The Mystery of the Rogues' Reunion - Marc Brandel [45]
“It was mostly that coincidence with Footsie,” the First Investigator explained. “I figured it had to be Bonehead who locked me into the sound stage to keep me away from the first quiz. He was the only one who was surprised to see me show up at the last minute. But what was Footsie doing at the studio that same day at exactly the same time? Why did he go there on his motorbike while I was tailing him in a taxi? That coincidence kept bothering me.”
Mr. Sebastian nodded. “It would have bothered me, too,” he admitted. “As a detective I was always suspicious of coincidences. But go on, Jupe. When did you finally fit the pieces together?”
“As soon as I got the final clue,” Jupe told him. “Just before the second quiz, Footsie told me he had been running errands for the movie studio and the network.”
“So you guessed someone had sent him to the studio? Right?”
“Right,” Jupe agreed. “Someone had sent him there as a decoy. So I would follow him. And only one other person besides myself knew at that time that the Three Investigators were looking into the theft — Luther Lomax.”
“I see that.” Hector Sebastian nodded again. “Lomax got you to come to the network building, pretending he wanted to talk to you about those silver cups. Then as soon as you left him, he sent for Footsie and dispatched him on some errand to the movie studio,
knowing you’d see him in the lobby and hoping you’d go after him.”
“It was more than a hope,” Jupe explained. “Lomax had just told me twice to keep an eye on Footsie. So he could be pretty sure I’d follow him. And of course Lomax already had Bonehead planted at the studio waiting to lock me in the sound stage even if he had to hit me over the head first.”
“Yes. It all seems to fit now.” Sebastian pushed himself out of his beach chair at the sound of footsteps approaching from the kitchen. “Smells good,” he whispered as he sat down at the big patio table.
It did smell good, Jupe thought, remembering all the other meals he had eaten at this table. There had been a time once when Don had served nothing but fast foods, frozen pizza, and fish fingers, the kind that are advertised on late—night TV. After that there had been another phase when everything that came out of the Vietnamese houseman’s kitchen had been the kind of foods that are recommended by afternoon TV health gurus — brown rice, raw fish, and seaweed.
He watched Don as he set down a large plate with four king-size hamburgers on it. They looked good too, Jupe decided.
They were good. The best ground beef and slices of raw onion. The First Investigator bit into his with a healthy appetite.
“Okay?” Don asked him.
“Excellent,” Jupe complimented him. “First class.”
“Okay. Then you do me a favour now?”
“Sure,” the First Investigator mumbled with his mouth full of food. “What is it?”
“You very famous. I see you on TV all the time. So you give me your autograph, please.”
Don reached into the pocket of his white coat and pulled out a leather-bound autograph book and placed it beside Jupe’s plate.
“Sure.” Jupe swallowed a piece of onion and took out his pen. It seemed a very small favour for such a good hamburger. “What do you want me to write? The First Investigator? Or just Jupiter Jones?”
“No. No.” Don shook his head firmly. “You put famous name. Okay?” Jupe closed his eyes briefly and sighed. Then he leaned over the book.
With very best wishes to Hoang Van Don, he inscribed. He took a deep breath and added his famous name, as he had been asked to.
From Baby Fatso, the First Investigator wrote.
THE END
Table of Contents
A few words from Hector Sebastian
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16