The Mystery of the Invisible Dog - M. V. Carey [14]
“What’s a mandala?” asked Pete.
Elmquist darted into his apartment and was back in a moment with a little book. “I’d love to have one,” he said eagerly. “It’s a kind of diagram of the cosmos. If you meditate on it, all the illusory things of life fade away and you become one with the universe.” He opened the book and showed a colourful drawing composed of overlapping triangles which were surrounded by a circle. The circle, in its turn, was edged about by a square.
“I don’t remember seeing anything like that in Mr. Prentice’s apartment,” said Pete.
“His is more complicated,” explained Elmquist. “His is from Tibet, and it shows some of the old deities that used to be worshipped there.”
Elmquist closed the little book. “I’m going to have my own mandala one day,” he said. “It will be designed for me by a guru. Now I just use the television.”
“Huh?” said Bob.
“The television,” repeated Elmquist. “It helps me get detached. I mean, I come home after spending all night checking people out at the market and making sure my register tallies, and I’m really fenced in. So I turn on the TV, but I don’t turn on the sound, see?
Then I stare at a place in the middle of the screen, or maybe in one corner of the screen. I don’t even try to notice what’s happening — I just look at the patterns of colour. Pretty soon I’m really away from the market, from everything. I’m not even here.”
“You’re asleep,” accused Bob.
Elmquist looked slightly abashed. “That’s … that’s the trouble with meditation,” he admitted. “Sometimes I get so peaceful that I do fall asleep and dream, only …”
He stopped talking. Mr. Prentice had come out of Mrs. Bortz’s apartment and stood at the foot of the stairs, looking towards the Three Investigators.
“I’m sorry,” said Jupiter to Elmquist. “We have to go.”
“Well, drop around any time I’m home,” said Elmquist eagerly. “If I’m not meditating, you know. I’ll be glad to tell you more about the mandala, and the … the trip I’m going to take.”
The boys thanked him and went to Prentice.
When they were inside Prentice’s apartment, the old gentleman sat down on one of his big low chairs.
“Mrs. Bortz had a key to this apartment, didn’t she?” prompted Jupe.
“Yes, she did,” admitted Prentice. “You were right when you said at the very beginning that there had to be a second key. That wretched woman! I have a special clause in my lease stipulating that my apartment is never to be entered by the manager. I may contact the Martin Company, which owns this building.”
“How did she get the key?” asked Bob.
“Very easily. When I was in Europe two months ago, she called a locksmith who often works for her. He wouldn’t question her authority. She told him she had lost the key for this lock, and that she had to get into the apartment to check for a leak in a pipe. He removed the lock and had a key made for her, then replaced the lock.”
“A curious woman,” said Jupiter.
“Curious to the point of mania,” agreed Fenton Prentice. “Well, that solves the mystery of who has been poking through my desk and snooping into my papers.
Naturally, I took the key from her. I am most grateful to you young men.”
Mr. Prentice smiled shyly at the boys and added, “You know, I’m quite relieved to learn that Mrs. Bortz was my intruder. I mean, that a real human being was coming in here. I think I must have imagined that shadowy presence. Really, it’s too ridiculous! I was so upset at the idea of someone invading my home, I must have been a little out of my mind! Mrs. O’Reilly’s ghost stories probably gave me ideas.” He shook his head, as if amazed at his own folly.
Jupe sat pinching his lower lip — a sign that he was thinking hard — and stared thoughtfully at the old man. Finally he smiled and said, “Well, that’s settled then. We’re happy to have been of service.” He got up to go. “Incidentally, Mr. Prentice, do