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side and listened.
Beyond the wall the bell in the doorway of the gallery went off. That
was Mr. Conine going out the door. Then Clark Burton walked across the
room and there was a scraping sound as he put the chairs back in place at
the table.
Jupe retreated from the wall, motioning Pete away. They stole silently
through the fantastic room to the little anteroom where the dumbwaiter shaft
opened.
 Did you see all that money? said Pete.
 How could I miss it? Jupe replied.
 But I don t get it, Jupe. Why wasn t all that stuff taken away after
Francesca Fontaine disappeared, or died, or whatever she did?
 Perhaps it doesn t belong to the actress at all, Pete. I suspect Clark
Burton has been treating us to some more of his playacting. I seem to
remember his saying the inn was empty, when he bought  
Jupe stopped suddenly. There was a new sound, a soft click, as if someone
had opened a latch in the next room.
 He s coming! gasped Pete.
Almost in a panic, he scrambled into the dumbwaiter shaft and started
up toward the next floor.
Jupe let Pete get a few feet up the shaft, and then he started. He squeezed
in, pulled the door to the shaft closed behind him, and slowly worked his way
upward.
The shaft was narrow. Jupe told himself that he could not have gained
even an ounce since coming down just a few minutes ago. Yet the going
71
Secret Treasure!
was more difficult. The air was closer. The wall was rougher, and it snared
Jupe s clothing and held him back.
Below Jupe there was the sound of a door creaking open. It was the
swinging door between the treasure room and the little anteroom. Clark
Burton was there, just below! He was looking into the little room. Perhaps
he was listening and wondering. Jupe froze. Would Burton think of the
dumbwaiter shaft? Would he open the little door?
Jupe felt hotter and hotter in the shaft. He waited in agony for Burton
to find him. There was another creak. Jupe tensed.
But it was not the dumbwaiter door opening. It was the swinging door
closing! Jupe sensed that Burton was going away through the treasure room.
He slowly let out his breath.
Above Jupe, Pete had reached the third floor.
He slid out of the shaft and then turned to help his pal.
Jupe was still well below Pete. He reached up for a handhold on a stud.
The wood broke off with a dry snap and fell on his head, then slid down his
side. Jupe let out a gasp.
He tried to reach for a higher stud, but somehow he couldn t move. Some-
thing behind him stabbed at his shoulder. Something else pressed against
his knee. The air grew even hotter.
Jupe felt his face redden. He heard the blood pound in his ears. He
stared up at Pete and shook his head.
 Help me! Jupe whispered hoarsely.  I m stuck!
72
16
Jupe Spins a Theory
 Stuck! How can you be stuck? exclaimed Pete in a low voice.  You got
down there. Why can t you get up?
 I don t know, Jupe said miserably.
Looking up, he saw Pete disappear from the top of the shaft. He felt a
stab of anger and fear. What did Pete mean by leaving him here?
A tendril of panic touched Jupe. He fought it, consciously slowing his
breathing. Pete would rescue him eventually. He d better!
Pete was back almost immediately.  I ran down the hall and looked over
at the gallery, he said.  Burton is back there, so he won t hear us moving
around. I told you it would pay off to start jogging, Pete added, smirking
in spite of himself.
 I m sorry, but I fail to see the humor of this situation, Jupe retorted.
 Stay cool, Jupe. I ll get help.
Above Jupe, Pete had his walkie-talkie out. He touched the button on
the side.  Bob! he said.  Bob, can you hear me?
He released the button. When Bob didn t answer, he tried again.  Bob!
Come in, Bob!
The radio crackled.  Bob here. What s up?
 Jupe is in a tight spot, said Pete. Ignoring Jupe s black look, he con-
tinued,  Go to Mr. Conine s place and see if you can get a length of rope
or . . . or something. Then get up on the roof and through an inn window to
the third floor of the hotel. Jupe is stuck in the dumbwaiter shaft.
 Stuck? echoed Bob.  In the dumbwaiter? How in 
 We ll explain later, said Pete.  Make it snappy, huh? Mr. Conine will
show you how to get in.
 Wait! called Jupe. He had had an inspiration.  Tell Bob to bring his
camera.
Pete relayed this over his walkie-talkie.
 Roger! said Bob.
Jupe Spins a Theory
Nothing happened for some minutes. Jupe felt increasingly exasperated.
Todd Stratten was still missing, Tiny the dog was dead, and here he was
stuck in this ridiculous situation. Mr. Conine might panic and call the fire
department. If that happened, there would be no end of trouble. Jupe and
Pete might be arrested for trespassing, and Burton would know that they
had discovered his secret room. Jupe wanted very much for Burton not to
know this  not yet.
There was scuffling on the floor above. Bob leaned over to report that
Mr. Conine had had no rope, but the resourceful Miss Peabody had knotted
together several bedsheets.
 Say cheese, said Bob. And before Jupe could open his mouth to protest,
Bob had snapped a flash picture of him.
 I just couldn t resist taking a shot for the Three Investigators scrap-
book, said Bob, laughing uncontrollably.
 Perhaps if you two would cease amusing yourselves at my expense and
exercise your talents in getting me out of here, Jupe said,  we could proceed
with the case for which we were hired.
Sheepishly, Bob and Pete lowered one end of the makeshift rope to Jupe.
Jupe grabbed with one hand, but still clung to the timbers of the shaft with
the other.
 Okay, said Pete.  We ll pull. Think thin. That might help.
Bob and Pete tugged on the bedsheets. At first Jupe scrabbled with his
feet, trying to get a toe-hold on the walls of the shaft to help himself up. He [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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