William Arden: The Secret of the Crooked Cat

Before anyone could say anything more, the tall clown suddenly whipped a pistol from his floppy sleeve. He aimed the gun at them all. Without a word he began to back away towards the main entrance, his dark eyes glittering menacingly in his chalk-white clown’s face.

“Don’t move, anyone,” Chief Reynolds warned. “Let him go.”

Helpless, the boys, the Chief and Mr. Carson watched as the clown backed farther and farther away. He was almost at the main exit from the carnival when a massive figure jumped out from behind the Ferris-wheel booth. He was on the clown before anyone knew what was happening.

It was Khan. The tall clown tried to turn his pistol on the strong man, but Khan’s hand damped on his wrist and the pistol fell to the ground. The tall clown stood helpless in the grip of the strong man. “So, one robber caught!” Khan said in triumph. Chief Reynolds shouted for his men, and they came running to take the tall clown from Khan. Other policemen began to disperse the crowd of performers and late customers. Khan grinned.

“I was just watching and waiting for the robber to make some move,” the strong man explained. “But I must admit I never suspected the clown.”

The small, fat clown peeled off his mask and putty nose to reveal a smiling Jupiter.

“I always wanted to be a clown,” Jupe said.

Chief Reynolds said, “You better explain all this, Jupiter. How did you know the tall clown was the robber, and what are you doing in that costume?”

“Well,” the First Investigator began, “when we began to chase that unseen man from the amusement park, I realized that he would get the crooked cat before we could. So instead of going with you all, I decided to go straight to the performing tents. I reasoned that after the robber got the crooked cat from Andy’s truck, he’d run to where he could hide it, and himself, among a lot of people.

“I’d just reached the main show area, where there were still customers all around, when I saw the tall clown running right at me! I could see he was hiding something under his baggy jacket If he saw me, he’d know I had guessed what he had and who he was! So I ducked into the first tent. That’s when I got a real shock — it was the clown tent!”

“Wow!” Pete exclaimed. “You mean you were in the tent where he would come in for sure. First!”

Jupiter nodded. “An error of panic, I’m afraid, Second. I had to think quickly. The tent was in two parts, like all the show tents — the rear for resting between acts and dressing if the performer didn’t dress in his own trailer. So I ran into the dressing section. I heard him come into the show part of the tent. He was busy out there for a few minutes. I didn’t know if he’d come into the dressing section or not. I could see he didn’t dress in the tent, only he might come back any minute!”

“Jiminy, you were trapped, Jupe,” Andy said.

“I was, but I saw the costumes of the small clown! He dressed in the tent, and he’d already quit for the night and gone. So I got into his costume and mask. They fitted me just right! I’d just finished putting on the putty nose when he came back into the dressing section — he’d heard me, I guess. He thought I was the small clown, and he insisted we do one more act in the main alley.

“I realized, of course, that he wanted to do another act to have a chance to escape from the carnival with the crooked cat. The whole situation had changed for him, you see. All along he’d been trying to get the crooked cat without anyone knowing what he wanted. But now we all knew what he was doing, and hiding didn’t matter any more. He just wanted to escape.”

Chief Reynolds nodded. “I see that, Jupiter, but when you were in the open, why didn’t you just tell us who he was?”

“I knew he had a pistol, sir,” Jupiter said simply. “I was afraid if I revealed myself he’d start shooting. I had to get your attention before he learned I wasn’t the small clown. So I drew the question mark in the dirt. Luckily, Bob saw it and you were all alert before he realized I had accused him!”

“Not quite alert enough, he almost got away,” the Chief said. “Fine work, Jupiter! Where is that crooked cat?”

“Strapped to his leg inside the baggy pants,” Jupiter said.

One of the Chiefs men searched the tall clown, and pulled out the crooked cat. He gave it to the Chief who quickly examined it and held up a small piece of tan cardboard.

“A left-luggage ticket!” the Chief exclaimed. “He deposited the robbery money. That solves one part of the case. Now let’s find out just who this robber is.”

“Robber?” Mr. Carson frowned “But Chief, he can’t be — ”

Before Mr. Carson could finish what he was saying, Chief Reynolds had the tall clown’s mask and wig off, and was wiping the make-up away. The Chief stepped back, his face incredulous!

Out of his clown face, the tall clown was a thin, white-haired old man! At least sixty-five years old!

“Bu — but — ” The Chief stammered. “He can’t be the robber!”

“I was trying to tell you,” Mr. Carson said. “He’s too old for the robber. He couldn’t disguise his age that well, and he could never climb walls like the robber.”

“No… he couldn’t,” Jupiter said slowly, dismayed.

The old clown looked at the ground. “I… I was hired. I admit I took that crooked cat. He said he’d pay me ten thousand dollars! He gave me the gun, but I don’t even know how to use it I’m sorry I threatened you. I was afraid.”

“Who hired you?” Chief Reynolds demanded. The old clown looked round. “Him! Khan! He hired me.”

The strong man grew red. “He’s lying! I told you — ”

“I’m telling the truth,” the old clown insisted. “Don’t take my word, Chief. Take us both to jail, and then check on Khan. I know I’ve got punishment coming, but Khan hired me.”

For a moment everyone stood staring at both the old clown and Khan. The clown’s arm was pointing at Khan, and Jupiter was staring hard at both the clown and Khan. Then the First Investigator’s eyes gleamed.

“One of them is lying, Chief,” he said, “and I know that it’s the old clown!”

Chief Reynolds demanded, “How do you know that, Jupiter?”

“The clown isn’t an old man at all,” Jupiter declared. “He’s disguised in reverse”

“Huh?” Pete exclaimed.

“Yes, Second,” Jupiter insisted. “We’re been looking for a man who disguised himself as the swarthy tattooed man to rob the bank and fool us — for someone who put on a disguise. But he didn’t do that. No, he’s been disguised all along as the old man clown! To rob the bank, and buy the cats, he took off his disguise! Under that old man’s face is our real robber!”

The old clown began to struggle, but the police held him firmly. Chief Reynolds felt the clown’s face, pulled at the white hair, dug at the wrinkled skin.

“Jupiter! I can’t get anything off his face!” he said.

“Modern disguise is very clever,” Jupiter said. “Look all the way down on his neck.”

The Chief pulled down the collar of the clown costume. They all saw a faint line round the clown’s neck. Chief Reynolds dug his fingernails under it, tugged hard upward — and the old man’s whole face, hair and neck skin came off in one piece of solid plastic!

The clown stood revealed as a swarthy, dark eyed man — just as he had looked when he had bought the crooked cats.

“It’s him, the tattooed man!” Pete cried. “Without his tattoo!”

Mr. Carson peered at the glaring robber. “And he is The Amazing Gabbo, too! He’s changed, but it’s Gabbo. So, you’re a bank robber now, Gabbo?”

The robber snarled, “Go to the devil, Carson! All of you! I’d have got away except for those stupid kids!”