The Secret of the Haunted Mirror - M. V. Carey [22]
And for yourself, have great care. I feel I grow older. I am in a high place and I miss you and your support. It always makes me more refreshed when I see Ruffino through your eyes, which are younger and more keen than mine.
A.F.G.
Mrs. Darnley’s face was thoughtful as Jupiter Jones finished his slow translation of the letter. “How very sad,” she said. “That sounds like the letter of a lonely old man.”
“A man in a high position,” said Jupiter, “and a man who is afraid — afraid for Santora, for you, and for the Republic of Ruffino. Mrs. Darnley, I don’t suppose you would know who wrote that letter? Does your friend, Señora Manolos, know a person with the initials A.F.G.? Her husband had a high position in Ruffno.”
Mrs. Darnley shook her head. “Isabella Manolos and I have corresponded for years,” she said, “ever since we were schoolgirls. But we only wrote about trifles. I couldn’t bear that dreadful person she married, and I’m afraid she knew it.”
“Grandma,” said Jean, “when you don’t like somebody, everybody knows it.”
“Yes. Well, I suppose I sometimes say things I shouldn’t. But I did not like Diego Manolos. I was never able to understand why Isabella married him, and after he began to get ahead and be important in that government job of his, I liked him even less. He had a horrid habit of smirking, as if he were smarter than anyone on earth. So I know very little about the government of Ruffino and the part Isabella’s husband played in it. And no, I do not know who wrote that letter.”
“Is there a world almanac in the house?” asked Bob. “The almanac always has lots of information on foreign countries.”
Jean jumped up. “I bought one last year when I was doing crossword puzzles like crazy.”
It took some searching among the books on the floor before the almanac turned up. Bob quickly checked the index at the back and flipped to the section on the Republic of Ruffino. It occupied only half a page in the book, and the information on the little island country was sparse.
“It’s a democracy,” Bob said as he skimmed through the paragraphs. “Sounds a lot like the United States government, except that it’s much, much smaller. The law-making body is a senate plus a lower house with seventy-eight representatives. There is an executive council which advises the president …”
“Don’t drag it out,” complained Pete. “I can tell by the look on your face that you’ve found something.”
Bob grinned. “There aren’t any names given for the senators or representatives, but the almanac gives the name of the president.”
“Don’t tell me!” said Pete. “Let me guess the initial.”
“The president of the Republic of Ruffino is a man named Alfredo Felipe Garcia,”
said Bob.
They sat quietly for a few moments. Then Jupiter got up and began to pace, pulling at his lip. “The president of the republic,” he said. “That letter tells us a great deal, in spite of the fact that the man who wrote it tried to be so guarded. It tells us to beware of a man named Juan Gómez. I think we can assume that this Juan Gómez is our burglar, and that he and Santora are working against one another. Each one wants the glass. Today, Santora was injured by the burglar. I guess Gómez is indeed dangerous. Also, the letter tells us that Santora is not seeking the mirror for himself, but for someone high up in Ruffino. Something very important is at stake here, something to do with the goblin glass. I think we can safely conclude that Santora invented his connection with Chiavo. If he ever produces any documents from Spain they will undoubtedly be forgeries. For that matter, I doubt that Santora