The Desert Thieves

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Book: Read The Desert Thieves for Free Online
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
with me.”
    â€œNow, that’s an offer I have to accept,” Fenton said. “So, why don’t we head over to your office? You can give us a map of the park and show us where the thefts have taken place.”
    â€œAnd we can talk about Kidwell,” Frank said, “and the other suspects.”
    Frank and Joe drove the car to the office, with Fenton and Grish following in Grish’s truck. When they arrived, Kidwell’s blue pickup was parked outside the office, and Kidwell was sitting on the steps, waiting.
    â€œThere’s our man,” Frank said to Joe. “He must be here to try to get his job back.”
    Grish and Fenton pulled up next to Kidwell’s truck. The ranger got out and said, “Morning, David. What’s up?”
    Kidwell stood up and looked from the Hardys to Grish. “I think we need to talk,” he said.
    â€œI think so, too,” Grish said. “Would you mind waiting out here for a few minutes?” he said to the Hardys. They nodded. “Thanks,” said Grish, and he and Kidwell went into the office and closed the door. Frank and Joe stood beside the steps, and Fenton leaned on Grish’s truck.
    Joe said, “Do you think Grish will give him his job back, after Kidwell attacked him like that?”
    â€œI’m not sure I would,” Fenton said. “But maybe Grish knows something we don’t know. Maybe Kidwell is under some kind of personal pressure.”
    â€œOr maybe Grish wants to have Kidwell around so we can keep an eye on him,” Frank said.
    Joe stepped up onto the porch and strolled past the window. Inside, Grish was sitting at his desk, with Kidwell standing on the other side. Kidwell was talking earnestly about something while Grish listened, his hands folded.
    â€œIt looks like they’re really talking,” Joe said. “I think Grish is going to give him another chance.”
    â€œGood,” Frank said. “That means we can keep an eye on him.”
    â€œYou know, I was thinking about that,” Fentonsaid. “If the cactus thieves work mainly at night to avoid being seen, then Kidwell and his accomplices probably won’t do anything incriminating in the daylight.”
    â€œHe might scout around during the day for specimens to steal,” Frank said.
    â€œYes, he might,” Fenton said. “In which case you guys might want to tail him. On the other hand, it might be more worthwhile to spend some time thoroughly checking out the other theft sites.”
    â€œMaybe Grish will have them laid out on a map,” Joe said.
    The office door opened, and Kidwell walked out. Without looking at the Hardys, he strode straight to his truck, got in, and drove away.
    When the Hardys went inside, Grish said, “Well, I decided to let him stay on. He apologized for blowing up yesterday and said he really needed the job. Since he put it that way, I said yes. I was also thinking that he’ll be easier to track if he’s still working here.”
    â€œThat’s what we were thinking, too,” Frank said. “Do you know where he’s headed? Joe and I can catch up with him and keep an eye on what he does.”
    â€œI’ll show you on the map,” Grish said.
    â€œAnd while you’re at it,” Joe said, “why don’t you give us an idea of where the thefts have occurred, so we can look at those sites?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact,” Grish said, “I told David toclean up one of the vandalized areas this morning. We’ve been trying to repair them as quickly as we can.”
    He reached into a drawer and pulled out a map of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Unfolding it on his desk, he said, “This is a topographic map. As you probably know, all these squiggly lines show how steep the terrain is, so you can tell where the mountains are, the flattest places, and so forth.”
    â€œWe’ve worked with topo maps before,” Joe

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