The Mystery of the Blazing Cliffs - M. V. Carey [25]
But in addition, huge sums had gone to firms with names that Jupiter did not know. A company called Peterson, Benson, and Hopwith had received money from Barron on more than ten occasions, and the amounts varied from fifty thousand dollars to more than two hundred thousand. Numbers of cheques had been written to the Pacific Stamp Exchange, for sums that were stunning.
Jupe put aside the chequebook, frowning. He had seen nothing to indicate that Barron was interested in stamps. And Mrs. Barron had said that she and her husband weren’t collectors of any sort.
In addition to the chequebooks, there were papers in the desk—statements from a brokerage firm that had an office on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. They had sold several million dollars’ worth of securities for Barron over a period of eight months. Among the statements there was not a single notification that Barron had purchased any new securities. He had sold and sold and the brokers had forwarded cheques to him following each sale.
Jupe put the brokers’ statements back where he had found them and began to leaf through another stack of papers. These were invoices and notes, and again they had to do with purchases that Barron had made for the ranch. Jupe was impressed again with the enormous amounts Barron had spent on his fortress. The bill for lawn furniture alone was enough to furnish most homes from attic to cellar.
Jupe smiled at that particular invoice. It was for forty-three cast-iron chairs, Swedish ivy design, ten tables, same design, all to be made to Mr. Barron’s specifications as discussed, and to be delivered to Rancho Valverde within ninety days.
It was typical of the millionaire, Jupe supposed, that he had had lawn furniture made to order when he could have purchased it at almost any patio shop. But Charles Barron was used to having things exactly as he wanted them. Perhaps he hadn’t liked the designs or the craftsmanship of the furniture in patio shops.
Jupiter put the invoices back in place, closed the roll top, and locked the desk. He sat for a moment, bothered by a small, nagging feeling that he had seen something important.
While he was trying to think what it could be that pricked at the edge of his consciousness, he heard a sound below.
Someone had opened the kitchen door and come into the house. Someone was walking across the kitchen. The tread was heavy. It was not Mrs. Barron coming back.
Jupe came to his feet, took one soundless step, and knelt to put the keys into the compartment in the floor. He closed the loose floorboard over the hidden place and pulled the rug over the board.
The footsteps below sounded in the dining room and then in the hall.
Jupe looked around frantically. The footsteps were coming up the front stairs. There was no time for Jupe to get through the hall to the back stairs without being seen. Jupe was trapped!
Chapter 11
Bob Takes a Chance
AFTER JUPE LEFT THEM, Bob and Pete hiked down through the citrus groves to the fence that ran along the southern edge of Barron’s property. The boys crouched behind the thick hedge of oleanders that grew near the fence and looked out at the road.
A tent had been put up in the wilderness area across the road from the gate of the ranch.
Two men in uniform lounged on the ground in front of the tent and sipped something from tin cups. They resolutely ignored the ranch hand who was guarding the gate. He in turn ignored them. He was leaning against a gatepost and holding a rifle. His back was to the boys, who were hiding to the west of the gate.
Pete nudged Bob and pointed to a bulky piece of equipment that hung on a tree near the soldiers’ tent.
“What is it?” whispered Bob.
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s a field telephone,” said Pete.
As if to confirm this opinion, there was a tinny, jangling sound. One of the men got up and went to