Blood Money by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

Tommy?"
    Joe explained. "By flushing out the real killer."
    "So you don't think Tommy's guilty?" Emily asked, her eyes glistening.
    Frank and Joe both shook their heads. "No," Joe said.
    "All right," she nodded firmly. "Give me a minute - I'll get my coat. Then we'll go talk to Vance to have him make the announcement."
    It was just after two o'clock when they reached Johnson's office. The place was completely deserted.
    "That's strange," Frank said, shaking his head. "I wonder where everybody is."
    "Out to lunch?" Joe suggested.
    "I don't think so," Frank said. "Look." He pointed at a half-eaten sandwich lying on the secretary's desk. Next to the sandwich, her computer was still running.
    The brothers exchanged a puzzled glance.
    Emily Moran crossed to Johnson's office door and rapped on it loudly.
    "Nobody in there either," she said.
    "I guess we come back later," Frank said. He turned to go.
    "Joe! Frank!" Emily Moran screamed. "Here!"
    She was standing next to a copier and pointing at the floor. Both brothers rushed to her side.
    Johnson's secretary - Mrs. Hunter - was lying on the floor, still and unmoving.
    Frank bent down and felt her wrist. "She's alive."
    "Get her some water," Emily Moran commanded, lifting Mrs. Hunter's head onto her lap.
    Frank scanned the area for a refrigerator or a water fountain. Nothing. Then he remembered the water cooler in Johnson's office. He ran for the door, reached out to yank it open - and pulled his hand back instantly.
    The doorknob was hot.
    "Look!" Joe said, pointing at the space around the door. A thin wisp of smoke was wafting out.
    "Oh, no," Emily said, a look of horror spreading across her face. "It's on fire!"

Chapter 14
    "You two get her out of here," Frank said to Joe and Emily, taking off his jacket. "I'll see how bad the fire is."
    "Frank!" Joe yelled. "Wait - "
    Whatever else his brother had to say was lost to Frank as he grabbed the doorknob with his jacket and burst into Johnson's office.
    There was smoke everywhere. He'd barely opened the door before it was in his eyes, his nose, his throat. Frank coughed once, covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and pushed into the room, closing the door behind him.
    From the right, waves of intense heat washed over him. He staggered toward his left, where he remembered the huge bay windows were. Frank groped along the wall, searching.
    His right hand touched glass, then the metal frame and the window crank. He turned the crank and opened the window. He leaned out and took a deep breath of fresh air.
    Looking down at the street below, he saw Johnny Carew's goons, Terry and Monk. They were standing on the sidewalk opposite the office, looking straight up at him. In the distance, he could hear the wail of fire engines approaching.
    The two men turned and quickly disappeared down the street.
    "Carew," Frank whispered, his eyes still tearing from the smoke. He must have had the fire set. Frank had to tell Joe. But first things first . . .
    He turned back to the office only to discover the heat and smoke were stronger than ever. The fire was spreading - partially because he'd fed it by opening the window and letting air into the room.
    He and Joe would never be able to put the fire out themselves.
    Taking a last, deep breath, he shut the window, and turned back toward the office door. He bumped into something heavy and solid behind him.
    The water cooler.
    Frank rammed it with all his strength, pushing the cooler toward the right of the room and the source of the heat.
    The huge glass tank hit the floor with a loud plop. Instantly the seams ripped and Frank heard water lapping out. Suddenly the room was full of billowing smoke.
    That's the best I can do, Frank told himself, and he dropped to the floor, where the smoke was less damaging. He moved on all fours toward the door.
    He was so intent on focusing on the doorway that he crawled directly into a body on the floor.
    "Oh, no," Frank said, rolling the man onto his back. Vance