Mystery Of The Sea Horse Read Online Free Page A

advance."
"How'd you know she was here?"
"Diana writes often. And I see to it the letters reach me, no matter where I am."
"I still think you two ought—"
"You were going to tell me where she is," the Phantom reminded him.
"Well, yes. She's still out on that darn island, I guess."
"Island?"
    "One of the Channel Islands," explained the old
     
man. "A private one called San Obito, owned by a fellow name of Danton."
"That wouldn't be Chris Danton, would it?".
"Sure would. You know him?"
Shaking his head, the Phantom said, "No, I only heard his name in another connection recently, up in San Francisco."
"Well, he seems to be a nice-enough guy. I've gotten to know him since I've been staying here in Santa Barbara," said Uncle Dave. "Anyway, he asked Diana and some other people over to his place for the weekend. And she went."
The Phantom asked, "But she was supposed to be back before now, is that it?"
"More or less." Dave Palmer put his hands in the pockets of his plaid pants. "See, I got a call this afternoon. Not from Diana but from some girl who said she'd been out on the island with her. This girl said Diana would be staying on another day or so."
"Why didn't Diana call you herself?"
"According to this girl, Danton's having trouble with the phone system that links him with the mainland," replied Uncle Dave. "So Diana asked her to call me when she got back home." He sat for a moment on the edge of a black-leather sofa, then rose to pace again. "I don't know, I just had a feeling something wasn't quite right. During my years in the police department, I got the habit of listening to hunches. So I decided to phone Diana myself."
"What happened?"
"Nothing. Danton's number rang and rang," said the old man. "I checked with the phone com- j pany and they say they've got no report of trouble J on his lines. Of course, I imagine he's got some l kind of complicated private setup and perhaps—"
     

 
"San Obito Island, you said?" The Phantom
stood.
Right." Uncle Dave gave him the exact locationof Chris Danton's island. "Maybe there's nothing wrong. After all, Di's grown up and if she
wants to—"
The Phantom put his hand onto the old man's shoulder. "It won't hurt to pay attention to your hunch." He moved into the hall.
What do you figure on doing?" Uncle Dave called after him.
The front door opened and closed and the Phantom was gone.
     
CHAPTER FIVE
The day before, everyone had still been there on the island.
At sunset, the mist returned, dropping down in great puffs out of the gradually darkening sky.
Laura, the red-haired girl, hugged herself and gave an exaggerated shudder. "What would you say to a motion to go inside?"
They had been sitting around a vast flagstone patio at the rear of the house, drinking cocktails and talking. All except Danton himself, who'd been absent since after the tennis session.
The wife of the thin man—their name was Baylor—said, "How about you, Miss Palmer? We long-time California sufferers are used to these bleak night fogs."
Diana smiled. "I can see goose bumps popping out all over poor Laura," she said, rising from her canvas chair. "Let's go in."
"Fog always makes me feel very odd." Laura started for the French windows. "Like I'm stuck under a wharf, or down in a submarine."
"You have a very vivid way of describing things," Mr. Baylor said to her. "Are you in some creative field?"
"No." The red-haired girl opened the glass doo and stepped into the large drawing room.
"Oh, what sort of—?" Baylor followed her into the mansion.
Diana bent to retrieve her empty glass from the stones.
     
My husband is very interested in creative people." Mrs. Baylor said. "Especially cute little redhaired ones."
The close-cropped blond young man trotted around them to hold the French window open. Allow me, ladies." His name was Chuck Piper.
A tall silent man in a dark suit was standing in
the drawing room, his back to the empty fireplace, a tray of fresh drinks in his hands. "I took the libert y of preparing