The Mystery of the Blazing Cliffs - M. V. Carey [22]
“The electricity on again?” said Pete.
“I’ve got the generators going,” said John Aleman.
“Oh, yeah,” said Pete. “I forgot.”
Hank Detweiler looked searchingly at Pete. “Don’t forget that Mr. Barron’s given orders about you boys,” he said. “You’re to stay off the meadow. We’ve posted a couple of guards up there to see that you do.”
“What does that mean?” said Elsie. “Is Mr. Barron really that worried about the boys, or is he expecting another visit by the people from outer space?”
“Probably a little of both,” said Detweiler. “He figures the flying saucer’s got to come back because they left some of their people here somewhere.”
“The ones who attacked us?” said Jupiter.
Detweiler scowled. “Not sure I believe one thing that’s happened,” he announced. “I’d give a sight to know where that guy in the spacesuit could be—him and his friends.”
“Maybe they went out over the cliffs,” Jupe suggested.
“Could have,” said Detweiler, and he let the subject drop.
The meal continued without further conversation. When they had finished, the Three Investigators excused themselves and went out to sit on the back steps. They were there when Charles Barron slammed out of his house and started up the drive towards the stable.
Barron stopped when he saw the boys. “Don’t you wander off again,” he warned. “If I hear that you’ve been up to the meadow—or anywhere near it—I’ll see that you’re locked up.”
“Yes, sir,” said Jupe.
Barron went on his way, and soon the woman named Maria came out of the big house.
She smiled at the boys and walked past them to one of the cottages up the lane.
When Maria was out of sight, Jupe stood and led the way to the front of the big house.
Mrs. Barron was waiting on the veranda. There were a number of cast-iron chairs and tables there, white-painted and formal, looking prickly and uncomfortable with their patterns of twisting vines and leaves. Mrs. Barron had seated herself on one of the chairs.
Her hands were folded primly in her lap, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. Jupe guessed that she regarded the inspection of her own house as an adventure.
The boys had decided that morning that only Jupiter would go through the Barron house with Mrs. Barron, and that while Jupe was in the house, Pete and Bob would try to discover what was happening among the soldiers who kept watch on the road.
“I’ll see you later,” said Jupe to his friends, “and you watch it when you get down near that fence.”
“You bet,” said Pete.
Jupe went up the front steps of the Barron house. Mrs. Barron rose and went ahead of him into the hall. When Jupe closed the door, the two of them stood for a moment, listening to the grandfather clock that ticked on the stair landing.
“Where do we begin?” said Mrs. Barron.
“This is as good a place as any,” said Jupe. He glanced into the formal parlour with its Turkish carpets and velvet chairs and settees. He saw nothing there that any thief could want. He turned away and went into the music room, where there was a baby grand piano, a few little gilt chairs, and some cabinets that held heaps of sheet music and a few children’s drawings.
“My boys did those when they were in primary school,” said Mrs. Barron. “I thought they were rather good.”
“Very nice,” said Jupe, privately thinking they were awful. He put the drawings back into the cabinet where he had found them and went on to the dining room. The sideboards there held some sterling silver.
“Silver is valuable,” said Jupe, “but I don’t think your things are worth the trouble of constructing an elaborate hoax. If a thief took your crockery, or your silver coffee service, and then had to fence the things—he wouldn’t get all that much.”
“I suppose not,” said Mrs. Barron.
In the kitchen there were cupboards crammed with supplies—preserves and jellies that had been produced at the ranch. The labels were dated and none was more than a year old.
When Jupe finished his inspection of the kitchen, he opened the door that led