Nancy put a finger to her lips, warning Denise not to cry out. Then she pantomimed opening the window.
Denise gripped the lock on the window with both hands, but it was stuck. Nancy's could see beads of sweat on the cheerleader's forehead as she struggled with the window. Desperation shone in her eyes.
Suddenly the lock gave and the window flew up. Denise was halfway out when she seemed to change her mind. Holding up one finger, she slid back into the room. Nancy's heart was in her mouth. What was Denise doing?
Moments later Denise reappeared, dragging a blanket and a flat steel case. She threw the case out the window, and it landed with a dull thud on the frozen ground. The blanket followed, and finally Denise herself climbed out the window.
At the moment she landed, Nancy heard a commotion near the parking lot. Tires squealed. She heard a car gunning its motor and racing off.
It was perfect timing for her and Denise. The sound of the car would cover any noises they made. Still, it wouldn't be long before Denise was missed.
Nancy grabbed the blanket and case that Denise had thrown to the ground. She took Denise's arm and pulled her to the right of the house. There was no way to get by the side and front of the building without being seen.
The afternoon light was fading fast. The only way to escape was to head for the woods of Lincoln Park—and then to the frozen lake and darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
"Let's go!" Nancy whispered. She grabbed Denise's hand, and the two girls ran for the woods. The heavy steel case banged against Nancy's legs at every step.
She glanced at Denise. The cheerleader's breath was labored, but she was keeping up.
Nancy frantically tried to think up a plan. They were running away from any kind of civilization. They had to hope that the darkness and the vastness of the park and the lake shore would keep them hidden. With luck the kidnappers would search for them nearer the road.
Nancy could hear Denise's breath coming hard, then suddenly she stumbled.
With her free arm Nancy grabbed Denise. The case and blanket went tumbling.
"Are you okay?" Nancy asked softly.
Denise gulped air. "I—I have to rest."
Nancy looked behind her. There wasn't anyone following them—yet. She scanned the area for shelter.
Looming ahead was a cluster of brick buildings, huddled under some trees. A sign read: "Lincoln Park Zoo. Closed for renovations."
The park was deserted. For a moment Nancy felt a stab of panic. Why hadn't she led them back toward Lake Shore Drive? At least there'd be other people there. They could try to circle back, but first they'd have to go far enough to the left or right so that they wouldn't be intercepted by any of the kidnappers.
"We can't stop here." Nancy told Denise. She tried to support some of Denise's weight to keep her going.
They crossed a small road, and suddenly the lake stretched in front of them. Huge chunks of ice were piled together near the shoreline. But beyond that the water seemed to go on forever.
They had to find shelter, so that Denise could get a chance to rest. Up ahead Nancy saw a gazebo. It appeared entirely out of place in the frozen landscape, with its dainty white woodwork and summery look. At least it would give them some protection from the cold wind.
She half pulled, half dragged Denise up the! stairs. The two of them collapsed in a heap at the top. It felt warmer, at least for the moment, because there was less wind.
It was like being in a small lookout tower, Nancy thought. Through the latticework of the gazebo walls, she could make out part of the kidnappers' hideout, about two hundred yards away.
Two men were standing behind the building. One was talking and pointing toward the front of the house. They had discovered Denise was gone—the rest period would have to be short.
Nancy turned to Denise, who was huddled under the blanket.
"We should get together—otherwise we'll both freeze," said Denise. She smiled weakly. "Hey, by the way—thanks for rescuing me."
"Well, you're not quite rescued yet. Let's just hope I didn't get you into worse trouble.
"Are you okay?" Nancy continued. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Denise shook her head. "Not really. They just kept me blindfolded most of the time and in the back room. I heard everything they said. They argued a lot. See, none of this was supposed to happen."
"You mean the kidnapping?" Nancy asked. Denise nodded. "Yeah, I think I know all about that." She told Denise what she had uncovered, about the smuggled Rembrandt and the delayed shipment, Mr. Mason's new theft-proof security system, and Bernard's desperate plan to recover the priceless painting from the Amster Gallery.
"Wow, you are quite a detective, Nancy," Denise said. "Lucky for me. If you hadn't been on this case, I don't know where I'd be right now."
Nancy could feel herself start to blush. "Don't forget that I only stumbled onto this case because the kidnappers grabbed me by mistake," she pointed out. "If that hadn't happened, I never would have known about the plan to kidnap you,"
"Well, I'm really sorry I didn't believe you in the beginning. It just seemed like such a crazy story—at the time, that is."
Both girls were silent for a moment.
"It's really scary to get kidnapped," Denise said. "I used to think it would be kind of exciting, you know? Everyone would worry about you . . ."
"But it wasn't like that at all," Nancy said, finishing Denise's thought.
Denise shook her head. "I can't tell you how happy I was when I heard Ned's voice at the door asking for directions," she confessed. "But then he left. I wanted to yell out, but one of the kidnappers was in the room with me. I think I really started losing hope at that point."
That reminded Nancy. "Ned was going to the police. I hope he gets there, for our sake," she said. She tried to sound positive, but she was worried. She had a feeling the squealing tires she'd heard meant that Ned was in trouble himself.
"Hey, have you ever seen a Rembrandt close up?'' asked Denise, abruptly changing the subject.
"Not that I know of," said Nancy.
"Well, Fm sitting on one," said Denise. She gave a little giggle.
Nancy gasped. So that was what was in the steel case! Denise had been alert enough to grab it on her way out. "Denise—you didn't!" she said admiringly.
"I sure did," Denise said, her green eyes sparkling with irrepressible humor. Both girls laughed.
"Nancy," Denise said after a moment, "I wanted to tell you something. This seems to be as good a time as any." She paused. "Ned and I have been getting pretty close," she said finally.
Nancy held her breath. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears.
"In fact, I've been trying to date him," Denise went on, looking ashamed of herself. "I'm sure you noticed I was flirting with him the other night. I mean, I sort of wanted you to notice."
"I did," Nancy said in a neutral voice.
Denise leaned forward. "That was before any of this happened." She smiled grimly. "I've had a lot of time to think these past couple of days, you know. And I saw that what I was doing wasn't nice, or fair to you. So I just want to say Fm sorry and tell you I won't ever try to come between you two again."
Nancy didn't know whether to be happy or upset. On the one hand, Denise had just admitted that she and Ned liked each other. On the other, she'd said she wouldn't pursue him any longer.
Nancy didn't have time to answer. She heard a shout. Had they been sighted? She put a finger to her lips to signal Denise to be quiet, then peeked through the latticework.
Two men in dark blue parkas and fluorescent ski caps were coming toward them. It didn't look as if they were headed for the gazebo, but it was only a matter of time before they thought to check it out. She and Denise would have to move—and fast.
"Do you think you can run again?" she asked Denise.
"I can do anything if I have to," Denise replied gamely.
"Good—because I think we have to. We're like sitting d
ucks up here. Let's wait till they've gotten closer to the lake before we move."
Denise threw the blanket aside and began rubbing her legs to warm them up. Her hands were red with cold.
"Here, have a mitten," whispered Nancy as she took off one of her thick woolen mittens. Her father had brought them back for her from a trip to Sweden. As she thought of it, Nancy felt a pang. She desperately wished she were safe at home with Carson Drew.
She drew a deep breath. ''I think we should head for that strip of lights over there," she said, pointing toward the lights glinting through one part of the park. "The houses look pretty far away, but maybe we can get to a phone and call the police."
"I don't think there's any need to call the police," said a now-familiar voice.
Startled, Nancy looked down the gazebo stairs. Bernard stood at the foot of the steps, a gun in his hand. They were trapped!
"How unfortunate for me," he continued, smiling thinly. "Now I'll have to dispose of two redheads instead of one!"
Chapter Sixteen
"This way, ladies," Bernard gestured toward the hideout with his gun. ''And FU carry that, thank you," He grabbed the steel case from Denise.
Thinking fast, Nancy turned to him.
"Bernard, you have the Rembrandt. You don't need Denise anymore. Let her go,'' she urged.
"I can't let either of you go. You know too much."
''But, Bernard, Mr. Mason knows just as much as we do, more even. He already knows that you were involved," Nancy pointed out. That was a fib—she hadn't told Mr. Mason anything yet, but Ned would soon, if all went well.
"If you harm his daughter," Nancy went on,
"he won't have any reason to keep quiet. If you let her go, he might just agree to keep the whole thing quiet. After all, publicity like this could really harm his gallery."
Bernard frowned. "Miss Drew, although I know you're trying to trick me, I must say you're very clever. I respect that. To reward your cleverness, I shall do as you ask. But in exchange, you will have to do something for me." He turned to Denise.
"All right, Denise. You are free to go. Please don't take this personally. You know it was not my intention to involve you at all. Don't bother calling the police, though I'm sure you will, anyway. We'll be long gone by the time they arrive."
Denise didn't move. He stared at her. "What are you waiting for? I said go."
Nancy and Denise exchanged a look.
"Go, Denise," Nancy said quietly. "I'll be okay."
Denise was shivering badly from the cold and exhaustion. "I—I can't leave you here," she said, biting her lip. She looked as if she were about to cry.
"Would putting a gun to your head convince you?" said Bernard.
Denise silently moved from behind Nancy.
"Thank you, Nancy. I'll—see you."
Bernard and Nancy watched as Denise stumbled down the steps and walked into the park. She walked toward the bank of lights that Nancy had pointed out earlier.
"I don't think she would have lasted much longer, anyway," Bernard said, watching Denise's progress. Then he turned back to Nancy. "We'll be walking this way.'' He gestured toward the lake with his gun.
Nancy darted a look at him out of the comer of her eye. Bernard was pale, and his lips were set in a tight line. He was clearly very nervous and frightened. Could she possibly overcome him in a struggle? Nancy wondered.
"Go on." Angrily Bernard prodded her with the gun. "Don't try anything stupid. I don't have much to lose by killing you. You're only alive because I need your help to get me out of this mess. Now walk."
Nancy felt the cold steel barrel of the gun in the small of her back and decided not to try anything. She walked down the steps and over the sandy embankment to the shore of the lake.
"On the ice," ordered Bernard.
Nancy felt a stab of alarm. "Why?"
His patience snapped. "Don't ask questions. Just do it!"
Nancy walked to the edge of the lake. Bernard must have run out of ideas, she thought with a little thrill of hope. Why else was he forcing her out onto the half-frozen lake? There was only about ten yards of piled-up ice. After that the frigid water of Lake Michigan stretched endlessly.
She stepped out onto a block of ice. The wind whipped around her. It had gotten so much darker in the last half hour that she could no longer make out the individual trees in the park.
Again, Nancy studied Bernard out of the corner of her eye. He kept glancing behind him and then out toward the lake. It seemed as if he were measuring something.
"There," he said finally, pointing a short distance down the lake shore. "That's where I stowed the boat.''
The boat! Nancy's heart began beating faster. So he had a getaway planned. She walked over to where he had pointed.
A small rowboat was wedged between blocks of ice. It moved only slightly with the swells of the lake. Nancy gulped. It was crazy to try to go anywhere in that rowboat. Didn't Bernard know that?
She looked at his face. Even in the failing light, she could see the wild look in his eyes. At this point, she guessed, Bernard wasn't thinking rationally. Nancy had to try to talk him out of his crazy plan before both of them drowned in the icy waters!
"Bernard, where are we going in that boat?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and level.
"I don't know," Bernard muttered. "We have to get far away. I need to think—I need time."
He turned to her, his face contorted with fear. *'It wasn't supposed to happen like this," he blurted out. "No one was supposed to know. If the shipment had only been on time, I would have been able to remove the Rembrandt before the show was hung—before that stupid security system was put in. I could have made enough money to open my own gallery—and no one would have had to get hurt!''
Stall him, Nancy thought. "What about the other smugglers?" she asked. "Who are they?"
"I don't know." Bernard laughed shrilly. "I'm not even sure how they found me. I got a phone call, asking me if I was interested in making some fast money. All I know is that they are very professional. They planned the whole thing with me by telephone and telegram. I never met them face-to-face."
"Telegram?" Nancy was surprised. "Isn't that kind of risky? Didn't anybody else see these telegrams?"
"No one else reading the telegrams would have ever known what they really said," Bernard told her. "They were all coded."
Nancy remembered the series of telegrams in the Pieters file. She'd been reading criminal evidence and hadn't even known it!
"But who were those men inside the house? The ones who kidnapped me and Denise?" Nancy continued after a moment.
"They had also been contacted by phone. We were all hired—all puppets," Bernard said.
Nancy shook her head. It was an intricate scheme, but it had gone badly awry. "Where are the smugglers now?" she asked.
"In Europe—I don't expect Til ever meet them," Bernard told her. "This is only one of their operations.
"They already had a buyer for this Rembrandt," he went on, hefting the steel case. "They just needed me as their middleman. Unless, of course, I found a new buyer who would pay a better price."
"Who would buy such a recognizable piece of stolen property?" Nancy had to keep him talking. Ned must have gotten to the police by now. Would they get there in time, though?
Bernard hadn't even heard her question. "Franz was the name of the one who contacted me. He insisted we kidnap the Mason girl," he said suddenly. His voice was bitter. "I thought it was stupid from the start, but he didn't trust me to get the key to the new security system. He insisted that the only way to get Jonathan to cooperate was to kidnap his daughter. After they sold the Rembrandt, they would return the girl."
Bernard was talking faster now, explaining his actions. He seemed to want her to understand how things had gotten so out of control.
"They contacted me when they found out we were importing the Pieters show. They took care of smuggling the Rembrandt out of Holland. I was supposed to get it to ano
ther middleman, who would sell it. It was supposed to be so easy!"
Then he suddenly became very agitated. "That's enough talking," he said furiously. "It's time to go. Now! Get in the boat!"
Suddenly the lakeshore was bathed in light. One after another, floodlights were snapped on.
"Bernard Corbett," said a commanding voice through a megaphone. "It's all over. Come forward with your hands up."
It was the police! They had arrived!
Chapter Seventeen
IT wasn't over yet, Nancy knew.
"Get in the boat!" Bernard commanded from between clenched teeth. This time, the barrel of the gun was pressed against Nancy's temple.
Bernard threw the steel case into the little boat and followed Nancy in. Once inside, he turned his back on her to push against the ice.
"Help me push," he snarled at her.
Nancy's mind was whirling. She could feel the boat already working itself free. What could she do? She felt the swell of the giant lake beneath her. She looked at the shore, trying to see if they were coming for them, but the floodlights blinded her.
Then Nancy's eye fell on the steel case with the Rembrandt inside. She could hit Bernard over the head with it and make a dash for the shore. Slowly she moved her hand toward the case.
At last the handle was in her hand, but her grip had been weak, and it rattled to the bottom of the boat. The lid flew open. Bernard spun around— and both of them stared in shock.
There was nothing inside the case! The Rembrandt was gone!
Bernard fell to his knees. "Where is it? Where did you put it?''
Nancy was shocked. If the Rembrandt wasn't here, where was it? Had Bernard been duped by his partners in crime?
With a broken moan, Bernard dropped his head into his hands. The gun clattered to the bottom of the boat.
Nancy snatched the gun and threw it into the lake. Then she stood up and moved her arms slowly to signal the police.
Now it really was all over.
Two hours later Nancy and Ned sat in the office of Detective Martin Ohanian of the Chicago police force. Denise had been there earlier, too, but Ohanian had released her into the care of her parents.