The professor took a notebook from his pocket and flipped the pages. “I see that one boy took a quail. A girl student studied a flycatcher. Oh, yes, and one did want the wryneck.”
“Was it Kamenka?” Nancy asked eagerly, and mentioned her brief introduction to the student.
“Yes, but I assure you she returned it. Anyway, what reason would she have for stealing the bird and leaving it on your lawn?”
Nancy smiled. “I can’t figure out a single reason.”
She was thinking, however, that for some purpose not clear yet, Kammy might have taken the bird out.
“But I hate to be suspicious of her,” the young detective chided herself silently. “She’s a lovely person. I hope she’s not mixed up in this jinx business.”
Nancy followed Professor Saunders to the large room where the mounted birds were on display. She watched him intently as he unlocked the cabinet with the empty perch and put the stuffed wryneck on its little stand. He locked the cabinet again.
Nancy noticed that the lock was the kind which could not be opened with a skeleton key. This fact made the removal of the wryneck even more puzzling.
As the man turned from the cabinet, a bell rang. He paused and Nancy knew it was his signal to go to a class. She thanked him and said good-by.
“I think I’ll go home by way of the proposed site for the High Rise project,” Nancy decided as she drove off. She skirted the Thurston property and parked along a dirt road next to a large open field some distance back of the bird cages. Nancy locked her car and started walking across the field.
Presently she noticed a couple standing about a hundred yards away, talking. As she drew closer Nancy thought, “That’s Kammy!”
Wondering why the Eurasian girl was out here and who the man was, Nancy hastened toward them. Suddenly Kammy’s companion turned. He and Nancy looked squarely at each other.
“He’s the man who cut one of Mr. Thurston’s cages!” Nancy murmured.
She started to run after him. At the same instant the suspect took off at a right angle toward the road. Within a few seconds he came to a car, jumped in, and sped across the field. Nancy tried to see the license number, but the car was too far away.
All this time Kammy had stood still, looking puzzled. As Nancy ran up to her, the young detective cried out, “Who was that man?”
“I don’t know. I never saw him before,” Kammy replied.
“Did he say why he was here?” Nancy queried.
“No, he didn’t.”
Kammy went on to explain that the man had told her he was a stranger in town and had asked her for directions to River Heights. “I told him I didn’t know.”
“Was he here when you arrived?”
“Yes, he was,” Kammy said. “He was walking back from over there.” Kammy pointed toward the middle of the field.
Nancy looked down and could distinctly see footprints going and returning from some spot. She decided to follow them. Kammy joined her.
Nancy was thinking, “Maybe I’ll pick up a clue to his identity or why he was here.” To Kammy she said, “Were you here looking over the site for the housing development?”
“Not really,” Kammy replied. “I just wanted to take a stroll.”
They continued to follow the footprints for some distance and Nancy became more and more curious. She realized that not far ahead was the Thurston farmhouse.
An idea came to her. “Maybe that wire cutter was going to try it again. Then he saw Kammy coming and didn’t dare go on.”
Kammy kept looking at Nancy curiously and finally said, “I would like to know what you are doing. Do you expect to learn something about the stranger?”
“I hope to,” Nancy answered.
The trail of footprints led the girls to a circular pit. It had been dug recently, but dirt had been shoveled back into it.
Nancy stopped and motioned to Kammy to keep from stepping closer. She had noticed there were no footprints beyond the pit. Had the stranger hidden something here? Or was he making some kind of a soil test? She quickly ruled out the latter idea, deciding that the digger would not have needed to dig up so much earth nor would he have bothered to return it to the same spot.
“Nancy, what are you thinking?” Kammy asked. “You certainly are mysterious.”
The young detective smiled at her companion. “I suppose I am and I’ll admit being suspicious of that stranger’s reason for being here.”
She began to search for a large stone. After finding one, she told Kammy to stand back out of the way.
“I’m going to throw this,” she said.
Nancy heaved it directly into the pit. Seconds later there was a terrific explosion. Dirt and stones flew in all directions!
CHAPTER V
A Criminal’s Identity
KAMMY was knocked flat by the force of the explosion. None of the flying debris hit her but she lay frozen on the ground, afraid to get up. Nancy too had been bowled over but immediately arose and went to Kammy.
“Are you hurt?” she asked.
“No—no,” the other girl insisted. Nancy helped Kammy to her feet. “Nancy, please tell me what’s going on. How did you know an explosive had been planted here?”
Nancy said she had not known, but she became suspicious because of the newly dug area.
“Kammy, you remember the wire cutter who tried to release the birds from one of Mr. Thurston’s cages?”
“Yes. Do you mean this was the same man?”
“I’m afraid so,” Nancy replied. “Kammy, are you quite sure you never saw this man before and have no idea who he is?”
Again Kammy insisted she had never seen him until that day but she recalled a question that he had asked her. “He wanted to know if this was part of Mr. Thurston’s property. I told him I thought it was.”
Nancy was inclined to think that the stranger might be one of a group of people trying to harm the Thurstons by pretending to jinx them. The farmer sooner or later would be walking or driving over this field!
“Oh, Nancy, I am so sorry,” Kammy cried. “Somehow, I feel as if I must be responsible, perhaps because of my pet Petra. But I have never tried to jinx anyone. I have always said I hope Mr. Thurston will not lose his zoo and aviary.”
“Kammy,” Nancy said in a sympathetic tone, “I believe you. Will you promise to phone me if you see or hear anything suspicious at the university museum or at the Thurstons’? And tell Oscar about the land mine.”
“I certainly will,” Kammy agreed and gave a quick smile.
The two girls walked to Nancy’s car, then said good-by. As Nancy pulled away she decided that the explosion should be reported to the police, and drove directly to Harper headquarters. Nancy had heard River Heights Chief McGinnis speak of the head of the Harper department, Chief Pepper, as being a good friend.
Fortunately he was at his desk and she introduced herself. He arose and shook hands heartily.
“I’m certainly glad to meet you,” he said. “McGinnis has told me so much about your expert detective work that I have the greatest admiration for you.”
Nancy blushed. “I’m afraid Chief McGinnis has exaggerated.”
The chief smiled at her warmly. “Miss Drew, suppose you tell me why you came to see me.”
Nancy told him about the explosion in the Thurston field. “I believe the land mine was planted by the same stranger who cut a hole in one of the large bird cages.”
Chief Pepper frowned. “This is very serious,” he commented. “Will you please tell your story again into this tape recorder?”
Nancy repeated it, giving every detail she could remember, including the fact that the stranger had asked Kammy for directions to River Heights.
“Someone stole a wryneck from the university museum here,” she went on, “and it was left on our lawn in River Heights.”
“What do you think was the reason?” the chief asked her.
“My father and I are convinced that one or more persons are trying to jinx us as well as the T
hurstons, probably because my father is helping Mr. Thurston on a case against the High Rise Construction Company, which wants to destroy the zoo and aviary. I also believe someone knows about Mrs. Thurston’s superstitious nature and is hoping she will talk her husband into selling the farm.”
As Nancy stopped dictating, the chief remarked, “That would be a great loss to the town of Harper.”
After he had alerted his men to investigate the area where the land mine had been planted, Nancy said to him, “It’s possible someone connected with the High Rise company buried it.”
The chief looked startled and picked up a copy of the local paper. “Here’s a picture of the officers of the company on a picnic.”
The photograph was excellent. “And here are the workers. Suppose you study them and see if the man you saw is shown here.”
Chief Pepper handed the newspaper to Nancy. “If you don’t find the right one among those pictures, look through our books of photographs of lawbreakers arrested here. Some of them have been released. The books are on that shelf along the wall.” He indicated them.
The police chief left his desk and Nancy set to work. The owner of the High Rise Construction Company was Ramsey Wright. He was not the suspect.
Nancy studied his face. “He doesn’t look too pleasant,” she thought, “but is he a criminal?”
The other High Rise officers looked even less like suspects. Nancy carefully looked at the pictures of the workmen. Not only was none of them the suspect, but all looked far more congenial than the company’s executive. Nancy put the newspaper back on the chief’s desk.
She walked over to the wall and read the classifications on the various volumes containing the photographs of prisoners arrested in Harper. Finally she chose a recent one marked:
Wanted Ex-convicts
First arrest in Harper.
Later prison sentences in other locations.
“I guess this is as good a place as any to start,” Nancy thought.
Seating herself at a side table, she opened the book and carefully scrutinized each face. After turning the many pages, the young detective had almost concluded that the suspect she hoped to capture was not in this volume, when a thought came to her.
“There’s one face that seems slightly familiar,” she said to herself and looked at it again.
The man was heavy-set and smooth shaven. His nose was long and might have been thinner if he had had a slighter build. His eyes fascinated Nancy. They were dark and somewhat squinty. The text gave his height as being medium.
Chief Pepper came in at that moment and asked, “Any progress?”
“Not really,” Nancy replied, “but will you please do me a favor? Have you any tracing paper here and colored pencils?”
The chief smiled. “I think so. What are you up to?”
Nancy’s eyes twinkled in reply. He buzzed for a policeman to bring in the paper and pencils. Nancy laid the thin sheet over the photograph before her. Carefully she drew a much slimmer version of the man. After adding a beard, she colored in reddish hair.
Satisfied with the result, Nancy placed the drawing before the chief. She explained, “As you can see, I’ve changed his appearance somewhat. Now he looks like the suspect.”
Chief Pepper stared at the drawing, then held it up. “Nancy!” he exclaimed. “You’ve spotted a missing manl This is amazing! I shall have copies made at once and give one to each of my men.”
Nancy was pleased with her work. “May I have a copy too and also one of the man in the book?”
“You certainly may,” the chief replied. Again he pushed his buzzer and gave the order to the sergeant who answered.
The chief turned back to Nancy. “I notice, by the way, that you didn’t change the size of the man’s clothes, only made them look too big.”
“No,” Nancy explained, “because the person I saw on the Thurstons’ property was wearing clothes too large for him. If he’s the wanted man, then he has lost a lot of weight.”
She glanced at the name of the wanted man. It was Clyde O‘Mayley, but he used the nickname of Slick Fingers O’Mayley. The suspect was on parole but had not reported to a parole officer and was once more on the wanted list.
“He’s a very clever burglar,” Chief Pepper remarked. “But cutting a hole in Mr. Thurston’s cage and planting a land mine are not in his line.”
The sergeant returned with copies of Clyde O’Mayley’s photograph and the drawing, just as the chief’s phone rang. Nancy decided to leave. Waving good-by to him, she took the pictures and walked out.
That evening she reported the latest happenings in the Thurston case to her father. He praised her work and said she had acted wisely.
“Our next move,” he went on, “is to talk to the five councilmen and find out each one’s views on High Rise’s project. If any of them plan to vote in favor of letting Mr. Wright destroy Mr. Thurston’s place, I’d like to know it.”
After a pause Mr. Drew added, “I’ve concluded that since the High Rise people know I’m an attorney, Mr. Wright and the others wouldn’t tell me much about their operation if I question them.”
As he paused, Nancy’s eyes lighted up. “How about sending me?” she suggested. ”They don’t know me.”
“Nancy, you’ve spotted a missing man!” the chief exclaimed.
Mr. Drew shook his head. “I couldn’t let you go alone. I’d prefer that you have an escort.”
His daughter thought a few moments, then said, “How about Ned going with me?”
Ned Nickerson was a special friend of Nancy’s who attended Emerson College in the winter and had held various summer jobs. Now he was selling insurance.
“Perfect,” said Mr. Drew. “See if Ned can come here. Perhaps he could stay a few days.”
Ned lived with his parents in Mapleton, a suburb of River Heights, and was staying there alone while his parents were in Europe. Nancy phoned and was pleased to find him at home.
“Hi!” he said. “I was going to call you tonight.”
“How would you like to spend a few days at my house and help me do some sleuthing?”
“Great! I’m tired of cooking my own meals. I’ll come right away.”
“You’re sure it won’t interfere with your making an insurance sale?” Nancy questioned.
“No,” he assured her. “I’ve sold enough so far to entitle me to a little vacation.”
Ned arrived a few hours later. The following morning he and Nancy set off to interview one of the councilmen, Mr. Hinchcliff.
Ned had telephoned the councilman’s office and been told he had just left for the proposed new development near the Thurston farm. Nancy and Ned arrived there first and she was able to point out to him where the bird and animal display was.
“This whole area is so large,” Ned remarked, “I should think they could put up all the high apartment houses they want to without destroying Mr. Thurston’s buildings.”
“I agree,” Nancy said.
They saw a car coming across a field and walked toward it. The driver stepped out.
“Are you Mr. Hinchcliff?” Ned asked him.
“Yes. You’re—? And this is—?”
“My friend Miss Drew and I’m Ned Nickerson.”
Hinchcliff began to smile. “You’re so young I presume you’re not looking for an expensive apartment?”
“We’re not thinking about apartments now,” Nancy quickly put in. “We’d like to get your opinion about the type of apartment houses Mr. Wright plans to build.”
“Oh, I like the very high ones,” Mr. Hinchcliff replied, “and the more the better. People will be able to take their choice of north, east, south, or west exposures. Which would you favor?”
Nancy and Ned ignored the question.
“Will there be any recreational facilities?” Ned inquired.
“Oh yes,” the councilman replied. “If you go to the High Rise Construction Company’s office, someone can show you the interesting drawings of the plans. By the w
ay, since you’re not in a hurry for an apartment, you ought to wait for one of these. When do you plan to marry?”
CHAPTER VI
A New Worry
AT Mr. Hinchcliff’s startling remark Nancy blushed deeply and Ned looked at the ground. They hastened to assure the councilman that they did not plan a wedding and were not looking for an apartment.
“Then why did you question me?” Mr. Hinchcliff asked, annoyed.
Nancy decided to be frank with the man. She said, “I’m tremendously interested in Mr. Thurston’s zoo and aviary.” Then, hoping to get a reaction from her listener and possibly learn some new facts, she added, “I’m glad the birds and animals aren’t going to be taken away from here. It would be—”
Mr. Hinchcliff interrupted her. “But they are. No one would want an expensive apartment with a lot of smelly old bird and animal cages in their back yard!”
Nancy quickly assured the man that the development could be planned so that the tenants of the high-rise buildings would not be disturbed by the creatures on the farm.
“Do you think you know better than the architects?” Mr. Hinchcliff asked sarcastically.
Ned spoke up. “I think that was an uncalled-for remark.”
Nancy went on, “This could be a very beautiful site with a cluster of high-rise apartment houses facing a man-made lake. There could also be a swimming pool, a park, and playground. On the other side of the lake would be Mr. Thurston’s farm.”
“And it would be educational too,” Ned added. Suddenly Mr. Hinchcliff exclaimed, “Say, did that crazy holdout Thurston make you call me?”
“No,” Nancy answered quickly. “But I’d certainly hate to see his place destroyed. He has some fascinating birds. The children of Harper love to visit the zoo and aviary. Mr. Thurston spends a lot of time with them, explaining what the birds and animals are and in what parts of the world they live.”
Mr. Hinchcliff started to walk toward his car. “All your pleading won’t do any good. I’ve made up my mind to vote in favor of having the Thurston property condemned!”
Nancy and Ned concluded there was no use trying to convince the man. It was clear that he was sticking to his opinion and could not be persuaded to keep the farm as a lovely recreational park for the future tenant