The Mystery of the Merry Magician by Ellery Queen Jr

Author:Ellery Queen Jr. [QUEEN, ELLERY]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781504004015
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 1961-09-05T04:00:00+00:00

14

The Secret of the Monster

“WHAT’S going on inside that head of yours?”

Peggy watched Fisty’s grim face as they sat quietly on deck. Captain Foster had gone to bed early. Over the river the fog was thick. The lights on the Jersey shore were invisible. The dismal wailing of fog horns sounded everywhere.

The S.S. Fiji Islander had not yet arrived, though darkness covered the harbor.

“Maybe they’ll hold her up at the mouth of the river,” Fisty said. “No use my telling you what I’m gonna do.”

“Tell us anyway.”

“I want to swim to Pier B and watch from under the dock while they tie up the ship.”

“You’re silly,” Peggy said.

“So I’m silly.” The boy shrugged. “But I’m going to do it.”

“I’ll go with you,” Gully replied.

Peggy looked from one to the other. “You’re both up to something. You know something and aren’t telling me.”

“Honest, Peggy, no …”

“Well, then I’m going, too.”

“You can’t …” Fisty began.

“Oh, I can’t? We’ll see about that.” She went to the deckhouse. There she stopped and glanced back. “I’ll go by myself if you won’t let me come with you!” She turned and disappeared below.

“We might as well get into our bathing trunks,” Gully sighed. “I don’t think we can talk her out of it this time.”

“It’s not fair,” Fisty growled. “She knows we won’t let her go alone.”

The boys had put on their bathing trunks and were waiting by the time Peggy came on deck. She wore a dark green bathing suit which in the fog and the night looked almost black.

“All we have to do now is wait for the Fiji Islander,” Peggy said.

It was obvious that in spite of the difficult docking conditions, the ship was expected that night. The lights at the end of the pier were on and a small group of longshoremen could be seen waiting to catch and fasten the heavy lines that would hold the ship.

They waited, peering into the darkness, trying to see through the wisps of trailing fog. Just when they were ready to give up, they heard the booming blast of a whistle close by on the river. A few moments later the snub nose of a tugboat emerged from the fog and a voice called out faintly across the water.

“Stand by for the heaving lines!”

Beyond the tugboat the shadowy outline of the freighter loomed. Here and there lights became visible. The ship was approaching slowly.

“There she is!” Fisty leaned forward to stare tensely. “Let’s go.”

He felt his way down the rope ladder and slipped soundlessly into the water. Peggy followed, then Gully.

“Stay one behind the other,” Gully whispered. “You lead, Fisty. Peggy in the middle.”

The heavy rumble of turning propellers vibrated through the water. From the ship came the splash of running water. The wash of the tugboat sent waves slapping at them, heaving them up suddenly, then pulling them down into the trough between waves.

The tugboat was maneuvering the freighter, pushing it around to the far side of Pier B.

“Feel the current?” Fisty asked. “Watch out when we get under the dock.

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