The Mystery of Sinister Scarecrow - M. V. Carey [22]
Woolley sighed. “She isn’t a clever woman and she can be rude and irritating,” he said. “But I can’t imagine that she’s ever willingly hurt anyone.”
“Could she have hurt someone without intending to?” Jupe asked. “You said once that she had been engaged to marry a number of times, and that no marriage ever took place. Perhaps she jilted someone.”
“According to Mrs. Chumley, Letitia doesn’t jilt people,” said Woolley. “She’s the one who gets jilted.”
“Oh?” said Jupiter.
“Yes. Mrs. Chumley has also hinted that some of her fiancés were unsuitable and that Letitia’s brother paid them to get lost. Some were adventurers of the worst kind, only out for her money and willing to be bought off. And I guess some simply got fed up with her. She’s hard to be with for any length of time.”
Jupe nodded. “Where is she now?”
“In Beverly Hills at the moment, but she won’t be there long,” said Woolley. “She calmed down last night and decided that the spider that ran over her foot didn’t do it on purpose. Mrs. Chumley persuaded her to go into Beverly Hills for a few days and enjoy herself.
“I went up to the big house this afternoon to borrow some coffee, and Mrs.
Burroughs told me Letitia had bumped into an old boyfriend in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. It upset her so much that she called and said she’s coming home tonight.
“Mrs. Chumley tried to persuade her to move to another hotel and forget it, but she wouldn’t. She’s coming back here.”
Hardly were the words out of Woolley’s mouth when the boys heard a scream.
“She’s arrived!” said Pete, and he started for the door.
Jupe and Bob were close behind him as he ran up the hill. Charles Woolley followed, muttering angrily.
It was almost dark now. The screaming went on. Letitia Radford sounded more terrified than they had ever heard her.
“No!” she shrieked. “No! Don’t! Please don’t!”
The shrieks broke off, and there was violent weeping. And then, bearing down on the boys like some fearful hobgoblin, came the scarecrow!
The terrace lights went on above them and they caught a glimpse of the scarecrow’s grinning face — a face made of coarse material that puckered around the neck where it was gathered and tied with a cord. Eyes glittered in black triangles on the face, beneath the brim of a black hat. Just like the scarecrow on the fence, this one wore an old corduroy jacket with straw sticking out of the sleeves. The creature stood still for an instant when it saw Woolley and the boys, and Woolley gasped in horror.
The scarecrow carried a scythe!
“Watch out!” shouted Pete.
With a low, gurgling laugh, the scarecrow raised the scythe and made a sweeping motion. Then it charged toward The Three Investigators, and the hideous weapon in its gloved hands swung up!
“Oh, no!” breathed Bob. He threw himself aside, out of the way of the deadly curved blade.
Jupe tried to run, but he
stumbled and fell, hands
clutching at his head and
body doubled over to shield
himself
from
the
fiend’s
attack.
Pete stood as if paralyzed.
The handle of the scythe
connected with his forehead.
An instant later he was
stretched on the ground, and
the scarecrow was crashing
away down the hill. Woolley
jumped to get out of its way.
The boys heard the thing
dash through the eucalyptus grove. Then there was silence.
“Pete!” said Bob. “Pete, are you okay?”
Pete sat up slowly and rubbed his head. “Yeah. It didn’t hit me hard. I just … just couldn’t seem to get out of the way.”
“You might have been killed by that thing!” exclaimed Woolley.
“Listen!” Jupe looked toward the top of the hill.
Letitia Radford was making a low, whimpering sound, like a small animal that has been injured. There were lights on in front of the Radford house, and the boys could hear Burroughs and Mrs. Chumley. They both seemed to be trying to comfort Letitia.
The Three Investigators reached the house in time to see Burroughs help Letitia up the steps to the front door. Mrs. Chumley sat in the hall behind Burroughs, looking anxious. Letitia’s convertible stood in the driveway.