The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints - M. V. Carey [17]
Tom hunched forward and hugged his knees. “Makes you feel invisible,” he declared. “This thing’s like some kind of a bad dream. I’d say we ought to hightail it out of here and get back home, only …”
“Only, if you did that, you’d never know the answer, would you?” said Jupiter. “I would suggest that you employ a firm of private investigators.”
“Hey, we couldn’t do that!” protested Tom. “We aren’t wracked in poverty, but we aren’t exactly rolling in the green stuff either. Private investigators cost money.”
“You’ll find this firm very reasonable,” said Jupiter. He took a card out of his pocket and handed it to Tom. It was an oversized business card, and it read: THE THREE INVESTIGATORS
“We Investigate Anything”
? ? ?
First Investigator – Jupiter Jones
Second Investigator – Peter Crenshaw
Records and Research – Bob Andrews
Tom read the card and smiled a wry smile. “You’re putting me on,” he said.
“I am quite serious,” Jupiter told him. “Our record is very impressive.”
“Why the question marks?” asked Tom.
“I knew you would ask that,” said Jupiter. “The question mark is the universal symbol of something unknown. The three question marks stand for The Three Investigators, and we are prepared to solve any mystery which may be brought to us.
You might say that the question marks are our trademark.”
Tom folded the card and tucked it into his shirt pocket. “Okay,” he said. “So if The Three Investigators take on the case of the missing grandfather, what then?”
“First,” said Jupiter, “I suggest that any agreement between us remains between us.
Your mother is already somewhat upset. She might, quite unwittingly, disturb any arrangements we might make.”
Tom nodded. “Grown-ups do gum things up,” he said.
“Second, Officer Haines is right. I think it unwise that you and your mother remain in this house alone.”
“You mean you want us to go back to the Seabreeze Inn?”
“It will depend upon your mother, of course,” said Jupiter. “However, if you remain here, you would probably be more comfortable if one of the investigators stayed in the house with you.”
“I don’t know about Mum,” said Tom, “but I’d be a darn sight happier.”
“It’s settled then,” said Jupiter. “I’ll talk it over with Bob and Pete.”
“Jupiter!” Aunt Mathilda bustled out of the house. “We have finished putting up the other bed. I must say, you could have been a little more helpful.”
“Sorry, Aunt Mathilda. Tom and I got to talking.”
Aunt Mathilda sniffed. “I have been trying to persuade Mrs Dobson to return to the inn, but she insists that she will remain here. She has the ridiculous idea that her father will show up at any moment.”
“Perhaps he will,” said Jupiter. “This is his home.”
Mrs Dobson came out, looking pale but somewhat braver after her cup of tea.
“Well, my dear,” said Aunt Mathilda, “if there’s nothing more we can do for you, we’ll be going. If you get frightened, just call. And do be careful.”
Eloise promised that she would be most careful, and that they would lock the house securely.
“They’ll have to get a locksmith, you know,” said Aunt Mathilda as she, Jupiter, and Hans drove down the road towards Rocky Beach. “They can lock the doors from the inside, but they can’t unlock them from the outside. That crazy Potter must have all the keys with him. And they should have a telephone put in. It’s simply madness for them to be there without a telephone.”
Jupe agreed. When they reached the salvage yard, he slipped away and crawled through Tunnel Two to call Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews.
“The Three Investigators have a client,” he told Pete, “and this time, it is not Jupiter Jones!”
Chapter 7
A Royal Tragedy
IT WAS after five when The Three Investigators met in their trailer Headquarters.
Jupiter reported briefly on the Dobsons’ move to The Potter’s house, and on the flaming footprints which had appeared in the kitchen.
“Good grief!