The Mystery of the Singing Serpent - M. V. Carey [14]
“Let’s go,” said Pete quickly.
The boys straggled toward Sunset Boulevard, talking loudly of the elusiveness of cats, the value of Siamese in particular, and the dreadful fate that awaited boys who allowed their parents’ pets to escape. As they came abreast of the Ford, Jupe whispered to Worthington to follow them in a few minutes.
The Investigators halted at Sunset and Torrente, well out of sight and hearing of the big house.
“Interesting household,” said Jupiter. “There is a gathering there with at least twelve people present, but we saw no lights. There is an alarm system which I imagine is activated by an electronic device on top of that wall. And one needs a password to enter the gate.”
The Ford came gliding down the road and stopped. The boys opened the doors and got in.
“A thoroughly obnoxious person!” exclaimed Worthington, waving his hand in the direction of the house.
“Could you hear him?” asked Pete.
“He was loud enough,” said Worthington. “I was tempted to take steps. Did he hurt you, Master Pete?”
Pete slumped back in his seat. “No, but I don’t think it would have bothered him if he had.”
Worthington started to edge out into the traffic on Sunset Boulevard. There was a truck approaching from the left, and as Worthington waited for it to pass, a car spurted down Torrente Canyon Road and shuddered to a stop next to the Ford. The driver of the car gunned the motor impatiently.
“That’s the orange sports car,” said Bob. “The twitchy hairdresser is on her way.”
“Then the group must be leaving,” surmised Jupe. “We’d better get to a telephone right away. Allie is supposed to be searching her house for evidence against Hugo Ariel. We don’t want Ariel and her aunt to find her at it.”
Worthington turned onto Sunset. “There’s a telephone booth at a gas station less than half a mile from here,” he announced.
At the gas station, Jupe called the Jamison house. Allie answered before the phone could ring twice.
“The meeting of the fellowship is breaking up,” said Jupe. “We found out almost nothing. Have you finished your search?”
“Yes, and I didn’t find a thing.”
“You looked everywhere?”
“I went over this place with a fine-tooth comb. I also used a magnet. There’s nothing except the dust that’s piled up since Marie took off.”
“Then if Ariel uses some device to make that noise, he carries it with him,” said Jupe.
“Or perhaps he does have an accomplice.”
“Which brings up an interesting point,” said Allie brightly. “We have a new houseman.”
“Oh?” said Jupe.
“Yes. Not a maid this time. A houseman. Tonight this man called and said he’d been in Rocky Beach and he heard we lost our maid and might need help, which we certainly do.
He wanted to make an appointment to come and see the lady of the house.”
“So?”
“So I figured, with my mom in Europe, I’m the lady of the house. Aunt Pat hardly takes a big interest, after all.”
“Allie, you didn’t make an appointment with a total stranger who called up without even —”
“I did better than that,” said Allie proudly. “I asked him to come here and I hired him.”
Jupe waited, feeling that there was more to come.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I hired him?” said Allie.
“Why did you hire him?”
“Because he has a walrus mustache,” said Allie. “You said the man who was hiding in the garage last night had a walrus mustache. Now I don’t know if this is the same man. I didn’t get a good look at that guy last night. But if he is the same man, he must have some special interest in what goes on here. He could be an accomplice. So let’s get him where we can keep an eye on him, huh? He reports to work at eight tomorrow morning, and I hope he gets egg-shells into Ariel’s morning coffee.”
“What will your aunt say?” demanded Jupiter.
“I’ll think of something clever to tell her. See you tomorrow out by the old corral.”
She hung up and Jupe returned to the car.
“Allie okay?” asked Pete.
“I don’t know,” said Jupe. “Either she’s the smartest girl I ever met, or she’s an idiot, or maybe she’s both.”
“How can you be a smart idiot?” asked Pete.
“Somehow, I believe Allie Jamison