CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

In the St. Canard Herald, the police report had record of a duck in a black cape and red fedora lurking in the area of the Fourteen Karat Jewel Garden. He'd stayed around quite a while, then bent and picked up something minuscule from the ground. A rather large advertisement on the back page of the aforementioned paper read in blazing letters: "Darkwing Duck -- Jewel Garden, 10 p.m. Signed Negaduck." There were even a few Liquidator-directed commercials accompanying the evening news. Yet despite all this, Darkwing Tower at the Audubon Bay Bridge was quiet.

"Hey, D.W., this came for ya." Launchpad McQuack called to Darkwing Duck as he ambled into the tower. "Mail!"

Darkwing sighed as he took the envelope from his sidekick. "Not a thing all day. I'm bored, L.P.!"

Launchpad pointed to the television, where Liquidator's commercial was airing for the umpteenth time. "Uh, D.W. --"

"Quiet, Launchpad! I'm trying to wallow in boredom, here."

Launchpad pointed to the paper. "D.W.!"

"Launchpad!" He snatched the letter with a defeated groan. "Fine, gimme that." Darkwing tore open the envelope, tipped out a small piece of gravel into his palm and nothing else. "No return address. Launchpad, where did you -- ?"

"Quackerjack tackled me in the street and shoved it into my hand." Launchpad fretted, then held up a bandaged finger. "Gave me a paper cut, too! What is that, anyway?"

Darkwing scrutinized the pebble in his hand. "Judging by the type of asphalt and the paint color on this side, it could only have come from nearby the Fourteen Karat Jewel Garden. And it smells like chainsaw fluid. Therefore . . ."

"Uh -- D.W.?"

"Negaduck must be planning to rob the Jewel Garden!" Darkwing cried triumphantly, leaping up on his chair.

Launchpad lifted his flight cap and scratched his head as a plane flew by with a banner advertising the heist. "Wow, D.W.! That's, uh . . . brilliant."

"Of course it is. That's why you're just the sidekick. You'd never notice any clues like that even if they were staring you in the face."

With a sigh, Launchpad tossed the newspaper in the trash bin. He supposed there was no point in telling Darkwing what an obvious trap this whole thing was.



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