The Mystery Of The Talking Skull Part 9

"There's nothing mysterious about it. Don't you remember that back about the time this letter was mailed, the postage rates went up by a cent? Spike Neely probably put a one-cent stamp on, then realized that wouldn't be enough so he pasted on a two, then put the four-cent stamp on top of the one."

"Gosh, that could be right," Bob said. "I think Pete has. .h.i.t on it, Jupe."

"I'm not so sure." Jupe scowled at the green stamp on the envelope. Then, carefully, he peeled it off. "There may be writing underneath it," he said.

"No," Bob announced when the stamp was off. "No writing. None on the back of any of the stamps either. What do you say now, Jupe?"

"It's too peculiar to be an accident," Jupe said, still scowling. "It has to mean something."

"Then what?" Pete demanded.

"I'm thinking," Jupiter said. "Spike knew this letter would be censored. So I deduce he used the stamps to send his message. He put one stamp under another stamp, so neatly it wouldn't be noticed. He expected Gulliver to examine the whole letter very carefully and find it. I deduce that the one-cent stamp, being green, the color of U.S.

paper money, stands for the missing fifty thousand dollars. What Spike meant-"

He broke off, thinking hard. Bob's shout broke the silence.

"I've got it!" he yelled. "A stamp is a piece of paper, see? Money is paper, too. Spike put a piece of paper underneath another piece of paper. Spike was telling Gulliver that the money was hidden someplace under some paper.

"Mrs. Miller told us that while Spike was hiding out in her old house, he papered the whole downstairs! That was when he hid the fifty thousand dollars. He put the bills side by side and pasted them underneath the new wallpaper!"

"Wow!" Pete said admiringly. "Bob, you've got it. That has to be the answer, doesn't it, Jupe?"

Jupiter nodded. "Yes," he said. "Remarkable deduction, Bob. I'm just remembering a story I once read. It's a mystery story by a man named Robert Barr. In it a character named Lord Chizelrigg hides a lot of gold by beating it into goldleaf and pasting it under some wallpaper. The principle is the same. Only Spike Neely used paper money, which is much easier to handle."

"But wait a minute!" Bob put in. "Mrs. Miller said Spike Neely went out and finished a job for Mr. Miller. Maybe he hid the money there."

"I don't think so." Jupiter shook his head. "The best place would be-Oh! Oh! Oh!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh! what?" Pete asked. "What're you oh-ing about, Jupe?"

"Spike tells us! That is, he told Gulliver. Right in the letter. Look at it!" Jupiter handed the letter over to Bob and Pete.

"See what he starts off by saying. 'I may last five days, or three weeks, or even two 'I may last five days, or three weeks, or even two months.' months.' Take those numbers and put them together. They make 532. What does that remind you of?" Take those numbers and put them together. They make 532. What does that remind you of?"

"That was the number of Mrs. Miller's house!" Bob shouted. "532 Danville Street."

"Right," Jupiter said. "And look here. He tells Gulliver, 'If you're ever in Chicago, look 'If you're ever in Chicago, look up my cousin Danny Street.' up my cousin Danny Street.'"

"Danny could be a nickname for Danville!" Pete exclaimed.

"Right!" Jupe agreed. "That mention of a cousin, and Chicago, is just put in to distract attention from the words Danny Street Danny Street. As near as he dared say it, Spike Neely was telling Gulliver that the money was hidden at 532 Danville Street."

"Under the wallpaper!" Bob chimed in. "He didn't dare say too much, but that was very tricky, putting one stamp under another!"

"We've solved the riddle," Pete said, jubilant. Then he looked thoughtful. "Now how do we find the money?"

"If it's underneath. somebody's wallpaper, we can't just barge in and say, 'Excuse us, we have to rip your wallpaper off,' " Bob remarked.

"No," Jupiter agreed. "That's a job for the police. We'll have to tell Chief Reynolds.

It's no use trying to tell Lieutenant Carter - he made it plain he doesn't want us bothering him. Tomorrow, though, or Monday, when the Chief is back-"

The ringing of the telephone interrupted him. Startled, Jupiter picked it up.

"Three Investigators, Jupiter Jones speaking," he said.

"Good!" answered a man's authoritative voice. "This is George Grant speaking."

"George Grant?" Jupiter frowned. The name was unfamiliar to him.

"That's right. Chief Reynolds told you I'd be getting in touch with you, didn't he?"

"Why, no," Jupiter said, puzzled. "He didn't mention you, Mr. Grant."

"He must have forgotten," the man said. "It was he who gave me your telephone number. I'm a special agent for the Bankers' Protective a.s.sociation. I've been keeping an eye on you since I read in the paper about your buying that trunk of The Great Gulliver's. And-"

"Yes?" Jupiter asked, a bit uneasily, as the man paused.

"Do you boys know that three of the worst thugs in California are watching you day and night?"

Chapter 13.

Disturbing News "W-WATCHING US?" Jupiter's voice quavered slightly. Pete and Bob gulped.

"They certainly are. Watching you and following you. Their names are Three-Finger Munger, Baby-Face Benson, and Leo the Knife. They were in prison with Spike Neely, and they're hoping that you'll lead them to the money he hid before he was caught."

"We-we haven't seen anyone watching us, Mr. Grant."

"Of course not. These men are professionals. They've rented a house down the road from the salvage yard and are watching it through field gla.s.ses. If you go anyplace, they follow you."

"We'd better tell the police," Jupiter said, alarmed. Bob and Pete, listening to the little loud-speaker, nodded hard.

"I've already told Chief Reynolds," Mr. Grant said. "He offered to chase them away, but said he couldn't arrest them because watching you isn't illegal. They haven't actually done anything-yet."

"Chief Reynolds was afraid some criminals might think we knew where the missing money is," Jupiter said, none too happily. "I guess that's why they're watching us. To see if we go get it."

"I hope you don't try," Mr. Grant said. "No telling what Three-Finger and the others might attempt. If you actually have any clue, take my advice and turn it over to the police."

"But we haven't," Jupiter said. "That is, we didn't have."

"But you do now?" Mr. Grant asked.

"Well-yes," Jupiter admitted. "We just found a clue that seems significant."

"Good work!" the man said heartily. "Take it right down to Chief Reynolds. I'll meet you there and we'll all have a confab . . . Uh-oh, that won't work. I just remembered that the Chief is out of town today."

"That's right," Jupiter agreed. "We tried to telephone him. Lieutenant Carter is taking his place. The Lieutenant wouldn't even listen to us."

"And if you did go to him now, he'd probably take all the credit and keep you from getting the reward," Mr. Grant said thoughtfully.

"Reward?" Jupiter asked. Bob and Pete looked excitedly at each other.

"The Bankers' Protective a.s.sociation has offered a ten percent reward to anyone who can locate the missing money. That's five thousand dollars that you'd be ent.i.tled to. That is, if your clue is a good one."

"Five thousand dollars!" Pete whispered to Jupe. "That idea I like! Ask him how we can win it."

"I have an idea," Grant continued. "If you lay your information before the Bankers'

Protective a.s.sociation directly and we pa.s.s it on to the police, you're in line for the reward. It's on record that you supplied the clue. I could come see you and-No, that's not a good idea.

"If those thugs saw me, they'd probably recognize me, and they might make some desperate move. Suppose you come see me, secretly. I'm in town now."

"I can't leave the salvage yard," Jupiter answered, scowling. "I'm supposed to be in charge here. My aunt and uncle won't be back for an hour or two."

"Hmm-I see." Mr. Grant was silent for a moment. "Do you think you can slip away later this evening, after you close? All three of you meet me somewhere? You'd have to get away without Three-Finger and the others seeing you go."

"I believe I could do that, sir," Jupiter agreed.

"Of course, Bob and Pete have to leave soon to go home for dinner. Do you think they'll be followed?"

"I doubt it. You're the one the crooks are interested in. You're sure you can slip away without being seen?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sure I can," said Jupiter, thinking of Red Gate Rover, the boys' secret exit in the back fence of the yard. "It'll be late, though, because today is Sat.u.r.day and the yard is open until seven o'clock."

"Excellent. Will eight o'clock be all right then?"

"Yes, Mr. Grant, I think so."

"Then suppose we meet in the park - Oceanview Park. I'll be sitting on a bench inside the east entrance, reading a newspaper. I'll have on a brown sports jacket and a brown snap-brim hat. You three get there separately, making sure you're not being followed. That clear?"

"Yes, sir," Jupiter said.

"And don't breathe a word to anyone before we meet. It's important that nothing leaks out until I have your statement. Bring your clues with you. Check?"

"All clear, Mr. Grant," Jupiter agreed.

"Then I'll see you at eight. Good-bye until then."

As Jupiter hung up, Pete let out a suppressed exclamation.

"Wow! A five-thousand-dollar reward. What's the matter, Jupe, why don't you look happy?"

"We haven't found the money yet," Jupiter said.

"We're bound to find it. Or anyway, the police are after Mr. Grant gives them our information. Maybe they'll let us come along when they hunt for it."

"Not if that Lieutenant Carter has anything to say about it," said Bob.

"I wish Chief Reynolds wasn't away today," Jupiter said. "I'd like to have him in on this. But if he knows Mr. Grant-"

A voice calling interrupted him.

"Jupe! The customers need some change!"

"That's Konrad," Jupiter said. "I'd better get back on the job. I'm supposed to be in charge. Bob and Pete, can you repack the trunk and put Socrates away?"

"Wow!" Bob looked at his watch. "I've got to get to the library before it closes, Jupe.

I left my jacket there when I quit work. Then I'd better get on home."

"It's okay. I'll pack the trunk," Pete said. "Then I'd better get home, too. We'll all meet at the park at eight o'clock. Right?"

"Right," Jupiter said.

They all left Headquarters and separated. Pete approached the trunk and Socrates without enthusiasm.

"Well!" he challenged the skull. "What have you got to say now that we've found the clue?"

Socrates grinned at him and remained silent.

Chapter 14.

Bob Springs a Bombsh.e.l.l Bursting with some new information, Bob pedaled furiously through the back streets of Rocky Beach, heading in a roundabout way for the meeting place in the park. He was a little late. He had taken time after dinner to look through a pile of old newspapers in the garage. He had found the special item he wanted, and now he was trying to make up for lost time. But when he got to the east entrance to the park, he saw that Pete and Jupiter were ahead of him. They were seated on a bench with a young, well-dressed man, talking earnestly. They looked up as Bob approached, his bicycle brakes squealing.

"Sorry I'm late," Bob said, puffing. "I had to hunt for something."

"You have to be Bob Andrews," the man said pleasantly. "I'm George Grant." They shook hands, and the young man extended a wallet open to show an engraved card behind a plastic window. "Here's my identification, Bob. Just to be formal."

The card said that George Grant was an accredited investigator for the Bankers'

Protective a.s.sociation. Bob nodded and Mr. Grant put it away.

" Jupe-" Bob started to say, but Jupiter spoke first.

"We've just been telling Mr. Grant what we learned from the letter, about the money being hidden under the wallpaper in Mrs. Miller's old house."