The Secret of the Crooked Cat - Arden William (читать онлайн полную книгу .txt) 📗

Pete said in a low voice, “We know there’s something wrong at your carnival, Andy. We’re investigating the details.”

“But you can’t,” Andy said. “You don’t know.”

“Science and our training will tell us what you won’t, Andy,” Pete declared, sounding as pompous as Jupiter.

Suddenly Jupiter stood up. “A professional criminal released Rajah, fellows,” he announced as if unaware that Andy was in the room. “There is no doubt. The indentations on the exterior face of the lock are proximate patterns of a type-seven pick-lock! The purpose was certainly to cause trouble.”

Andy stood and blinked at the stream of words he only half understood. Before he could gather his wits, Bob started talking.

“It’s certain, now, that three weeks ago the deaths of three ponies caused the pony ride to be abandoned,” the Records and Research man of the trio stated. “Then a fire destroyed three tents and part of the shooting gallery. This has caused financial loss, and Mr. Carson has been unable to pay wages.”

Still acting as if he didn’t know Andy was present Jupiter nodded and asked. “What do we know about the performers?”

“The strong man, Khan,” Bob announced, “has no previous record of work in carnivals. Possibly he is an impostor.”

Through this whole big act, Andy’s mouth had dropped lower and lower. Now he could contain himself no longer.

“Who told you all that?” he blurted out.

Both Bob and Jupiter turned as if amazed to find Andy in the room with them. Jupiter looked his most innocent.

“Andy, I didn’t know you were here,” he said.

“Someone had to tell you all that!” Andy said hotly.

“No, Andy,” Jupiter shook his head. “We’re investigators, and we simply found out Do I understand we’re correct?”

Andy nodded. “All of it, even Khan. He’s using a false name because he’s really a circus performer. He needed money, so he came to work for us. But carnivals are lower than circuses, and he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s working for us. We don’t even know his real name, but he’s a good strong man.”

“I suppose that’s all possible,” Jupiter acknowledged. “But one thing is clear, Andy — someone is causing trouble at your carnival. We’d like to help find out who, if your Dad will let us.”

Andy looked at them all. “If no one told you about all that, tell me how you found out? I don’t believe in magic, no sir. How’d you do it, fellows?”

“Elementary, my dear Andy,” Jupiter said, and grinned.

Bob and Pete grinned, too, as Jupiter explained what they had done to find out about the problems of the carnival. Andy was all admiration when Jupiter finished.

“Jiminy, you fellows are good detectives! I’ll bet you could find out what’s happening at the carnival. But carnival people are very proud, and my Dad doesn’t want outside help.”

“He could lose the carnival soon, Andy,” Jupiter said.

“I know. If we can’t pay next week — ” Andy stopped and his face became determined. “All right, if Dad won’t let you help, I will! Fellows, I know someone is trying to make Dad lose the carnival because of me!”

7

A Startling Discovery

“It’s my grandmother! She hates Dad,” Andy said.

The carnival boy’s face became sad. “My mother died when I was little. She had an accident. I never really knew her too well.”

“We’re sorry, Andy,” Bob said sympathetically.

“It happened a long time ago,” Andy said. “Anyway, my grandmother — Mom’s mother — never liked Dad or the carnival. She didn’t want Mom to marry Dad, and when Mom died, my grandmother blamed it on Dad and the carnival. She hates the carnival, says it’s no place for a boy. Well, after Mom died, Dad was kind of broken up, and the carnival wasn’t doing well. I was awful young, you know? Grandma wanted me to live with her. She’s not rich, but she’s got some money, and Dad was moving around a lot, so he let me live with Grandma.”

Andy’s face darkened. “When I got older, I hated living at my grandmother’s. She was nice to me, but she’s scared of everything and wouldn’t let me do anything! I wanted to be with Dad in the carnival. So this year I ran off and joined Dad. Jiminy, but Grandma was mad. She came after me, but she never did have me legally, so when I said I wanted to stay with the carnival. Dad told her to go home!”

Jupiter broke in, “Did she threaten trouble, Andy?”

Andy nodded. “She told Dad she’d never let me be like him and get hurt like my mother. She threatened to go to court to prove Dad couldn’t take care of me. So Dad decided to try the show out here in California. That was party to get far away from Grandma, and partly to try to make enough money to prove he could take care of me. But now, with these accidents, Dad could lose the whole show!”

Jupiter was serious. “Do you really think your grandmother would go so far as to ruin the carnival?”

“I don’t know, Jupiter,” Andy said slowly. “I’ve tried not to think about it. She was always nice to me, even if she does hate Dad. But I can’t think of anyone else.”

“Still, those accidents could have hurt you, Andy,” Jupiter said thoughtfully. “I don’t think she’d resort to such desperate measures. Maybe there’s some enemy of your Dad’s you don’t know about. Someone with a stronger reason to ruin him.”

“I don’t know, Jupe, but their scheme is going to work if we don’t find out,” Andy said. “The whole carnival is scared about the next accident.”

“The next?” Jupiter said, surprised. “But they should be feeling safer. You’ve had three accidents.”

Andy shook his head. “They all decided that Rajah’s escape doesn’t count because no one was hurt and nothing bad happened, thanks to Pete. So they’re still waiting for the third one.”

“That’s dangerous,” Bob pointed out “When people start expecting an accident they get nervous, and accidents are sure to happen.”

Jupiter agreed, “That’s what superstition does, fellows. What people fear will happen does happen almost all the time.”

“Anyway,” Pete added, “if someone’s making these accidents happen, I guess there will be more.”

“I think we can be sure of that Second,” Jupiter said grimly. “One thing bothers me a little. Rajah’s escape isn’t quite like the other two accidents. It’s not the same pattern. The other two accidents happened when the carnival wasn’t open. No one was there to get hurt. Only the carnival suffered. But if Pete hadn’t stopped Rajah, it could have been very dangerous to other people.”

“Maybe Rajah’s escape was a real accident?” Pete said.

“No, I’m convinced it wasn’t,” Jupiter insisted. The stocky First Investigator frowned. “It’s most baffling, fellows. When something doesn’t fit a pattern, we have to look for some other pattern that everything will fit. I think it’s time for us to return to the carnival. Can you get us in, Andy, even though it’s not open?”

“Sure,” Andy said. “I’ll say you want to see the carnival rehearsing and getting ready. They all know about Pete and Rajah, so they won’t be surprised.”

“What do we look for, First?” Pete asked.

“I don’t know for sure,” Jupiter admitted. “Some kind of connection linking the three accidents, or something that looks like a new accident being planned. Anything that looks unusual or suspicious. We’ll have to be careful, so — ”

They all heard it — a far-off voice calling from somewhere outside. Pete hurried to the See-All.

“It’s Aunt Matilda,” he reported. “She wants Bob. Something about an appointment”

“My dentist’s appointment!” Bob groaned. “I forgot.”

Jupiter frowned. The First Investigator hated to have his plans interfered with. He sighed.

“I suppose you’d better go, Records,” he said. “We’ll start alone. In case we have to leave, or follow someone, we’ll take my new directional signals so you can locate us”