The Mystery of the Invisible Dog - M. V. Carey [21]
Fenton Prentice thought a moment. “Usually in the late afternoon or evening, I would say. Perhaps earlier in the day once or twice.”
“Never in the middle of the night?”
“I’m usually asleep then, but I don’t recall seeing him the few times I’ve been awake late at night.”
Jupe nodded. “If it’s all right with you, then, we’d like to leave and come back later in the day. I have an idea for the next step in this case, one which will require some preparation in Rocky Beach. And I believe Pete and Bob have some chores to attend to.
You’ll be quite safe. The shadow is unlikely to appear before we return.”
The boys finished breakfast and left. As they came down the stairs into the courtyard, Sonny Elmquist sprang up from a pool chair.
“Hey, I hear you saw the phantom priest!” he said to Jupe. “I wish you had stopped by last night and let me know. I’m interested in things like that.”
“Let you know?” Jupe stared at Elmquist. “How could I let you know? You were at work, weren’t you?”
“I had the night off last night,” said Elmquist. “I don’t work all the time. Who does?”
“How’d you know Jupe saw the phantom priest?” demanded Pete.
“Easy. Mrs. O’Reilly told Mrs. Bortz. Mrs. Bortz told Hassell, and Hassell told me.”
The boys went down the stairs to the street with Elmquist trailing them.
“No kidding?” said Elmquist. “You really saw him?”
“I saw someone,” answered Jupe.
The boys left Elmquist in front of the building and went down the street to Wilshire.
“That Elmquist is weird,” said Pete when they were aboard the bus bound for Rocky Beach.
“Because he’s interested in ghosts and mandalas and Oriental thought?” said Jupe.
“That’s not so unusual these days.” He leaned back against his seat. “And you can’t really argue with some of his ideas. All great religions teach that too much interest in wealth and possessions is a bad thing.”
“The love of money is the root of all evil,” quoted Bob.
“Exactly. But I know what you mean, Pete. There is something strange about Elmquist. And his apparent ability to walk through walls is a real mystery!”
By 9.30 the Three Investigators were back in Rocky Beach. “I think it’s time we reviewed what we’ve learned,” announced Jupe as the boys left the bus stop. “Let’s go to Headquarters first.”
Ten minutes later the Investigators were seated around the old desk in their trailer.
“We now have three mysteries to solve,” said Jupe happily. “First, the shadow who haunts Mr. Prentice. Who is he and how does he get into the apartment? Next, the burglar who stole the Carpathian Hound. Who is he, and why has he been using the church? Finally, the phantom priest. Who’s that, and what, if anything, does he have to do with the other mysteries? Let’s take them in order.”
“I thought we already knew who the shadow was,” said Pete. “Both you and Mr.
Prentice recognized Sonny Elmquist.”
“True,” acknowledged Jupiter. “But we only caught brief glimpses. I hope you fellows get to see the shadow for yourselves sometime.”
“At least we know the shadow isn’t Mrs. Bortz,” put in Bob. “She walked right in with a key!”
Jupe nodded. “And she’s the wrong shape and size — much too heavy to be that skinny shadow person. Elmquist is the right build. But I just don’t see how he could get into Mr. Prentice’s apartment. And how can a person be in two places at the same time?
Both times I saw the shadow, Elmquist was asleep in his own apartment.”
Pete shrugged. “So maybe the shadow is someone else.”
“But Elmquist knew about the mandala,” Bob pointed out. “He described it accurately, so he must have seen it somehow. And Mr. Prentice certainly never invited him in.”
“So Elmquist is our chief suspect for the shadow,” concluded Jupe, “but we have no proof or explanation. Now, let’s tackle the burglar. The evidence suggests that he is someone from Mr. Prentice’s neighbourhood — perhaps even from his own building —
because he knew where to get a key to the church. Who in that neighbourhood knew about the Carpathian Hound and its value?”
“The shadow?” guessed Pete. “Maybe the shadow saw papers in Mr.