“They clean the parts up, wrap them, and put them in boxes to look like new,” added Pete. “Then they sell them to dealers who operate parts stores.”
“Don’t the stores know they must be stolen?” Aunt Mathilda asked.
“A lot of them do,” Steve Gilbar said, “but the prices are so good, they don’t ask questions.”
“The few parts that have serial numbers,” Pete said, “like the engine blocks, the crooks ship out of the States to sell in foreign countries.”
“They make more money by selling the parts than by selling whole cars,” added Jupe.
Aunt Mathilda shook her head. “It sounds like a hard thing to stop. I mean, once you take a car apart, it can’t be traced.”
“You’re right,” Steve Gilbar said. “That’s why the police think Ty is so important. The best way to stop the operation is to catch the thieves when they steal the cars.” He looked at his watch. “It’s time, Mathilda. Do you have the bankbooks and deeds?”
She nodded.
“You understand that if Ty runs away, you lose your bail money?”
“I understand, Steve.”
“Then let’s go. Jupiter and Pete, wait here.”
Alone in the courthouse lobby, Jupiter turned to Pete. The leader of the trio beamed.
“A chop-shop ring!” he said excitedly. “Stolen cars all up and down the coast. It has to be El Tiburon and the Piranhas using the band gigs as a cover.”
“We don’t have any proof, Jupe,” Pete said. “I mean, all we have is the name Tiburon, and Joe Torres lying and going to that garage. It’s mostly guessing.”
“We’ve also got a stolen car someone gave Ty to drive, Torres’s connection to Tiburon at the car wash, and a disappearing Cadillac.”
“I don’t know, Jupe.”
“And,” Jupiter said, “Now we have Ty!”
Aunt Mathilda, Steve Gilbar and Ty were coming down the wide courthouse corridor to the lobby. Ty looked tired and pale, but he was smiling and striding along with a bounce in his western boots and ragged jeans.
“Are you okay, Ty?” Pete said.
“Glad to be untied, right, guys?” Ty replied, and laughed at his own joke. “How’s the Corvair?”
“I haven’t had much time to work on it.”
“We’ve been too busy investigating the stolen-car ring,” Jupiter explained.
“Ring?” Ty said. “You mean there’s a gang of car thieves operating around here?”
Steve Gilbar nodded. “The police think so.”
“So that’s why they didn’t want to set bail,” Ty said. “That’s big-time stuff to play with, guys. What have you found out so far?”
“You can talk about that in a minute,” Gilbar said. “Now, you’ll be arraigned next week, Ty. At that time you’ll either be charged or the charges will be dropped. Meanwhile, don’t leave the state or even the county. Understood?”
Both Ty and Aunt Mathilda nodded.
“See you in three days then.”
After Gilbar had gone, the others went out to Pete’s Fiero. With Aunt Mathilda in the front seat, it was a very tight fit in the back for Jupiter and Ty.
“We’d have another car,” Jupiter said, “if Pete would get around to helping me look for one.”
Ty smiled. “I’ll help you, Jupe. Now tell me what you’ve dug up so far, and what we can do next to prove I’m maybe a dummy but not a crook.”
Together, Jupiter and Pete told Ty everything they’d found out and guessed at. He listened carefully, but his eyes seemed to be on the rearview mirror above Pete’s head.
“So we think El Tiburon and the Piranhas are using gigs to cover their car stealing,” Jupiter finished. He took a glossy photograph from his pocket. “Here’s a photo of Tiburon I swiped from outside The Shack. Is that the guy who gave you the Mercedes to drive down to Rocky Beach?”
Ty studied the photo. “I think so, Jupe, but I’m not sure, you know? I’d had a few beers that night. It was dark and smoky, and we were all watching the band. I didn’t look at him all that close, you know? But it sure looks a lot like him.”
“Wasn’t he playing in the band?”
“No.”
“What club were you in?” Jupiter asked.
“Something ‘Blue.’ Yeah. The Blue Lights!”
“Not The Deuces?” Jupiter asked.
“Tiburon’d be crazy to hire a guy where they were playing,” Pete said.
“I’d know better if I could see him and hear him talk,” Ty said, staring at the photo.
“That we can arrange,” Jupiter said. “We’ll meet at HQ tonight and talk over our plans.”
Ty continued to watch the rearview mirror above Pete. “Someone’s tailing us, guys. Ever since we left the courthouse. Probably the cops keeping me under surveillance, but it could be the car thieves.”
Three cars were behind them. A red Nissan and a Porsche, and between them a black American sedan.
“Is it a Buick?” Jupiter asked quickly.
“Not sure,” Ty said. “But it looks like a GM car of some sort.”
Pete and Jupiter told him about the black Buick of Max the gunman. Ty watched the mirror.
“Could be, but it could be detectives too.”
“What do we do?” Pete asked.
“We watch them,” Ty said.
They reached the house and salvage yard. Ty and Aunt Mathilda went into the house. Pete and Jupe crossed to the yard. Pete stood behind the gatepost and watched the black car pass. It wasn’t a Buick.
“It’s an Oldsmobile,” Pete said. “And it just turned at the next corner.”
“Let’s reconnoiter,” Jupiter said.
They ran across the salvage yard and climbed onto some packing crates so they could see over the high board fence. The black car was parked practically in front of them.
As they peeked over the fence, the car moved off.
“You think they saw us?”
Jupiter nodded. “I think so.”
They returned to HQ and called Ty to report.
“Okay,” Ty said. “It’s probably the cops. Let’s wait until morning to make our next move.”
Ty settled into the upstairs guest room. Pete worked on the Corvair until dark. Jupiter tinkered with some mini walkie-talkies in his workshop.
They saw the black car twice. Once driving slowly past the yard. Once hidden again behind the salvage yard fence.
10
A Plot Hatched
Ty stood at the window of HQ, as if he could see through the yard fence to the street. It was next morning, and he was worried about the black car.
“It’s out there,” he said. “I can feel it.”
“Who?” Pete said. “The police or the crooks?”
“It could be either,” Jupiter said at his desk.
“Jupe’s right,” Ty agreed. “The question is, who are they tailing? You — probably means the guys you suspect. Me — probably means the police.”
Jupiter nodded. “Torres and Tiburon wouldn’t have known when or even if you were going to get out. And I’d think they’d want to stay far away from you in case you could recognize Tiburon.”
“Let’s split up and see which car they tail,” Pete suggested.
Jupiter nodded. “I wanted to do some research, and someone should watch the Freeway Garage to see if Tiburon or the Piranhas show up. Bob’s probably working again today. So Pete can watch the garage while Ty and I take a pickup and do my research.”
“And we can buy you a car,” Ty said.
Jupiter nodded eagerly. “If they follow you, Pete, don’t go near the garage until you lose them.”
They went to Uncle Titus for permission to use one of the salvage-yard pickups. Ty and Jupe got into the truck, and Pete got into his battered Fiero. Jupe slumped down so only Ty could be seen in the truck. Ty and Pete drove out of the salvage yard together, but turned in opposite directions. If the black car was watching, it would have to choose which one it wanted to tail.