You're
a good actor, Jupe," Pete said. "That's the best imitation of fright
I've ever seen. But now what do you say we- we-"
He turned and he saw what Jupiter was looking at. And the words stuck
in his throat.
"Little Bo-Peep is a parrot?"
"Why, yes." The woman looked at [Jupiter] in surprise. "How on earth
did you know?"
Jupiter whipped out one of their business cards.
"We're investigators," he said. "I deduced that you were looking for
a parrot because you have put a parrot cage near the edge of those
scrubs, and because you are trying to entice the bird with sunflower
seeds, of which parrots are very fond."
"You have to remember!" Mr. Claudius was shouting. "Even if
you can't remember where you sold the other parrots, you have to
remember about Blackbeard. You still had him after you sold the rest.
I have four of them now, and I'll get the rest, but I must have
Blackbeard. I'm sure you know where he is!"
Carlos, bursting into the room, flung himself like a small terrier
straight at the fat man's leg."
Dear Señor Jupiter,
Here is Señor Blackbeard. He come home at dinner time.
I send him to you. I wish you to have him, for he is my friend and
you are my friend. Besides, I have fear the fat man try to steal him.
We now have nice house and I thank you one thousand times.
Carlos Sanchez.
When Bob finished reading the letter out loud, the mynah bird fluffed
up his feathers and hopped onto the edge of the box.
"Huganay?" Pete blinked. Bob looked blank. Who was Huganay?
"Don't pretend you don't know him," Mr. Claudius said impatiently.
"Huganay, the Frenchman, one of the most dangerous art thieves in
all Europe. I'm positive he's on my trail."
Bob started to shake his head, but Pete spoke up.
"This Mr. Hugagay," he asked. "Is he about medium height, with
dark hair, a French accent, a little moustache?"
"That's him!" Mr. Claudius said. "So you do know him"!
"Okay, boy," Huganay said, "climb out."
"Climb out?" Skinny Norris lookes startled. "But I'm helping you."
"You've finished helping us. Lester, toss him out."
"Sure, boss," the third man in the sedan said. He was a big,
ugly bruiser, sharing the rear seat with Skinny. It took him only
a moment to send Skinny Norris flying out of the sedan so hard
that he almost fell into the road.
In an instant they were behind the trees cloaked in the gray veils
of the fog, while behind them the three men shouted conflicting orders.
"They'll be after us in a second," Pete whispered into Jupiter's ear.
"The truck is that way."
He pointed. Jupiter shook his head. To him, in the fog, all directions
now looked alike.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"I just know," Pete said. Jupiter believed him. When it came to
finding directions or following trails, Pete was an acknowledged
expert.
