William Arden: Hot Wheels

“What did she say, Aunt M?”

“What didn’t she say! And about her own son, too. That poor boy.” The angry woman shook with indignation.

“Did she say anything about any police trouble?” Jupiter pressed. “About stealing cars?”

“Amy called him a flake and said he was lazy, unreliable, and worse than that!”

Jupiter sighed. “Aunt M?”

The outraged woman continued to fume for a few moments. Then she shook her head. “Nothing about stealing cars, but she did say Ty was in trouble with the police when he was younger. Juvenile things like rowdyism and some shoplifting. He even used drugs for a while. But that was ten years ago, and he hasn’t been in any trouble since. I’m sure he learned his lesson.” Jupiter nodded. “Is your cousin going to help get him out of jail?”

“Not her! She said she has no money to waste on a no-good son. As far as she’s concerned, Ty’s on his own. I’ve already called my lawyer, but he thinks he’ll have trouble getting Ty released.”

“Why?” Pete asked.

“Is there something we don’t know?” Bob said.

Aunt Mathilda looked serious. “The police want him held without bail.”

“On what grounds?” Jupiter cried.

“That he has a past criminal record and is from out of state. And even more important, he’s a material witness against what they think is a gang of car thieves operating in Rocky Beach.”

“When will you know if we can get him out?”

“There’s a hearing later,” she said. “But my lawyer wants to talk to a judge before then.”

“Keep trying, okay, Aunt Mathilda?” Jupiter urged. “It’s vital we get him out to help us”

The angry woman agreed, and went back to the office to call her lawyer again. In the workshop the Three Investigators looked at one another.

“Can we go ahead without him, Jupe?” Pete asked.

“We’ll have to.” Jupiter became thoughtful. “So the police think there’s a ring of car thieves in Rocky Beach, do they? That has to mean there have been a lot of other car thefts in the area recently.” He turned to Bob. “Bob, can you find out if El Tiburon and the Piranhas were playing a gig in Oxnard the night Ty says Tiburon asked him to drive the Mercedes down here?”

“Sure. I can ask Jake Hatch.”

“No. I don’t want anyone to know we’re investigating.”

Bob grinned. “I’ll figure something out.”

“How about right now,” Jupiter said.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Pete groaned. “I can’t miss karate class this afternoon. It’s my kata demonstration.”

“What’s so important about that?” Jupiter said.

“The kata are the ancient training exercises, Jupe,” Bob explained. “They’re the whole spirit of karate. There are about fifty of them, and you have to do a lot of exact moves in an exact amount of time. We do one a month.”

“Anyway, I have to pick up Kelly at the Y after,” Pete added. “She has her aerobics class at the same time.”

“I guess Bob and I can handle it,” Jupiter said. “Meet us back here later, okay?”

Bob grinned. “We’ll tell you all about the excitement and fun we had hoodwinking Jake Hatch.”

“Forget it,” Pete said hotly. “I’ll skip karate and pick up Kelly later. Come on, guys!”

They all laughed as Pete ran for his battered Fiero and Bob headed for his antique but shining VW. While Jupiter decided who to ride with, a sleek silver Jaguar XJ6 sedan drove into the salvage yard. A slim brunette in sky-blue exercise sweats bounced out of the Jag. She waved back to someone inside.

“Thanks bunches, Dad! Pete’ll bring me home. Bye!”

The Jaguar zoomed away. Kelly Madigan ran across the salvage yard to Pete and took his arm. She barely came to his shoulder. Kelly looked up at Pete with her big green eyes and smiled into his startled face.

“Daddy couldn’t drive me to aerobics, so I told him to bring me here and you would.” On tiptoe she kissed Pete on the nose and grinned. “I mean, we always meet after your karate class anyway.”

Pete gulped. “I’m not going to karate today, Kel… I — ”

“Not going? Why not, for heaven’s sake?”

“We… we’ve got a big case, Kel. Jupiter’s cousin Ty is in, trouble and we have to solve the case and get him out of jail.”

“Case? Oh, I know that’s important, but we always go to karate and aerobics on Monday. How are you going to take me home if you’re on a case? And Mother expects us for dinner afterward, remember? I’m sure Jupe and Bob can do it all fine for today. Anyway, we better go or we’ll be late.”

She took Pete’s hand, waved to Jupiter and Bob, and pulled the confused Pete to his car. With a helpless shrug to his friends, Pete got in. The Fiero drove out of the yard and turned toward the YWCA across town.

“That,” Bob said, “is why I don’t let any girl make me go steady, no sir! Play the field, that’s the only way, right, Jupe?”

“I guess I’d like to play any way I could.”

“Come on, Jupe, I bring enough girls around for you. So does Pete. Don’t you like any of them?”

Jupiter sighed. “It’s more they don’t like me.”

“A lot of girls like you, I can see that. I mean, take that little Ruthie today. She definitely liked you. All you have to do is make your move.”

Jupiter flushed. “Anyway, what about finding out about El Tiburon and the Piranhas?”

“No problem. Let’s go.”

They got into Bob’s bug and drove out of the salvage yard. Bob turned toward downtown.

“Where are we going?” Jupe asked.

“Jake Hatch’s office.”

“But we don’t want him to know we’re investigating — ”

Bob smiled. “Trust me.”

They reached a seedy, dilapidated building on the edge of the main downtown shopping area. Bob parked in the lot at the rear.

There was no elevator in the run-down building. Only a feeble light filtered in through the dusty sky-light over the stairwell. Rows of scarred half-glass doors lined the uncarpeted hallways. On the third floor Bob opened the last door on the right. The Investigators stepped into an outer office. Beyond it was Jake Hatch’s private inner office.

“Hi, Gracie,” Bob said. “Is Mr. Hatch in?” A pretty young woman with blond hair sat at the only desk in the outer office. She was typing some long list. She looked up and smiled when she saw Bob.

“You know it’s his lunchtime.” Bob sat on the edge of her desk and flashed his most charming smile. “Sure, that’s why I came now.”

The young woman laughed and shook her head at Bob’s brashness. He had to be five years younger than she was, but her eyes said she was pleased to see him. “You’re much too sure of yourself, Bob Andrews.”

“Is it a crime that I like to talk to you instead of old Jake, Gracie?” Bob’s smile widened. “Besides, I brought my friend Jupiter along today so he could meet you. Jupe, this is Grace Salieri, the best secretary in the business.”

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Salieri,” Jupiter said.

“Call me Gracie, Jupiter,” Grace Salieri said. “Now cut the soft soap, okay, Bob? What are you doing here?”

“Sax has a client who wants a La Bamba band,” Bob explained. “We don’t have one. The guy was up in Oxnard a couple of nights ago and saw a gig he liked. He couldn’t remember the name of the group. I thought it might have been El Tiburon and the Piranhas. Were they up in Oxnard two nights ago, and where are they playing the next couple of days?”

“Jake’d want the full commission on Tiburon.”

“Sax doesn’t care about his split on this. He just wants to please the client.”

Grace got up and walked into the inner office.

“What’s she doing, Bob?” Jupiter whispered.