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“It couldn’t have been anyone from the i
“So it was either an outsider or a second bear,” said Jupe. “In the morning, as soon as it’s light, we’ll go down to those trees south of the i
5
The Missing Key
Jupiter Jones awakened to find Pete shaking his arm. “We missed the boat,” said Pete. “Get out of the sack and see.”
Jupe sat up. The room was still dim and gray.
“Joe Havemeyer beat us to it,” reported Pete.
Next to Jupe, Bob turned over and stretched. “Beat us to what?” he asked.
“We do not get to examine the back yard for bear tracks or people tracks or any kind of tracks,” Pete informed them. “Come and see. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Bob and Jupe got up and followed Pete to the kitchen. Pete went to the window near the range and pointed out.
“How interesting,” said Jupe.
“That’s… that’s crazy!” exclaimed Bob. He scowled at Cousin A
“He’s already swept the ground under the trees,” said Pete. “He was finishing there when I woke you.”
“Hmmm,” mused Jupe. “Looks as if he’s deliberately erasing any possible sign of Mr. Jensen’s attacker. Very curious.” He stepped to the door, opened it, and padded out onto the back porch in his stocking feet. “Good morning,” he said brightly.
Havemeyer jumped slightly, then smiled. “Morning,” he greeted Jupe. “Sleep okay after all the excitement?”
“Like a log,” Jupiter assured him. “You’re up early.” Jupiter looked pointedly at the broom.
Havemeyer picked up the trash can which had been overturned and began to sweep the debris around the porch steps into a neat pile. “Got a lot to do” he told Jupe. “Want to get the trash all cleaned up or we’ll have more bears roaming around here than you can shake a stick at. And after breakfast I’m going to work on the swimming pool. Go put your shoes on and I’ll show you.”
He deposited the trash in the can, then covered it and started up the porch steps.
Pete and Bob were standing i
“Morning,” said Havemeyer. “Want to see my pool?”
The three boys got their shoes and followed Havemeyer to the excavation fifty feet behind the i
“I had a couple of men come up from Bishop with heavy equipment to do the actual digging,” said Havemeyer. “I’ll put up the forms and pour the concrete myself, but I figured I’d be at it all year if I tried to dig it myself.”
“I see what you mean,” said Pete. “That must be ten feet deep!”
“Twelve,” said Havemeyer.
“But,” said Pete, “there’s no shallow end.”
“That’s right,” Havemeyer said.
Pete frowned. “I never., saw a pool like this. If you don’t have a shallow part, what about the people who can’t swim and just like to go in and bob around?”
“I see you get the idea,” said Havemeyer. “People who can’t swim won’t be able to use the pool. I once saw a man who couldn’t swim lose his footing in a pool. It wasn’t fu
“Oh,” said Pete.
Hans and Konrad hallooed cheerfully from the house.
“We’re out here,” called Havemeyer.
The brothers came hurrying down the steps and across the yard. “Ho!” said Hans, when he caught sight of Havemeyer’s excavation. “Swimming pool, huh?” He had the air of one who is determined to be pleasant.
“The swimming pool,” said Havemeyer.
“You are making it yourself?” asked Konrad.
Havemeyer nodded. “It’ll keep me out from under A
“Making a pool is hard work,” said Hans. “We have a holiday. We will help.”
“Oh, no, no, no!” said Havemeyer quickly. “You’re on your vacation. I wouldn’t think of having you… ”
“What better thing can we do with our vacation than help our cousin’s husband?” said Konrad. The words were friendly enough, but Konrad’s voice was very firm, as if he would not stand for any argument.
Havemeyer shrugged and began to explain his plans for the pool to the brothers. The Three Investigators wandered back toward the i
“Hans and Konrad have just earned the right to stay here,” murmured Jupe. “Helping with the pool will give them an excuse to stick around and find out more about Joe Havemeyer.”
“I’m not sure his head is screwed on the right way,” declared Pete. “I mean. I never saw a swimming pool that didn’t have a shallow end.”
Breakfast that morning was a tense meal. Mr. Jensen spoke to no one. and he avoided even looking at Mr. Smathers. Mr. Smathers openly disapproved of eating eggs and was horrified when Cousin A
Cousin A
“Everything was very good,” said Jupiter quickly. “In fact, you remind me of my Aunt Mathilda.”
“Aunt Mathilda?” A
“She’s a great cook, too,” Jupiter told her.
Pete chuckled, “That accounts for Jupe's heft.”
“Aunt Mathilda and I are going on a diet,” said Jupe, “as soon as I get back to Rocky Beach.”
Bob laughed. “I’ve heard that before. I’ll believe it when I see it. Baby Fatso.”
“All right! All right!” Jupe was so nettled that he almost shouted.
“Baby Fatso?” said A
“If you watch the late, late, late show on television, you may catch Jupe. He was a child star — practically an American institution.”
“Oh, yes. Hans and Konrad did not write to me about that.” A
“You saw our card,” said Jupe stiffly. He was still smarting slightly after the rebuff of the day before.
“The card? Yes, and I think I have been very foolish. I have looked everywhere and I ca
“You wish to retain The Three Investigators?” asked Jupe.
“Retain? What is this retain?”
“Jupe only means that you authorize us to search for the missing key,” Bob explained. “Sometimes there is a fee for our services, but not in this ease. We are freeloading here, and the food is delicious,”
“Way ahead of that ca
“Thank you.” A
“What does the key look like?” asked Jupiter.
“It is small,” said A