The Mystery of the Scar-faced Beggar - M. V. Carey [53]
h y pu
p t t
he
h la
l dde
d r awa
w y.
“I won
o der if
i
f he
h wears
s the
h knif
i e
f st
s rapp
p e
p d to
o hi
h s
i
s ankle
l ,
, the
h way he
h wears
s the
h gun,”
sa
s id
i Jupe
p .
Mr.
. Bon
o est
s e
t ll
l
l sh
s o
h o
o k
o hi
h s
s he
h ad in
i a
a daze
z d
e way
a .
y
. “He sa
s ys
s he
h nee
e d
e s
d
s th
t e
h
e gu
g n
u
n be
b c
e a
c u
a s
u e
s
e
he’s
s ou
o t on
o the
h roa
o d so
o much,
h
, and you
o never
e know
o what mig
i ht
h happ
p e
p n if
i
f you br
b eak
dow
o n.
. But
u a knif
i e
f ? Wh
W y
h doe
o s
s he
h need a knif
i e
f ? He doe
o sn
s ’t
t go
g
o ca
c m
a p
m i
p n
i g
n
g or
o
r an
a y
n t
y h
t i
h n
i g
n
g li
l k
i e
tha
h t.
. He
e doe
o sn
s ’t do
o an
a y
n thi
h n
i g in
i t
n ere
r st
s in
i g.
. Just
s
t w
atche
h s
s TV
T and
n t
akes
s a lot of naps.”
Jupe
p nod
o de
d d.
. “He do
d e
o sn
s ’t act very dash
s i
h n
i g,
, bu
b t he
h ’s
s a
a ma
m n
a
n wi
w t
i h
t
h se
s c
e r
c e
r t
e s
t .
s
. He
H
bu
b gged you
o r
u kit
i che
h n.
. A
nd he
h
e kept
p so
s m
o ethi
h n
i g
n very v
alu
l a
u bl
b e
l in
i you
o r
u fr
f eeze
z r.”
“Wha
h t? All
l
l h
e
h ha
h d in
i
n th
t e
h re was
s hi
h s
i
s fr
f oz
o e
z n fo
f o
o d.”
“I don’t think those packages held food. I think they held money. It may have been the loot from the bank robbery.”
“No,” said Mr. Bonestell. “That’s not it. Shelby’s been keeping heaps of frozen food for a long time. It wasn’t that he ate at home. It just seemed to make him feel secure to have food on hand. He knew I hardly ever used the freezer, so he kept it filled with his food.”
“Hm!” said Jupe. He pulled at his lower lip and frowned. “If he didn’t eat at home, what eventually happened to the things in the freezer? Did he ever take anything away?”
“Why, come to think of it, I … I don’t know what happened to all the food. Once in a while he cooked. And he did bring in a lot, but … but it couldn’t have been money from a robbery unless Shelby’s been a bank robber for a long time. Somehow, I don’t think Shelby is like that.”
“Aha!” said Jupe. “Then it could be drugs. That would explain his connection with the crew at Denicola’s. The Maria III might be used to rendezvous with another boat out at sea. Or perhaps to go to Baja California to get drugs.
“Or perhaps Shelby and Ernie are bringing in illegal immigrants and the blind man—”
Jupe pulled himself up short. “No,” he said. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with the freezer unless … well, we can’t be sure. We don’t have enough to go on. Not yet.”
“Are we going to call the police?” said Mr. Bonestell.
“I don’t think we can. How could we prove that Shelby didn’t take his frozen food and give it to the poor? Or that the bug in the sugar bowl isn’t a practical joke? Is Shelby involved with the bank robbery, or is he concerned with something else entirely? What about the Denicolas? Where are they? I have a strong feeling that Shelby knows.”
For the first time, Mr. Bonestell looked determined and angry. “I want to help,”
he said. “What can I do?”
“A lot,” said Jupe, and he told his plan to Mr. Bonestell. Bonestell agreed eagerly, and he and Jupe went to the house next door and asked to use the telephone. Mr.
Bonestell explained to the woman who came to the door that his own telephone was out of order.
Jupiter called Pete at Headquarters, and Pete agreed to meet Jupe and Mr.
Bonestell at the corner of Dolphin Court and Second Street.
“I should be there in twenty minutes,” said Pete.
“In case we’re not there,” said Jupe, “go back to Headquarters and I’ll call you when I can.”
After Jupe finished talking with Pete, he and Mr. Bonestell went to Mr. Bonestell’s backyard and rehearsed. Then they went into the kitchen and put on a brief performance for the benefit of the bug, which Jupe had replaced in the sugar bowl.
“Mr. Bonestell,” said Jupe, being