The Mystery in Dracula's Castle (5 page)

"Certainly, I'm sure," his mother answered, and proceeded up the front walk.

Sheriff Wyndham looked up and cut the power on the mower.

"I'm Marsha Booth," Mrs. Booth said smiling. "We're looking for Jean Wyndham. The ad in the newspaper gave this address."

"You're at the right place, all right," the sheriff replied. He turned toward the house. "Jeanie," he called. Then he turned back to Marsha Booth. "Is this for dog-walker, piano teacher, mother's helper, or surfboard sander?" He grinned.

"Mother's helper," Marsha Booth replied.

A tall deeply tanned girl with long straight hair came out of the house and down the steps.

"Mrs. Booth, here, is interested in a mother's helper, Jeanie," the sheriff said.

"Hi, Mrs. Booth." Jean Wyndham smiled.

"And here are Alfie and Leonard," the sheriff continued with the introductions. "I met them yesterday. And I guess you already know Trouble."

Leonard scowled. "Watson," he said, not quite under his breath.

Jean bent down and patted the small dog. "Hiya, Watson!"

She couldn't have done a nicer thing. Leonard's scowl disappeared.

"Jean," Mrs. Booth began, "I'm a writer and I've a deadline to meet. So I just can't spend all the time with the boys I'd like to. It would be a big help to me if you could go around with them — play with them as a friend."

Alfie rolled up his eyes in despair, but Jean Wyndham didn't seem to notice. "Sure, Mrs. Booth. That'd be great." She turned to Alfie. "Are you the film maker my dad was telling me about?"

Alfie nodded in a haughty sort of way. "Yes. I'm making a movie."

Jean smiled. "I've always wanted to be in the movies. Do you think you could work in a part for me?"

Alfie's eyebrows lifted slightly. "What acting experience have you had?" he asked coolly.

"Oh, lots! I was Desdemona in our high school play
Othello
last year, just to name one thing."

Alfie didn't want to appear too interested, so he just said, "Okay. I'll try you. But remember, I said
try
. This isn't a contract."

A plan was forming in Alfie's mind. Maybe this mother's helper was a blessing in disguise. He needed a girl to play the part of Dracula's victim, and Jean Wyndham was pretty, he had to admit. "I'll begin filming tomorrow morning," he thought to himself. "We'll film on the beach with the lighthouse and the rocks for a background."

The next morning when Jean arrived at the beach cottage, Alfie set his plan into action. "I think you'd better wear your swimming suit," he said to Jean. "And if you have a beach robe, that'll be good. I want you to look kind of angelic — and kind of
toothsome
too."

Jean nodded. "Toothsome for Leonard's fangs, I expect. Sure Alfie."

Alfie looked pleased. "That's it. And follow what I say, Jean. You know it takes a great director to make a great actress." He looked around at Leonard. "And that goes for you too, Dracula. Follow my direction."

Leonard blinked. "Alfie, you're never going to make a great
actress
out of me."

"You know what I mean, Leonard," Alfie said sternly. "Now go get your fangs and cape while Jean gets on her swimming suit. I'd like to catch the morning sun so I can get some interesting shadows."

The place Alfie chose for filming was on the beach near the lighthouse steps. "Now I'm going to switch back and forth between you for shots. Leonard's a little short for you, Jean. But I'll zoom in on both of you for the close-ups."

He reached in his pocket and handed Jean a small gold cross. "Here. When Dracula bends over your throat, you screech and hold this up. Everybody knows Dracula is powerless when a cross comes between him and his victim." He paused. "Now, Leonard — when Jean holds it up, you step back in horror."

"Why?" asked Leonard.

"Because the power of goodness is stopping you and you can't stand it."

"Okay, now. Positions, everybody.
Action
."

In spite of Alfie's clear instructions, when Jean screamed and held up the cross, Leonard looked at it, shrugged his caped shoulders, and walked away.

"Leonard! What do you think you're doing?" Alfie exclaimed angrily.

"I'm shocked and I step back in horror — just like you said," Leonard answered.

Alfie groaned. "But you're not
showing
it! How can you look shocked by just bumping up your shoulders?" He twitched his own shoulders up and down and Jean giggled.

Leonard whirled away. "I never wanted to play your old Dracula anyhow," he burst out.

"Aw, Leonard, you can do it. Look. Watch me." Alfie swooped up to Jean, stopped suddenly, hissed in horror, and flung himself on the sand. "See, Leonard? I'm showing I'm completely stopped by the power of goodness."

"Okay." Leonard answered quickly. "You be the one to get stopped. I'll call 'action.'"

Above them, in the storage room of the lighthouse, Noah Baxter was having harder problems even than Alfie. He had the job of hooking up a charge of explosives to the practice safe — and he was in a bad mood.

"Getting fireworks for those kids was stupid," he snapped at Keith. "For one thing, they're illegal. And for another, I don't want the kids here anytime — that goes for Labor Day too."

Keith Raynor shrugged. "You don't see them hanging around here, do you? Telling them they could come on Labor Day is why you're having privacy now. And as far as fireworks being illegal — what you're doing now isn't exactly legal, is it?"

Noah glared at him angrily. Instead of glaring back, Keith pointed to his workroom on the top of the lighthouse. "Right now," he said, "I'm worrying more about that charge going off. I've got a lot of valuable things up there, including a certain very hot necklace."

Noah scowled. "Will you stop it? I'm the best explosives man on the West Coast. I can do this blindfolded."

Keith eyed the fuse Noah was handling. "Maybe you can, but I think I'll just take a walk — check the car, or something."

"Nothing is going to happen," Noah retorted. He struck a match. "All you have to do is cover your ears. One
pop
, and that's it." He lighted the fuse.

Down on the beach the director and the cast of
Dracula
heard a heavy
boom
. Watson dived into Leonard's cape.

"What was that!" Jean Wyndham exclaimed. She jumped up.

Leonard pointed up toward the lighthouse. "There's a lot of black smoke."

"Dracula's Castle!" Alfie exclaimed. "Something's happening to it!"

"And maybe something's happening to Mr. Raynor," Leonard quavered.

Jean didn't hesitate. She rushed toward the steps, Alfie, Leonard, and Watson at her heels.

Black smoke and dust clouds were still rolling from the storage-room windows as they reached the top step. Jean darted for the door. As she put her hand on the doorknob, the door was flung back. Keith Raynor and Noah Baxter, both smoke-blackened, staggered out.

"Are you all right?" Jean gasped.

"Okay," Keith Raynor replied, quickly blocking her view through the open door. "I — I was lighting the stove. I guess there must have been a gas leak, and gas had built up."

"Everything's under control," Noah added.

"We heard it all the way down on the beach," Alfie panted. "What a shot! If I'd only had my camera ready!"

Noah Baxter laughed unpleasantly. "We'll try to time it better for you next time." He suddenly whirled around. "Hey! That dog!"

Watson was edging past Keith Raynor's legs and heading into the building.

"I'll get him," Leonard said. He hurried forward. "Watson! Come back here!"

Noah Baxter snatched Leonard by the cape. "You just stay here, kid.
I'll
get him." He strode off, calling "Watson! Come back here, you mutt!"

Watson didn't bother to even look back. He trotted into the storage room, took one sniff, and proceeded up the staircase.

On the top floor, something glinting in the sunlight caught Watson's attention — the Daumier necklace on Keith Raynor's drawing table. For a clearer view, Watson jumped on a chair.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, dog?" a hard voice said behind him. "Even better than the car keys." Watson felt himself being swooped up and swiftly carried down the stairs he had just climbed.

In no time, Noah was back in the doorway with Watson under his arm. He tossed the little dog to the ground. "Here's your mutt," he said. "G'bye."

"Can we help you clean up?" Jean asked politely.

"No, it's not that bad," Keith Raynor replied. He stepped back into the building.

"G'bye," Noah said again, and swung the door shut.

"
Well
!" Jean exclaimed indignantly.

They looked at each other, shrugged, and turned away. All but Watson. He was scratching at the closed door. "Come on, Watson," Leonard said, pulling him away. "We're going home."

Alfie turned toward the steps leading down to the beach. "Not that way," Jean said. "It's late. We'll take the bush path. It's shorter."

They walked along in silence until Leonard exclaimed, "Look at that!" He pointed to a large drainpipe about four feet across and half covered by rusty, bent screening. "It used to be a cave, I bet," Leonard said excitedly.

Alfie sighed. "Honestly, Leonard. How could a cave 'used to be? If it ever was, it still is, isn't it?"

Jean laughed. "It's no cave — now or ever," she said, "just a big drainpipe. The other end comes out at Town Lake. It makes a kind of little waterfall there whenever we get a really heavy rain."

She looked down at Leonard. "You know — I've just been thinking. I hate to say it, Leonard, but I know now why my dad calls Watson 'Trouble.'"

Leonard looked hurt. "He's just curious, that's all," he said loyally. "Aren't you, Watson?" He looked around. No Watson was in sight.

"Oh no! Not again," Alfie groaned.

"I'll go back and get him," Leonard said, swirling his cape.

Jean grabbed at it. "No you don't! Don't worry, Leonard. That dog can take care of himself. He knows the way home. Come on, kids. It's late."

Watson was not a dog to give up easily — not where a bright shiny treasure was concerned. And luck was with him!

Broom in hand, Noah Baxter opened the storage-room door. As he swept a heap of sooty ashes outside and whisked them into the sand near the entrance, Watson saw his chance. When the man's back was turned, he scooted through the door and lost no time in reaching that interesting top floor.

Keith Raynor was sitting at the table working carefully on the very thing Watson had come to view — and take home, if possible.

Keith lifted the third ruby from its setting, put it into a small box on the table, then began to chip lightly at the setting of the fourth ruby.

Watson trotted over, sat down by the chair, and thumped his tail cheerfully to signal his arrival.

Keith looked down. "How did you get in here?" he asked. Then a worried look came over his face. "Noah!" he called. "Are those kids back again?"

"No," came the answering shout.

Watson thumped his tail again and whined pleadingly.

Keith put down the necklace. "You hungry?"

Watson obliged with a sad whine and Keith pushed back his chair. "Okay. Okay. I'll get you a cookie or something."

When Keith disappeared down the stairs, Watson leaped onto the empty chair. From there it was no trouble at all to seize the glittering gold necklace. He didn't stop to admire it — there would be time for that later. He bounced down from the chair, rushed for the stairs, and nearly collided with Keith Raynor on his way back up.

"Hey!" Keith exclaimed. "Couldn't you wait?"

Watson bounced past him, the necklace swinging from side to side.

"Noah!" Keith shouted, horrified. "Stop that mutt! He's got the jewels!"

Too late! Watson was already out the door and into the knee-high grass on the land side of the lighthouse.

In seconds, Noah and Keith were in hot pursuit.

"Where'd he go?" Keith panted, searching for any movement in the grass.

"Over there!" Noah leaped ahead.

They were just in time to see Watson scramble under the rusty mesh of the drain that Leonard had noticed only a few minutes before.

"You stay on top and see where this thing ends," Noah ordered. "I'm going after that mutt."

He wrenched off the wire meshing and crawled into a dark wet tunnel.

Watson, paw deep in water, heard loud splashing noises behind him. He sped forward, making a hasty turn when the drainpipe suddenly swerved in another direction.

Behind him, head bent down and crawling as fast as he could, Noah failed to see the turn.
Thump
. The sound of his head hitting the drainpipe wall echoed along the length of the tunnel. Watson put on even more speed.

Ahead, some light filtered into the tunnel from an overhead grating and the hollow sounds of Watson's and Noah's chase caught Keith's ear. He quickly spotted the grating and bent over it. "Am I going the right way?" he called into it. "It's hard to tell."