The Mystery of the Magic Circle - M. V. Carey [36]
“I found this in a jar with a lot of other matches when I lit the stove to make coffee.
It’s from the Java Isles, that restaurant where Harold Thomas ate.”
“So Gray and Thomas probably were in touch,” said Jupe. “Gray could have been involved in some way with the theft of the films, with the theft of the manuscript, and even with the fire at Amigos Press.”
“Isn’t this fun?” said Clara Adams. “Like those nice old-fashioned movies where the heroine helps the detectives. We’re going to nail him!”
Chapter 18
The Search
IT WAS ALMOST four when The Three Investigators rode up in the elevator to Beefy’s apartment. They found the young publisher pacing and brooding.
“How was your lunch?” Bob inquired brightly.
“As lunches go, it wasn’t bad,” said Beefy. “But it was a lousy business conference.
I bought Marvin Gray the most expensive lunch on the menu, and I also ordered a couple of martinis for him. He ate and drank everything, and when he began to glow like a neon sign I decided he was ready. I told him the bad news about the Bainbridge manuscript.
“Well, it didn’t get to him right away. He’d been talking about Jefferson Long, and how tickled he was that Long was the one assigned by the television station to interview Madeline Bainbridge after her films were stolen. Then Bainbridge couldn’t see him. Gray really enjoyed that. Gray doesn’t like Long a bit. I guess Long was uppity to him in the old days, when Gray was just a chauffeur.
“How interesting,” said Jupiter.
“It gets more interesting,” said Beefy. “When Gray finally got the message that the Bainbridge memoirs were missing, he sat and blinked like a stuffed owl for a couple of seconds. Then he decided that it was all a terrible shame, but maybe not quite as terrible as I might think. He decided that maybe Madeline Bainbridge wouldn’t mind writing her memoirs all over again — provided I paid her double the amount of the advance we’d agreed on when she signed the contract.”
Beefy put his head in his hands and shuddered. “What a mess!” he said. “I’ve got to get going again on Amigos Press. I’ve got to rent an office and get the staff together and go to work. But it’s all going to take money, and I don’t have any money without Uncle Will. Maybe I don’t have any money even with Uncle Will, because if he shows up here he may be charged with arson. And the insurance company sure isn’t going to pay him for burning down his own property. And then Gray tells me I should double the advance I pay Madeline Bainbridge!”
Beefy look up at the boys. “I hope that very expensive lunch wasn’t a total waste of time,” he said. “Did you manage to talk with Madeline Bainbridge?”
“We sure did. Bob wrote up a report while we were coming here on the bus.”
Bob grinned and took his notebook out of his pocket. He then summarized briefly the events of the day. As Beefy listened, his woebegone expression gradually disappeared. By the time Bob finished, Beefy was grinning broadly.
“I’m off the hook!” he cried. “I don’t owe any advance!”
“You do not,” said Jupiter. “Also, we found evidence that Gray — as well as Thomas — dined at the Java Isles restaurant. Gray could have tipped Thomas off about the films. He could have been involved in that crime.”
“He could have planted the incendiary device at Amigos Press, too,” said Beefy.
“He had the opportunity, as did Thomas. What a relief! Of course, we’ll have to prove it. Nobody will take our word for it. Is there some way we can tie the fire to Gray, so we can clear Uncle Will? Wouldn’t the arsonist have to buy magnesium for his incendiary device, for example?”
“He would certainly have to get it somewhere,” said Jupe cheerfully. “Suddenly a number of things have become clear to me. Beefy, may we search your apartment?”
“Search?” Beefy sat up straight. “What for?”
“For the magnesium,” said Jupiter.
“Jupe, you’ve got to be kidding! You can’t really believe that Uncle Will set that fire. Look, I know he’s not the most lovable guy in the world, but he isn’t a criminal.
Can you picture him hiding in a corner