“Let you know?” Jupe stared at Elmquist. “How could I let you know? You were at work, weren’t you?”
“I had the night off last night,” said Elmquist. “I don’t work all the time. Who does?”
“How’d you know Jupe saw the phantom priest?” demanded Pete.
“Easy. Mrs O’Reilly told Mrs Bortz. Mrs Bortz told Hassell, and Hassell told me.”
The boys went down the stairs to the street with Elmquist trailing them.
“No kidding?” said Elmquist. “You really saw him?”
“I saw someone,” answered Jupe.
The boys left Elmquist in front of the building and went down the street to Wilshire. “That Elmquist is weird,” said Pete when they were aboard the bus bound for Rocky Beach.
“Because he’s interested in ghosts and mandalas and Oriental thought?” said Jupe. “That’s not so unusual these days.” He leaned back against his seat. “And you can’t really argue with some of his ideas. All great religions teach that too much interest in wealth and possessions is a bad thing.”
“The love of money is the root of all evil,” quoted Bob.
“Exactly. But I know what you mean, Pete. There is something strange about Elmquist. And his apparent ability to walk through walls is a real mystery!”
By 9.30 the Three Investigators were back in Rocky Beach. “I think it’s time we reviewed what we’ve learned,” announced Jupe as the boys left the bus stop. “Let’s go to Headquarters first.”
Ten minutes later the Investigators were seated around the old desk in their trailer.
“We now have three mysteries to solve,” said Jupe happily. “First, the shadow who haunts Mr Prentice. Who is he and how does he get into the apartment? Next, the burglar who stole the Carpathian Hound. Who is he, and why has he been using the church? Finally, the phantom priest. Who’s that, and what, if anything, does he have to do with the other mysteries? Let’s take them in order.”
“I thought we already knew who the shadow was,” said Pete. “Both you and Mr Prentice recognized Sonny Elmquist.”
“True,” acknowledged Jupiter. “But we only caught brief glimpses. I hope you fellows get to see the shadow for yourselves sometime.”
“At least we know the shadow isn’t Mrs Bortz,” put in Bob. “She walked right in with a key!”
Jupe nodded. “And she’s the wrong shape and size–much too heavy to be that skinny shadow person. Elmquist is the right build. But I just don’t see how he could get into Mr Prentice’s apartment. And how can a person be in two places at the same time? Both times I saw the shadow, Elmquist was asleep in his own apartment.”
Pete shrugged. “So maybe the shadow is someone else.”
“But Elmquist knew about the mandala,” Bob pointed out. “He described it accurately, so he must have seen it somehow. And Mr Prentice certainly never invited him in.”
“So Elmquist is our chief suspect for the shadow,” concluded Jupe, “but we have no proof or explanation. Now, let’s tackle the burglar. The evidence suggests that he is someone from Mr Prentice’s neighbourhood–perhaps even from his own building–because he knew where to get a key to the church. Who in that neighbourhood knew about the Carpathian Hound and its value?”
“The shadow?” guessed Pete. “Maybe the shadow saw papers in Mr Prentice’s desk or overheard a phone conversation.”
“How about Mrs Bortz?” Bob suggested. “She could have seen papers referring to the Hound when she snooped in Mr Prentice’s apartment.”
“If she knew about the Hound, so did everyone in the neighbourhood!” exclaimed Pete.
“Jupe, do you think the burglar went to Niedland’s house intending to steal the Carpathian Hound?” asked Bob.
“It’s hard to say. How would he have known the Hound was there just then? Perhaps he just hoped to find something of value in the house. If he lived in the neighbourhood, he would know the house was vacant. So he broke in, found the sculpture, and was scared off by the police. He ran into the church and disguised himself as a statue of St Patrick. What nerve! To simply stand there in a cape and mitre while the police swarmed around!”
“Then the police left but the caretaker came back,” continued Bob. “So the burglar knocked him out and escaped!”
“I think we can assume violence on the part of the burglar,” agreed Jupe. “He’d know that, sooner or later, Earl would notice a brand new statue. It seems most likely that the burglar struck Earl, then hid the sculpture in the church and came back for it last night.”
“But why?” asked Pete. “Why couldn’t the burglar put it in his pocket or under his jacket the night he stole it? Why leave it in the church?”
“Too risky,” answered Jupiter. “He might be afraid that squad cars were still in the area. He might be afraid of being stopped and questioned and even searched. He’d guess it was safer to leave the Hound in the church for a day and retrieve it the next day.”
“So he came back last night as the phantom priest,” said Pete.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Jupe. “The phantom priest was simply standing down by the altar when I saw him. The crook would have gone directly to the hiding place of the crystal dog and then left immediately. I think he must have been leaving when I came in. He gave me a shove to get me out of the way and ran out, locking the door behind him.”
“Then who was the phantom priest?” asked Bob.
“Sonny Elmquist?” suggested Pete. “He likes ghosts, and he was home last night. Maybe he’s in cahoots with the burglar.”
“That would be an unlikely combination,” said Jupe. “A man who is interested in separating himself from worldly desires teamed up with a burglar?”
“But he said he needs money, Jupe!” Bob reminded him excitedly. “He’s trying to get enough money to go to India, remember?”
“Hey, maybe Elmquist is the burglar himself!” added Pete.
“You forget. Elmquist was asleep in his apartment when the police chased the burglar through the courtyard,” said Jupe. “And then he was standing in front of the church with us while the police searched the building–and presumably the burglar was inside posing as a saint.”
“But Elmquist seems able to be in two places at once,” said Bob. “If he can haunt Mr Prentice’s apartment while he’s at home downstairs, then he can be inside and outside the church at the same time, too!”
Jupe shook his head in frustration. “It’s just not possible. But I agree with you on one thing. There’s a lot about Sonny Elmquist that hasn’t been explained. I think we should keep an eye on that man, and I have an idea how to do it. I’ve been working on–”
The telephone on the desk rang. Jupe picked it up. “Yes?” he said. Then, “Oh, Mr Prentice, just a moment.”
Jupiter held the telephone receiver near a special microphone and loudspeaker he had rigged up from parts of an old radio. Now all three of the boys could hear what the art collector was saying.
“Please go ahead, Mr Prentice,” said Jupiter.
“I have just received a telephone call.” The man’s voice was shaky and excited. “It was from the person who now has possession of the Carpathian Hound. You told me that it would be a difficult thing to dispose of. Well, he has found the perfect place to sell it. He offers it to me for ten thousand dollars!”
10
A Case of Poison
THE THREE INVESTIGATORS sat in stunned silence.
“Jupiter? Are you there?” Fenton Prentice demanded.
“Uh, yes. Yes, sir.” It was not often that Jupiter Jones was taken by surprise, but the old gentleman’s announcement had floored him.
“I . . . I do not like the idea of doing business with a criminal,” continued Prentice, “but I must have the Hound. It is mine, and if I do not recover it, it may be lost forever. I intend to pay the ransom. I have two days to gather the money.”
“Have you notified the police?”
“I do not intend to. I refuse to risk scaring the burglar. I might never get the Hound back.”
“I think you should reconsider,” said Jupe. “You’re dealing with a violent criminal. Don’t forget what he did to Earl.”
“Precisely. The thief became scared and struck him. I do not wish to give him any reason to fear me. Now, when are you boys returning? I confess, I don’t like waiting here alone.”
“Has the shadow reappeared?”
“No, but just knowing that he might is . . . unnerving.”
“I think we should be able to make the three o’clock bus,” said Jupe, looking at Bob and Pete for agreement. They nodded. “We’ll be there before dark.”
Jupe said good-bye and hung up. “Whew! Now we have to save him from the burglar, too! We’d better pack some extra clothes this time,” he said. “Prepare to stay at Prentice’s for a few days. I’ll meet you at the bus stop a little before three.”