"Carey, M.V. - The Three Investigators 31 - The Mystery of the Scar-Faced Beggar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Carey M.V)

5

Mr. Bonestell's Story



"IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE!" said Mr. Bonestell. He fingered the design in the plastic tablecloth, and looked anxiously from Jupiter to Bob and from Bob to Pete. "They asked me not to come to work again until the robbery is cleared up. They didn't say I'm a robber, but I could tell. How could they think a thing like that? Do I look like a man who'd help rob a bank? Does this look like a place where crooks hang out?"

The boys looked at Mr. Bonestell, and then at his orderly kitchen. Jupe wanted to smile. He could not imagine Mr. Bonestell plotting a crime, and he could not believe thieves had ever conspired in this place. The house was so neat that it managed to have no character at all.

"Oh, gosh!" said Shelby. "My groceries!"

He disappeared into the service porch, and the boys heard the back door slam as he went outside.

"Why not begin at the beginning, Mr. Bonestell?" said Jupiter. "If you'll tell us everything you remember about the robbery, perhaps you'll recall some detail that you may have overlooked earlier."

Bonestell did not look hopeful. "Sebastian said it's harder to prove that a man is innocent--if he has no alibi, that is--than to prove that he's guilty."

"Well, are you sure you have no alibi?" said Jupe. "Stop and think about it. If you were one of the robbers, some of your time in the last few days would have been taken up with planning the robbery. And you would have to know the other robbers. Can you give an account of your activities for, well, for the last two weeks?"

Mr. Bonestell shook his head sadly.

"What about your friend Shelby? I take it he lives here. Can he tell much about what you've been doing for the past few days?"

Again Mr. Bonestell shook his head. "Shelby rooms here, but he isn't home much. He's a field representative for Systems TX-4. That's a computer company. He travels around advising companies that are putting in computer systems. He was gone all last week and over the weekend. A firm in Fresno is buying the TX billing system and he was working with them. He got home just a while ago. Even when he's home, he doesn't pay much attention. When I was with TX-4, he seemed much friendlier than he does now."

"You worked for Systems TX-4?" said Jupe.

"That's right, after they took over Jones-Templeton Office Machines." For the first time, a hint of pride showed in Mr. Bonestell's face. "I was with Jones-Templeton for over thirty years," he said. "I started there right after World War Two. I was in the mail room at first, and then I went into purchasing and worked my way up. At one time we had twelve people in the department, and I was second in command. That was while the kids were growing up'. It was a good place to be, and my kids had a good life. Stable, you know. Not all that moving around that some men get into."

Mr. Bonestell got up and went to the living room. He returned after a moment with a framed photograph. It was a picture of himself--a younger self with dark, thick hair. He was posed with a round-faced, fair-haired woman and two children.

"My wife, Eleanor," said Mr. Bonestell, indicating the woman. "We were married the year after the war ended. She died four years ago of congestive heart failure. She was very young to go that way."

He stopped and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry," said Jupiter.

"Yes. Well, these things happen. But it was lonely here with the children gone. My son is a production co-ordinator at Elliott Electronics in Sunnydale, and Debra is married now. Her husband is an insurance adjuster. They live in Bakersfield and they have two children.

"So that's a lot to be grateful for--to raise two kids and have them turn out well. But I wish they lived closer. They don't, though. They won't live at home again, so while I was still at TX-4 I started looking for someone to help with expenses. Shelby--Shelby Tuckerman--needed a place to live, so we got together.а.а.а."

The back door opened and Shelby came in carrying a brown paper bag. He went to the refrigerator and began to store away packages of frozen foods.

"About what happened last night," said Jupe after a moment. "Would you mind going over it for us?"