The Mystery of the Singing Serpent - M. V. Carey [19]
“There are several things we must find out immediately,” he decided. “We must find out, first of all, whether the necklace was actually delivered to the jewelers.”
“Oh, blast!” cried Allie. “Oh, why didn’t I think of that this afternoon? I could have called Van Storen and Chatsworth right away!”
“In the morning,” advised Jupiter. “You can call from the salvage yard, if you want, so no one will overhear. And in the morning we must find out whether Margaret Compton’s accident was truly connected with the fellowship. Did Ariel deliver a live snake to her, for instance?”
“But Aunt Pat wouldn’t send anybody a snake!” protested Allie. “She doesn’t like Margaret Compton, but she wouldn’t wish a thing like that on her. She wouldn’t want her worst enemy to open a box and see a snake!”
“Then what was delivered?” said Jupe.
“I don’t know.”
Bob spoke up. “Ariel said that your aunt didn’t need to worry because it was all in the hands of Belial. I looked that up in the library. Belial is the name of a demon. And Ariel mentioned a Dr. Shaitan the other night. I checked that, too, in the library. Shaitan is another name for Satan.”
Pete shivered. “Demons and snakes! Some combination!”
Allie sat, picking up handfuls of sand and then letting the sand run through her fingers.
“What is Aunt Pat mixed up in?” she said at last.
“We don’t know,” said Jupe, “but it could be something very nasty.”
Chapter 10
The Golden Cobra
ALLIE APPEARED AT THE salvage yard early the next morning, looking as if she had not slept at all. The Three Investigators were waiting for her near the office in the yard.
“Aunt Pat is crying,” she reported. “Ariel is sleeping, just for a change. Bentley is washing the windows.”
“And Aunt Mathilda is washing the breakfast dishes,” said Jupe, “so you can use the telephone in the office to call the jewelers.”
Allie didn’t hesitate. She settled herself at the desk in the office, dialed Van Storen and Chatsworth, and gave an excellent imitation of Miss Patricia Osborne asking when the Empress Eugénie necklace would be ready. She listened for a few moments, then said,
“Very good. Thank you,” and hung up.
“They have the necklace,” she told the boys. “They said it will take several days, and they’ll hold it until they’re notified to deliver it. What a relief!”
“Then it’s safe,” said Jupiter, “and whatever your new houseman is, he isn’t a jewel thief. Now to find out whether a serpent figured in Mrs. Compton’s life in any way yesterday.”
“You don’t suppose Ariel planted a snake in Mrs. Compton’s car, do you?” asked Pete.
Allie shuddered.
“That would be enough to cause almost anyone to drive into a bridge abutment,” said Jupiter Jones. “However, we shall see.”
“What are you going to do?” asked Allie.
“I’m going to the library to look up serpents and demons and strange cults,” reported Bob.
“Pete and I will go to the hospital to see Mrs. Compton,” Jupiter told Allie. “Hans is taking the small truck into Los Angeles, and we can ride with him.”
Allie got up and went to the door of the office. “I’ll go home and keep an eye on everyone there,” she said.
“We’ll call you,” promised Jupiter.
She nodded and went out, and Hans rattled up to the door of the office in the truck.
“Ready?” he called.
Jupe and Pete climbed into the cab of the truck next to Hans. On the drive into Los Angeles they were silent, each thinking his own thoughts. When they reached Vermont Boulevard, Jupe asked Hans to stop outside a small flower shop. He bought an African violet with several blooms and wrote a card to go with the plant. Hans then drove the boys to Angel of Mercy Hospital.
Outside the hospital, Hans stopped the truck. “You want me to wait?” he said. “What you doing, anyway?”
“We need to talk to a lady about a snake,” said