the location of the original Lakewood Bank. 17

As the town grew, other branches were added. But the one Ben Cody robbed had to have been right here.” They climbed out of the car. “Try to imagine what this part of town would have looked like back then,” Leo said as they checked the maps. “Smaller,” Toby said as she looked around. “Not so much asphalt. Not so many people. I bet old Ben went straight to the river from here. Wouldn’t you guess that he followed River Street?” “I sure would,” Leo said, pointing to the old map. “All these other streets weren’t here then. Let’s go!” In just a few minutes, they pulled into a parking lot near the river. “Oh, wow,” Toby said as she scanned the old map. “There wasn’t a park by the river in Ben’s day.” “There was no parking lot, either,” Leo said, “but those oak trees down by the riverbank were here. Look!” He handed Toby a photocopy of an old news 18

article. Just above the story was a photograph of the flooded river. “Those trees were tiny then!” Toby cried. Then suddenly her shoulders slumped. “This is crazy,” she grumbled as she looked around. “The area is too big. The money could be anywhere!” “Why don’t we follow Ben’s trail back into town?” Leo said. “Let’s try to figure out what Ben saw when he doubled back.” He started the car and backed up. “Which way did Ben go?” Leo asked. Checking both maps, Toby directed him. Along the way, they passed subdivisions filled with new houses, schools, parks, and shopping centers. “How can we be sure? Everything has changed!” Toby exclaimed. “There aren’t any familiar landmarks.” Leo ignored her outburst. “Try to put yourself in Ben’s shoes,” he said. “It was dark and it was raining. Ben wouldn’t have been able to see any landmarks. How would he know where to find it 19

again? No, my guess is that he wanted to get warm and dry as soon as possible.” “So where do you think he went when he got back to town?” “Good question,” Leo said. “I wonder if the tour guide at the Lakewood Crime Museum would have any ideas.” “The what?” Leo grinned at his sister. “The Lakewood Crime Museum opened up last year. Evidence from old Lakewood crimes are displayed there. They exhibit things like weapons and blackmail notes and ‘wanted man’ posters. There’s a cop on duty at the museum who gives tours and answers questions. It’s really a great place to do—” “I know,” Toby interrupted with a little smile, “—research.” “Who knows? They might have information about Ben Cody that was never given to the newspaper,” Leo said. Toby looked hopeful. “Let’s go!” 20

The Lakewood Crime Museum was in a wing of the police station. The officer in charge was a grizzled old sergeant who looked as if he was ready for retirement. After Leo told the man about his sister’s term paper, the sergeant leaned back in his chair and chuckled. “Boy, you two picked a good subject,” he said. “Old Ben Cody, huh? Yeah, I remember hearing stories about him.” Toby’s eyes widened. “Did you ever meet him?” she asked. The sergeant almost choked. “Miss, when Ben Cody died, I wasn’t even born. No, ma’am, I never met the old guy. But I remember my father and my uncle talking about Ben Cody—and about his so-called treasure, of course.” “Your father and uncle were cops, too?” Toby asked. “Cool! I bet you have enough stories to fill a book!” The sergeant nodded. “Yeah, I sure 21

do. And it just so happens that my grandfather was one of the cops who caught Cody.” The sergeant gazed off into space as he recalled the stories he’d heard. Leo and Toby let him talk. Now and then they asked questions, but mostly they just listened. “What do you suppose happened to the money?” Toby asked. “Oh, it washed away for sure,” the sergeant said. “We found a handful of bills stuck in the mud next to the bridge. But there was no sign of the rest of it.” “What did Ben say when he was told the money was gone?” Toby asked. “They said he just laughed,” the sergeant said. He shook his head. “I think the old man was crazy. Right up to the end, he was talking about retiring in comfort after he got out of prison.” “Sounds like he knew something no one else did,” Leo remarked. The sergeant laughed. “Cody always said the clues were right under our 22

noses, but we’d missed all of them.” “Now why would he say that?” Toby wondered aloud. “Just to be annoying,” the sergeant remarked. “And he certainly was that.” “Why do you suppose Cody came back to town that night?” Leo asked. “And why did he hide in the basement of the police station?” The sergeant shrugged. “That wasn’t such a bad idea. Folks say that the best place to hide something is in plain view. You know—hide things where no one is likely to look. The cops would hardly have thought of looking in their own basement for an escaping robber!” Leo nodded. “That’s true. Thanks, Sergeant. You’ve been a big help!” Toby was ready to explode, but she kept quiet until they got into the car. Then she sputtered, “This is just a wild goose chase after all! Let’s give it up, Leo. There is no loot. We’ve wasted a whole day already.” 23

Leo burst out laughing. Unable to control himself, he pounded the steering wheel. He laughed so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks. Toby stared at her brother. “Have you lost your mind?” she scolded. “This is not a bit funny, Leo.” “Oh, yes it is,” Leo said, wiping his eyes. “Don’t you see? Ben Cody did indeed have the last laugh, Toby.” Toby’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, Mr. Detective, how about sharing your brilliant insights with your sister.” Leo took a deep breath. “Let’s try to sort out the guesses and the facts. Ben Cody robbed the bank and escaped to the river. Fact or guess?” “Fact!” Toby said. “Then he dug a bunch of holes near the bridge.” “Fact.” “He buried the money by the bridge.” “Fa—” Toby started to say, but Leo shook his head. 24

“No, that’s just a guess, Toby. They found holes and a few loose bills—but no sign of the moneybags.” Toby frowned. “Okay, so just what does all of that mean?” “So why didn’t Ben Cody cross the bridge and keep going, Toby? He could have escaped in the dark. Why dig all those holes? Why go back to town? Most of all, why hide in the basement of the police station? That put him right under the noses of the cops. If they had caught him there, they’d have arrested him for sure. They didn’t need to recover the money to send him to prison.” Toby shook her head. “You’ve got me, Leo. I give up.” “The old sergeant told us, Toby,” Leo exclaimed. “Remember?” Toby was silent, trying to remember. “He said that the best place to hide something is in plain view,” she said slowly. “He said it’s smart to hide something where—” Her eyes grew wide 25

and her mouth fell open. She let out a wild shriek. “You’re kidding!” Leo’s grin grew wider. “You got it. I bet anything he hid the loot in the basement of the police station.” “And the cops never thought to look for it there!” Toby exclaimed. “No way,” Leo said. “They’d already jumped to the conclusion that the money was hidden by the bridge. They were convinced that it was gone.” “Then the holes, the loose bills— those were false clues?” Toby asked. Leo nodded. “Of course, I might be wrong,” he said. Toby shrieked at his false modesty. He ducked as she swung a rolled-up map at his head. “There’s only one way to find out, Toby!” When his sister started to get out of the car, Leo grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?” “To find out how to get down to the basement,” she said. “Isn’t that what—” Leo pulled her back into the car. 26

“Wait a minute. Do you remember the big celebration the city held here two years ago? Free hot dogs, balloons, a band playing . . .” His voice trailed away as he studied his sister’s face. Toby frowned. “Yeah, I remember. It was the grand opening of—” She gasped. “Oh, yeah! It was the grand opening of the new police station!” Leo grinned. “Bingo! Over the years, Lakewood has moved the City Hall, the main library, the post office, and—” “—the police station,” Toby finished. “So where was the police station in Ben Cody’s day?” “Good question,” Leo said. “Let’s check the old map again.” A moment after she unrolled the map, Toby jabbed a spot on it with a triumphant yell. “There!” “And what’s in that location today?” Leo asked as he grabbed the map of modern Lakewood. They unrolled the new map and compared the two sites. 27

Toby frowned. “It looks like—” “—Hannah’s Hamburger Haven,” Leo finished. “I could be wrong, but—” “Now, it’s too late!” Toby’s face fell. “Leo, we almost made it! We almost found old Ben Cody’s treasure.” “Oh, don’t give up yet,” Leo said cheerfully as he started the engine. “Let’s go talk to Hannah.”

Hannah was washing tables, getting ready for the dinner crowd. When she saw Leo and Toby, she grinned. “Boy, you guys weren’t kidding when you said you’d be back soon,” she said. “What is it that keeps you two coming back? My special sauce?” “Not exactly,” Leo said with a laugh. “It’s the history of this building.” The three of them sat down in a back booth. Leo quickly explained what he and Toby were doing there. Hannah’s mouth formed a perfect O 28

of amazement. “You’re kidding! A buried treasure? Here?” “We think the money could be in the basement. Unless—” Toby gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to hear that the basement had been filled in! Hannah smiled. “Don’t worry, the old basement is still here. The building has changed a lot from the days when the police were here. Each new owner redesigned it and added on to it. But they never got rid of the basement. Want to go look? I’ll get some flashlights.” The Polanskys followed Hannah down the narrow wooden steps that led to the cellar. At the bottom, Hannah paused and turned around. A heavy old wooden door was just ahead. “I don’t use the basement because it’s so cold and damp down here,” Hannah said. “But I doubt if it’s been changed much in all the years it’s been here.” After she shoved open the creaky old door, Hannah stood aside. Toby and Leo 29

pushed ahead, shining their flashlights around the big room. The air smelled of dampness, age, and mildew. Paint flaked off the crude wooden walls. Spiderwebs hung like lace curtains from the beams overhead. But Leo was delighted to see that the floor was just plain dirt! Toby groaned. “This room is like a huge old cave,” she complained. “The treasure could be anywhere!” “Come on, Toby. Don’t give up now,” Leo said. He moved around and began shining his flashlight on the walls. Toby and Hannah followed just behind. “What exactly are you looking for?” Hannah asked. “I’m not sure. But one thing Toby and I learned today was that Ben Cody was a trickster,” Leo said. “At least he thought he was,” Toby corrected. “What does—” Leo stopped suddenly. He crouched, slowly moving the light down one wall. 30

“Come here, you guys. Look at this!” Toby and Hannah peered over his shoulder. They saw a faint outline. Something was carved into the wood. “What is that?” Toby asked. “Some kind of oldtime graffiti?” Hannah burst out laughing. “Why, it’s a nose! Imagine that! Why would anybody carve a nose into the wood?” “There’s another!” Toby pointed. “Hey, didn’t Ben Cody say that he’d hidden the treasure right under the cops’ noses! You don’t think—” “I wouldn’t put it past him!” Leo said as he turned toward them. “Hannah, how would you feel about us doing a little digging in your basement?” Hannah was getting excited now. She wanted to call the local media before they started digging. “The publicity could be great for business,” she said with a laugh. Leo and Toby waited for the TV and newspaper reporters. Then they started 31

digging. But when they finally reached the treasure, the reporters started laughing. Over the years, the canvas moneybags had completely rotted in the damp soil. And so had the paper money! Toby groaned as she held up a handful of muddy pulp. A reporter thrust a microphone in front of her mouth. “Ms. Polansky, would you tell us what led you and your brother to discover the treasure?” Leo stepped aside modestly as Toby flashed the reporter a brilliant smile. “It all started with an assignment for my history class,” she began. “I’ve always been fascinated by Lakewood’s colorful history. Why, did you know—”

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