"Carey, M.V. - The Three Investigators 15 - The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints" - читать интересную книгу автора (Carey M.V)

"The very idea!" Aunt Mathilda bristled with indignation. "And look at your head. Jupiter, go in the house this minute. I'll get you an ice pack."

"Aunt Mathilda, it's all right, really."

"It is not all right. In the house. Now! Go!"

Jupiter went.

Aunt Mathilda brought him an ice pack. Also a peanut-butter sandwich and a glass of milk. By dinner time she had decided that his bump on the head was no worse than any one of a hundred other bumps he had survived. She clattered through the dinner dishes, left Jupiter to dry and put away, and went to wash her hair.

Uncle Titus gratefully went to sleep in front of the television set, and when Jupiter tiptoed out of the house, his big moustache was vibrating softly to the rhythm of his snores.

Jupiter crossed the street and circled round to the back of the salvage, yard. The yard's back fence was as fancifully decorated as the front fence. The painting depicted the great San Francisco fire of 1906, with terrified people fleeing from burning buildings. In the foreground of the scene, a little dog sat watching the excitement. One of his eyes was a knot in the wooden board. Jupiter deftly picked the knot out of the board, reached through the hole to undo a catch, and three boards swung open. This was Red Gate Rover. Inside, a sign with a black arrow pointed the way to "Office." Jupiter followed the direction of the arrow, crept under a pile of lumber, and came out into a corridor with junk piled high on every side. He made his way along the corridor until he came to several heavy planks which formed the roof of Door Four. He had only to get under these, crawl a few feet, and push on a panel--and he was in Headquarters.

Eight forty-five. He waited, reviewing the events of the day in his mind. At ten to nine Bob Andrews wriggled into the trailer. Pete Crenshaw put in his appearance promptly at nine.

"Do The Three Investigators have another client?" asked Pete brightly. He looked at the bruise on Jupe's forehead. "Like you, maybe?"

"Possibly," said Jupiter Jones. "Today The Potter disappeared."

"I heard about that," said Bob. "Your Aunt Mathilda sent Hans down to the market to pick up some stuff. He met my mother. Just walked away and left his truck here?"

Jupiter nodded. "That is exactly what he did. The truck is still parked beside the office. The Potter disappeared, and a number of other people appeared."

"Such as that woman who checked into the Seabreeze Inn after you got bonked on the bean?" questioned Pete.

"Rocky Beach is indeed a small town," murmured Jupiter.

"I met Officer Haines," Pete explained. "She claims she's The Potter's daughter. If she is, that kid with her must be his grandson. Crazy! That Potter's a funny old guy. You'd sure never suspect he had a daughter."

"He must have been young once," said Jupiter. "But Mrs Dobson and her son are not the only newcomers in Rocky Beach. There are two men at Hilltop House."

"Hilltop House?" Pete straightened up. "Has somebody moved into Hilltop House? That place is a wreck!"

"Someone at least visited there today," said Jupiter. "It was an interesting coincidence that they stopped at the salvage yard this morning to ask directions. The Potter was there at the time, which may also be an interesting coincidence. They saw him, and he saw them. And Hilltop House directly overlooks The Potter's shop."

"Did he know them?" asked Bob.

Jupe pulled at his lip, trying to recall every detail of the scene. "I could not say with any certainty that he did, or that they knew him. The driver, who seemed to be European, asked for directions, and the passenger--an odd-looking person with a completely bald head--became somewhat excited. They talked together for a moment in a foreign language. The Potter stood there, holding on to that medallion he always wears. After they left, he said he felt ill. I went to get him some water, and he disappeared."

"He was okay when he came into the yard?" asked Bob.

"Very okay," confirmed Jupiter. "He was expecting company, and he seemed pleased. But after the men came and asked about Hilltop House--"

"He disappeared!" said Bob.

"Yes. He walked away. Now I wonder, was he only holding that medallion out of habit, the way one would twist a button perhaps, or was he trying to cover it up?"

"It's an eagle, isn't it?" asked Bob.