The Mystery of the Magic Circle - M. V. Carey [15]
“Hey, that’s crazy!” cried Pete. Then he grinned. “What time do we start?”
Chapter 7
The Creature in the Dark
IT WAS DUSK when The Three Investigators reached the spot where the narrow gravel road to Bainbridge’s ranch crossed the paved mountain road that wound up through the Malibu hills. Jupe stopped, resting on the seat of his bike. Pete and Bob drew level with him, and Jupe pointed to the left.
“The Bainbridge place is down that way,” he said. “I’ve gone over a map of this area. There are several places where a coven could meet, if Bainbridge is going to pay attention to the rules. One is this crossroads right here. One is the grove of trees behind her house — the place that was once a cemetery. And one is about half a mile north of her house, where two footpaths meet. I suggest we spread out to make sure we don’t miss Bainbridge if she leaves her property.”
Jupe dug into a knapsack that was strapped to the handlebars of his bicycle.
“There’s a dog, so we’ve got to be careful,” he warned. “We can’t get too close to the house. I brought the walkie-talkies.”
He produced three small radio sets which he himself had rigged up in his workshop at the salvage yard. Each set was a little larger than a regular transistor radio, and consisted of a combined speaker and microphone. There were also three belts with copper wire sewn to them, and each had a lead-in wire which could be plugged into a radio. The belt with the wire acted as an antenna, and the little radios operated like Citizens’ Band radios, broadcasting for about half a mile. When the user wanted to speak into the microphone, he pressed a button on the side of the radio set.
When he wanted to listen, he released the button.
Jupe handed a radio set to Bob, and one to Pete. “I’ll watch from the hill behind that haunted-looking grove,” he said. “Bob, you can hide in among the lemon trees between the road and the house. Pete, your post can be on the north side of the house
— that’s the left side. There’s a field there with some tall grass that you can use for cover. If Madeline Bainbridge leaves the house tonight, we’ll spot her no matter which way she goes. Keep an eye out for cars, and for other people walking around. They might lead us to a Sabbat.”
The other two boys murmured in agreement and took the radios. The three then rode down the gravel road to the front gate of the Bainbridge ranch. There they hid their bikes in the tall grass beside the road, and separated. Bob’s slim figure disappeared among the lemon trees. Pete went on down the gravel road towards the north side of the property. Jupe trudged up through the fields, skirting the house and the grove of live oaks. On the hillside behind the grove he found a clump of manzanita. He crouched behind the shrub and held his walkie-talkie to his mouth.
“This is One,” he said softly. “Come in, Two.”
He released the button on the radio and listened. “This is Two,” said Pete’s voice.
“I’m in the field to the north of the house. I see lights in the house, at the back, and I see people moving around inside, but I can’t tell what they’re doing. Over.”
“Stay put,” ordered Jupiter. “How about you, Three?”
“I can see the front of the house from the lemon grove,” said Bob. “It’s all dark.
Over.”
“Now we wait,” said Jupiter. “Over and out.”
He leaned back against the hillside and studied the grove oaks which completely hid the ranch house from view. The trees looked even more sinister by moonlight than they had that afternoon. The moon was climbing into the sky now, casting intense black shadows under the gnarled limbs.
The radio in Jupe’s hand crackled.
“This is Two,” said Pete. “The lights in the house have just gone out. Now there are some little lights out in the back. Over.”
A tiny light flickered in the dark woods below. Then Jupe saw a second light. Then a third.
Jupe pressed the button on his radio. “They’re moving into the