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 his thieving friends seemed to have taken over. Fortunately, he did not recognize her in her torn slacks and soggy sweater. Her clinging, wet hair 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 questioned dazedly.
“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 you pretty sure there was somebody down underneath the fountain when you turned 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 drowned me. Or were you trying to drown someone?”
“I’m surprised,” he said, smiling slyly, “that you could think such a thing. If anyone gets drowned down there it will be a most unfortunate accident. Of course,” he added, “we have been bothered by prowlers lately. People get curious about a place like this. It’s not always healthy 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, the heat of her anger warming her a little. “Were you trying to drown somebody? We were down under it when the water was turned on. I thought we were trapped at first, but I managed to get through the cascade and turn all these valves. I didn’t mean to shut off the water at the house,” she hurried on to explain. “I only meant to turn off the fountain.”