The Mystery of the Singing Serpent - M. V. Carey [45]
“You’ll have a long, long wait,” said a voice from the doorway.
Allie spun about in the chair. The boys froze where they were.
The man called Shaitan stood facing them, his back to the hall. He looked very much as he had the night they witnessed the ritual in the black-draped room. However, his cloak was streaked with dust and matted with burrs. In one slender hand there was a gun.
“I’ve gotten awfully careless about locking the doors,” said Allie bitterly. “Anyone could wander in here.”
“Many people have wandered in in the past day,” said Shaitan. “They’re all gone now, aren’t they? All except you brats and that fool of a woman.”
“You’re very well informed,” said Jupiter Jones. “Have you been watching the house from the hill beyond the meadow?”
The man bowed to Jupe. “It was tiring,” he said. “It was also tiring to walk the mountain trails to Rocky Beach. However, I decided it would be safer to abandon my car when I saw the police drive up to my front gate.”
“Just for curiosity’s sake, how’d you get out of that house on Torrente Canyon?” asked Pete. “The police got Ariel and Max.”
“Fortunately, I was in the back garden when they came.”
“So you went over the wall and left your buddies to take the rap,” said Bob.
“Who wouldn’t?” snapped Shaitan. “Now that stupid woman is upstairs, I suppose.”
He gestured with the gun. “You four will go up ahead of me. When I’ve had my little talk with Miss Osborne, I’ll make sure that no one leaves this house for some time.”
“You will not see my aunt,” said Allie evenly.
“Allie, he’s got a gun!” warned Pete.
“I don’t care. He’s done enough. He’s not going to see her!”
Very deliberately, she put her
hands on her hips and looked
straight into Shaitan’s weary face.
“I know what you want,” she said.
“You want the Empress Eugénie
necklace. Well, it isn’t here and
Aunt Pat doesn’t know where it is,
so get lost. You’ve had all you’re
going to get.”
“If it’s in a bank or at the
jewelers’, it can be retrieved,” said
Shaitan calmly. “Miss Osborne
will telephone. And if it’s hidden
here, it can be found.”
“It isn’t in a —”
“Allie!” cried Jupe.
Shaitan’s eyes went from Allie to Jupe, then back to Allie.
“You were going to say it isn’t in a bank,” he said. “Is it at the jewelers’? No. Somehow I think it isn’t at the jewelers’. And not in this house? Now where would one hide a priceless necklace like that?” He waved the boys back and came close to Allie. “You know. You’ll tell me.”
Allie drew back. “I don’t know.”
“Of course you know. You know all the places it isn’t, so you know the place where it is.” His right hand still held the gun, but his left hand flashed out. His fingers closed on Allie’s shoulder. “Where is it?”
“Take your hands off her!” yelled Pete.
“I won’t tell,” shouted Allie. “You can go jump!”
“You’ll tell.” The hand tightened on Allie’s shoulder and Shaitan began to shake the girl.
“Stop that!” yelled Bob.
Out beyond the back court, Allie’s Appaloosa mare stomped in her stall. Her excited whicker came clearly to them.
“What’s that?” demanded Shaitan.
“Only Queenie,” said Allie. “My mare.”
“Oh, the Appaloosa,” said Shaitan. “Yes, I know about her. You care a great deal about that horse and she … she has a stall in the garage.”
No one spoke.
“Not in the house,” said Shaitan. “In the garage. Yes, the necklace is hidden in the garage, where no one can get to it without disturbing the horse. That’s what you did, isn’t it?”
Allie pulled away from him.
“Out, all of you!” ordered Shaitan.
The horse whinnied again.
“Go on!” commanded Shaitan. “Out to that garage and show me the necklace!”
“I won’t!” Allie was almost in tears.
“Do as he says, Allie,” said Jupe. “You’re not bullet-proof.”
“He won’t get far,” Bob predicted.
“We’ll see about that,” said Shaitan. He herded them out the back door and across the court. The garage door stood partly open. Jupe swung it wide and they went in.
“Now where is it?” demanded Shaitan.
Queenie bobbed her big head up and down and whinnied at the sight of Allie.
Shaitan