The Secret of the Haunted Mirror - M. V. Carey [11]
A light bulb flashed over the printing press.
“Oho!” said Jupiter Jones. He pulled aside a grating that leaned against a workbench near the press and vanished into a length of large corrugated pipe which the grating had concealed.
“What the … ?” said Jeff Parkinson.
The light over the press stopped flashing. Bob pointed to it. “That’s the signal that the telephone’s ringing in Headquarters. Jupe just went in through Tunnel Two and answered it. Does your grandmother know you’re here?”
“My sister does,” said Jeff.
“Then that could be her. Come on.”
Jeff Parkinson went down on his hands and knees and followed Bob and Pete through the pipe which had been padded with odd pieces of carpeting. At the end was a trap door leading directly into the Headquarters of The Three Investigators. Jupiter was there, standing over the desk, the telephone to his ear.
“How long ago?” the others heard him ask.
Jeff climbed through the trap door and looked around. The office inside the mobile home trailer was crowded but orderly. Along with the desk, chairs, and files, Jeff noticed a microscope and some pieces of electronic equipment, which Jupe had devised to aid in detective work.
“I think you did the right thing,” Jupiter was saying into the telephone. “We’ll do anything we can. Keep the doors locked and wait.”
He put down the telephone.
“What’s up?” said Bob.
Jupe looked past Bob to Jeff. “That was your sister,” he said. “She and your grandmother came home from a shopping trip about fifteen minutes ago and went upstairs. They heard someone laughing down in the library. They started down the stairs, and when they were halfway to the bottom they looked into the library and saw a man in the mirror. He was very pale and he had long white hair and very bright green eyes.”
“Chiavo!” said Jeff.
“Mrs. Darnley wants an investigation, and she wants The Three Investigators to take the case! Worthington will pick us up in half an hour!”
Chapter 5
Another Warning
WORTHINGTON WAS AT THE SALVAGE YARD in less than half an hour.
He picked up the boys and drove as rapidly as the law allowed back to the Darnley House.
“I must return the Rolls to the auto rental agency,” he told the boys as he let them out. “After that, I shall go directly home. Call me if I can be of help.”
The Three Investigators promised that they would and followed Jeff to the door, which Jean opened before they could ring the bell. They went in to find Mrs. Darnley sitting in a small chair in the entrance hall, staring grimly into the library. She looked pale, and she did not move as Jean locked the front door.
“I can’t quite bring myself to go in there,” she said, “but I have made sure no one came out.”
“Have you been watching those doors ever since you saw whatever was in the mirror?” asked Jupe.
“I haven’t taken my eyes off them,” said Mrs. Darnley. She touched her hair and the boys could see that her hand was shaking slightly.
“I called you and got Grandma a chair, and then I checked all the doors and windows,” Jean reported.
“Where’s John?” asked Pete.
“It’s his day off,” Jeff said.
“So the house was empty while you were out, Mrs. Darnley?” asked Jupe.
“Empty and locked. Dead-bolt locks on both doors and bars on every window.
None of them was tampered with. No one could get in here. No one. And I know the doors were locked when we left. John left with us. I watched him lock up and then Jean checked to make sure the doors were secure.”
“Is it possible that John came back later, and wasn’t so careful?” said Jupiter.
“No. Several of the students in John’s guitar class were giving a concert at the Ebell Club today and John was the featured performer. We dropped John off at the Ebell on our way to Westwood.”
Jupiter stepped into the library. Mrs. Darnley hesitated for a moment, then got up and followed him. The room was almost dark. The day had become grey, and the heavy curtains on the windows were closed. Jupe saw his own shadowy image