The Mystery of the Monster Mountain - M. V. Carey [3]
“Who … who are you?” said Konrad. He couldn’t take his eyes off the gun.
The man didn’t answer. Instead, he repeated his question. “What are you doing?
Can’t you see that room is private? I ought to—”
“One moment!” Jupiter Jones’ voice cut into the tirade. Jupe stood as tall as he possibly could. “Perhaps you would care to explain yourself,” he said in the haughtiest tone he could manage.
“What?”
“It appears that this place has been searched,” said Jupe. “The police might be interested in knowing what you are doing here and why you are so quick with a gun.”
Jupiter was in no position to summon the police, and he knew it. However, his air of command bewildered the man with the
gun.
He frowned and lowered his weapon
until it pointed toward the floor. “You
want the police?” he said.
“It seems to me that the proper thing
to do would be to summon them,” said
Jupe in his precise fashion. “On the other
hand, it might be wiser to wait until Miss
Schmid returns from Bishop and have her
make the complaint.”
“Miss Schmid?” said the man. Then
he laughed. “Let me fill you in on a few
things,” he said.
Just then a car door slammed outside.
There were quick footsteps on the porch.
The front door opened and a tall woman
came in carrying a sack of groceries.
“Cousin Anna!” said Hans.
The woman stood still. Her eyes went
from the man with the gun to Hans and
Konrad, then to the boys, then back to
the man with the gun.
“Cousin Anna?” said Hans again. This time it sounded like a question.
“Cousin Anna?” said the man with the gun. “Good heavens! You must be Hans and Konrad from Rocky Beach! I didn’t recognize you from the snapshots Anna showed me. Why didn’t you say something? I might have shot you.”
“You are a friend of Anna?” asked Konrad.
“You might say so. Anna, you didn’t write to your cousins. You promised me you’d write to them before we went to Lake Tahoe.”
“Oh! Hans and Konrad!” The woman put the groceries down on a table, touched one hand to the thick blond braids which were wound around her head, then smiled a broad smile. “Hans and Konrad!”
She held out both hands to Hans, who went to her and kissed her on the cheek. “It has been so long,” she said.
Konrad elbowed his brother aside and kissed her, too.
“And look at you!” said Anna. “Such big strangers! I cannot tell.” She turned from one to the other. “No. Even though you send me pictures, I cannot tell which is Hans and which is Konrad.” Her voice was warm and full of amusement. She spoke quickly, almost without accent.
The brothers laughed and introduced themselves. They then presented Jupiter, Pete, and Bob.
“You have written me about these clever ones,” said Anna.
“Very smart boys,” Hans assured her.
Konrad said something in German and patted June.
Instantly, Anna’s smile vanished. “We will speak English,” she said.
Again Konrad spoke in German.
“I know,” said Anna. “It is more like home if we speak German, but we will speak English, if you please.”
She went to the man who still stood near the stairs and put her arm through his.
“My husband does not speak German. We will not be rude to him.”
“Your husband?” said Konrad.
“Anna!” exclaimed Hans. “When did you—”
“Last week,” said the man. “Anna and I were married in Lake Tahoe last week.
My name’s Joe Havemeyer.”
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then, “So that’s Cousin Anna’s surprise!” said Pete.
Anna laughed. Hans and Konrad hugged her and wished her well, and she showed them her wedding ring — a plain band of gold that fit loosely on the third finger of her left hand. Joe Havemeyer accepted the brothers’ congratulations.
Jupiter Jones hated unfinished business and unsolved mysteries. He waited until the laughter and the exclamations had run their course, then stepped into the office of Anna’s little inn and beckoned Anna to follow him.
“Look,” he said, waving a hand at the jumble of papers scattered on the floor.
“Someone must have come in while you were away and searched this room. You may want to call the police, or —”
Cousin