The Mystery of the Shrinking House by William Arden

Author:William Arden
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Mysteries & Detective Stories
ISBN: 9780394824826
Publisher: Random House
Published: 1972-02-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

A Sudden Attack

JUPITER AND PETE walked slowly through the elegant motel hallway and out the front door to their bikes. They were so despondent that they did not notice the doorman coming after them. As Jupe began to mount his bike, he felt a restraining hand on his arm.

“Are you two the investigators?” the doorman demanded.

Pete swallowed. “We …”

“Speak up, boys! Are you or aren’t you?”

“Ye – yes, sir,” Jupiter stammered.

“Follow me, then. Hurry up!”

The boys looked at each other, shrugged, and meekly followed the doorman back into the hall. They saw the severe-looking man at the reception desk watching them, and messenger boys staring at them from every exit. What had they done now? The doorman directed them into a small side room, and closed the door behind them.

The Countess sat alone inside the room.

“I had to see you before you left,” she said, and smiled. “I hated to see you so disappointed after you’d worked so hard for us.”

“You mean we can stay on the case!” Pete cried.

“Mr. Marechal has changed his mind, ma’am?” Jupiter asked.

“No, and he’s probably right,” the Countess said. “But you’ve shown me that you’re intelligent and know what you’re doing, and I think you are more responsible than Mr.

Marechal imagines.”

“We are, ma’am!” both boys exclaimed at once.

“I recall that your card says the Chief of Police believes in you,” the Countess went on. “If I permit you to continue working for me, you’ll promise to be careful?”

“We sure will!” Pete declared.

“Good,” the Countess said, and her regal face became sad. “I must know if your deductions have any truth. As I told you, I did not know my brother well. He was an odd, secretive man. I … I never knew what he really did all those years. He never seemed to have a home, and he had some strange friends.”

“He might only have been a dupe for crooks,” Jupiter said.

“Better that than a real criminal, but even so …” The Countess sighed. “You seem to have done fine work up until now, and I think you will find the truth for me. I want to know the truth about my poor brother once and for all.”

“Countess?” Jupiter said. “You didn’t find anything in what we already recovered for you, did you?”

“Nothing, Jupiter. Whatever do you think this valuable something could be? If there is something.”

“We don’t know that yet,” Jupiter admitted.

“But you feel Joshua hid it somewhere, and that his last words were a message to someone? To say where it was?”

“I’m sure of it,” Jupiter said eagerly.

“Very well, but be careful. Especially of this De Groot, whoever he is. Don’t make me regret allowing you to go on. When you know more, return and report to me.”

The regal lady smiled at the boys and dismissed them. Excited to be still on the case, they hurried out to their bikes.

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