The Mystery of the Invisible Dog - M. V. Carey [15]
“Why, yes. How did you know? Would you like to see it?”
At Jupe’s nod, the man led the way into the den and pointed out a framed design that hung on the wall over the desk. It was intricate and brightly coloured. A circle decorated with drawn scrollwork enclosed a square. Oriental deities or demons appeared in the four corners of the picture. The centre was composed of triangles overlapping triangles, intersecting one another and enclosing smaller circles in which tiny beings had been depicted.
Prentice said, “This belonged to a young artist I once knew who had travelled to Tibet. It was made especially for him. That was long ago. He has been dead for many years, and I acquired the mandala from his estate. I always admired it as a piece of design, although I know little of Eastern religions.”
“Mr. Prentice, has Sonny Elmquist ever been in this apartment?” asked Jupiter Jones.
“Certainly not,” said Prentice. “Except for that malignant specimen of womanhood who manages this place, no one else in the building has ever been here. I value my privacy, as you know. Least of all would I open the door to young Elmquist. He has a lot of half-baked ideas, and he doesn’t seem particularly clean.”
“No, he doesn’t,” agreed Jupe. “Have you had any occasion to send the mandala out for repair? Has it been framed lately, for example?”
Prentice shook his head. “It’s been hanging on that wall for more than ten years. It has only been taken down when the apartment has been painted. Why?”
“How would Sonny Elmquist know that you own a mandala?”
“He knows that?”
“He does. He even knows that it’s a Tibetan mandala. He has a book with a diagram somewhat like it, but much simpler.”
Prentice shrugged. “I can only guess that those tiresome newspapers mentioned I have a mandala in my collection. My friends in the art world know of it.”
Jupe nodded and headed for the door.
“Now, Jupiter,” said Mr. Prentice jovially. “Don’t you go looking around here for another mystery! One was quite enough!”
“You’re right, Mr. Prentice,” agreed Jupe. “And I’m glad we could solve it for you.
Feel free to call on us if you have any problems in the future.”
“I will, boys, I will.” Mr. Prentice shook hands all around and ushered the Investigators out.
The boys trooped downstairs and out to the street.
“Well, that’s that!” exclaimed Pete as they headed for their bus stop. “Must be the quickest case we ever solved! Now what are we going to do for the rest of Christmas vacation?”
“Stay out of The Jones Salvage Yard for one thing,” retorted Bob. “Aunt Mathilda is all too willing to fill up our time! You’re in for it now, Jupe!”
“Mmmnpf,” replied Jupe. His mind was on something else, and he hardly spoke a word all the way home to Rocky Beach.
As the boys parted outside the junkyard, Jupiter suddenly said, “Please stay close to your telephones, fellows. The Investigators may have more work to do soon. I don’t think we’ve heard the last from Fenton Prentice!”
He smiled mysteriously and waved good-bye.
Chapter 7
The Light in the Church
AUNT MATHILDA began scolding the minute she saw Jupiter enter the salvage yard.
“You went off this morning without so much as a by-your-leave! Writing a note and pinning it to your pillow is not at all the same as telling me where you’ll be! Jupiter, I had things planned—”
“It’s always slow at the salvage yard after Christmas,” Jupe pointed out. “And I’m free now. I can work for the rest of the day.”
“See that you do,” grumbled Aunt Mathilda. “Your uncle just brought in a whole load of small appliances. Sort them out and see what works and what can be fixed. I suppose you’ll end up buying half of them yourself.”
Jupiter grinned. He was always on the lookout for junk that could be fashioned into detective equipment. Headquarters was full of devices that he had repaired or rebuilt from odd parts — walkie-talkies, a loudspeaker for the phone, a tape recorder, a periscope. Most of the money that Jupe earned by working in the yard went into these items.
For the rest of the afternoon, Jupe happily sorted