The Three Investigators in the mystery of the Vanishing Chocolate


written by Dave Jinks (E-Mail)

It was a sunny morning, when Jupiter Jones, called Jupe, sitting in headquarters and eating his favorite sort of chocolate. It was a pity that it was so expensive, because it was a sort, which was hardly available in USA. That was because it came from Germany. He and his friends and colleagues Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews had been in Germany the year before and eaten lots of the chocolate there. It tasted very deliciously and Jupe decided to import German chocolate after they were back in Rocky Beach, California. Jupiter had bought a little fridge, now standing in his room. Half of it was only for German chocolate. The sort was called "Ritter Sport". Jupe loved it. Then Pete and Bob came in.
"Iīve been waiting for you to come here for half an hour!", said Jupe.
"We had to work at home.", said Bob.
"You havenīt waited so long.", asaid Pete. "I donīt guess so."
"I have.", said Jupe.
"I see youīre eating your favorite chocolate.", said Bob.
"Yeah", said Jupe, "Ritter Sport is the best chocolate I ever ate."
"And what about American chocolate?", asked Pete.
"Thatīs good, too, but I also love eating this one.", answered Jupe.
"Once youīll become that fat that youīll explode.", said Bob.
"I donīt guess so.", said Jupe. "Itīs true that my Body Mass Index is above the appropriate value, but I always try to hold my BMI under 30."
"Of course.", Bob said ironically and Pete laughed.
"Jupiter Jones!", a voice called over the salvage yard.
"Oh no!", called Pete out. "Thatīs your aunt Mathilda, Jupe."
"We have to go to her.", said Jupe. "Since she observes the windows we normally jump out now, we canīt flee another way."

The Three Investigators had to work a whole day. In night, Jupe slept silently until he woke up. He believed to have heard someone go around in the house. He went downstairs.
"Aunt Mathilda?", he called silently. "Uncle Titus?"
Nothing.
Jupe went into the kitchen. But there was no one. Suddenly he heard someone be in his room. He ran upstairs, but it was too late. There wasnīt anyone any more. The burglar seemed to have left the house, which was proved by a rope hanging on a part of the window. The burglar ran over teh salvage yard and got into a car. Seconds later, he was away.
"Shit!", Jupe called out.

The next morning, The Three Investigators sat in their headquarters.
"What did you say?!", Pete called out.
"Your chocolate was stolen?!"
"Yes, Pete.", said Jupe.
"Oh my goodness! He stole your chocolate. How bad!" In Jupeīs opinion Bobīs irony wasnīt necessary.
"Bob, the chocolate is very valuable, because it doesnīt exist in USA very often. American collectors would pay several hundred dollars for German chocolate. Anyway, the richest ones of them would."
"Really, Jupe?!" Pete couldnīt believe it.
"Really, Pete.", said Jupe.
"But who could be interested in such a valuable sort of chocolate?", asked Bob.
"Thatīs what we should think about.", said Jupe.
"If we observe what you said, there are hundreds of collectors who could have stolen it.", said Pete.
"No, Pete.", said Jupe.
"Why not?", asked Pete.
"Because they donīt know I have this chocolate.", said Jupe. "But itīs possible that itīs a normal burglar thinking thereīs anything valuable in our house. He could have looked for something in any room and accidentally found the German chocolate. He took it, used his rope and disappeared in his car."
"Thatīs naturally possible.", said Pete.

The Three Investigators thought about the new case for hours, but they didnīt come to any result. Then they heard a car coming onto the salvage yard.
"I donīt believe it!", Pete called out.
"Did you see a ghost?", asked Bob boredly.
"Something like that.", said Pete. "But not quite. Itīs our favorite enemy, Skinny Norris."
"He only wants to argue us.", said Jupe. "weīll go out and ask him what he wants exactly."
They went out. Skinny stood in front of his car.
"The three bundles of nerves", he said, "with three meaningless signs on their business card."
"question marks.", Jupe corrected. "And theyīre not meaningless."
"Yes.", said Skinny. "Each question mark for one bundle of nerves. Or shall I say, they get on my nerves?" He dreckily laughed.
"And you come here only for saying us that?", asked Jupe. "Donīt you ever think of the environment?"
"You shut up!" Skinny said impolitely. Then he continued:
"The 1st bundle of nerves has to have a diet, I heard?" He dreckily laughed once again.
"Skinny, youīre unique. Anyway everyone hopes so.", said Pete. And Bob had even more to say:
"Because of what does an intelligent thought die in your brain? - Because of loneliness!"
"And", said Jupe, "youīre like a cloud. If you get away, the dayīs better!"
"And youīre a fat pill of nougat!", said Skinny. "A bit overweight, arenīt you?"
"Iīm not too fat, Iīm too short.", said Jupe.
"Thatīs enough!", Skinny called out loudly. "I disappear!"
"Bye, Skinny!", Jupe called. 2And think of the environment!"
"Shut up!", Skinny shouted. Then he raced out of the Jones Salvage Yard and dispappeared.

"Strange.", said Jupe a few minues later. He, pete and Bob had gone back into headquarters.
"Whatīs strange?", asked Bob.
"Itīs strange that Skinny Norris talked about that Iīd have to have a diet. How did he know that my chocolate was stolen?"
"Very simply: He did it himself.", said Pete.
"Honestly said: That explanation is too simple to believe.", said Jupe." He said he had heard about it. There are two possibilities: Either he did it himself, that would be the plainest and most uncomplicated possibility. Or someone else did it and he really heard about it."
"Do you really think he didnīt do it himself?", asked Pete. In his poinion, possibility number 2 was to complicated.
"I think itīs most possible. However: Iīll buy new chocolate today. Maybe the burglar comes back and looks for this chocolate. If so, it would be easy to solve this case. If not, weīll look for another possibility."

Jupe did what he had said. In the afternoon, he went to the new mall in Rocky Beach for buying some chocolate. Pete and Bob were waiting outside the candy store, while Jupe was in. He looked for the German "Ritter Sport" chocolate, but he couldnīt find it.
"Excuse me, sir", he talked to the seller, "where is the German 'Ritter Sport' chocolate here?"
"Oh", said the man, "we have got new chocolate today. Strangely, because normally we always get chocolate at the 3rd of each month. And today is the 2nd. Whatever, itīs here." He showed Jupe the shelf with the German chocolate.

When Jupe came out, he talked to his colleagues at once.
"Pete! Bob!"
"Whatīs up, Jupe? Oh, I see you have bought new 'Ritter Sport'."
"Thatīs what I mean.", said Jupe. "Come on, we sit on the bank here."
The Three Investigators sat on the back. Then Jupe explained:
"Well, thatīs exactly the as much as the burglar has stolen last night. What he stole, cost exactly 98,86 $ and the sorts, I know exactly,too. And the chocolate came one day to early and costs 111,11 $ now. What do you think what happened?"
"I dunno.", said Pete.
"He - or the person who sold it to the store - could have stolen it from you!"
"Thatīs absolutely correctly and well deliberated, Bob.", said Jupe. "Thatīs the way a good investigator combines!"
"And what to do now?", asked Pete.
"You, Pete, will go into the store now and ask for 'Ritter Sport'. Since I bought any 'Ritter Sport' chocolate that was in there, there is no of them any more. Theyīll say that someone has bought anything and youīll ask when theyīll get new chocolate. Theyīll say 'tomorrow'. Youīll ask where they get it from. Then youīll come out here and say me the name of the company or whatever. Any questions?"
"No.", said Pete. "See you then."

Pete went into the store. He pretended looking through the shelves, then he went to the cashier.
"Excuse me, please, sir.", said Pete. "Iīm looking for 'Ritter Sport'. You know, this high-quality chocolate from Germany."
"Iīm afraid there is no German chocolate any more.", said the man. "I have sold it to one boy, maybe in your age. 45 packs of them. Iīm sorry."
"When will the next ones come?", asked Pete.
"Tomorrow.", said the man. "Then chocolate this youngster bought some minutes ago came this morning."
"Oh, thatīs a pity.", said Pete. "I need the chocolate today. Tomorrow, itīs the birthday of a friend of mine. Where does the chocolate come from?"
"Mostly from Germany.", said the man. "But there are a few American collectors of chocolate, who sell us chocolate sometimes."
"Is there a list of these collectors?", asked Pete. "Or arenīt they that famous?"
"They arenīt.", said the man. "We get them from two collectors, but I donīt know the names. Iīm only an employee here, so I donīt know much about details of business."
"And what about the boss of this store?", asked Pete. "Does he knew about them?"
"Of course, he does.", said the man. "He only said that there are two American collectors of German chocolate."
"Where is the boss?", asked Pete.
"Heīs in an office in Los Angeles now.", said the man.
"Donīt you have a shield, on which your name stands?", asked Pete.
"Oh, sorry, I have forgotten to put it on my clothes." He took a shield and fixed it on his pullover. His name was Mr. Horace. "Are you satisfied now?", he asked.
"Yeah, sir, I am. I only noticed this detail, but itīs not so bad."
"Okay.", said Mr. Horace. He gave Pete the address of the house in L. A., in which the boss, Mr. Johnson worked. Pete said bye and went out.

"And? what did you find out?", asked Jupe a few seconds later on the bank.
Pete told Jupe and Bob what Horace had told to him.
"Well done, Pete!", said Jupe.
"Are you satisfied with my performance in this case?", asked Pete.
"Yeah, I am!", said Jupe laughingly and the others started laughing, too.

The Three Investigators decided to go to L. A., but they couldnīt use their bikes. They were compelled to ask Worthington to drive them to there.
"Itīs very nice, Worthington, that you drive us to L. A. Without you, we couldnīt solve our case.", said Bob.
"There, Worthington, over there.", said Jupe. "Thereīs the skyscraper weīre looking for."
"Okay", said Worthington, "Iīll wait here as long as you need. Iīll read my book."
"Okay, sir.", aid Jupe. "But it could last some time. We ask you for patience."
"No problem.", said Worthington.

The skyscraper, which stood in Downtown L. A., in the middle of the business district, was very high. It had got 21 floors. Jupe, Pete and Bob asked for Mr. Johnson at the reception and took the elevator to get to the 7th floor.
"Here we are.", said Jupe.
There was a corridor and a few doors. On one door stood:
LLYONELL A. JOHNSON
GERMAN CHOCOLATE IMPORT
Jupe knocked.
"Come in!", someone called out of the room.
The Three Investigators went in.
"Hello, sir.", said Jupe in his most friendly way of sound. "My name is Jupiter Jones, thatīs Pete Crenshaw, my colleague and thatīs Bob Andrews, another colleague of mine."
"What can I do for you?", asked Mr. Johnson.
"Weīd like to ask you some questions about German chocolate.", said Jupe.
"What about the chocolate?", asked Mr. Johnson.
"How do you get the chocolate?", asked Jupe.
"Most of it, I import from Germany, of course.", said Mr. Johnson. "But a little part of the chocolate is from two American collectors importing their chocolate on their own. They say they import it, too, but some of the chocolate, they get another way."
"And you never ask them, how?", asked Bob.
"No, never.", said Mr. Johnson. "When I asked them, how they get the not imported chocolate, they said itīs their secret. I didnīt have problems with what they said. - Well, I actually did, but if I had said that, they would have canceled our business relation."
"But would that destruct your business?", asked Pete. "You still said, most of the chocolate is imported directly from Germany. So the share of the ot imported chocolate should not be so high."
"It wouldnīt destruct my business.", said Mr. Johnson, "But it would be bad anyway. The firms getting my chocolate, need a definite amout of chocolate. If I wouldnīt get chocolate from these two collectors, I couldnīt bring the firms enough. They wouldnīt pay that much to me and for the amount of chocolate, I would have to pay more to the German factories because of the duty. So itīs important that I get enough chocolate from the collectors and from Germany, of course. But why are you three that interested in it?"
"May I give you our business card?", asked Jupe.
He pulled a business card of The Three Investigators out of his pocket and gave it to Mr. Johnson. He read it out loudly.

Mr. Johnson seemed to be impressed.
"Yeah, thatīs good.", he said. "How much shall I pay?"
"Pay?", asked Bob.
"I mistrust these American collectors.", said Mr. Johnson. "I would like you to observe them and analyze where they get the chocolate from. How much?"
"We donīt take any fees.", said Jupe. "Itīs an honor for us to investigate for you."
"Okay. Will you investigate for me?", asked Mr. Johnson.
"Yeah, sir", said Jupe, "we will. But Iīd like you to give us the names of these two collectors of German chocolate."
"The names are Sean Cassedy and Cuniberto Gonzáles. Mr. Cassedy lives in Beverly Hills, Mr. Gonzáles in Tijuana."
"Okay.", said Jupe. "Pete and Bob, youīll ask in Beverly Hills. In 20 minutes, there will be a bus taking you to there. Iīll tell Worthington to take me to Tijuana. Itīs no problem for me to get a permission for transit, so no problems getting to Mexico. Weīll meet in headquarters in 3 hours. Is anything clear to you?"
Anything was clear.

Three hours later, The Three Investigators met in their headquarters.
"What did you find out?", asked Jupe.
"Well", Bob began, "Sean Cassedy imports his chocolate from Germany and from Switzerland. Thatīs because he also collects chocolate from other countries, not only from Germany. He says he loves Swiss chocolate, too, but the German is good as well."
"He also says he has his connections all over Europe, so thereīs no problem for him to get chocolate cheaply.", Pete added.
"And what about Mr. Gonzáles, Jupiter?", asked Bob.
"Cuniberto Gonzáles is Mexican. He hasnīt got the ability to get chocolate from Germany cheaply. He says he has to pay a lot of money. More exactly said: 49341.45 US$ for each ton. Thatīs a lot of money: Imagine you had to pay nearly 50 dollars only for 0.1 pounds of chocolate!"
"So thatīs why he has such difficulties that he decided to get chocolate illegally.", said Bob.
"Youīre right, Bob.", said Jupe. "When I was in the store in the Rocky Beach Mall once, I must have lost a business card. Before, I had been in headquarters. I had counted my business cards and I had still got 10. When I was back, I saw that one was away. So I must have lost it in the store. Cuniberto Gonzáles found it. There is my address standing on back. He came to me and looked for my chocolate storage. He found it and ran away. Maybe he has still done something like that anywhere else. We donīt know."

In the late evening, The Three Investigators sat in their headquarters once again. They didnīt want to be at home alone, so they met. Jupe was listeining to the radio.
"Exactly one hour ago, nearly anywhere in Los Angeles several hundred pounds of chocolate were stolen.", said the newsreader. "The owners of them said the sort was a valuable sort because it isnīt to find very easily in USA. The sortīs called 'Ritter Sport' and comes from Germany. There was a car driving away. Some policemen of the Los Angeles Police Department (L. A. P. D. ) have seen it, but they werenīt sure about the license number. More about this mysterious case tomorrow. Radio 11-11. Your channel never repeating anything. I say it still once again: Your channel never repeating anything!"
"What do you think?", asked Jupe. "Why to wait until tomorrow if we could tell the police to tell us about this case now?"

The Three Investigators had old press-identity cards from a previous case. They went to police department and asked the policemen about the case. There were three policemen, so each of The Three Investigators had to interview one of them.
"Well, Mr. Jones", Sergeant Cota, a neat Sergeant having been there for a few months, said, "Iīm the computer expert here. I have listed any obervation of the police, but Iīm not allowed to show you the data, of course. So Iīll tell you exclusively about my own details. Well, ... I have the feeling that thereīs another reason for you to interview me. May I know about it?"
Jupe gave Sergeant Cota a business card. He (Sergeant Cota) was very impressed.
"Wow! Well, I accidentally was at Esperanza Corner at once. A man was calling someone names. The someone, in this case, was a dark-clothed man putting maybe one pound of chocolate into his car and disappearing with it. I could pursue him - for exactly 10 seconds. Then a pick-up stood in my way. But I could read the license number. It was California SC 34-89."

Pete was led into a dark office. The policeman was sitting there. Pete asked him about the case.
"Well, Mr. Crenshaw", said Officer Maynard, "I was called by a man who wants not to be named. So I only tell you what happened: His collection of German chocolate was stolen. It had a value of more than 500 US$. He said he had seen the car after running out of the house. And he said the license number was SC 34-89." "Thanks, sir.", said Pete. "Rhat was exactly what I wanted to know."

Bob was interviewing Inspector Nelson. He asked him what happened. Nelson said similar things as Sergeant Cota, only he talked about another license number: JS-69-45. Then he was talking about his collection fo license numbers from any place in the world. He had got about 100 numbers from America, from Japan, from Australia, from Hawaii and from Europe. About all this he talked nearly half an hour. Finally 'Mr. Andrews' decided to go.

The next morning, Jupe, Pete and Bob met in their headquarters. They had already told each other what they had found out. Now Jupe was summarizing anything.
"Weīve two different numbers: SC 34-89 and JS 69-45. Which oneīs the rioght one? I have the solution already, but guess, colleagues. Guess."
"Iīd say itīs SC 34-89.", said Pete.
"Pete always guesses wrong", said Bob, "So I say itīs JS 69-45."
"Youīre right, Bob.", said Jupe. He had a short break, then he said: "But you arenīt wrong, Pete."
"What does that mean?!", asked pete and Bob synchronously.
"That means that there were two cars looking absolutely equally.", said Jupe. "Only the license numbers are different."
"Two cars?!" Pete couldnīt believe it.
"Yeah, Pete.", said Jupe. "I combine: The first car was driven by Cuniberto Gonzáles. The other one by someone else, more exactly said, by his accomplice we donīt still know."
"But you certainly want to find out who he is, I guess?"
"Exactly, Pete.", said Jupe. "weīll ask Chief Reynolds if he can find out whom the two cars belong to."

"Well", said Chief Reynolds, "I can try to find out who the cars belong to, but I donīt believe they are the chocolate thieves! You have to prove it."
"Ask Sergeant Cota, Officer Maynard and Inspector Nelson from the L. A. P. D., if you donīt believe that.", said Jupe.
"I will.", said Chief Reynolds. "But you wonīt be involved in the investigations. Itīs too dangerous."
"But we have promised Mr. Johnson from the 'Johnson German Chocolate Import' to investigate in this case.", said Pete. "He doesnīt want the police to do that."
"That, you must not have said, Pete.", said Jupe. "We have to keep secret, what our clients say." And to Chief Reynolds, he said: "Well, sir, Iīm a victim of this thief, too. He stole 45 packs of chocolate out of my refrigerator in my bedroom. We should be involved because we know more about the thief than the police."
"Quiet!", Chief Reynolds shouted. "I investigate in this case because itīs mine!"
"Actually itīs our case.", said Bob.
"You are stopping my investigations!", Chief Reynolds shouted accusingly. "And now you go out! Donīt you bother me!"

"Man, he has a good humor today!", Pete said ironically. He, Jupe and Bob were standing outside.
"I do not believe it!", Jupe shouted out angrily. "I donīt!"
"Calm down, Jupe, itīs okay - "
"Okay?!" Jupe still continued getting angrier and angrier. "Did you say itīs okay?! Chief Reynolds said that weīre getting into his investigations although itīs our case! And is there any fuc... damn reason?!"
"I donīt think so.", said Bob.
"And exactly that is what makes me get that extremely angry! Only that! He has no reason! If so, he would have told us about it! A rational reason!"
"Jupeīs opinion is exactly mine!" Pete got angry now, too. "He wants us to stop investigating without any reason! Too dangerous?! We have solved any else cases and they were much more dangerous!"
"Hey!", Boib called out loudly. "Thatīs one of the cars the chocolate thief used!"
"Donīt make any jokes!", said Jupe. "Thereīs no... - That is the car! Really!"
The three Investigators saw the car driving onto an area, behind which stood a wooden house. Someone - it was no Mexican - went into the house.
"Come on, colleagues!", said Jupe.
Jupeīs anger was away at once. He, Pete and Bob went onto the area slowly. They hid behind a garbage container. There was the car standing: a grey Mercedes.
"The license number!", said Jupe. "JS 69-45! The second one!"
Suddenly the man came out of the house. He got into the car. When he drove away, The Three Investigators could look into the car more exactly - and suddenly saw several pounds of chocolate! Pete got onto his bicycle at once. He knew that the man in the car couldnīt drive so fast because it was a 25-MPH-zone. Finally Pete was nearly faster than the man in the car.

It was still one oīclock when Pete came to headquarters.
"I have asked Sergeant Cota for the numbers.", he said. "One belongs to a Juergen Lang and the other one to a Moritz Hinterthuer."
Jupe was flatting his underlip. "Hmm.", he said. "Well done, Pete. The names are German. Itīs possible that they are spies acting in German chocolate productions, but Iīm not quite sure."
"The car with the number JS 69-45 belongs to Mr. Hinterthuer.", said Pete.
"I think it was Hinterthuer.", said Jupe. "Ah, but now letīs watch TV. Weīll think aboput the case later."
with these words, Jupe turned the TV on. The first channel was a News channel. There the picture of the man in Hinterthuerīs car was shown!
"Look at this!", Jupe called out.
"This man was shot to death when he passed the crossroad at the end of the 25-MPH-zone in Rocky Beach.", said a reporter. "Obviously his name is Moritz Hinterthuer. He is from Germany. Itīs the first time that someone was murdered on the street in Rocky Beach. Samuel Reynolds, chief of the Rocky beach Police Department will say something about it."
Now the cam showed Chief Reynolds in his office The Three Investigators had been in some hours before.
"well, itīs a tragedy.", he said. "I have never thought that such a tragedy could happen in Rocky beach Thatīs a certain signal for that living in Rocky beach isnīt secure any more."
The chief didnīt look angry any more. His face was white.
"Do you think that such a tragedy - just to say it in your words - could occur again here?", asked the reporter.
"It isnīt excluded principially.", said Chief Reynolds. "But we, the inhabitants of Rocky Beach, should try not to let anyone murder anyone a second time. It would be another tragedy and in my opinion, too much tragedies happen in the Los Angeles City Limit. Iīll try to catch the murderer, of course."
"Okay. thank you very much.", said the reporter. 2That was Chief Reynolds in an interview about the first murder in Rocky Beach. goodbye. By the way, my name is John Haynes."

The next day, The Three Investigators let Worthington bring them to the L. A. P. D. because they wanted to know more about the murder.
"Good morning, Sergeant Cota.", said Jupe when The Three Investigators came into the obduction room.
"Good morning, you three. I guess you want to know about the brutal killer of Mr. Moritz Hinterthür?"
"Thatīs right, sir.", said Jupe.
"Well, he was obduced already. I want you to prove that youīre real investigators, so you should guess." The Three Investigators and Sergeant Cota went to a computer. There was a graphic. You could see that someone had shot Hinterthuer to death.
"What do you see?", asked Sergeant Cota?"
"Well", began Jupe, "Yesterday evening, I have seen the car with the smashed glass. Someone had shot through the glass of the window on the right side. But the document here shows that someone must have shot him coming from the other side. Thatīs not logical."
"Exactly, Jupe.", said Sergeant Cota. "Youīre right."
"It must have been suicide.", said Jupe. "Or he got damaged fatally another way. But he wasnīt murdered the way anyone thinks."
"Thatīs right, too.", said Sergeant Cota. "Youīre real investigators."
Now Jupe looked at the picture more exactly. Then he said:
"It was no shot. Something else must have happened. An accident, maybe. But no murder. That proves that there was never any murder in Rocky Beach for 200 years. No first murder."
"It happened because of a normal accident. The police has made the proof itself. You see? Anythingīs harmless."
"But the victim of this accident was a rogue.", said Jupe and he told Sergeant Cota about the theft of German chocolate and their investigations.
"Thatīs very interesting.", said Sergeant Cota. "I think we can find cuniberto Gonzáles quickly. weīll seearch for him. Donīt worry."

But The Three Investigators had more luck than the police of Los Angeles. They accidentally found him. That was when Jupe bought new chocolate in Mr. Johnsonīs store in the Rocky Beach Mall.
"Excuse me?", said Jupe to Mr. Horace.
"yes?"
"Iīm looking for Germna chocolate.", said Jupe.
"Iīm sorry, mate.", said Mr. Horace. "Thereīs no German chocolate any more."
"No?", asked Jupe, surprised.
"No. Oh, thereīs the man who bought it. - Hello, Sir, did you forget anything here?"
The man was Mexican. He spoke with a light Spanish accent.
"No. I only forgot to... er... how to say... ask for when the next... coud you help me... por favor, muchachito?"
"Certainly I can.", said Jupe knowing he was meant. "ŋQue esperas decir Seņor Horace?"
Jupe and the man spoke to each other in Spanish, then he asked: "Whatīs your name?" in Spanish.
"Me llamo Seņor Cuniberto Gonzáles.", said the man. Jupe didnīt do anything. He didnīt want to be recognized by Seņor Gonzáles.
"Mr. Horace, Seņor Gonzáles wants to say heīs forgotten to ask you for French chocolate. Heīs willing to pay much money for it."
"Oh, Iīm afraid we donīt have got french chocolate any more. The next 7 pounds will come next month."
Jupe translated these sentences into Spanish.
"Oh, que no es bueno, Seņor.", said Mr. Gonzáles.
"Well, I have to go now.", said Jupe twice, once in English and once in Spanish.

"Pete? Can you hear me?" Jupe was sitting on the bank The Three Investigators already had sat on before. Jupe had a mobile radio for having contact with Pete, who was going through the mall.
"Yeah, Jupe."
"okay. We have Gonzáles. Call Sergeant Cota and Chief Reynolds."
"Okay."

Twenty minues later, Gonzáles was arrested because of theft of chocolate of a vlue of about 2,000 US$. Later, Jupe, Pete and Bob were sitting in front of the house of the Jones Family. Aunt Mathilda had made a new creation The Three Investigators should test: Peanut and Banana. It was a peanut cake with pieces of Banana.
"Well", said Bob, "There was really no murder on the street? But what happened to Mr. Hinterthuer?"
"Hinterthuer was a German spy. He found out that 'Ritter Sport' was exported into other countries. One of these countries are the United States of America, shortly USA. He - "
"We know what 'USA' stands for, Jupe.", Pete interrupted.
Jupe still continued: "He, Mr. Hinterthuer, had a rival. - No rival in this sense, but it was Mr. Juergen Lang, an agent of the German secret service. When he found out that Hinterthuer had gone to USA for selling the stolen chocolate from Germany, he followed him. It was bad luck for Hinterthuer that he had an accident, which led him to death. Now Lang had problems because he didnīt know about who would buy the stolen chocolate. He could find out that Mr. Johnson bought it very expensively, but he bought it from Gonzáles. Gonzáles stole the chocolate for Hinterthuer, who gave him very much money for that. That, we had found out. But Chief Reynolds wanted us not to investigate because he knew it was a big syndicate. This syndicate had a problem because the most important member died in an accident in Rocky Beach. I accidentally met Gonzáles in the store. He wanted to buy German chocolate, so he got a proof for having bought it. If the police would come, he would show it to them and mentally put out his tongue."
"Wow!", called Bob out. "And itīs an advantage that Gonzáles stole your chocolate."
"Why?", asked Jupe.
"So you could have a diet!" Bob and Pete laughed. Jupe didnīt say anything first, then he laughed, too.



Counter