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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 50 из 146"
Glassman tried his keys, one after another, then shook his head.
"See if you can't pull that piece out in the back of the front seat and see down into it."
The car springs swayed as Glassman's heavy body moved around. Then he said in a muffled voice, "There's something down here that looks like a long vacuum sweeper tube."
"Jimmy the door open," Burger ordered, his voice showing excitement. "Let's take a look."
Glassman pried the lock, saying as he did so, "This isn't a very neat job. It's going to lead to an awful squawk if we're wrong."
"I'm commencing to think we're right," Burger remarked grimly.
Glassman reached in his hand and pulled out some twelve feet of flexible tubing. On one end were two adjustable bands which tightened with bolts and nuts. The other end contained a mushroomlike opening of soft rubber.
"Well," Burger said, "we'll get Laxter out of bed."
"Want us to wait in here?" Mason inquired.
"No, you can come up to the house and wait in the living room. It may not be very much of a wait. Pulling him out of bed like this, he may confess."
The big house sat well upon a hill. The garage was some distance from the house, having been excavated from the earth. Cement steps led up to a graveled walk. A private driveway from the garage swung up a more gentle incline, and circled the house, serving both as a driveway by which cars might be brought to the front door, as well as a service road by which fuel and supplies might be delivered to the back of the house.
The men climbed the stairs, moving silently in a compact group. At the top of the stairs, Burger paused. "Listen," he said, "what's that?"
From the misty darkness came the sound of a metallic clink, and, a moment later, it was followed by a peculiar scraping noise.
"Someone digging," Mason said in a low voice. "That's the noise made by a spade striking a loose rock."
Burger muttered, "By George, you're right. Mason, you and Drake keep back of us. Tom, you'd better have your flashlight ready, and put a gun in the side pocket of your coat—just in case."
Burger led the way forward. The four walked as quietly as possible, but the graveled walk crunched underfoot. Glassman muttered, "We can do better on the grass," and pushed over to the side of the walk. The others followed him. The grass was wet, the soil slightly soggy, but they were able to move forward in complete silence.
There were lights in the house which showed ribbons of illumination around the edges of the windows. The man who was digging kept plugging away.
"From behind that big vine," Glassman said.
Glassman tried his keys, one after another, then shook his head.
"See if you can't pull that piece out in the back of the front seat and see down into it."
The car springs swayed as Glassman's heavy body moved around. Then he said in a muffled voice, "There's something down here that looks like a long vacuum sweeper tube."
"Jimmy the door open," Burger ordered, his voice showing excitement. "Let's take a look."
Glassman pried the lock, saying as he did so, "This isn't a very neat job. It's going to lead to an awful squawk if we're wrong."
"I'm commencing to think we're right," Burger remarked grimly.
Glassman reached in his hand and pulled out some twelve feet of flexible tubing. On one end were two adjustable bands which tightened with bolts and nuts. The other end contained a mushroomlike opening of soft rubber.
"Well," Burger said, "we'll get Laxter out of bed."
"Want us to wait in here?" Mason inquired.
"No, you can come up to the house and wait in the living room. It may not be very much of a wait. Pulling him out of bed like this, he may confess."
The big house sat well upon a hill. The garage was some distance from the house, having been excavated from the earth. Cement steps led up to a graveled walk. A private driveway from the garage swung up a more gentle incline, and circled the house, serving both as a driveway by which cars might be brought to the front door, as well as a service road by which fuel and supplies might be delivered to the back of the house.
The men climbed the stairs, moving silently in a compact group. At the top of the stairs, Burger paused. "Listen," he said, "what's that?"
From the misty darkness came the sound of a metallic clink, and, a moment later, it was followed by a peculiar scraping noise.
"Someone digging," Mason said in a low voice. "That's the noise made by a spade striking a loose rock."
Burger muttered, "By George, you're right. Mason, you and Drake keep back of us. Tom, you'd better have your flashlight ready, and put a gun in the side pocket of your coat—just in case."
Burger led the way forward. The four walked as quietly as possible, but the graveled walk crunched underfoot. Glassman muttered, "We can do better on the grass," and pushed over to the side of the walk. The others followed him. The grass was wet, the soil slightly soggy, but they were able to move forward in complete silence.
There were lights in the house which showed ribbons of illumination around the edges of the windows. The man who was digging kept plugging away.
"From behind that big vine," Glassman said.