The Mystery of Wandering Caveman - M. V. Carey [30]
Brandon flipped to the back of the book he held. “You’re right,” he said. “The last notes in this one are for March twenty-fifth.”
They took down book after book and looked at the last entries. There were no notations made after the first days of April.
“But he didn’t stop work,” said Brandon. “He worked every day. And he was very methodical. He would have made notes. What happened to them?”
“The same thing that happened to the pages from his calendar,” said Jupiter.
There was a small stack of magazines on the workbench, and Jupe picked one up and leafed through it. Someone had inserted a slip of paper halfway through to mark a place. The magazine was rubber-stamped “Property of the California State Library”.
“Dr. Birkensteen was reading about the effects of Sodium Pentothal on brain function,” said Jupe.
“Sodium Pentothal is an anaesthetic,” said Terreano. “It deadens feeling. And makes you lose consciousness.”
Jupe picked up a second magazine. It was a copy of the Journal of the American Medical Association, and it contained an article on nitrous oxide.
“Another anaesthetic,” said Brandon. “I used in dentistry a lot. They call it laughing gas.”
There were other magazines and other articles. All were on anaesthetics of one type or another.
“Well, of course,” said Terreano. “He operated on the chimps from time to time.
He needed anaesthetics.”
“And yesterday an entire town was put to sleep,” said Jupe quietly.
Jupe and the two men searched the lab. They found nothing that could possibly be used as an anaesthetic. There was no ether, no Sodium Pentothal. There wasn’t even any Novacain.
When Jupe left the laboratory at last, his thoughts were on Eleanor. Could she have taken the notes? If so, why? And had she destroyed the pages from the calendar?
If so, why? She was too timid to have taken part in a theft.
Or was she?
Chapter 14
Questions and More Questions
BY NOON PETE CRENSHAW had decided he was wasting his time. Centerdale was larger than Citrus Grove, but not much different. There were two supermarkets instead of just one and four petrol stations instead of two. The Greyhound bus didn’t stop in front of the drugstore. It stopped at the Centerdale Hotel. There was nothing suspicious-looking. Besides, Pete didn’t know exactly what he was looking for.
He sighed and wished that he had gone to the Spicer Foundation with Jupe. No sooner had this thought crossed his mind when a dusty old car passed him on the street and turned a corner.
Driving it was Frank DiStefano.
Pete sprinted to the intersection where the young handyman had turned. He saw DiStefano pull into the driveway of a shabby house halfway down a tree-lined street.
DiStefano parked in the drive and went into the house carrying a brown-paper parcel.
Pete waited. After a minute or two DiStefano came out again. He got into his car, backed out of the drive, and came towards Pete.
Pete looked away as DiStefano neared the corner. After DiStefano turned and sped off in the direction of Citrus Grove, Pete walked down the street to the house where the handyman had parked. He stood staring at it. He was wondering what his next move should be when a car came down the street and turned into the driveway.
It stopped and a plump woman with short grey hair got out.
“Did you want something?” she said to Pete.
“No, ma’am,” said Pete. He paused for a second to think of an excuse for loitering there, then he gave a friendly grin. “I was wondering if I could get a lift back to Citrus Grove with Frank DiStefano. I mean, if he should be coming back here. I just saw him drive away.”
“Oh, you should have called to him,” said the woman. “I’m afraid he’s gone for the day.”
She looked concerned. “Don’t you have any way to get to Citrus Grove?” she said nervously. “You won’t hitchhike, I hope. It’s so dangerous!”
“No, ma’am,” said Pete. “I can take the bus.”
“All right, then.” She opened the trunk of the car and started to take out a bag of groceries. Pete hurried to help, and she murmured her thanks and led the way to the side door of the