The Mystery of Monster Mountain - Carey M. V. - Страница 6

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“It couldn’t have been anyone from the inn,” said Bob. “Hans and Konrad don’t hit people. Joe Havemeyer was in the office when it happened, and Cousin Anna and Mr. Smathers alibi each other. Even if he were a human fly and could walk up walls, Mr. Smathers couldn’t have gotten back into his room so quickly that Cousin Anna saw him when she started downstairs.”

“So it was either an outsider or a second bear,” said Jupe. “In the morning, as soon as it’s light, we’ll go down to those trees south of the inn where the attacker ran after striking Mr. Jensen. It’s been a dry year, but trees hold moisture and the earth there ought to be soft enough to show footprints. Whoever or whatever hit Jensen, he must have left tracks. We should be able to tell whether the attacker was a bear or a man.”

Jupiter Jones awakened to find Pete shaking his arm. “We missed the boat,” said Pete. “Get out of the sack and see.”

Jupe sat up. The room was still dim and gray.

“Joe Havemeyer beat us to it,” reported Pete.

Next to Jupe, Bob turned over and stretched. “Beat us to what?” he asked.

“We do not get to examine the back yard for bear tracks or people tracks or any kind of tracks,” Pete informed them. “Come and see. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Bob and Jupe got up and followed Pete to the kitchen. Pete went to the window near the range and pointed out.

“How interesting,” said Jupe.

“That’s… that’s crazy!” exclaimed Bob. He scowled at Cousin Anna’s husband, who was energetically sweeping the earth in the back yard with a broom.

“He’s already swept the ground under the trees,” said Pete. “He was finishing there when I woke you.”

“Hmmm,” mused Jupe. “Looks as if he’s deliberately erasing any possible sign of Mr. Jensen’s attacker. Very curious.” He stepped to the door, opened it, and padded out onto the back porch in his stocking feet. “Good morning,” he said brightly.

Havemeyer jumped slightly, then smiled. “Morning,” he greeted Jupe. “Sleep okay after all the excitement?”

“Like a log,” Jupiter assured him. “You’re up early.” Jupiter looked pointedly at the broom.

Havemeyer picked up the trash can which had been overturned and began to sweep the debris around the porch steps into a neat pile. “Got a lot to do” he told Jupe. “Want to get the trash all cleaned up or we’ll have more bears roaming around here than you can shake a stick at. And after breakfast I’m going to work on the swimming pool. Go put your shoes on and I’ll show you.”

He deposited the trash in the can, then covered it and started up the porch steps.

Pete and Bob were standing innocently near the sink when Havemeyer and Jupe stepped into the kitchen.

“Morning,” said Havemeyer. “Want to see my pool?”

The three boys got their shoes and followed Havemeyer to the excavation fifty feet behind the inn.

“I had a couple of men come up from Bishop with heavy equipment to do the actual digging,” said Havemeyer. “I’ll put up the forms and pour the concrete myself, but I figured I’d be at it all year if I tried to dig it myself.”

“I see what you mean,” said Pete. “That must be ten feet deep!”

“Twelve,” said Havemeyer.

“But,” said Pete, “there’s no shallow end.”

“That’s right,” Havemeyer said.

Pete frowned. “I never., saw a pool like this. If you don’t have a shallow part, what about the people who can’t swim and just like to go in and bob around?”

“I see you get the idea,” said Havemeyer. “People who can’t swim won’t be able to use the pool. I once saw a man who couldn’t swim lose his footing in a pool. It wasn’t funny.”

“Oh,” said Pete.

Hans and Konrad hallooed cheerfully from the house.

“We’re out here,” called Havemeyer.

The brothers came hurrying down the steps and across the yard. “Ho!” said Hans, when he caught sight of Havemeyer’s excavation. “Swimming pool, huh?” He had the air of one who is determined to be pleasant.

“The swimming pool,” said Havemeyer.

“You are making it yourself?” asked Konrad.

Havemeyer nodded. “It’ll keep me out from under Anna’s feet for a while.”

“Making a pool is hard work,” said Hans. “We have a holiday. We will help.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” said Havemeyer quickly. “You’re on your vacation. I wouldn’t think of having you… ”

“What better thing can we do with our vacation than help our cousin’s husband?” said Konrad. The words were friendly enough, but Konrad’s voice was very firm, as if he would not stand for any argument.

Havemeyer shrugged and began to explain his plans for the pool to the brothers. The Three Investigators wandered back toward the inn.

 “Hans and Konrad have just earned the right to stay here,” murmured Jupe. “Helping with the pool will give them an excuse to stick around and find out more about Joe Havemeyer.”

“I’m not sure his head is screwed on the right way,” declared Pete. “I mean. I never saw a swimming pool that didn’t have a shallow end.”

Breakfast that morning was a tense meal. Mr. Jensen spoke to no one. and he avoided even looking at Mr. Smathers. Mr. Smathers openly disapproved of eating eggs and was horrified when Cousin Anna carried in a platter of sausages. Cousin Anna herself ate almost nothing. She sat and twisted the wedding ring on her finger, urging everyone to have second helpings. Havemeyer refused, and he and Hans and Konrad went out to the back yard to start work on the pool. Mr. Smathers took a muffin, stuffed it in his shirt pocket, and went out and down the road toward the campground. Mr. Jensen said a rather sullen thank you to Anna and announced that he had business in Bishop.

Cousin Anna looked sadly at the leftover food. “I think no one was very hungry,” she said to the boys.

“Everything was very good,” said Jupiter quickly. “In fact, you remind me of my Aunt Mathilda.”

“Aunt Mathilda?” Anna said. “Oh, yes. The lady who has been so kind to Hans and Konrad.”

“She’s a great cook, too,” Jupiter told her.

Pete chuckled, “That accounts for Jupe's heft.”

“Aunt Mathilda and I are going on a diet,” said Jupe, “as soon as I get back to Rocky Beach.”

Bob laughed. “I’ve heard that before. I’ll believe it when I see it. Baby Fatso.”

“All right! All right!” Jupe was so nettled that he almost shouted.

“Baby Fatso?” said Anna. “I think I have heard that name before.”

“If you watch the late, late, late show on television, you may catch Jupe. He was a child star — practically an American institution.”

“Oh, yes. Hans and Konrad did not write to me about that.” Anna brightened suddenly. “They write always that you are clever boys and can find out about things.”

“You saw our card,” said Jupe stiffly. He was still smarting slightly after the rebuff of the day before.

“The card? Yes, and I think I have been very foolish. I have looked everywhere and I cannot find my key. It is very important. Perhaps you will find it for me.”

“You wish to retain The Three Investigators?” asked Jupe.

“Retain? What is this retain?”

 “Jupe only means that you authorize us to search for the missing key,” Bob explained. “Sometimes there is a fee for our services, but not in this ease. We are freeloading here, and the food is delicious,”

“Way ahead of that canned stuff we brought when we thought we’d be staying in the campground,” said Pete.

“Thank you.” Anna smiled. “Retain. Yes, I wish to retain you to find the key. It is so silly. You see, when I left here to go to Lake Tahoe, I did not wish to carry the key with me, so I hid it in some clever place. Now I do not remember where I put it. I was so clever that I fooled myself.”

“What does the key look like?” asked Jupiter.

“It is small,” said Anna. “Like this.” She held up her hand with thumb and forefinger about two inches apart. “It is the key to my safe deposit box.”

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