The Mystery of Sinister Scarecrow - M. V. Carey [38]
“Hey, what’s the matter?” Bob appeared in the doorway. “The water’s boiling! Are you deaf?”
Jupe didn’t answer, and Bob went to the stove and turned off the heat under the kettle.
“Jupe?” Pete had come into the kitchen. “What is it? What’s up?”
“I’ve got it!” shouted Jupe. “Chief Reynolds!”
He jumped up and began to run — and almost collided with the chief in the kitchen doorway.
“Well?” said Chief Reynolds.
“Look!” Jupe was so excited that his hands shook. “The note pad. Golden Fleece!
You see that there? And here in the paper in the shipping news. The Golden Fleece, sailing under Panamanian registry, is due to leave San Pedro at nine-fifteen this evening. Chief, that’s less than an hour from now!”
Chief Reynolds seized the note pad. “Where’d you find this?” he demanded.
“Right here next to the telephone. The number on the pad is the number of the Short-Haul Trailer Company.
“Chief Reynolds, whoever rented the trailer sat here at the telephone and called.
He—or she—also noted that the Golden Fleece sails under Panamanian registry. The Burroughs couple were making last-minute plans to get the paintings out of the country. They’re headed wherever the Golden Fleece is going!”
“I’ll be switched!” said Chief Reynolds.
“You have to stop that ship!” cried Jupiter.
Chief Reynolds picked up the telephone and dialed the operator. He demanded to be connected immediately with the harbour master at San Pedro. When he got the harbour master, he identified himself and demanded that the Golden Fleece be delayed.
“I’ll be there in half an hour,” he said, “but you’d better not let that ship cast off!”
He then hung up the telephone.
Gerhart Malz came into the kitchen. “Mrs. Chumley sent me to find out what’s going on here,” he said. “I’ve never seen a woman so eager for her tea.”
“Jupiter will make the tea in a minute,” said Chief Reynolds. “I want you, Malz.”
“What?” Malz looked startled.
“I want you to come with me to San Pedro. Jupiter here thinks that our criminals are aboard a ship called the Golden Fleece. I’ve asked that she not be allowed to sail before I get there. You can come with me to identify the stolen paintings — if they’re aboard.”
“My word!” said Malz.
“Don’t we get to go?” cried Pete. “Or Jupe at least? He found the clue, didn’t he?”
“And he will be the first one I call when we have the paintings,” said Chief Reynolds. “Come along, Mr. Malz.” He took the curator by the arm and ushered him out the kitchen door.
“Well, darn!” cried Pete. “That’s not fair!”
Jupiter said nothing. He put the kettle on again, and when it boiled he made tea.
Bob found cups and saucers and some little cakes, and Pete discovered a plate of sandwiches in the refrigerator. The boys put everything on a tray and Pete carried it to Mrs. Chumley’s room.
“How nice,” said Mrs. Chumley. “I’m simply starving. Letitia, we’ve had almost nothing to eat today.”
“I’m not hungry,” said Letitia Radford.
“I am,” Mrs. Chumley declared. “My, these little cakes look good. Will you have some, Mr. Woolley? And Ben, how about you? Boys? And where is Gerry Malz?
Doesn’t he want his tea?”
“He and Chief Reynolds have left for San Pedro,” said Jupe. “They’re going to see if Burroughs and his wife are on board a ship called the Golden Fleece.”
Mrs. Chumley had started to pour a cup of tea. She stopped and put the teapot down on the tray, as if the task were suddenly too much for her.
“While the chief is gone, perhaps we can have a talk, Mrs. Chumley,” said Jupe,
“and you can tell us how you and the Burroughs couple agreed on your share of the loot!”
Chapter 21
An Unexpected Exit
LETITIA RADFORD HAD BEEN lounging on the sofa opposite Mrs. Chumley. She sat up straight now. “I don’t think I heard right,” she said. “Would you mind repeating that?”
“I said that I want to discuss how Mrs. Chumley and the Burroughs couple agreed on her share of the loot from the robbery.” Jupe’s round face was solemn.
Pete and Bob took seats near the window. The summer twilight was deepening, blurring