The Secret of the Haunted Mirror - M. V. Carey [5]
Comes every day, just about this time.”
The doorbell rang again.
Mrs. Darnley looked from the mirror to the entrance hall and then back at the mirror. “Every day,” she said. “He has come every day for more than a week, and today …”
She stopped, leaving the thought unspoken.
“Today,” said Jupiter Jones quietly, “a housebreaker was discovered in this very room.”
“But no one could swipe that mirror,” protested Jeff. “The frame’s steel and it weighs a ton. It took three men to get it up on the wall.”
Mrs. Darnley lifted her chin and her face took on a stern expression. “Mr. Jones,”
she said to Uncle Titus, “I’d appreciate it if you and the boys would stay and see Señor Santora. Worthington seems to have great respect for The Three Investigators.
I’d value their opinion of the man.”
Again the doorbell rang.
Mrs. Darnley didn’t wait for Uncle Titus to answer. “Let Señor Santora in,” she said to Jean.
Chapter 3
The Curse of Chiavo
THE MAN JEAN USHERED into the library was rather heavyset, with very dark hair and wide dark eyes. He wore a light-coloured suit of some expensive material which had a silky sheen to it. His face was smooth, unmarked by time or care, but it was a bit flushed, as if by anger.
“Señora Darnley, if you please.” he began. Then he saw Uncle Titus and The Three Investigators and he stopped and scowled. His lips tightened. “I had hoped to find that you were … were . . . “ He paused, as if in his mind he was translating a phrase from Spanish. “I had hoped to find that you were not with guests,” he said finally.
“Won’t you all please sit down,” said Mrs. Darnley, seating herself. She nodded coolly to Señor Santora. “I have been telling my friends here about the pride of my collection – the goblin glass.”
“The mirror of the great Chiavo,” said Santora. He took a chair and put a parcel wrapped in white paper on the lamp table next to it. “A marvellous mirror!”
“Quite marvellous,” said Mrs. Darnley. “Señor Santora, I’ve gone to a great deal of trouble to possess certain mirrors, but your persistence is ridiculous.”
“It is not ridiculous to wish to own the Chiavo glass,” said he. “Mrs. Darnley –
Señora – I would desire to speak with you alone.”
“There’s no need for that,” she answered. “We have nothing to discuss.”
“But yes, we have a thing to discuss.” His voice went up and he hunched forward in his chair. He waited. No one in the room moved.
“I see,” he said at last. “So we must have the audience. As you wish. Señora, I have made to you a generous offer for the mirror. Today I am even more generous. I will give you ten thousand dollars for the Chiavo glass, and I will add an item from my own collection.” He held out the parcel to her. “It is a little hand mirror which was found in the ruins of Pompeii.”
Mrs. Darnley laughed. “I have more money than I ever expect to spend, and things from Pompeii aren’t so rare. But there is only one goblin glass.”
“Only one,” he agreed. “It is unique in all the world. Señora, I must have it!”
“No,” she said.
“It is extremely important. You cannot understand how important it is!” Santora cried.
“Of course it is important if it is the only one in the world. But it is just as important to me as to you. Why should your collection be better than mine?”
“Señora, I must warn you!” he said loudly. His hands were clenched, and Jupiter Jones saw Mrs. Darnley sit straighter in her chair.
“Of what?” she demanded. She stared into the man’s face. “Señor Santora, do you know that today a man broke into this home? He was discovered here, in this very room.”
The flush faded from Santora’s face.
Indeed, he went rather pale. He glanced at
the mirror. “In this room? But … but no,
how could I know that?”
“Let us hope that there is no way,” she
replied.
His gaze went to the floor, then to his
own hands. “He was discovered? Here?”
Santora raised his head and smiled a rather
strained smile. “But of course. I