Suddenly the man said, “Okay. I’ll get you a pair. You pay inside the house.”
“Oh, no,” Nancy thought. “I won’t risk that. I think I’d better be ready to leave fast!”
As the pigeon keeper walked toward the coop, Nancy got back into the car and started the motor. Instantly he turned and hurried back.
“Hold it!” he said sharply. “I think you’d better come with me and pick out your own birds.”
Nancy’s heart began to thump. “No, thank you,” she said coolly. “You can do it.”
“Get out!” the man snarled and swiftly seized Nancy’s arm with one hand. He tossed away the whip and reached into the car to turn off the motor.
Suddenly a weird sound came from the rear of the car. Effie! It sounded as if she was having an attack of hysterical giggles!
Startled, the man let go of Nancy’s arm. “What’s that?”
Instantly Nancy released the brake and roared off in reverse. In a shower of gravel she turned, then sped past the house and down the driveway. Fearing pursuit, she kept going for about three miles until she reached the small settlement of West Gramby. Here the young detective turned into the parking area of an old-fashioned frame hotel. Quickly she got out and raised the trunk lid.
“Okay, Effie, you can come out now.”
“Oh, Nancy, I’m sorry if I spoiled everything,” said the red-faced girl as she jumped down. “When I heard that man order you to get out of the car, boy, was I scared! I wanted to scream, but all I could do was make a crazy laugh.”
Nancy smiled. “Never mind. Your giggles saved the day.”
To calm the excited girl, Nancy suggested that they have lunch in the hotel coffee shop. While waiting for their order, Nancy phoned a neighbor of the Drews and asked her to give Hannah Gruen some lunch, and tell her that the girls would be home in an hour. Then Nancy questioned the hotel manager about the estate she had seen.
“The owner’s name is Adolf Tooker,” the man said, “and that’s really all anybody knows about him. He’s lived there a year or so, but he keeps to himself.”
“Then he doesn’t bother his neighbors?”
The hotel manager scowled. “His plane does, though, flying all hours of the day and night.”
“Plane?” Nancy repeated.
“Little tan one, with a flying horse—or something—on the fuselage.”
So she had been right! The pigeon had been released from the plane. Nancy was quietly elated, for she felt sure she had found the gang’s hideout. But suddenly she remembered: there were no larkspur! And she had not seen a gate.
“The kidnappers must have two hideouts,” Nancy decided. “The pigeons and the plane are used for messages and transportation between them.”
When she and Effie reached home, they went at once to Hannah’s room and told her about the pigeon incident. “You’re having plenty of excitement, Nancy.” The housekeeper sighed. “And here I am cooped up and no use at all!”
Nancy hugged her. “You’ve helped me so often you deserve a rest! And now I must call Bess and George.”
When Bess heard about the invitation to the Comings’, she gave a whoop of delight. “Guess what?” she said. “I just finished talking to Dave. He and Burt are going to that very lake as camp counselors. It happened suddenly, when three old counselors dropped out. You’ll probably hear from Ned soon. And now tell me more about the Comings’ mystery.”
Nancy related it briefly, then phoned George. “I’ll be ready whenever you say, Nancy.”
Just before dinner that evening Nancy made up a bouquet of flowers from her garden and took it to the neighbor who had given Hannah lunch. On the way back, she noticed a black sedan parked across from the Drew house. Two men were seated in it with their hats pulled low. When they noticed her looking at them, the driver pulled away quickly.
“I wonder who they are,” she mused.
Nancy unlocked the front door but could not push it open. She tried harder. It still stuck. What had happened during her absence?
“Effie!” she called loudly through the crack.
In a few seconds an answer came. “Okay, I’ll open it.”
There was the sound of something heavy being dragged over the floor. Effie, pale and trembling, opened the door. “I put the living-room couch and a big chair here to keep those men out,” she explained.
“What men?” Nancy asked.
“The ones in the car across the street. They—they tried to force their way in here, but I slammed the door in their faces.”
“Good for you,” said Nancy, both alarmed and amused. “Who were they?”
“I dunno.”
“Well, they’ve gone, Effie, so don’t worry.”
Nancy herself was greatly concerned and peered from the window several times. The black sedan drove past every few minutes. It was not the one in which Dr. Spire had been kidnapped. Just before Mr. Drew arrived at dinnertime, the car parked once more in front of a house a few doors away. Nancy mentioned it to her father and asked if the police should be notified.
“Not yet,” the lawyer said. “That would only scare them off. I want to find out what they’re up to.”
“I have an idea,” said Nancy, and told him what had happened the night before and during the day. “The keeper passed along the pigeon story, of course, so they know I’ve seen one of their hideouts. And they probably suspect I have the note that was in the capsule. I think they tried to force their way in here to intimidate me so that I wouldn’t call the police—or to take revenge on me if I had.”
Mr. Drew frowned. “Nancy, you are in great danger. You must get away—and secretly.”
“Shall I go to the Comings’?”
“Good idea.”
“But how can I leave secretly, Dad?”
“I have the solution to that problem,” he replied. “I’ll give you my surprise present now.”
CHAPTER VIII
Over the Wall!
“A SURPRISE!” Nancy exclaimed. “How could that keep those men from following me?”
Her father smiled. “Can’t you guess?”
Nancy’s eyes suddenly sparkled. “Oh, I think I know. Dad, you didn‘t! It isn’t!”
The lawyer laughed. “I did and it is. Your new convertible is at Packlin Motors. I was going to surprise you with it next week, but I’ll have Mr. French bring the car around as soon as it’s dark outside.”
“Oh, Dad, how wonderful!” said Nancy, hugging him. “You’re the most generous father—” After a pause, she added, “Those men will be on the lookout for me in my old car and I’ll be spinning off in a shiny new one!”
Then Nancy became serious. “I must leave here without their seeing me. You could have Mr. French bring the new car to the street behind our house. I’ll sneak out the back way.”
“That’s what I thought,” said Mr. Drew.
While he called Packlin Motors, Nancy hurried upstairs and told Hannah the news, then packed a suitcase for her visit at Sylvan Lake.
After dinner she called the Comings to say she would be there later in the evening. Helen’s grandmother was delighted.
At nine o’clock both the doorbell and the telephone rang at once. As Mr. Drew headed for the door, Nancy picked up the phone. Bess was calling to say that the cousins would meet her at the lake the next day. “Mother will drive us out. Sorry we can’t leave now.”
“That’s okay.”
When Nancy entered the living room a muscular young man was talking to her father. She recognized him as Henry Durkin, superintendent of the building where Mr. Drew had his law office.
“Henry’s going to help us, Nancy,” her father explained as she walked into the room. “I called him while you were packing. Hannah can stay with her sister while you’re away. Henry will drive her and Effie there after we’ve gone.”
“Are you coming with me, Dad?” Nancy asked, surprised.
“I certainly am,” he said firmly. “I’m taking no chances on your being alone if
those men pick up your trail. After Henry takes Hannah and Effie, he will drive my car to the Cornings’, pick me up, and take me to the airport. I have a conference in Chicago tomorrow and a reservation on the midnight plane.”
Henry Durkin frowned. “Mr. Drew, if I were you I’d call the cops.”
“That’ll be your job as soon as Nancy and I leave the house,” the lawyer said. “I don’t want those men in the car disturbed until then. As long as they’re parked on this street, we know where they are. Nancy,” he added, “as soon as I reach the airport I’ll call Lieutenant Mulligan and tell him about the Tooker estate. Now we must hurry.”
While Henry Durkin brought Nancy’s bag downstairs, she rummaged in the back of her closet and found an old suitcase. She carried it to the hall below where her father was waiting.
“I have an idea, Dad. Suppose I take my old car out of the garage and park it at the curb. If Mr. Durkin carries this suitcase out and puts it in the luggage compartment, the men in the sedan will surely think I’m leaving in that car.”
“Good,” said Mr. Drew. He switched on the porch light. “We’ll make the front of the house as conspicuous as possible.”
“And meanwhile,” Nancy said with a smile, “we’ll slip out the back door.” When her car was in place she gave the empty bag to Henry. “Carry that as if it’s full and heavy,” she said with a chuckle.
As he went out the door, Nancy stepped out onto the porch and called loudly and clearly, “Thanks a lot, Henry. Put it in the back.”
Then she went inside and followed her father to the unlighted kitchen. He was carrying her bag and his own. Together, they stepped outdoors and peered into the darkness. They wondered uneasily if there were any unseen watchers. Quietly they felt their way toward the rear of the garden.
Nancy was first to reach the high brick walL With the help of the tough vines growing over it, she pulled herself to the top.
“Hand up the bags,” she whispered.
Mr. Drew did so and began to climb the wall. By now Nancy’s eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and suddenly she saw a figure detach itself from the shadow of the garage and disappear down the driveway.
“Dad!” she whispered. “Someone was watching!”
“We must move fast then,” he said, and dropped the bags to the ground in the adjoining back yard.
Nancy leaped down, landing lightly a moment before her father. Mr. Drew grabbed the suitcases and they sped through the neighbors’ yard, then down the driveway to the sidewalk.
At the curb stood a beautiful convertible, its polished metal reflecting light from the street lamp several houses away. Despite their desperate hurry, Nancy felt a thrill of excitement.
“My new car!” she whispered.
As she reached it, a figure stepped from the shadows and her heart pounded. But a second later she relaxed.
“Here are the keys, Mr. Drew,” said a deep voice.
“Mr. French!” exclaimed the lawyer as he tossed the two bags into the back seat. “Many thanks. Sorry we’re in such a rush. Nancy’s old car is in front of our house. The keys are inside. Will you pick it up? Nancy can come tomorrow and change license plates.”
“How beautiful this is!” Nancy said.
She slipped into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition. A deep purr came from the motor. At the same time, the young sleuth glanced into the rear-view mirror and saw headlights sweep around the corner.
“I think they’re coming!” she said.
The next instant her car was zipping forward. Nancy turned the corner and several more after that. Then she slid into a driveway and switched off the lights. A moment later the black sedan raced down the street and disappeared in the distance. Its license plate was dangling so she could not read the number.
As Nancy gave a long sigh, Mr. Drew patted her hand. “You certainly used your head that time.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
She enjoyed the drive to the lake, sensing the power of the new car. Finally she said, “I loved my old car, Dad. It did a good job for me, but this one is just marvelous.”
“Glad you’re pleased, Nancy. You certainly handle it like a pro.”
At the lake the Comings welcomed the Drews cordially. Over cool drinks, the elderly couple reported that the houseman had not returned, nor had the circle of blue fire been seen that evening.
“We’re still worried,” their hostess said. “Mr. Drew, it’s kind of you to lend Nancy to us.”
He grinned appreciatively at the implied compliment.
Presently Henry Durkin arrived. Mr. Drew quickly said good night to the Cornings, kissed Nancy, cautioned her to be very careful, and left for the airport.
Shortly afterward, Mrs. Corning went with Nancy to the room with twin beds that she had occupied the night before. “Would you like your friends to be in here with you, Nancy?”
“It would be nice.”
“Then we’ll put in a cot tomorrow morning.”
As Nancy unpacked, her thoughts turned to the missing servant. Since the fiery circle had not appeared after he vanished, possibly it had been a signal to Morgan to leave. But why?
“Did he go willingly?” Nancy wondered.
She hoped the next day would bring news of him. But there was no letter in the morning mail nor a phone call. Nancy was inclined to think he had not left of his own volition, but had been forced to go.
Mrs. Corning looked through her letters. “I have one from Brent’s Department Store,” she said. “A dress I ordered has come in. I’d like to pick it up.”
Nancy quickly volunteered to take her to River Heights. “I must turn in the dealer’s plates on my car and get my own,” she said. “Also, I have an errand at the jeweler’s.”
Helen’s grandmother accepted the ride. While she was in Brent’s, Nancy went to see if Mr. Stone had learned anything about the crest on the gold bracelet.
“I was going to call you,” the jeweler said, taking her into his office. “I heard from Abelard de Gotha today.” Mr. Stone handed Nancy a typewritten letter. “Read this.”
“Dear Mr. Stone:
The armorial bearings described in your letter are those of the Eldridge family, the crest dating back to Henry IV of England, and the quartering on the shield marking the union of the Eldridge house with the Gerrets in 1604.
At the time of the Louisiana Purchase, the New York branch of the family, consisting of Isaiah Eldridge, his wife Prudence and two children, received a large grant of land in what is now Missouri. I presume their descendants still live in or near St. Louis, although I have no records to prove that.
Sincerely yours,
Abelard de Gotha”
“Does that help you in any way?” Mr. Stone asked.
“Indeed it does,” Nancy replied. “I’ll try to reach any Eldridges in St. Louis.”
Nancy thanked the jeweler and hurried back to the car. Mrs. Corning joined her a few minutes later. After new plates had been put on the car, Nancy headed for the lake. When they reached it, she went upstairs to leave her purse. As she opened the bedroom door, there was a cry of:
“Hi!” Bess and George rushed across the room and hugged her.
“Oh, Nancy, I’m so glad to see you!” Bess exclaimed.
George, with an affectionate grin, added, “You’d think we’d been separated for two years instead of two weeks!”
Bess was blond, pretty, and somewhat plump. Her cousin George, a brunette with a short hair-cut and classic features, gave every indication of being a fine athlete.
“Nancy, I’m just bursting to tell you something,” said Bess.
“No!” George protested quickly. “You promised not to breathe a word.”
Bess gave a great sigh. “I don’t know which is harder: to keep on a diet or keep in a secret.”
Nancy laughed. “How long before you’ll tell me?”
“This afternoon,” said George, “you’ll see for yourself.”
“If I don’t wither from c
uriosity first,” Nancy said, chuckling.
After lunch Mrs. Corning insisted that the girls sit on the beach to exchange news and take a swim. Though Nancy would have preferred working on the St. Louis lead, she put her plans aside to please her hostess.
Presently the three visitors appeared in swim suits and beach coats. Nancy’s turquoise suit set off her smooth suntan perfectly, while Bess looked attractive in a butter-yellow one. George was a trim contrast in sea green.
“How pretty you all are!” their hostess remarked.
She led them down a back stairway, through the small utility room next to Morgan’s bedroom, and out to the gravel driveway.
“There’s the way to the beach,” she said, showing them a footpath which led into the woods.
As the three girls started down the path, George asked, “Where did you see the blue fire?”
Nancy pointed across the slope. “Near that end of the house.”
“I hope I don’t see it at all,” muttered Bess.
Before long, they came out on a flat, narrow bit of shoreline a short distance from a dock. A little girl of five was playing on the edge of it, while two women sunned themselves in beach chairs above the waterfront.
“Marie!” called one of the women. “Be careful!”
Nancy and her friends sat down on the dock, enjoying the attractive scenery. A circling speedboat roared toward them. The girls realized that it was going to pass very close to the dock.
Suddenly little Marie jumped up to wave. “Marie Eldridge!” cried the same woman. “Come here!”
Nancy was startled to hear the name Eldridge, but before she could question the child, Marie lost her balance and toppled into the water. The woman screamed and her companion cried out:
“The boat! It’ll hit her!”
Nancy had already leaped to the end of the dock. Without hesitation she dived in after the child, directly in the path of the oncoming boat!
CHAPTER IX
Surprises
As Nancy hit the water the prow of the speedboat loomed overhead. Swiftly she put one arm around the floundering child, and placed the palm of her hand over Marie’s face. At the same time Nancy plunged below.