“And William IV was the one who fell off the balcony,” said Jupiter. “According to the account in the encyclopedia, the queen took poison. What happened to Nicholas?”
“He is said to have hanged himself.”
“And the other children?”
“The two middle boys also hanged themselves, according to the generals who engineered the takeover. The little one accidentally fell in his bath and was drowned.”
“Hm!” Jupe pulled at his lip. “Let us suppose, just for the sake of argument, that the Grand Duke Nicholas did not hang himself. How old would he be today?”
“Over seventy,” said Bob.
“How old would you think The Potter is?”
“Well, somewhere around there. Jupe, you don’t think The Potter could really be the Grand Duke?”
“No, I do not. I think he is Alexis Kerenov, who vanished on the day the Azimov family was destroyed. What day was that, by the way?”
Bob consulted his book. “April 21, 1925.”
“And on April 21 of this year, someone named Alexis, who we suspect is The Potter, inserted an advertisement in newspapers in widely separate parts of the country imploring someone named Nicholas to communicate with him. The advertisement would seem to have drawn Mr Farrier, who is really no fisherman at all, to Rocky Beach. He could not possibly be Nicholas Azimov. He is too young.”
“Perhaps the same advertisement got those two nuts from Lapathia here,” said Bob. “By the way, there’s a bit on General Kaluk. He was in at the kill, and he has been one of the ruling generals of Lapathia ever since. There’s a picture of him on page 433.”
Jupe turned the leaves to page 433. “The caption indicates that the general was 23 when this was taken in 1926,” he said. “He hasn’t changed a great deal. He didn’t have any hair then, either. I wonder if he’s naturally bald or if he shaves his head. That would be a novel way to prevent the appearance of ageing. You shave your head and your eyebrows, and nothing will ever go grey.”
“Should work fine, if you don’t sag too much,” declared Pete.
“He most certainly has not sagged,” said Jupiter. “He would be about the same age as the Grand Duke Nicholas–if the Grand Duke Nicholas is still alive–and as The Potter. I don’t think, however, that it was the advertisement which brought him to Rocky Beach. I think it was that photo spread in Westways. Demetrieff is evidently a resident of Los Angeles, since the Lapathian Board of Trade maintains an office there. Remember, Kaluk said that The Potter had been written up in our periodicals. So far as I know, Westways is the only periodical which has ever published a photograph of The Potter. Demetrieff could have seen it, and the eagle medallion, and informed his superiors in Lapathia.”
“And in comes the general.”
“Yes. A thoroughly distasteful person. However, all this speculation does not bring us any closer to helping our client, Tom Dobson. It seems clear that someone who knows the family history of the Kerenovs, and the tale of the flaming footprints in the haunted castle, is trying to frighten Mrs Dobson and Tom out of the house. There can be only one reason for this. They believe that there is something of value in the house. Now, Mrs Dobson knows nothing of the Kerenovs and she has a remarkable stubborn streak, so she refuses to move. If we can persuade Mrs Dobson and Tom to leave the place and return to the Seabreeze Inn–or perhaps even go into Los Angeles–we may see some action more significant than flaming footprints.”
“Like baiting a trap,” said Pete.
“Yes, except that in this case, the trap must be empty. Mrs Dobson and Tom cannot be in the house. The two men at Hilltop House have not made a move since she arrived, and the man who calls himself Farrier has done nothing more effective than to attempt to have coffee with Mrs Dobson. And of course The Potter remains among the missing.”
“So we get Mrs Dobson to move out, and then we watch,” said Pete.
“That’s right. We will have to be very careful.”
“You will have to be very persuasive,” said Pete. “There are times when Mrs Dobson reminds me of your Aunt Mathilda.”
16
The Trap is Sprung
IT was well after seven when The Three Investigators reached The Potter’s house. Pete pounded on the front door and Jupiter called out to identify himself.
Young Tom Dobson opened the door. “Your timing is perfect,” he said. “Come on in.”
The Investigators trailed after Tom to the kitchen, where Mrs Dobson sat in one of the straight chairs and watched a pair of green flames flicker and die out on the linoleum near the cellar door.
“You know,” she said, without much emotion, “this sort of thing loses its shock value after a while.”
“Where were you when it happened?” asked Jupiter.
“Upstairs,” said Mrs Dobson. “Something went ‘bang’ and Tom came down to see what, and there were some more of these nice, cheering footprints.”
“Want to search the house?” Tom Dobson invited. “I was about to do that when you guys showed up.”
“I doubt that we would learn anything new,” said Jupe.
“We’ve already searched it,” put in Pete. “And so have Chief Reynolds’s men.”
“Have you had any news from the chief, incidentally?” Jupiter asked.
“Not a word,” said Eloise Dobson.
“Mrs Dobson,” said Jupe, getting quickly to the main purpose of his visit, “we think you should leave here–and the sooner the better.”
“I will not!” said Mrs Dobson. “I came to see my father, and I am going no place until I do see him.”
“The Seabreeze Inn isn’t far,” suggested Bob gently.
“Aunt Mathilda would be glad to put you up for a night or two,” offered Jupiter.
“You wouldn’t have to leave Rocky Beach,” urged Pete. “Just leave this house.”
Mrs Dobson glared at the three of them. “What’s up with you three?” she demanded.
“Hasn’t it occurred to you that someone is trying to frighten you out of here?” said Jupiter.
“Of course it has occurred to me. I would have to be the world’s champion dimwit for it not to occur to me. Well, I don’t scare that easy.”
“We believe that the person who is creating the flaming footprints is not simply a trickster,” said Jupiter. “Whoever he is, he knows a great deal about your father, and about your father’s family history. He knows more than you do–although he cannot suspect how little you really have been told. It is our theory that he wants a clear field. He wants to search this house without interruption. We suggest that you give him the opportunity. Move out now, while it is still light. Give him a chance to see that you are going. Then drive down to Rocky Beach and remain there. Pete, Bob, and I will watch to see what takes place after you leave.”
“You can’t mean that!” cried Mrs Dobson.
“We do,” said Jupiter.
“You want me to clear out and let this oddball who’s been running around making flaming footprints come romping through my father’s house?”
“I think that is the only way we will ever discover the purpose behind all of this–your father’s disappearance, the search of the house which occurred the day you arrived, the flaming footprints–everything.”
Eloise Dobson frowned up at Jupiter. “Chief Reynolds told me about you,” she said. “And you, too, Bob. And Pete. He said, if I remember correctly, that your talent for stirring up trouble is only exceeded by your knack for figuring things out.”
“A mixed compliment,” said Jupiter.
“All right.” Mrs Dobson stood up. “Tom and I pack and move out, with all the fuss possible. Then you boys hide someplace and watch the house. I’ll go along with you partway. We’ll even leave the door open so that the nut–whoever he is–can get in. Although he doesn’t seem to have had any trouble doing that so far, and whenever he wants to. But unless the guy is really hung up on ceramics, I don’t see what he expects to find. This place is full of nothing.”
“Perhaps it is not,” said Jupiter. “We will see.”
“One thing,” said Mrs Dobson. “I would like to know what this big, dark secret is that is hidden on my father’s family tree.”
“Mrs Dobson, we really do not have time to explain,” said Jupiter. “It will be dark in half an hour. Please, let’s hurry and get you moved out!”
“Okay. But there’s another thing.”
“Yes?” asked Jupiter.
“The minute Tom and I get into town, I’m going straight to that police chief and tell him what you’re doing,” announced Mrs Dobson. “If somebody starts to play rough, you’re going to need help.”
The Three Investigators paused. Then, “That might be a wise idea,” said Jupiter.
“Hey, Jupe, it will wreck everything if a police car comes roaring up here!” protested Pete.