As the truck squeaked past the front fender of her Mustang, Nancy noticed something. Mashed into the tires of the truck were mounds of soft gray clay.
The possibility that it was from the same place as the clay she'd seen at Sean's house was a long shot, Nancy knew, and even if she had wanted to chase it down, this truck was coming back from the site, not going to it. She was considering a way to find the source of the clay when a concrete truck whizzed through the intersection heading out of town. Nancy seized the opportunity and pulled in behind it. The Falcon's Roost could wait, she decided.
The street soon narrowed from four lanes to two, and sidewalks gave way to gravel shoulders. Nancy was beginning to wonder if she was on a wild-goose chase when the truck slowed and pulled into an unpaved drive at a barren construction site. On one side of the site stood a large stack of lumber and out front a sign declared, Future Home of Marshall Manufacturing.
Nancy pulled her car to the shoulder of the road and got out. There was clay in the ruts of the driveway, but there was no building big enough to hide a child in. She got back in her car and drove past the construction site, taking a side road that led toward the back of the lot. It had deep ruts and was partially overgrown with weeds. About a hundred yards along Nancy stopped and got out of her car. There was gray clay on this road, too, and some of the weeds had been crushed as though a vehicle had recently gone through.
Nancy surveyed the land. The construction site was on her left now. To the right were open fields, and straight ahead the dirt road disappeared into a large stand of trees and heavy brush. A good place for a hideout, she thought, but if she was going to investigate, it would have to be on foot. In her car she couldn't hope to take anyone by surprise.
Nancy got back in her car and inched it forward. When she was close to the trees, she pulled off the dirt track, parked in the weeds, and continued down the road on foot.
She checked the ground again and found more gray clay in the ruts of the road. All her instincts told her she was on the right track. As she walked carefully along the edge of the road, her only wish was that Victor was still tailing her. She wondered if the workers at the construction site would hear her if she called for help. She guessed they wouldn't, and as the trees thickened, Nancy was very aware that she was on her own.
Her nerves were on edge when she came to the end of the road. It stopped at a small clearing, barely large enough to turn a car around in. There, pointed straight at her, was a battered green sedan—the very kind Sean had said Rebecca owned. Nancy walked up to it and peered in the window. Inside, on the floor of the backseat, were a tattered doll and an empty Yummy Bunnies box.
Caitlin! The word was a silent scream inside Nancy's head. She was sure now that the little girl was close, but where? Nancy scanned the clearing and spotted a narrow path heading off to the right. It led to a small, run-down cottage. What had once been a driveway was now overgrown, but the grass around the front door had been trampled.
Nancy watched from the trees for a moment and then edged her way toward the rickety front porch. She was about to climb the steps when the front door opened. Nancy held her breath as a red-haired young woman led a small child onto the porch. Nancy recognized them immediately from their pictures as Rebecca and Caitlin.
The baby-sitter gasped.
"Good afternoon," Nancy said, acting friendly.
Rebecca pulled Caitlin to her, then froze. "What do you want?"
Nancy hesitated. She wasn't going home without Caitlin, but she didn't want to frighten Rebecca into doing something desperate.
"I was just looking around," Nancy said with a smile. "I thought there might be a stream in these trees—and then I saw your cottage."
"I'm afraid there's no stream," Rebecca said tersely. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we're in a hurry." She pulled the door closed and led Caitlin down the steps, turning her back on Nancy.
Nancy saw her opportunity. "Run, Caitlin!" she yelled as she lunged at Rebecca. She pushed Caitlin aside as she threw her forearm around the kidnapper's neck. Instantly Rebecca jerked forward, flipping Nancy onto her back on the hard ground.
Before Nancy could catch her breath, Rebecca had her foot on Nancy's chest. "Who are you?" she growled.
Chapter Fifteen
Nancy raised her eyes in time to see Rebecca glaring down at her, her foot digging hard into Nancy's chest. Before she could say anything, Caitlin began to sob.
"You said you'd take me home," the little girl wailed. "I want to go home."
Rebecca glanced toward the child, giving Nancy the opportunity she needed. She quickly twisted out from under Rebecca's heel, grabbing the kidnapper's leg and pulling hard. Rebecca came down heavily as Nancy sprang up. Now the tables were turned—Nancy was standing over Rebecca, with her foot on the sitter's stomach.
"I'm a friend of Sean Reeves, and I'm here to take Caitlin home," she said.
Behind her she heard Caitlin cry, "I want my daddy!"
"Caitlin," Nancy said as she twisted toward the sobbing child. "I'll take you to your daddy, but I need your help first."
The little girl wiped her tears away with dirty hands.
"Do you know where there's a rope?" Nancy asked.
Caitlin immediately began to sniffle.
"It's not for you," Nancy said, keeping a sharp eye on Rebecca. "I promise. I just need you to bring it to me."
Caitlin hesitated, her eyes growing wide. Finally she walked slowly up the steps of the cottage and disappeared inside. When she returned, she had a piece of clothesline in her hand, which she dropped in front of Nancy.
It took Nancy only a few minutes to tie Rebecca's hands. Nancy forced her through the trees toward her car. Caitlin followed several paces behind them.
"You'd better let me go," Rebecca commanded as Nancy pushed her along. "If you do, I won't tell the cops how you tied me up and kidnapped me.
"You're the kidnapper," Nancy said. "And it will be better for you if you tell me all about it."
"I'm not telling you anything," Rebecca snapped.
"How about who your accomplice was," Nancy said as they neared the Mustang. "I know you couldn't have pulled this off all by yourself."
"I want a lawyer," Rebecca said flatly. Nancy shoved her into the backseat and tied her feet. She had already decided to take Rebecca to the FBI mobile command center. She was anxious to get to the Roost, and the police department was too far out of her way.
Nancy glanced at her watch and realized the game was already well under way. She would have to hurry to get word to Sean before he threw another game.
"Your dad's been looking for you," Nancy said gently as she helped Caitlin into the car. "Have you been at that cottage the whole time?"
"Uh-huh," Caitlin said, her big brown eyes fixed on Nancy. "She wouldn't even let me go outside, and it got really boring once the Yummy Bunnies were gone."
"Did she hurt you?" Nancy asked, reaching out to stroke Caitlin's hair gently.
"Just when they took me away from the house," Caitlin said. "I didn't want to go."
"Were you sleeping?" Nancy asked.
"No. It was right after Dad left, and I was playing with my dolls," Caitlin said. "But then a man came and started throwing things around the house. I cried and Rebecca took me to her car on the side of the house."
Nancy shook her head grimly and sighed. Obviously Rebecca had been in on the kidnapping all along. Caitlin hadn 't been taken from her bed while she napped between twelve-thirty and one-thirty. She had actually been kidnapped much earlier in the day, and the house had been
deliberately wrecked to make it look as if there had been a struggle.
"Caitlin, what did the man look like?" Nancy asked, keeping her voice gentle.
"He was big," Caitlin said.
"What color hair did he have?" Nancy asked.
"I don't remember," Caitlin said. "Besides, he had a hat on. It was blue."
A big man in a blue hat. Not much to go on, Nancy thought. "Would y
ou know him if you saw him again?" Nancy asked Caitlin, hopefully.
"Yes," Caitlin said without hesitation. "He was mean. He broke the flowers I cut for daddy."
"Good," Nancy said. "I have a plan." She knew there was still not enough evidence to arrest Rod or Stormy, but she had an idea that might flush Rebecca's accomplice out. To make it work, she had to get to the Roost before Sean took over for the starting pitcher.
When she reached the city limits, Nancy steered her car toward the parking lot where Victor had sent her the day before. As she rounded the corner, Nancy saw that she was in luck. The FBI's mobile command unit was still there. She pulled up beside it and got out of the car.
"Where are we?" Rebecca demanded as Nancy opened the back door.
"We're going to have a little visit with the FBI," Nancy said, untying Rebecca's feet.
"The FBI?" Rebecca said with disbelief. For the first time Nancy saw real fear in her eyes. "Look, I—I didn't mean for this to be such a big deal/' she stammered.
Nancy pulled her out of the car and led her to the door of the van. She knocked, then stepped aside as the door swung open and Victor peered out. He acted shocked as his eyes moved from Nancy to Rebecca to Caitlin.
"A little present," Nancy said, smiling. "Meet Rebecca Carter and Caitlin Reeves."
Victor called to his assistant, who quickly read Rebecca her rights and took her inside the van.
"I guess I stopped following you too soon," he said to Nancy. "Fm going to need to know exactly what happened."
"I'll be glad to tell you," she answered with a smile. "But right now I'd like to get to the Roost so I can stop Sean from throwing another game."
"I'm all for that," Victor agreed.
"And since Rebecca's not talking, we still need to force her accomplice into the open. If Sean starts pitching well, he or she may get nervous," Nancy said. "But it might be even easier than that. Caitlin saw the man who helped kidnap her. She can't give much of a description, but she's a bright little girl. I think she could recognize him."
"That would be enough for an arrest warrant," Victor said. "Let's give it a try."
"Will you help us?" Nancy asked, looking down at Caitlin.
The little girl gripped Nancy's hand and nodded. "Then can I see my daddy?" she asked.
"You bet," Nancy said with a gentle smile.
"Let's go, then," Victor urged. He scrambled into the backseat of Nancy's car. Nancy helped Caitlin into the front seat again, and within moments the three of them were on their way to the Roost.
"Good work!" Chief McGinnis said when Nancy got out of her car in the stadium parking lot. "I heard all about it on my police radio and came right over."
Nancy quickly explained her plan to the chief.
"If we're in time, Victor can talk to Sean before he goes onto the field," Nancy said.
"And I'll find the mascot," McGinnis said.
The four of them hurried toward the entrance. Chief McGinnis showed his badge to the young woman taking tickets, and all four passed quickly through the gates.
Nancy took Caitlin's hand and headed toward the section of the stands where she and George had sat at both games earlier that week. She was just about to start up the ramp when she heard a familiar voice.
"I think you know more than you've been telling, Nancy Drew, and I'm going to stay with you till I get the whole story."
Nancy turned around to see Brenda hurrying to catch up to her.
"I really mean it," Brenda said. "Fm going to stick to you like glue."
Nancy couldn't believe Brenda's timing. She had to think of a way to get rid of the reporter, and fast.
"I promise to tell you everything after the game if you'll leave me alone for now," Nancy said, trying to smile.
"Then you do have a story!" Brenda exclaimed.
"Yes, and it will be worth the wait," Nancy said. "But you have to agree not to follow me."
Brenda peeked at Caitlin and then back at Nancy. "Agreed, if I get an exclusive."
Nancy just nodded and led Caitlin up the ramp. It took her only a few minutes to find George sitting next to an empty seat. Before Nancy could speak, George's mouth fell open.
"You found her!" George gasped. "And in time for Sean to pitch his best."
"Yes, but right now we need your help," Nancy said. George quickly followed her and Caitlin back down the aisle and up a long flight of steps to the stadium announcer's box overlooking home plate while Nancy explained her plan. On the field Sean Reeves walked to the pitcher's mound.
"Do you really think the kidnapper will try to get another message to Sean when he starts pitching well?" George asked.
"I hope so," Nancy said. "But it's possible we can wrap this case up before then if Caitlin can finger Rebecca's accomplice."
Nancy continued up the steps. "What's happening in the game?"
"It's tied!" George said excitedly. "Four to four in the top of the seventh inning. The Falcons could win."
"Maybe so," Nancy said with a smile and stopped in front of the steel door to the booth. She knocked softly. When a young man answered it, she explained what she needed.
A moment later Nancy, George, and Caitlin were inside the crowded room.
Al Wickenhagen, "the Voice of the Falcons," was giving game details over the stadium P.A. system. Nancy asked Caitlin to speak very quietly so that they would not be heard over Wickenhagen's microphone. She settled down in a folding chair beside the announcer and pulled Caitlin onto her lap. It was easy to see that Sean had gotten the word that his daughter was safe, because he was throwing killer fast-balls.
"Is that my daddy?" Caitlin asked, pointing to the pitcher's mound.
Nancy nodded. Nothing could be better than seeing the two of them back together again, she thought.
"There's another strikeout," Wickenhagen bellowed into the microphone next to them. "That's two in a row for Reeves."
"I think his tune-up is complete," George whispered. "If the kidnapper is still hoping for a Ranger victory, he has to be a little worried right about now."
"Let's hope so," Nancy said as the Rangers' third batter hit a pop fly for the third out of the inning.
The first Falcon batter was coming to the plate when the light on the telephone between Nancy and the announcer started flashing.
The young man who'd met them at the door picked it up, spoke into it softly, then handed it to Nancy. "It's for you," he told her.
"Victor?" Nancy said as she took the receiver.
"None other," the agent replied.
"What's up?" Nancy asked. She could feel the excitement building within her.
"Rod Sanders didn't suit up today," Victor said. "He's in the stands, Section G, Row eighteen. There are plainclothes officers near both him and Stormy, and we've got officers posted at all the exits."
Nancy was stunned. Rod was sitting on the Ranger side of the stadium. She thanked Victor, hung up, and began counting the rows in Section G. When she got to eighteen, she used binoculars to search the faces until she found Rod.
Nancy grinned as she wondered which of the people in the stands near him were FBI agents.
"Is that the man who took you?" Nancy asked Caitlin after helping her spot Rod.
Caitlin looked for a moment and then shook her head.
"Are you sure?" Nancy asked, surprised.
"That's not him," Caitlin insisted.
Nancy was stunned. As the inning's second batter hit a long line drive and scored a run that put the Falcons in the lead, she wondered who the kidnapper could be. Maybe Stormy Tarver, dressed up like a man, she thought.
It was easy to locate Stormy in the box where she had spent every day of the series, but it took several minutes to point her out to Caitlin. The inning was over and Sean was again on the mound when Caitlin finally shook her head. "The man who came and got me had dirt on his face."
Nancy looked at Caitlin and then at George, who shrugged.
"A brown mark right here?" she whispered t
o Caitlin, touching her right cheek.
"Uh-huh," Caitlin said.
"A birthmark," she said to George over her shoulder. "The kidnapper has a birthmark—and so does Bill Barrows."
"Caitlin, would you like to say hello to your dad?" Wickenhagen whispered.
Caitlin leaned as close as she could to the announcer's mike. "Hello, Daddy," she said loudly.
Wickenhagen introduced her to the fans. Nancy scanned the field to see Sean staring up at the announcer's booth. Then, halfway between the pitcher's mound and the Falcons' dugout, she spotted Freddy the Falcon, frozen in his tracks.
The FBI was following the wrong suspects. Bill Barrows was the kidnapper, and he was already on the field!
Chapter Sixteen
Nancy watched from the announcer's stand long enough to see the mascot run awkwardly to center field with Sean chasing him. Luke threw off his catcher's mitt and joined the pursuit.
"Stay with George," Nancy said to Caitlin as she lifted the girl to the floor and dashed out of the booth. She headed down the steps, listening as the crowd roared with laughter. Once again the spectators thought what was going on was part of the show.
At the bottom of the first section of steps, Nancy stopped to watch Sean dive for Freddy the Falcon and come up with only a handful of feathers. The huge blue and green bird was making mad weaving dashes around the bases, trying to stay out of the reach of his pursuers.
Nancy dashed down more flights of stairs. She'd almost reached field level when she paused at a landing to check the action. The mascot had dodged toward the bat rack by the Falcons' dugout. Nancy saw him hurl one of the bats right at Luke's head.
"Duck!" Nancy screamed. Then, realizing that she was too far from the field to be heard, she took off again, flying down the last flight of stairs. She reached the ramp that led to the playing field just as Freddy the Falcon grabbed another bat and began to swing it at Sean. The pitcher's eyes were blazing with anger.
"No, Sean!" Nancy yelled as she ran down the ramp toward the barrier that separated the stands from the field. Sean lunged but just missed the dodging bird, falling to the ground as the mascot jumped the barrier several aisles down from Nancy and tore up the ramp.