CHAPTER XIX
Falco
The man shook her again. Judy stared at him, recognizing him as Falco,the gangster who had warned her to keep away from the estate he and histhieving friends seemed to have taken over. Fortunately, he did notrecognize her in her torn slacks and soggy sweater. Her clinging, wethair probably didn’t look the same color as it had the day before.
“Did you say ... I turned off the water in the house?” she questioneddazedly.
“Yes, and everywhere else! Now beat it before you do any more damage.Wait! What did you want, anyway?” he asked menacingly.
“I’ve been in the water, as you can see,” Judy replied. “Weren’t youpretty sure there was somebody down underneath the fountain when youturned it on? Or weren’t you the one who turned it on?”
“Me?” He seemed surprised. “Why would I do a thing like that?”
“I’m asking you. Why would you?” Judy retorted. “You might have drownedme. Or were you _trying_ to drown someone?”
“I’m surprised,” he said, smiling slyly, “that you could think such athing. If anyone gets drowned down there it will be a most unfortunateaccident. Of course,” he added, “we have been bothered by prowlerslately. People get curious about a place like this. It’s not alwayshealthy for them. But I guess you found out that much.”
“I didn’t find out nearly as much as I’d like to,” declared Judy, theheat of her anger warming her a little. “Were you trying to drownsomebody? We were down under it when the water was turned on. I thoughtwe were trapped at first, but I managed to get through the cascade andturn all these valves. I didn’t mean to shut off the water at thehouse,” she hurried on to explain. “I only meant to turn off thefountain.”
“You turned it off all right,” he told her, “but you wasted your time.We like it on!”
With that he began turning one of the valves, but Judy caught his handand bent it behind him, crying hysterically as she held it in a tightgrip, “No! No! You mustn’t turn it on! You did it before, but I won’tlet you do it again. I’ll hold both your hands and yell if you try it!”
“No, you won’t! I’ll do the yelling. Edith!” he shouted as he triedunsuccessfully to shake Judy off and turn the valve. The samedetermination that had carried her through the water was giving heralmost savage strength.
“Get her away!” Falco shouted to a dark-haired woman who now camerunning through the half-open door and stopped abruptly, an amusedexpression coming over her face. “What’s the matter with you?” hecried. “Edith! Don’t just stand there. Grab her!”
“Oh-oh, so it’s you again,” the newcomer said, staring at Judy.“Mister,” she added, sneering at Falco, “I think you’re in trouble. Wayin!”
“What do you mean I’m in trouble?”
The valve forgotten, Falco whirled on the dark woman and demanded anexplanation. Judy had to release his hands, but she still kept closewatch to make sure he did not turn on the fountain. Now she knew whichvalve was the right one. Whatever it cost her, she intended to makesure it was not turned. Falco was paying little attention to her now.His anger was directed elsewhere.
“This little hobo wouldn’t have jumped me if I’d had my gun,” he saidfuriously to the woman called Edith.
“What happened to it?” she asked. “Did the big bad G-man take it awayfrom you?”
_Peter did it!_ This thought cheered Judy in spite of her predicament.If Peter suspected the Brandt estate was being used as a gang hideout,he’d be back.
Falco’s voice rose angrily. “Think I need a gun to take care of her?I’ll stop her—”
“Unless she stops you first,” the woman informed him. “She and herbrother came to the house this morning. Said they wanted to interviewsomeone. I didn’t see them, but I heard them talking to Stanley. Shewanted to meet someone of importance. Well, she’s met the great Falco.He’s someone of importance. Anyway, _he_ thinks so.”
“None of your cracks,” the gang leader warned. “Is this true?” hedemanded, turning to Judy. “Were you and your brother at the house thismorning?”
“We were,” she replied fearlessly, “and so were the police.”
“They had a search warrant,” the woman put in. “I told them to go aheadand search the house. Naturally, they didn’t find anything. We’refriends of the Brandts, living in their house while they’re onvacation. It was as simple as that.”
“What about the fountain?” Falco demanded.
“They didn’t go near it. They only searched the tower. I showed themaround myself when I saw them heading for it. And while I was therewith them I turned on the fountain.”
“You turned it on?” cried Judy, unable to control her feelings anylonger. “Then _you’re_ to blame for what happened!”
“What did happen?” asked Falco.
“Nothing,” replied the woman, who, Judy realized, must be Mrs.Cubberling. “They thanked me and drove away.”
“Then why do you say I’m in trouble?”
“Because of her!” Mrs. Cubberling pointed a finger at Judy.
“I can take care of her—easy. But first I want to hear her side of thestory. She hasn’t told me why she came here.”
“Today or yesterday?” asked Judy, trying to confuse him.
“Were you here yesterday, too?” Falco demanded. “But of course youwere! I warned you not to come back. Can’t you read? There’s a signdown the road warning trespassers away. My men tell me a car droveright past it yesterday. There were two girls in it. Were you one ofthem?”
“What if I was?” asked Judy, glad that he had not noticed Lorraine whenshe ducked. Suddenly Judy became aware of the seriousness of hersituation.
“Speak up!” the gang leader barked. “Why did you come here? And I domean today. I want the truth.”
“You’ll get it,” Judy said quietly, her hand still on the valve to keephim from turning it. “It’s exactly the way she told you. I came with mybrother to get a story. He has a weekly column in the _Farringdon DailyHerald_. It’s called ‘Meet Your Neighbor,’ and we decided that you werea neighbor the public might like to meet. We wanted an interview. Thatwas all. We were going to ask about your business, your hobbies—thingslike that.”
“Go ahead, Falco! Tell her your hobbies.” Edith Cubberling laughedmockingly. “You have a lot of them.”
“I haven’t time to listen,” Judy said hurriedly, not liking the uglytone of voice the woman was using. “I have to go back to the fountain—”
“Oh, no, you don’t!” said Mrs. Cubberling, her stocky frame blockingthe doorway.
“She has to go back!” Falco tipped back his head and laughed. “Did youhear that, Edith? She’s half drowned and shivering with cold, but shehas to go back to the fountain!”
Judy was still guarding the valve when the woman sprang forward withthe ferocity of a tiger and pushed her away from it.
“This will teach you not to go poking around where you’re not wanted,”she snarled as she struck Judy sharply across the cheek.
“This will teach you not to go poking around whereyou’re not wanted!”]
The blow was so unexpected that it knocked Judy off her feet and senther spinning into a corner where she lay helpless.
“That’ll hold you for a while,” the gang leader told her. “Come on,Edith! We have to take care of her brother if the water hasn’t alreadydone it.”
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