Joe about the conversation. "Don't be surprised if you see Callie rubbing her eyes tomorrow. I'll bet she stays up all night with that piece of paper. Well, let's hit the sack. We have a big day tomorrow, too."
The phone rang again, just after the boys made it upstairs.
"My turn." Joe grabbed the extension.
"Hey, Callie," he said, not waiting for the person on the other end to speak. "We're growing boys. We need our sleep. Why don't you try getting some, too? Wait until tomorrow to tell us what you've found out, and we'll get on the case right away. No sweat."
"Callie? Who's Callie?" asked the voice on the other end.
"Lisa?" said Joe.
"Right," Lisa said. "But if you're expecting a call, I'll phone back — "
"No, not at all," Joe said hurriedly, before she could hang up. "Callie is Frank's girlfriend. She was attacked tonight, too. Probably by the same guy who jumped you. Callie's got kind of a vivid imagination, though. I thought you were her calling with another crazy idea about why she was attacked. There was this little black book the mugger took — "
"Black book?" Lisa asked. "That sounds interesting! What sort of black book?"
"It is pretty interesting," said Joe, agreeing. He suddenly felt friendlier toward Callie. Leaning back in his chair, he stretched out his legs. "The book was full of coded entries. Somehow, it wound up in Callie's bag." He told Lisa about the three attempts the mugger had made on Callie. "She only managed to copy out one page of the code," he finished up. "We're going to see if we can decipher it when we get together tomorrow afternoon. If Callie could figure out where she got the book, we'd really have something to go on."
"You think this might be part of something bigger?" Lisa asked.
"Exactly," said Joe, admiring her quick understanding. "Now, if Callie just won't call again tonight, we can all get some sleep and start on the case tomorrow all rested up."
"Maybe I shouldn't have called," said Lisa. "I mean, I don't want to be a bother. I decided I could really use your help on this story. I'm a total stranger in this town, and I don't have much time to get my bearings. I thought we might set up a meeting, and you could fill me in on Bayport. But if it's too much trouble — "
"Not on your life," said Joe, ignoring his brother, who had been following the conversation and was now mouthing Ernie's, where they were supposed to meet Callie the next day. "Tomorrow would be fine. My brother won't be able to make it. But I think I can help you by myself."
"I'm sure you can," Lisa said warmly. "What time can we meet?"
"I have an early day tomorrow. How about in the afternoon?" asked Joe.
"Fine," said Lisa. "I've got plenty to keep me busy during the morning."
"You know," Joe said, "I think we have a lot in common."
"I agree," Lisa said. "I'm really looking forward to getting together. I'm at the Bayport Inn. What do you say we meet in the coffee shop here at two o'clock?"
"Great," said Joe.
"Okay, then," Lisa replied. "Bye for now."
"What's the idea?" Frank demanded after Joe hung up the phone. "You know we have to see Callie tomorrow."
"You have to see Callie," Joe said. "I've got a more interesting date."
"You don't know anything about Lisa," Frank said, pointing out the obvious. "You told her an awful lot, and we don't know what her connection is to all this, if she is involved. Now you're ready to drop everything and rush to her side. Don't you see that you're taking a risk?"
"No," said Joe flatly. "I see a gorgeous girl, alone in a strange town, maybe in big trouble. Since when have you worried about taking risks? You're so wrapped up in protecting Callie, you won't look out for anyone else."
His face slowly turned red as Frank stared at him. "Look, I didn't mean that. It's just that I get the feeling that Lisa needs us as much as Callie does." He grinned. "And she treats me a whole lot better."
Frank shrugged. "All right," he said. "Do what you have to."
The next
The phone rang again, just after the boys made it upstairs.
"My turn." Joe grabbed the extension.
"Hey, Callie," he said, not waiting for the person on the other end to speak. "We're growing boys. We need our sleep. Why don't you try getting some, too? Wait until tomorrow to tell us what you've found out, and we'll get on the case right away. No sweat."
"Callie? Who's Callie?" asked the voice on the other end.
"Lisa?" said Joe.
"Right," Lisa said. "But if you're expecting a call, I'll phone back — "
"No, not at all," Joe said hurriedly, before she could hang up. "Callie is Frank's girlfriend. She was attacked tonight, too. Probably by the same guy who jumped you. Callie's got kind of a vivid imagination, though. I thought you were her calling with another crazy idea about why she was attacked. There was this little black book the mugger took — "
"Black book?" Lisa asked. "That sounds interesting! What sort of black book?"
"It is pretty interesting," said Joe, agreeing. He suddenly felt friendlier toward Callie. Leaning back in his chair, he stretched out his legs. "The book was full of coded entries. Somehow, it wound up in Callie's bag." He told Lisa about the three attempts the mugger had made on Callie. "She only managed to copy out one page of the code," he finished up. "We're going to see if we can decipher it when we get together tomorrow afternoon. If Callie could figure out where she got the book, we'd really have something to go on."
"You think this might be part of something bigger?" Lisa asked.
"Exactly," said Joe, admiring her quick understanding. "Now, if Callie just won't call again tonight, we can all get some sleep and start on the case tomorrow all rested up."
"Maybe I shouldn't have called," said Lisa. "I mean, I don't want to be a bother. I decided I could really use your help on this story. I'm a total stranger in this town, and I don't have much time to get my bearings. I thought we might set up a meeting, and you could fill me in on Bayport. But if it's too much trouble — "
"Not on your life," said Joe, ignoring his brother, who had been following the conversation and was now mouthing Ernie's, where they were supposed to meet Callie the next day. "Tomorrow would be fine. My brother won't be able to make it. But I think I can help you by myself."
"I'm sure you can," Lisa said warmly. "What time can we meet?"
"I have an early day tomorrow. How about in the afternoon?" asked Joe.
"Fine," said Lisa. "I've got plenty to keep me busy during the morning."
"You know," Joe said, "I think we have a lot in common."
"I agree," Lisa said. "I'm really looking forward to getting together. I'm at the Bayport Inn. What do you say we meet in the coffee shop here at two o'clock?"
"Great," said Joe.
"Okay, then," Lisa replied. "Bye for now."
"What's the idea?" Frank demanded after Joe hung up the phone. "You know we have to see Callie tomorrow."
"You have to see Callie," Joe said. "I've got a more interesting date."
"You don't know anything about Lisa," Frank said, pointing out the obvious. "You told her an awful lot, and we don't know what her connection is to all this, if she is involved. Now you're ready to drop everything and rush to her side. Don't you see that you're taking a risk?"
"No," said Joe flatly. "I see a gorgeous girl, alone in a strange town, maybe in big trouble. Since when have you worried about taking risks? You're so wrapped up in protecting Callie, you won't look out for anyone else."
His face slowly turned red as Frank stared at him. "Look, I didn't mean that. It's just that I get the feeling that Lisa needs us as much as Callie does." He grinned. "And she treats me a whole lot better."
Frank shrugged. "All right," he said. "Do what you have to."
The next
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