The Secret of the Haunted Mirror - M. V. Carey [10]
“It is an interesting house,” said Jupiter Jones. “I’ve read several articles about it.
Drakestar the magician had it built after he retired from the stage. Drakestar dabbled in spiritualism and he entertained his friends in the house by performing for them. He died there twelve years ago, and the people who bought the house from his estate claim that his ghost returned several times.”
“They heard noises at night,” said Jeff, “but Grandma’s been there for ten years and she’s never heard anything. She says they imagined it. But now John is hearing things and so am I. John doesn’t believe in ghosts, but he’s nervous. He told me he’s sleeping with that carving knife next to his bed, just in case, and he told me not to breathe a word to Grandma. He doesn’t want to upset her. But I think she’s hearing things too.”
“Did she say anything?” asked Pete.
“No, she didn’t. But after I talked to John, I went back to bed. I woke up again later on. I heard Grandma’s door open, so I looked out. She was standing at the top of the stairs looking down. I asked her if anything was the matter and she jumped. Then she said she’d felt a draught and I should go back to sleep. Now, Grandma’s not bothered by draughts. She never complains about stuff like that. I think she heard something.”
“Is she frightened?” asked Jupiter Jones.
“I don’t know. She’s not saying anything, but I know I heard something and I think she did. There’s never been anything weird before, so it can’t be the ghost of Drakestar. It must have something to do with that mirror. You guys are detectives.
Could you find out more about the mirror? Grandma really doesn’t know too much about it. Just what her friend told her.”
“The widow of the man named Manolos,” said Jupiter.
Jeff nodded. “When Grandma was very young, she met a girl at boarding-school who came from Ruffino. That’s a little island country off the coast of South America, and some families there sent their children to the United States for their education.
After this girl graduated, she went back home and married Manolos. Grandma always kept in touch with her and even went to Ruffino a couple of times to see her.
Grandma didn’t like Manolos. She thought he was a real creep, and he was mean to her friend. Just the same, he got ahead in the world and he was an adviser to the president. When he died a month ago, Señor Manolos sent the glass to Grandma. We know that Manolos bought the mirror in Spain and that Chiavo was supposed to have used it when he talked with those ugly little goblins, but that’s all we really know.”
“We’ve been curious too,” said Jupiter Jones, “and perhaps we can tell you more about Chiavo and the mirror shortly. Bob and I have spent several days trying to find some material on the man. The Rocky Beach Library has nothing. Neither does the library at the University of California, or the big library in Los Angeles. This morning Bob went to Ruxton University. There is a professor of anthropology there, Dr.
Barrister, who is also a great collector of stories on psychic phenomena. He was a great help to us in solving a previous mystery, The Case of the Singing Serpent. He may know something about Chiavo. When Bob gets back …”
“I am back.” Bob had suddenly appeared at the entrance to the workshop. He leaned his bicycle against the fence which formed part of the enclosure. “Just in time too, I see. Hi, Jeff.”
“You found out something?” said Jupiter.
“I sure did. Ruxton University’s a terrific place. Our friend in the anthropology department has written a couple of papers on the Chiavo glass. According to the old tales about Chiavo, he was one very powerful sorcerer, and the glass really is magic.
Also, the legends have it that Chiavo never died. He went through the mirror to join the earth spirits, just the way Señor Santora said he did.”
The four boys in the workshop were silent, pondering the legend of an old sorcerer supposedly still living in an alien, inhuman world. Suddenly the light dimmed and greyed.