The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints - M. V. Carey [28]
“A free country?” The general blinked and ran a hand over his hairless chin. “Yes.
Yes, I have heard that before. He said nothing to you? You swear it?”
“He said nothing,” declared Jupiter. He stared straight at the general, unblinking.
“I see.” The general stood up and walked to Jupiter. He looked at him for half a minute, then sighed. “Very well, Demetrieff. We will let them go. He is telling the truth.”
The younger man protested. “It’s mad! Too much of a coincidence!”
The general shrugged. “A pair of children, curious as all children are curious. They know nothing.”
The belt was removed from Jupiter’s head. Bob, who had not realized that he was holding his breath, let out a great gasp of relief.
“We should call your excellent police, who do not look for people,” snapped Demetrieff. “We should tell them that you have broken the law. You have trespassed on this property.”
“You talk about breaking the law!” exclaimed Bob. “If we told what happened here tonight …”
“You will not tell,” said the general. “What really happened tonight? I asked about a famous artisan, and you informed me that you did not know his whereabouts. What could be more natural? The man has achieved some fame. He has been written about in your periodicals. As for this –” the general tossed the gun in his hand – “as for this, Mr. Demetrieff has a permit for the gun, and you were trespassing. Nothing has occurred. We are being generous. You may go now, and do not return.”
Bob was up instantly, pulling Jupiter along with him.
“You will find it convenient to use the lane,” said the general. “And remember, we will be watching you go.”
The boys did not speak until they were away from the house and hurrying down the drive that led from Hilltop House to the highway.
“Never again!” exclaimed Bob.
Jupiter looked up and back at the stone buttress of the terrace. Demetrieff and the general stood there, plain in the moonlight, motionless and watching.
“Malignant pair,” said Jupiter. “I have a distinct feeling that General Kaluk has presided over other inquisitions.”
“If you mean he’s used to giving the third degree to people, I couldn’t agree more,” said Bob. “Nice that you have an honest face.”
“It was even nicer to be able to tell the truth,” said Jupiter.
“Yeah! You did that, didn’t you?”
“I tried. One can consider one’s daughter a friend from the Midwest.”
The road curved then, and Hilltop House was lost to sight behind a clump of brush on the boys’ left. And then, from lower on the hill, there was a muffled sound and a flash of flame. Something, or some things, whizzed over Bob’s head and spattered into the brush.
“Get down!” cried Jupiter.
Bob dropped on his face, Jupe beside him. The two waited, not daring to move.
There was a crackling in the underbrush off to the right. Then there was quiet, except for the scolding of some night bird.
“Buckshot?” wondered Bob.
“I think so,” Jupiter decided. He got to his hands and knees and crawled forward until they had rounded yet another turn in the lane. Bob followed him. When they had gone perhaps fifty yards in this fashion, both boys leaped up and sprinted for the main road.
The gate at the bottom of the drive was closed. They did not pause to see whether the lock was in place. Jupe climbed over and Bob hurdled the barrier in one leap. The two raced down the road to The Potter’s gate and burst through that, stopping only when they had reached the shelter of The Potter’s front porch.
“That shot!” gasped Jupiter. “It couldn’t have come from Hilltop House.
Demetrieff and the general were standing on the terrace there as we came around the bend in the road.” He stopped to let his breathing quiet. Then, “Someone was waiting on the hill with a gun. Bob, there’s a third man involved!”
Chapter 11
The Ghost Returns
JUPITER JONES had his hand on the doorbell of The Potter’s house when a window upstairs was thrown open and Eloise Dobson’s voice called out.
“Who’s there?” Mrs Dobson demanded.
Jupiter stepped back away from the door and out from under the roof of the porch.