Arthur The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure

American English
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-3-440-14780-1
Verlag: Kosmos
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Deutsch, 144 Seiten

Reihe: Die drei ???

Every true "The Three Investigators"-Fan dreams about following the adventures of Jupiter, Pete and Bob in the original American edition.
"The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure", finally available for your reading device!

Missing: One fabulous, jewel-encrusted belt, once owned by the ancient emperors of Japan. The Three Investigators are ready to jump into action, but officials at the Peterson Museum turn them away for being too young. Then a strange twist of fate brings Jupiter, Pete and Bob on the case, and the boys are soon surrounded by master criminals - who will stop at nothing to hold on to their stolen fortune! Is the priceless belt lost for good, or will the Three Investigators be able to save the day?

Autoren/Hrsg.

Arthur, Robert

Leseproben

Excitement at the Museum

An hour later, Bob, Pete and Jupiter arrived at the foot of the little hill on which stood the Peterson Museum. The hill was across the street from Griffith Park, where the boys had often gone on picnics. Several acres of green grass sloped up to an immense stucco house with two wings, each having a domed roof. A winding two-lane road led to the rear of the house, and another came down farther off for an exit.

Cars and station wagons were moving slowly up the entrance drive. The three boys hiked up, keeping well out of the way of traffic. They saw that the parking lot was liberally sprinkled with cars. More were arriving, and more people getting out all the time. Most of the crowd were children, many in scout uniforms.

Dozens of little Cub Scouts, in blue uniforms with gold neckerchiefs, ran around wildly while their Den Mothers tried to calm them down. Troops of Girl Scouts, looking very lady-like, watched them disapprovingly. There were a good many little Brownies and a few tall Boy Scouts carrying knapsacks, each with a hatchet fastened to his belt.

“I want to study the layout of the land,” Jupiter told them. “First we’ll examine the outside of the museum.”

They walked slowly past the rear of the big building. Bob noticed that what Jupe had said about windows was true. There had once been windows in the building, but those on the ground floor and in the domed wings had been filled in. He was staring so hard at the building that he failed to notice a group of small Cub Scouts and their Den Mother. “Oops! Sorry,” he said, bumping into one of them and sending him sprawling in the grass. The boy scrambled to his feet, a gold tooth gleaming in a sunny smile, and ran to catch up with his troop.

“Oh oh!” Jupiter said. “Look at that!”

“Look at what?” Pete said, “I don’t see anything but the back of the building.”

“Look at those wires,” Jupiter said. “See? All the electric light wires come from a pole down to that corner and go inside the house in a cable. That could easily be cut.”

“Who would want to cut it?” Bob asked.

“Burglars,” Jupiter said. “Of course that wouldn’t affect the alarm system, which we know is separate. However, it is a weakness.”

Now they finished circling the building and approached the front entrance. As they were not in uniform, they each paid twenty-five cents admission.

Inside, a guard directed them to the right. “Follow the arrows, please,” he said.

The three went down a hall and found themselves in the right wing, in a big room with a domed ceiling at least three stories high. There was a balcony around one half of the room, and on it was a sign: “Closed.”

Many large pictures in ornate carved frames decorated the walls. These were part of the permanent museum exhibition. However, The Three Investigators were not much interested in the pictures. They had come to see the jewels.

“Notice how the pictures are hung,” Jupiter said, as they walked slowly past the paintings. “Each one has an invisible support holding it to the wall. In the old days people hung pictures on long wires from moldings near the ceiling. You can still see the wide moldings which they used when this was Mr. Peterson’s house.”

Pete looked, but he was more interested in the way the tall windows had been blocked out.

“Why’d they get rid of the windows?” he asked. “You’re right, nobody could shoot any jewels out of this place, but I can’t figure out why they did away with the windows.”

“Partly,” Jupiter said, “to give more wall surface to hang pictures on. But mostly, I expect, so they could install good air conditioning. Notice how cool it is? Keeping the temperature and moisture always the same helps preserve the valuable pictures.”

Slowly they circled the room, then went down a back hallway following a crowd of giggling, pushing youngsters. They came out in the left wing of the museum, where the jewels were on exhibit. Like the other room, it had a balcony running around half of it, but the steps were roped off.

The Rainbow Jewels were in the exact center of the room. A velvet rope prevented anyone from getting close enough to touch the glass case.

“Very good precautions,” Jupiter said, as they filed past. “It prevents any thief from smashing the case and running.”

They lingered as long as they could, staring at an enormous diamond that flashed blue fire, a glowing emerald, a ruby that burned like a red ember, and a huge shiny pearl. These were the most valuable jewels, but there were others, of all colors of the rainbow, arranged around them and sparkling in the light.

A guard at the corner of the case told them the jewels were valued at two million dollars, and asked them to move on. A giggling bunch of Girl Scouts took their place.

The boys now found themselves in front of a case nearer the wall, just beneath the balcony, where an impressive jeweled belt was displayed. It was more than three feet long and made of great gold links set with enormous, square emeralds. Pearls edged the links, and diamonds and rubies sparkled from the buckle. The whole belt looked as if it would have taken a big man to wear it.

“This is known as the Golden Belt of the Ancient Emperors,” a guard standing nearby told them. “It dates back more than one thousand years. The total weight of gold and jewels is nearly fifteen pounds. It is very valuable, but its historic value is much greater than the value of the precious jewels in it. Now please step along so that others may view it.”

They went on to look into other cases which held some really amazing things made out of Nagasami pearls – swans, doves, fish, antelope and other creatures – all made of pearls glued together or set into transparent glass frames. The Girl Scouts ooh-ed and aah-ed over them.

The room was quite full now, and Pete, Jupe and Bob stood in an out-of-the-way spot to converse.

“The room is full of guards,” Jupiter said. “So obviously no one could plan a daylight theft. It would have to be executed at night. But then the big problem would be how to get in the front door and how to disconnect the alarm wires in the glass cases.” He shook his head. “It is my conclusion that the jewels are safe, except from a gang of experienced, well-organized men. That being the case –”

“Oops, pardon me!” said a man who had bumped into Jupiter. He had been backing up, looking at his watch, and hadn’t seen the three boys.

“Oh, hello, Mr. Frank,” Jupiter said.

“Do I know you?” the man asked good-naturedly.

“Baby Fatso,” Jupe said, using the name by which he had been known when he was a very small boy in a television comedy series. “You appeared with us on a lot of the old shows, remember? You were always the poor fellow who was blamed for the mischief we kids did.”

“Baby Fatso! Sure thing!” the man exclaimed. “Only the name doesn’t fit any more. I’d like to talk to you, but I can’t. It’s time for my act.”

“Act?” Jupe asked.

“Watch!” Mr. Frank chuckled. “You’ll see some fun. There’s a guard. I have to get his attention.” He raised his voice. “Oh guard, guard!”

The uniformed guard turned, looking hot and irritated.

“Yes, what is it?” he growled.

Mr. Frank pretended to stagger.

“I’m feeling faint,” he whispered. “I need water.”

Mr. Frank pulled his handkerchief out of his breast pocket to mop his brow. As he did so, something fell on the floor. It was an enormous red stone, like the ruby in the exhibit case.

“Oh, my!” Mr. Frank looked confused and guilty. The guard was instantly suspicious.

“What’s this?” he growled. “Where’d you steal that? You’ve got some questions to answer, buddy!”

He reached out to grab Mr. Frank’s shoulder. Mr. Frank started to protest. Instantly the guard put his whistle to his mouth and blew shrilly.

The sound of the whistle seemed to freeze everyone in the room. Every eye turned toward the guard and Mr. Frank. In a moment the other guards had closed in and made a ring around Mr. Frank, who looked more confused and guilty than ever.

“Now, mister –” began the head guard.

He never finished what he was saying. At that instant the museum was plunged into total darkness.

There was a second of silence. Then a dozen voices said excitedly, “Lights, lights! Turn on the lights!”

But the lights didn’t come on. The head guard blew his whistle.

“Two guards stand by the center case!” he shouted. “The others, see that no one leaves this room!”

Suddenly the room was in an uproar. Small boys and girls began to cry, mothers called their children, and everyone milled around in the dark.

“Chief!” shouted a guard. “There are kids all around me! I can’t get near the center case!”

“Try!” a voice shouted back. “This is a robbery!”

At that moment came the crash of glass, as one of the jewel cases was broken into. Then the clang of an alarm turned the already noisy room into a bedlam of sound.

“The jewels!” Pete gasped into Jupe’s ear. “Someone’s after them!”

“Naturally.” Jupiter sounded as if he were enjoying this. “This is a well-planned jewel robbery. We must get to the front door and see if we can spot the criminals as they try to leave.”

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