"The sheriff's here!" Alex yelled.

Christopher and Korina were still examining the counterfeit plates. "Korina," Chris-topher said, "try to remember everything the counterfeiters said. Did they say anything else about their boss?"

"As a matter of fact," Korina said, "I have perfect recall. I can remember every word of their conversation."

Korina lowered her voice to sound like two men. Then she imitated two different voices to act out the counterfeiters ' conversation. " 'Let's take the counterfeit plates with us,' the short man said. 'No way, man!' said the other one. 'Counterfeit Bill said he'd bring the plates to our meeting place. I'm not risking getting him mad at us.' "

Korina continued in her own voice. "That's when we heard you guys downstairs. They took off down the chute."

"Are they up here?" came the voice of the sheriff.

Tobias stammered something back. Alex couldn't quite make it out. Then footsteps thundered up the stairs, a nd Sheriff Marshall burst into the attic, followed by Deputy Grimaldi and Tobias.

"Are you okay?" Deputy Grimaldi asked Korina. He rushed to her, took off his hat, and seemed to study her. Alex thought the deputy looked like he really cared.

"I'll take those counterfeit plates!" barked Sheriff Marshall, pushing Christopher and Korina aside. He grabbed the metal plate from Christopher's hands and tossed it into the box with the others. Then he picked up the box.

"Grimaldi," said the sheriff , "you take statements from everyone here. I'll see to it that these counterfeit plates get safely back where they belong."

Without another word, Sheriff Marshall walked to the chute, climbed on, the box on his lap, and slid down. It sounded like gongs clanging as he bounced down the slide.

"Boy," said Korina. "Sheriff Marshall is good to spot that secret chute so fast!"

Deputy Grimaldi looked confused, but he pulled out his trusty notebook. Alex did the same thing. The deputy started with Korina. "Now, Miss," he said, "what exactly happened here?"

Korina started at the beginning and told her story. As she talked, she fidgeted with the piece of postcard she'd found before the men had tied her up.

Deputy Grimaldi stopped taking notes and frowned at the card in her hands. "What have you got there, Miss?" he asked.

"It's part of a note the two counterfeiters got from their boss," Korina explained. "I think it tells where they're meeting before they leave the country."

"I 'd sure like to catch those crooks and their boss," said the deputy.

"I'm afraid this piece of the message isn't much help without the other pieces," Korina said.

Alex had an idea. "Hey," he said, "maybe we can find the other pieces!" He crossed the dusty wooden floor of the attic and examined the trash under the window. He checked the far corners of the attic.

Christopher headed in the other direction. "I'll look over here," he called over his shoulder.

Alex picked up trash, dust bu nnies, candy wrappers. Then he saw it. "I found one!" he hollered.

Alex was sure what he held in his hands was part of the same postcard Korina had found. He could make out some of the same shapes and colors on the front side. But he couldn't make any more sense from the back than he could from Korina's piece. "I still can't read anything," he said.

"I've got a piece too!" Christopher yelled. "But I can't read it either."

Alex ran over to Christopher. He studied his own piece. Christopher studied his. And Korina peered at hers with her magnifying glass.

"I guess it's no use," Korina said. "It's impossible."

"Ah, Korina," Tobias said. "With God, all things are possible. And Jesus says, where two or three are gathered together in His name, there He is in their midst. He'll help us figure out the puzzle."

Tobias reached around Korina and took Alex's hand. He pushed Alex's piece next to Korina's. With his other hand, Tobias moved Christopher's piece in line with theirs. The thr ee pieces fit together perfectly!

But one piece was still missing, leaving a hole in the middle of the postcard puzzle. And because the missing piece came from the center, they still couldn't read the writing.

"It was a good try anyway," Christopher said.

"I honestly thought we had it," Korina said.

Alex sighed, disappointed. "If only we had that missing piece "

"Braawk! Puzzle!" screeched the parakeet. It swooped down in the middle of the group and dropped something from its beak.

Tobias caught it. "It's another piece of the puzzle!" he declared.

"Way to go, Sherlock!" Alex told the parakeet.

"Braawk! Sherlock! Way to go, Sherlock!" squawked the bird.

"So that's its name," Korina said. "Good job, Sherlock!"

Alex smiled. Sherlock. It was a good name for the birdafter Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways," said Tobias. He carefully laid the last piece in the center of the postcard puzzle. It was all they needed. On one side, the picture of a small airplane came together.

Tobias turned the pieces over and laid them together on the table. Alex read the message aloud: "Meet me at noon on the 17th, Flight #7702. I'll bring the plates." It was signed "C. Bill."

Deputy Grimaldi stared at the postcard. "I don't understand why he signed it C. Bill," he said.

"It stands for Counterfeit Bill," Alex explained. "That's the name of the gang's boss."

"That can't be right," said Deputy Grimaldi.

"Alex is right," said Korina. "I heard the men talking. The message is from their boss, Counterfeit Bill."

"No, no," said the deputy. "I'm sure you kids are mistaken. There has to be another explanation. This handwriting belongs to my bossSheriff Billnot to Counterfeit Bill!"

The attic fell silent as Deputy Grimaldi's words sank in. Finally, Christopher spoke. "Deputy," he said, "are you sure about this handwriting? Did Sheriff Bill Marshall write this?"

"Sure as shooting!" said Dep uty Grimaldi.

"Then I think your boss, Sheriff Bill, and the counterfeiters' boss, Counterfeit Bill, are one in the same!" Christopher said.

"What?" said the deputy. "Are you sure?" His eyes got as big as silver dollars.

"That explains why the sheriff knew exactly where that secret chute was!" said Korina. "This is his hideout!"

"What should we do, Deputy?" asked Tobias.

Poor Deputy Grimaldi looked too shocked to answer.

"We've got to stop them before they get away!" said Christopher.

"The airport!" cried Korina. "Which flight did they say they were taking, Alex?"

Alex had copied the number into his new notebook. He flipped to the page and checked. "Today. Noon. Flight #7702," he said.

"C'mon!" said Tobias. "After them. And I'll drive!"