The Borgia Dagger (7 page)

Frank nodded his head thoughtfully. "It could have been only one person then, instead of two."

"Yeah, a real speed demon," Joe said. "He'd have had to kill the lights, run through the basement in the dark, climb up the ladder, push the bookcase back into place, topple the statue, and then go back to turn on the lights again."

"Someone who knows the house backward and forward — "

"And in the dark," Joe added. He turned to Tessa. "You knew nothing about this fake bookcase?"

She folded her arms in front of her. "If I did, don't you think I would have said something, Joe?"

Joe gave her an embarrassed look. "Well, it is your house, Tessa."

"This whole thing is giving me the creeps," Tessa said. "Secret passageways, moving bookcases — I feel like I'm in a haunted house! Tomorrow I'm going to call someone to put a wall up behind that bookcase. I've had enough — "

Frank touched Tessa's arm. "There's nothing to worry about," he said. "I'd prefer it if you just left it all alone for a while. We may pick up more clues."

Tessa backed down instantly when she heard Frank's voice. "Well, all right, if you say so," she said softly. Just then her eyelids drooped and she raised her hand to her mouth, trying-to stifle a yawn.

"You look exhausted," Frank said. "Why don't we continue this tomorrow?"

Tessa nodded. "You're right, Frank. I think I'd better turn in. Sorry, guys. There should be some towels and sheets in the cottage. See you in the morning."

As Tessa went upstairs, Frank and Joe made sure all of the first-floor windows were locked shut. Then they went outside and secured the locks to all the house's entrances and then got their bags out of the van.

"How do you do it, Frank?" Joe asked as they walked toward the cottage. "She listens to every word you say and treats me like Jack the Ripper." Frank rolled his eyes. "Don't get hung up on her, Joe. She's already got a boyfriend, remember? Besides we're here to solve a case."

"Yeah, you're right, as usual," Joe said with a sigh. Then his eyes narrowed. "Anyway, I think I have an idea who did it."

"I guess we can rule out both Ruppenthal and Lansdale, since they were actually in the parlor the whole time the attempt occurred."

"Not necessarily." Joe stopped in front of the cottage and looked back at the mansion. "Do you see what I see?"

Frank scratched his head. "A dirt pathway that leads from the cottage to the house. So?"

"Who did we see sneaking around the cottage after the party?"

"Of course — Squinder! Squinder might have killed the lights to help anyone inside the room, like Ruppenthal or Dr. Lansdale — Or both." Joe gave his brother a knowing ok as he opened the front door of the cottage. Looks like we'll have to pay Edwin a visit tomorrow."

Thhhhhwopp! Still clutching the drawstring on his shorts, Joe did a belly-flop into the pool. That image froze in Frank's mind — it would be the final image he had of his brother.

"NOOOOOOO!" Feeling more helpless that he had ever felt in his life, Frank let out a cry from the bottom of his soul. It seemed as though his mouth was the only part of his body that could move.

There were a few seconds of eerie silence as Joe floated to the surface. Frank couldn't hel but turn away from the pool. He had seen some gruesome things in his life, but the sight of his brother's electrocuted body would be too much to bear.

"What? Too much glare from the water? Come on in!"

Was it a hallucination? The voice sounded exactly like Joe's. Frank spun around and looked into the pool, as a sheet of water hit him squarely in the face.

Frank did a double take. There, treading water, was Joe.

"Don't look so shocked. It was only a belly-flOp!" he called out.

Frank's face broke into a broad grin. Immediately he ran around to the side and pulled the wire out of the pool—and out of the socket. "Pretty lucky, huh?" Joe called out. "It must be dead."

"I have a feeling whoever put this here had nothing else in mind," said Frank. Just then Tessa scampered down to the pool a in a bright red and orange-striped one-piece thing suit. "Hey, why didn't you wait for me?" Joe shielded his eyes. "I didn't want to be blinded by the suit before I went in!" "Very funny." Tessa gasped as she saw Frank. Frank, what are you doing with that wire?" "It was in the pool. It must have been put in the night."

Tessa's face turned white. "By someone who knew I took morning swims." She swallowed and steadied herself against a pool chair, her arms shaking. "I — I can't believe this. " y would anyone want to do this to me?" "Well, we don't know that, Tessa. But we think Squinder may be a major player here." Suddenly Tessa grabbed Frank's hand. "you all right?" she said. "You didn't get a shock or anything, did you?"

What about me? Joe thought. I'm the one who jumped in.

"Fortunately, no," Frank said. "Even though it was plugged into that outlet." He pointed the socket by the side of the pool.

"Aren't you lucky!" Tessa exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "That hasn't worked in, yes, Thank goodness my dad never had it fixed!"

"I think we'd better take a rain check on the swim," said Frank. "We've got to start tailing Squinder."

Tessa shook her head. "I just can't believe it. I know he hates me, but he'd never do anything like this."

"Maybe you'd like to come with us and confront him."

"No way! I don't want to go near him anymore."

"In that case," Joe said, climbing out of the pool, "why don't I stay here to guard Tessa while you go, Frank?"

"Yeah, good idea, Joe," Frank said. "In fact, I think I'll call Callie. She can help me follow Squinder."

Joe disappeared into the changing room as Frank went to the cottage to call Callie. After she agreed to meet him at Squinder's house, he reminded her of the address, and he threw on his clothes and jogged out to the driveway.

"So long, Tessa!" Frank yelled as he jumped into the van.

"Oh! Just a minute!" she called out. Tessa ran toward Frank with her arms outstretched. Frank looked out the window, and she gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.

"I just wanted to thank you for caring about so much. Good luck." With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Frank sighed with relief as she let go. Then he was aware of a car pulling up behind him. He turned to look. A feeling of dread washed over him when the car pulled up beside him. Staring at him through the passenger window, an angry Harley Welles. "Um, morning, Harley," Frank said. "Sure is a hot one, huh?"

With a wave of his hand, he sped down the driveway.

Squinder lived in a section of Bayport only four blocks from Cliffside Heights, but it seemed light-years away. Old two-family houses stood side by sIde with run-down apartment buildings. Tiny old lawns had become nothing but - dirt with gray patches of weeds. Except for the squeals of children and the barking of stray dogs, everything as silent and still in the hot summer air. On arches and in open windows, people stared into the distance, lazily fanning themselves. As Frank rove by, they gave him hard unseeing looks.

He made a right up Lakeview Avenue, looked for number 94. Up the street about half a block was a row of attached houses. Callie's was parked in front of the last one. As Frank approached, Callie jumped out of her car, waving to him.

He parked his car and hopped out. "What took you so long?" she said. "I don't like waiting.

"I had a longer drive than you," Frank answered.

"How's Tessa?" Callie asked, raising an eye brow.

"I'm sure she's in her glory right now. She's got both Harley and Joe fighting for her attention."

"Good! That leaves you and me to bust this case wide open!" She grabbed Frank's hand and pulled him toward the house marked 94.

"Hey, just a minute. You have to promise you won't go sneaking off on your own again just to show us up."

Callie put an innocent look on her face. "Me, I wouldn't dream of it! Scout's honor!" She raised three fingers.

"Okay, partner, let's go."

Ninety-four Lakeview Avenue was a small brown house in dire need of a paint job. Just below the roof, some of the siding had fallen of A battered cyclone fence which had enclosed the tiny fron yard, which hadn't seen grass in years.

Hanging on the fence was a rusted metal sign. Frank squatted down next to it.

"Can you read it?" asked Callie as she pushed open the front gate.

"Not really. It's all covered with graffiti. No, wait a second, I can make out — "

"Never mind, Frank. Look, there's a note taped to Squinder's door!"

"Bo — ware — No, that's beware—of — " "Beware of what?" asked Callie, halfway to the front door.

"D - dog! Dog! Look out, Callie!" Callie froze as she heard a deep growling and a jingling sound. Before she could react, a huge black animal came barreling around the house.

Thinking fast, Frank picked up a stick from the ground. He ran through the gate and stopped in front of Callie, holding the stick high over his head.

"Don't even try it!" Frank shouted. The dog stopped short, baring its huge white teeth.

Frank slowly approached the dog, threatening it with the stick. The dog barked furiously as it backed away.

"Go ahead, Callie! I'll hold him off while you try the front door!" "Are you sure?"

"No problem! I've got him in control!" Frank hoped he was telling the truth.

Timidly, Callie walked toward the door. As she moved, though, the dog lunged.

Whack! Frank slammed the stick down in the dog's path. The dog backed off, and Frank lifted the stick into the air again. The dog's eyes followed the stick, and it braced itself as if to run.

This is interesting, Frank thought. He began waving the stick slowly in the air. The dog's tail began to wag. Then Frank jerked the stick suddenly to one side, and the dog practically leapt off the ground in the same direction. '.

"Careful, Frank!" Callie called to him. "It might be part Doberman, or German shepherd — "

"Or retriever!" Frank shouted. He flung the branch clear across the street. Like a shot, the dog darted across after it.

Frank ran to the gate and slammed it shut. He turned to Callie and wiped his hands. "Luckily, that dog is all teeth and no brains!"

Together, Frank and Callie read the scrawled handwriting on the yellow sheet taped to the door:

Dear Simon,

Am at mall, fourth floor. There may actually be a shooting today. See you at 6.

T. G.

"This guy is stupider than I thought," Frank said. "How could he leave a more obvious clue?"

"Come on! Let's catch him before he kills somebody!" Callie raced to the front gate, only to stop short.'

Waiting on the other side of the gate, the branch clenched between its teeth, was the black dog. "Oh, why don't you go first, Frank? It seems to like you more," Callie suggested. Frank opened the gate and let the dog in. Quickly Callie scooted out to her car. Then Frank pulled the branch from the dog's mouth and tossed it up to the front door of the house. As the dog tore away, Frank shut the gate and jumped into the van.

Callie followed Frank to the Bayport Mall. They parked in the indoor lot and ran toward the mall elevator, just as the door was about to close on a tightly packed group of people.

"Excuse us!" Frank said as he pulled open the doors. He and Callie jammed inside, drawing a earful of dirty looks.

"Four, please," Callie said pleasantly. A skinny, sour-faced man grumbled and pushed four.

The trip to the top seemed to take forever. On each floor, the elevator stopped to let off someone from the back.

Frank and Callie leaned forward as the doors finally opened on the fourth floor. But a bearded man held out his hand, preventing them from getting off the elevator.