The Mystery of the Magic Circle - M. V. Carey [29]
No one would come to help him. He felt a surge of panic. No one would ever come!
Chapter 14
The Mysterious Second Man
BEEFY’S CAR ROARED DOWN the street, then screeched to a stop at the entrance of the wrecking yard. Bob and Jupe tumbled out and darted into the office.
Bob looked wildly around the empty shack. “Where is he?” he said. “This has got to be the place. It’s the only wrecking yard near here.”
Beefy stumbled through the doorway. “There’s a man coming,” he reported. “He looks as if he might work here.”
The boys went to the door. A man with thick, curly black hair was striding up the drive, coming from some far corner of the yard. He wore overalls that were stained with grease. “Anything I can do for you folks?” he said cheerfully when he saw Beefy and the boys at the office.
“We’re looking for a friend,” Jupe told him. “He said he’d meet us here. Have you seen a boy about our age? A tall boy who’s muscular and rugged-looking?”
“Sorry,” said the man. “Haven’t seen anyone like that today.”
“But he must have been here!” said Jupiter. “Are you sure you didn’t see him?” In spite of himself, Jupe’s voice went up. It was rough now with fear and anxiety.
“I haven’t seen anybody,” insisted the man. “Now look, kid, I’m sorry if you missed your friend, but this is a wrecking yard, not a hangout for kids. And I can’t be at this gate non-stop. Hey! Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
“Pete’s here!” declared Jupe. He had darted past the salvage man and stood in the drive staring at the yard — at mounds of heaped-up car parts, bumpers and doors and engine blocks and rims — and at mountains of balding tyres. “He saw something. It was something important, and he called. And somebody got to him before he could give us the message. He’s here. I know it!”
Bob started suddenly and touched Jupe’s shoulder. “The trunk of one of these wrecks,” he said. “If I had to get rid of somebody quickly, that’s where I’d put him!”
The man scowled at the two boys. “You kids are crazy!” he said, but there was an edge of doubt in his voice. “Nobody’d put your friend in one of those cars. Hey, you’re kidding me, aren’t you?”
“Pete!” Jupe shouted. “Pete! Where are you?”
There was no answer.
“You’re not kidding, are you?” said the man, after a second. He stared about at the acres of rusting, ruined cars. “There must be about a hundred cars here that still have their trunk lids,” he said. “It could take all day to find the right one.”
“No,” said Jupiter firmly. “If he’s hidden in one of these old cars, we can get to him quickly.”
Jupiter began to walk through the jumble of auto bodies. He stepped along purposefully, his eyes darting to one side and then the other. Beefy and Bob trotted after him, and the man in the overalls trailed behind, looking worried. “That kid—
your pal — he could be having heat prostration if he’s locked up in one of these things.”
Jupe didn’t answer. He had stopped beside the body of an old blue Buick. He pointed. There was a thick coat of dust over the remains of the car, but on the lid of the trunk there was a place where the dust had been disturbed and the paint showed through, clear and still fairly blue.
“Was that trunk lid open before now?” demanded Jupe.
“It … it could have been,” said the man.
“Get a crowbar, will you?” said Jupe. “I think someone saw the open trunk lid, shoved Pete inside, then slammed the trunk shut, disturbing that dust!”
The salvage man didn’t question Jupe
now.
He
disappeared
briefly,
then
returned with a crowbar. He jammed the
tool in under the trunk lid. Then he and
Beefy both leaned on the crowbar. Metal
groaned as the trunk lid was forced open.
“Pete!” Bob darted forward.
Pete lay curled in the trunk. He didn’t
stir.
“Good grief!” The salvage man raced
off towards the office. He returned in
seconds with a towel which was soaked
and dripping.
Pete was sitting up by this time, with
Jupiter supporting him one side and Bob
on the other.
“Okay,” he said. His voice was barely a
whisper. “I’m okay. Just hot in