The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints - M. V. Carey [23]
And a man from the Lapathian Board of Trade leases a house overlooking The Potter’s shop. This suggests a number of interesting possibilities.”
“Like The Potter is really a Lapathian?” said Bob.
“Also, that we might pay a visit to Hilltop House, tonight,” said Jupe firmly.
Chapter 9
Hilltop House
BOB AND JUPITER slipped out of The Jones Salvage Yard through Red Gate Rover and hurried towards the place where a hiking trail meandered in a series of switchbacks to the top of Coldwell Hill.
“We could take the coward’s way out,” said Bob, looking up towards the top of the hill. “We could take our bikes up to The Potter’s and leave them there and walk up the lane to Hilltop House.”
“That would scarcely be the coward’s way out,” said Jupiter. “We do not know what brought those two men to Hilltop House. I would prefer to approach the place without being seen. It is unlikely that they are watching the path, but they might easily spot us if we attempted to walk up their lane from the main road.”
“You’re right,” admitted Bob. He turned to look back towards the sea. The sun had already disappeared behind a bank of fog that lurked offshore. “It’ll be dark before we can get back here.”
“We should have no difficulty,” said Jupiter Jones. “The moon will be up shortly.”
“You checked the almanac?” asked Bob.
“I checked the almanac.”
“Silly of me to ask,” said Bob, and he started up the trail. Jupiter followed more slowly, panting as the going got steep, and stopping now and then to rest. But after ten minutes he had his second wind and climbed more easily. “Here it is,” said Bob finally.
He turned and held out a hand to Jupe to help him up on to the trail that ran along the crest of the hill, “It’ll be a cinch from here,” he said. “We’ll be on a downgrade all the way to Hilltop House.”
Jupe stood for a few seconds, looking north along the trail. It was almost dark and the moon was not yet up. Still, the road — almost eight feet of bare earth scraped clear of growth — looked like a tawny ribbon stretching along the top of the range of hills. The scrub oak that crowded close to its sandy surface seemed black and menacing in the fading light.
“What do you expect to find tonight?” questioned Bob.
“Most certainly the two strangers who stopped at the salvage yard,” said Jupiter.
“One of them, we assume, is Mr. Demetrieff of the Lapathian Board of Trade. The other could be almost anyone. It will be interesting to see how they are amusing themselves at Hilltop House.”
Jupiter began to walk, and Bob stepped briskly along beside him. The moon edged up beyond the hills, silvering the road and throwing deep black shadows beside the boys. There was little conversation until the hulking, dark mass of Hilltop House came into sight ahead and to their left. The upper storeys of the place were dark, but a light gleamed faintly in one of the lower rooms.
“I explored that house once,” said Bob. “I think that light is in what used to be the library.”
“Windows could use a cleaning,” murmured Jupiter, “and that does not look like an electric lamp.”
“No. More like a lantern or a paraffin lamp. Well, give them a chance. They just moved in yesterday.”
A little stream bed ran down the hill from the trail and curved past Hilltop House.
It was summer-dry now, and the boys stepped into it silently, feeling step by step for any loose pebbles which might slide and send them tumbling. They almost crawled for the last fifty feet before the bed turned and ran beside the retaining wall that held the driveway of Hilltop House firm.
Jupiter pulled himself up over the retaining wall and on to a paved apron at the rear of the house. The big Cadillac stood outside a triple garage. Jupiter walked once around the car, saw that it was empty, and decided to ignore it.
The windows that looked out on to the rear area were black. There was a door with a pane of glass set into the upper half, and it was locked. “Kitchen,” decided Jupiter.
“The servants’ quarters are upstairs,” said Bob.
“They have hardly had time to acquire servants,