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By Root 135 0

can serve. You can’t believe everything you read in books, of course, but the history of Ruffino that I found gives de Pelar a very bad name. He gave all the top government jobs to his pals and he raised taxes. He had the police taking bribes from crooks, and García accused him of falsifying public records to get money. It was a pretty dirty campaign. De Pelar accused García of being a common thief in his youth. De Pelar swore he could prove it, only he couldn’t. García won the election, and if you believe what’s in the book, it was a darn good thing. If he hadn’t won there might have been another revolution and it wouldn’t have been bloodless.”

Bob shoved the open book across the table towards Jupe and Pete. “There’s a photograph of García with his advisers,” he said.

Jupe took the book and examined the

photograph. “García has the appearance of

a trustworthy man.” he decided, “not that

appearances mean that much.” He quickly

read the caption and located the man

called Diego Manolos, the late husband of

Mrs. Darnley’s friend Isabella. Manolos

was a tall man, very dark, with a slight

squint.

“Aunt Mathilda would say that his eyes

were too close together,” said Jupe.

“García’s eyes?” said Bob, surprised.

“No. I was looking at Diego Manolos.”

The telephone on the desk rang

suddenly, stridently, startling The Three

Investigators. Bob picked it up. “Yes?” he

said.

He listened. Then, “When?” he asked.

He listened again. “We’ll be right

there,” he promised.

“Who was it?” asked Jupiter Jones,

after Bob hung up.

“Jean Parkinson,” said Bob. “Jeff left the house this morning to go shopping in Hollywood. He didn’t come back. Instead, a note was shoved through the letter-box.

Jeff’s been kidnapped! Jean wants us to come right away. She couldn’t reach Worthington, so we’re to take a cab!”

Chapter 12

Where is Jeff?

IT WAS BARELY THREE O’CLOCK when the cab driver delivered The Three Investigators to the Darnley house. The boys went inside to find Mrs. Darnley pacing up and down in the big living-room. Jean crouched in a chair, pulling at a lock of hair, and glowering at the mirrors in which her grandmother’s ceaseless movement was repeated again and again.

“Mrs. Darnley, have you called the police?” said Jupiter.

“No, and I’m not going to. The kidnapper warned me not to.”

“Kidnapping is a very serious crime,” Jupiter pointed out. “And the police are always careful not to do anything to endanger the victim.”

“They are not going to have a chance to endanger Jeff!” she cried. She handed him an opened envelope. Jupe took out the single piece of paper which it contained. He looked it over quickly then read it aloud:

“Mrs. Darnley, I have your grandson. Do not doubt it and do not summon the police.

He himself will make the telephone call to you. He will call today and tell you what you must do to make him again free. I hope you will do what he says. I can be cruel, but when I am it always is for good reason.”

Jupe turned the note over in his hands. “Cheap paper,” he said. “You can get this in almost any store. The message is printed in block capitals. The kidnapper used a ball-point pen. And I would say the letter was not written by an American. And I can guess what the ransom will be.”

“We can all guess,” said Jean. “The goblin glass.”

“They can have it!” cried Mrs. Darnley. “I’m sorry I ever laid eyes on the horrible thing! If that beast Santora has …”

“Señor Santora is in the hospital,” said Bob. “Uh … that is, he was in the hospital this morning.”

Jupiter Jones suddenly jumped up. “Good gracious!” he exclaimed. “Yes, he was in the hospital but he could have been released. We’d better find out.”

In seconds, Jupe was on the telephone, dialling the number of the Beverly Crest Medical Centre. He spoke briefly to the hospital operator, then said, “I see. Thank you,” and hung up.

“Santora has been discharged,” he said. “What Time did Jeff leave to go shopping?”

“Eleven,” said Jean. “Maybe eleven thirty.”

“Then the kidnapper could be Santora,” decided Jupe. “Even if he was discharged as late as ten-thirty