The Mystery of the Magic Circle - M. V. Carey [10]
“I can’t do it,” said Beefy. “I’d blow it for sure. Gray would guess right away that something was up.”
“Take Jupe with you,” suggested Pete. “He’s an expert at getting information from people, and they don’t even know they’ve told him anything.”
Beefy looked at Jupe. “Can you do that?” he asked.
“Usually I can,” said Jupe.
“Very well.” Beefy took an address book out of his pocket and headed for the telephone.
“You’re not calling Marvin Gray?” said his uncle.
“I certainly am calling him,” said Beefy, “and Jupe and I are going to see him this afternoon!”
Chapter 5
The Haunted Grove
“WORTHINGTON TELLS ME you boys operate as a team,” said Beefy Tremayne. He and Jupiter were in his car, speeding north on the Coast Highway. “He says Bob is a good researcher, and Pete’s the athlete of the group, and that you’re a whiz at taking a few clues and figuring out what they mean. He also says that you’re a mine of miscellaneous information.”
“I enjoy reading,” said Jupiter, “and fortunately I remember most of what I read.”
“Lucky for you,” said Beefy. “You couldn’t have a handier talent.”
The car slowed and turned off the highway on to a side road just outside the coastal community of Malibu. Beefy was silent as he drove up into the hills above the sea. After five minutes he braked again and left the curving mountain road for a narrow gravel road. He went on for a quarter of a mile, then pulled to a stop in front of a rustic gate. A sign over the gate indicated that they had reached the Half-moon Ranch.
“I don’t know what I expected,” said Beefy, “but it wasn’t anything like this.”
“It does look very ordinary,” said Jupe. “You’d expect that a movie star who is also a recluse would live in a palatial mansion or at least have a ten-foot wall around her estate. There isn’t even a lock on that gate.”
Jupe got out of the car and held the gate open while Beefy drove through. Then Jupe got in and they headed up the driveway through a grove of lemon trees.
“It’s strange that Gray didn’t mention the sale of Bainbridge’s films to you when he brought the manuscript in yesterday,” said Jupiter.
“Very strange,” Beefy agreed. “It will make a big difference in sales for the book.”
“Was it Gray who chose you to be Bainbridge’s publisher?” Jupe asked.
“I’m not sure,” said Beefy. “He called me about six weeks ago and said that Bainbridge wanted to publish her memoirs. It’s common knowledge that he handles all of her affairs, and he seemed to know what he was doing. I didn’t ask him why he chose Amigos Press. I wonder if he’s really as sharp as he appears to be. He should have let me know about the sale of the films.”
The car emerged from the lemon grove, and a white frame ranch house came into view. It was large and plain, with a verandah that stretched across the front. Marvin Gray stood on the steps, squinting in the sunlight.
“Good afternoon,” said Gray as Beefy clambered out of the car. “I saw your dust as you came through the trees.”
Gray frowned slightly at Jupe. “And who might this be?” he asked.
“My cousin, Jupiter Jones,” said Beefy. His face flushed as he embarked on the cover story that he and Jupe had prepared. It was plain that he was not used to telling even small lies. “You saw him yesterday at Amigos Press,” he went on. “He’s learning the business. And he’s taking a course in the history of motion pictures. I didn’t think you’d mind if he came with me to see Madeline Bainbridge’s home.”
“I guess it’s all right,” said Gray. “But I’m surprised that you’re here today, after the fire. I should think you’d have other things to attend to.”
“If I weren’t here, I’d be at home brooding about the fact that my office burned down,” said Beefy.
Gray nodded. He turned and led the way up the steps. Then, instead of