“What is it?” Bob whispered behind him.
“I saw him again,” murmured Jupe. He found himself shivering, and he told himself bravely that it was only because of the evening chill. “In the den. I was in the den, looking at the mandala, and there was someone else there. I could have sworn it was Sonny Elmquist. But it couldn’t be. Look–there he is in his own place. Even if there were a secret passage–some way to get into Mr Prentice’s apartment–he wouldn’t have had time to get back down. Not possibly.”
Jupe looked over his shoulder at the doorway. Fenton Prentice stood there, visibly shaking.
“You saw him, didn’t you?” said Prentice. “You saw him, so I am not going mad.”
The boys went in and closed the door.
“No, Mr Prentice, you are not going mad,” said Jupiter. “I saw him yesterday also, but I couldn’t believe my eyes. Did you recognize him as Sonny Elmquist, too?”
“I couldn’t be sure. The . . . the shape always went away so quickly. One can’t make wild accusations. But I thought it was Elmquist.”
“Yet how can it be him?” wondered Jupe. “The two times I saw the shadow, Elmquist was in his own apartment, seemingly asleep. How can he be in two places at once?” He shook his head in puzzlement. “Mr Prentice, what do you actually know about Elmquist?”
“Very little,” said Prentice. “He has only lived here for about six months.”
“Were you ever aware of the presence of this shadow, or whatever it is, before Elmquist arrived?” Jupe asked.
Prentice thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No. The experience is quite new to me.”
“He is interested in your mandala,” said Jupe. “Are you sure you never mentioned it to him?”
“Positive,” said Prentice. “The young man does not have an engaging personality and I avoid him. Miss Chalmers has mentioned him to me on occasion. She is a sociable young woman, but she doesn’t care for Elmquist, either. She swims every night, hoping to take off weight, and he often comes out and sits beside the pool and tries to strike up a conversation with her. She describes him as ‘creepy.’ ”
“I know it doesn’t seem possible, but there must be a secret passage,” decided Bob.
“Unlikely,” said Jupe, “but we might as well eliminate the possibility.”
The boys searched then, beginning in the den. They found no secret passage. The apartment building, while not new, was well constructed and the walls and floors were intact. There seemed no way anyone could enter the place without coming in through the door.
“Spooky,” said Bob.
Prentice nodded. “I have lived here for a long time and I like this apartment, but I may have to look for another place to live. I cannot bear this feeling of being observed.”
The haunting shadow did not appear during the rest of the evening. Prentice grew tired and withdrew to his bedroom. The boys decided to take turns keeping watch all night. Bob bedded down on the sofa in the living room, and Pete stretched out on a couch in the den.
Jupe, who had chosen to be first on watch, sat with his back to the front door and listened.
After eleven, there was little enough to listen to. The traffic sounds on the street had long since ceased; Paseo Place was not a main thoroughfare. Jupe was aware of a faint splashing sound that came to him through the door panels, and assumed that it was Miss Chalmers having her chilly nightly swim.
“Jupe?” Pete had come in from the den. “Come here! I want you to see something.”
Jupe followed him to the window in the den. Pete pointed outside. “There’s a light in the church,” he said.
There was. The stained-glass window which was closest to Prentice’s apartment glowed briefly with colour, then went dark again.
“Could be the pastor seeing that the place is locked,” said Jupe. “Then again . . .”
“Then again, what?” asked Pete.
“Maybe it isn’t the pastor. I’m going to check.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Pete.
“No. You stay here and take over the guard on the door,” ordered Jupiter. “I’ll be right back.”
Jupe found his jacket in the front closet, unlocked the door, and stepped out on to the balcony. The courtyard lights were off now, and the pool was empty. Jupe shivered and hurried downstairs.
When he reached the street, he saw the mysterious light flicker briefly in a window. Jupe went up the steps of the church and touched one of the doors. It was not even latched. He pushed, and it swung open in front of him.
He stepped into near darkness. There was one candle burning near the front of the church–a candle held by someone dressed in black. The candle flickered in the draft.
The person holding the light turned. Jupe had an impression of a very white face and a great deal of snow-white hair. He could not see the eyes of the man. They seemed to be hidden in the dark shadow of the sockets. Above the man’s black clothing was a rim of white–a collar such as priests wear.
The man did not speak. He stood, staring across the candle flame at Jupiter Jones.
“I beg your pardon, Father,” said Jupe. “I saw a light from outside and I wondered if everything was all right.”
The man made a quick motion with his hand and snuffed out his candle.
“Father?” said Jupe. The church was completely dark. Jupe felt a prickle of fear at the base of his skull. He took a step backwards towards the door.
Then the door was caught by a draft and slammed shut behind him.
Suddenly Jupiter was shoved! He stumbled, caught his toe on a kneeling bench, and was shoved again. He went floundering down between two pews.
In the darkness, he heard the church door open. Then it slammed and the lock turned.
Jupe stumbled to his feet and felt his way to the door. He touched the handle, twisted it, and pulled.
The door rattled, but it didn’t open.
Jupiter was locked in!
8
The Vanishing Saint
JUPE GROPED at the wall beside the church door. He felt a light switch under his hand and pressed on it. The overhead lights glowed.
Slowly, his eyes darting to left and right, Jupe moved nervously away from the door. He went down the aisle to the place where he had seen the pallid priest holding the candle.
There was no one there.
Quickly Jupe made a circuit of the church. A door led out from the left side of the altar to a small room which contained cupboards and drawers filled with linens and vestments. On the far side of the room was another door which, Jupe supposed, led to the outside of the church. It was locked firmly.
“I think,” said Jupe to himself, “that it is time to create an uproar.”
With that he hurried back to the front doors and began to beat on them. “Help!” he cried. “I’m locked in! Help!”
He stopped, listened a moment, then pounded again.
“Pete!” shouted Jupe. “Father McGovern! Help!”
Again he waited. And yelled and waited.
“Don’t you be going in there, Father!” said a woman outside the church.
“Now, Mrs O’Reilly!” Jupe recognized the voice of Father McGovern. “I’d not be that foolish. The police will be here any minute and–”
“Father McGovern!” shouted Jupe. “It’s Jupiter Jones! Someone locked me in!”
“Jupiter Jones?” The priest sounded puzzled.
Jupe heard a siren approaching from the direction of Wilshire. He leaned back against the door and again surveyed the church. The pastor, he was sure, would not unlock the door before the police arrived. Jupe knew that the interview with the police might be unpleasant. He stared down the aisle and frowned.
The siren came nearer and nearer, then abruptly ceased.
A key was inserted into the lock. The door opened.
The pastor stood there in a bathrobe next to Mrs O’Reilly. Her long, grey hair was in a braid that hung down over her shoulder.
“Stand aside, please.” said a policeman behind her.
She took a step to the left, and Jupe stared into the eyes of a young patrolman. He was one of the men who had searched the church the night before. His partner, beside him, had a drawn gun.
“Well?” said the first officer.
Jupe pointed to the place where the white-haired priest had stood holding the candle.
“I saw a light in the church,” he explained. “I ran over to investigate, and when I came in I saw a priest over there. Then someone knocked me down and went out and locked the door.”
“You came over to investigate?” asked the second policeman.
“I was in Mr Prentice’s apartment,” said Jupe.
“Oh. Oh, yes!” said Father McGovern. “You were with Mr Prentice this morning, on the street. But you saw no priest in this church tonight. The church has been locked since six. My assistant is away. You couldn’t have seen a priest in this church.”