“That’s all now,” Fortin said sharply and walked toward the front door, but Wilcox did not move.
“We haven’t seen your basement yet,” he said.
Hearing this, Longman turned quickly and hurried toward the kitchen. Nancy saw him open a door at the back of the hall and disappear.
Once more Fortin began to argue that the Public Health Service had no right to intrude on his privacy.
“Orders are orders,” Wilcox said firmly. “Take me to your basement.”
Fortin glared at the visitors, then he slowly walked to the kitchen. When they came to the door at the rear of the hall through which Nancy had seen Longman disappear, she put out her hand toward the knob.
“Don’t go in there!” Fortin shouted at her. “That’s a clothes closet.”
Nancy doubted this but she followed him into the kitchen. Fortin began to talk about how old-fashioned the room was.
“That’s only a coal stove,” he remarked. “It’s pretty hard learning to cook on it. As soon as I get more money, I intend to replace it with a modem range.”
Nancy suspected that the man was stalling for time. He went on talking about the outmoded plumbing and what trouble they had with it. She was convinced that Longman had gone ahead to conceal something in the basement.
“What is it,” she wondered, “that they don’t want us to see?”
Finally Fortin opened a door in the kitchen and clicked on a light in the basement. He led the way down a steep flight of wooden steps. Longman was not in sight. Nancy was sure he had used a secret entrance to the place.
Wilcox had already started walking around the basement which contained nothing but old furniture and piles of rubbish thrown against the walls. This seemed odd to Nancy. The Public Health officer did not act as if he suspected anything.
Fortin asked, “Well, are you satisfied now with your inspection?”
Wilcox looked stern. “I don’t think much of your housekeeping,” he replied. “Please see that the trash is cleaned out of here.”
“Okay,” Fortin growled.
The two men started up the stairway. Nancy, pretending that she was writing down what Wilcox had said, purposely leaned against a pile of old furniture. Presently the load shifted. Nancy grabbed a child’s desk for support.
The next moment the whole conglomeration of furniture came tumbling down on her!
CHAPTER XIV
Outsmarting a Liar
THE racket caused by the falling furniture sent Wilcox and Fortin running back to the basement.
The animal trainer, instead of asking if Nancy had been hurt, said to her angrily, “What were you trying to do? You have no right touching anything around here! You were snooping, that’s what. Talk!”
Wilcox said icily, “I’m sure she meant no harm. Are you hurt?”
By this time Nancy had picked herself up and though her clothes were dusty from the furniture, she had not been injured.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Fortin,” she said. “I used to have a desk very much like this one. When I touched it, the whole pile came tumbling down.”
Fortin’s face was grim. Nancy thought he was going to say he did not believe a word of her story. Quickly she asked, “Is this desk for sale?”
“No!” the animal trainer almost shouted at her. “And I’d appreciate your leaving. I have work to do.”
Mr. Wilcox spoke up. “We’ll go at once and I’ll give the Health Service an excellent report about your animal operation here.”
While Nancy brushed dust from her clothes, she took in every detail of the wall behind the pile of furniture. She had spotted a steel door. Evidently Longman had rushed downstairs to try hiding it with the pile of furniture. Something secret must be inside!
Nancy had also noticed heavy cables in the basement. One of them ran through the wall next to the half-hidden door.
Fortin said sarcastically, “Listen, miss, you’re delaying my work. Please go at once.”
“Oh I’m sorry,” Nancy apologized and scooted up the stairway.
She was puzzled by what she had seen. The young detective had a strong hunch that something besides the training of wild animals for a circus was going on at the moss-covered mansion.
Mr. Wilcox and his “secretary” left the house and rode off. Nancy told him what she had seen in the cellar. “Why do you think Fortin was trying to conceal that door?”
Wilcox smiled. “I’m no detective, but I suspect he had something hidden behind it. Since I insisted upon seeing everything, he was probably afraid I might want to look in there. I’m sure no wild animal was inside. Otherwise it would have picked up our scent and made some kind of noise.”
Nancy said no more and in a short time she and the health inspector reached the Billington house. She thanked him for his help and jumped out of the car.
Bess and George met her at the front door. “Thank goodness you’re here in one piece,” said Bess.
George asked, “Did you learn anything exciting?”
Nancy related her experience to the girls, Mrs. Billington, and Hannah Gruen. All of them tried guessing what might be beyond the steel door where the furniture had been piled up.
“Even though Mr. Wilcox doesn’t think so,” Bess put in, “I’ll bet there’s some kind of an animal behind that door.”
“You could be right,” Mrs. Billington said, frowning.
George had a different theory. “I’m sure Fortin only keeps those wild animals to scare people away and isn’t training those beasts to perform. There’s some other reason he and Longman are living at the moss-covered mansion.”
“Like what?” Bess asked.
“There could be all kinds of secret rooms,” her cousin replied.
Nancy was intrigued by this idea. “They might even be storing explosives!”
Bess stared at her friend. “Are you hinting that Mr. Fortin might have been responsible for the explosive oranges that were shipped into the Space Center?”
George answered. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Mrs. Billington looked worried. “If you’re right and anything should go wrong, the whole of Merritt Island could be blown up!”
Nancy turned to Hannah. “You haven’t said a word. What do you think?”
Looking worried, the housekeeper replied that their suspicions about the moss-covered mansion should be reported to the FBI.
Nancy pointed out, “But it’s mostly speculation —we haven’t any constructive evidence.”
She also reminded the others that the FBI had a good lead about the person responsible for stealing the oranges and delivering them to the Space Center. He was Max Ivanson. The man had disappeared and not been found yet.
When Mr. Drew and Mr. Billington came in, the results of Nancy’s visit to the moss-covered mansion were reported to them. The men were as interested in the story as the others had been. They had no solutions to offer.
Mr. Drew said that he had obtained a postponement of Mr. Billington’s trial. “I have some other news, too,” he added. “I found out there’s no Tripp Brothers Circus listed. Of course that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. It may be too small and unimportant to be in the police information files.”
“I’m sure,” Nancy said, “that the whole thing is a cover-up for something sinister.”
Bess sighed and changed the subject. “While you were out, Nancy, we had a call from Mrs. Nickerson. Ned and Dave and Burt will be down tomorrow.”
Nancy’s face broke into a smile. How glad she would be to see Ned! “And it will be great to have him help on the mystery,” she thought.
Bess told Nancy that she and George had been busy laundering the girls’ clothes, including Nancy’s. “So we’re all ready for the Nickersons’ house party,” she told her.
“You were sweet to do that,” said Nancy. “Thanks.”
She learned that Tina and Antin had the day off, so all the work had fallen on the others.
“Would you mind doing the marketing?” Mrs. Bil
lington asked Nancy. “We need a number of things. Perhaps you three girls could go and divide the shopping list.”
“I’d like to,” Nancy replied. “By the way, do you have the Websters’ new address?”
“No, I’m sorry I don’t.”
Nancy decided to stop at the post office on the chance she could get it. She said, “Mrs. Billington, I don’t trust Mr. Scarlett and I’d like to check his story with the owner.”
The girls drove to town and each went in a different direction to buy meat, vegetables, fruits, paper napkins and various other items.
As soon as Nancy finished her shopping, she walked to the post office. There she asked if she might have Mr. Webster’s other address, and told why she wanted it.
The postal clerk smiled but said he was not allowed to give out such information. “If you wish to write a letter and mail it, I’ll be glad to forward it.”
“I’ll think about that,” Nancy replied and turned away.
A woman who stood nearby had heard the girl’s request. Now she came up to her and said, “I’m a friend of Mr. and Mrs. Webster. I know their city address. Would you mind telling me in more detail why you want it?”
Nancy explained the complication about the couple’s Merritt Island home and that she wanted to speak directly to Mr. Webster about its being taken off the market.
The woman smiled. She took an address book from her handbag and flipped the pages to W. Then she wrote down the address of her friends, the Websters, and handed it to Nancy.
“Thank you very much,” Nancy said. “As soon as I get home, I’ll phone them.”
As the young detective was about to leave the post office, she saw something that made her step back quickly. Walking along the street and carrying on an animated conversation were Mr. Scarlett and Mr. Fortin!
“They are friends,” she decided. “I wish I could hear what they’re talking about.”
This was not feasible because Scarlett would identify her and tell Fortin. Perhaps Fortin had already described her to Scarlett and he in turn had told who she was!
Nancy waited until the men were out of sight, then went to the Billingtons’ car where the girls had arranged to meet. When Bess and George heard about the men, they agreed with Nancy that no doubt she had been identified.
“This means more trouble!” Bess prophesied.
As soon as Nancy reached home she telephoned Mr. Webster long-distance. He answered immediately. Nancy introduced herself and told why she was calling.
“I’m certainly glad you got in touch with me,” Mr. Webster said. “I can’t understand Mr. Scarlett’s actions. He has had no instructions from me to take my Merritt Island house off the market. I’ll call him at once and set him straight.”
“You may have a hard time finding him,” Nancy remarked. “He says he’s on vacation, and no one answers the doorbell at his house. However, I’ve seen him several times. Mr. Scarlett even chased me in his car while I was on my way to the airport to meet my father. He demanded that I return the key which he had lent me.”
“You have the key?” Mr. Webster asked. “In that case, you keep it and go into the house as often as you please.”
Nancy told him about her experiences at the moss-covered mansion. “Didn’t the wild animals bother you?” she asked.
“No. In fact, I doubt they were there then.”
Nancy mentioned the friendship between Fortin and Scarlett. Mr. Webster was amazed.
“It certainly sounds as if something phony is going on. I’ll give your father a long option on the house and notify Mr. Scarlett he no longer has it on his list.”
“That’s very generous of you,” said Nancy. “My father will be in touch with you.”
Mr. Drew and Mr. Billington had gone out again. They did not return until dinnertime that evening.
“I have nothing new to report, Nancy,” her father said. “How about you?”
Nancy told him of her telephone talk with Mr. Webster. The lawyer was delighted to hear of the long option on the Webster house. “I know that if the mystery of the moss-covered mansion can be cleared up, you’d like me to buy the place.”
His daughter laughed. “I guess I’d like it anyhow, but I admit we’d certainly have strange neighbors.”
“Who could be very dangerous,” Bess put in.
Suddenly Hannah Gruen said, “Oh, I forgot!”
All eyes turned in her direction. She went on, “There was a personal in today’s paper that caught my eye. Using the code words 1, 5, 9, and 13 the message read, ‘Beam ready for action.”’
Each one at the table pondered the words. “What do they mean?” George asked. “This message is the hardest one yet.”
The others agreed but no one had an interpretation to offer. After dinner Nancy sat down in a big chair in the living room and stared straight ahead of her.
Mr. Drew said, “That brain of yours is cooking up something. How about telling us what it is?”
Nancy told them she had come up with a daring idea to help solve the mystery. “Using the numbered words code, I’ll run a personal in Sunday’s paper. It will arrange a meeting for the people who are communicating through the personal column.”
“That’s a clever idea!” her father said. “I wish you luck.”
Nancy found a notebook and pencil. She drafted message after message but was not satisfied with any of the combinations of words. The whole sentence must make sense as well as the code words. Finally the others said good night and went upstairs. An hour later Nancy heard the Resardos’ car pull into the driveway.
“Oh dear! I don’t want them to see these papers,” she thought and quickly gathered them up.
When she reached her room, the young detective sat down to continue her work. Just as sleep was overtaking Nancy, a new idea for the wording of the personal came to her.
“I have it!” she told herself.
CHAPTER XV
Stolen Car
NEXT morning nothing was said about the personal which Nancy wanted to put into the newspaper. The Resardos hung around, so the others kept their conversation to inconsequential matters.
Finally Antin went off to the grove, presumably to see what fruit might still be saleable. Tina was unusually talkative. She assisted with all the work and even offered to help make the beds.
“Thank you but that won’t be necessary,” Hannah Gruen told her.
She was as eager as the girls to hear what Nancy had worked out on the code message. She kept Mrs. Resardo on the first floor, however, so the rest could go upstairs and talk out of earshot.
They gathered in Nancy’s bedroom. Bess, bursting with curiosity, asked, “Nancy, did you finish the coded message?”
“Yes,” she replied, and took a sheet of paper from her handbag. The others crowded around to see it.
“Does that sound innocent enough?” she asked her father.
“Very good, my dear,” he replied. “I see you have underlined the vital words.” He read it aloud:
“‘Meet round ship museum Monday twelve.’ ”
“Where is that?” Mr. Drew asked.
Nancy explained it was in Cocoa Beach. “The museum has a replica of one of the Spanish Plate Fleet vessels which went down in 1715 off the coast of Cape Kennedy, then known as Cape Canaveral.
“One of the worst hurricanes on record drove the ships onto the rocks. Nearly everyone on board was drowned. Only one ship escaped and returned to Spain to tell the story.”
Mr. Drew nodded. “At that time the Spaniards had conquered the Aztecs in Mexico and were robbing them of all their exquisite gold objects. These in turn were made into Spanish coins and packed in boxes and shipped to Spain.”
Mr. Billington added, “Some of this treasure has been salvaged. The museum contains many gold coins and pieces of eight as well as other treasures. You’ll be intrigued when you see them.”
“Sounds great!” George said. “Nancy, I take it that you hope the coded message will be seen by the
men involved in the explosive oranges mystery, and they’ll gather outside the museum.”
Nancy nodded. “Once we see who they are, we can report them to the authorities.”
“That’s right,” Mr. Drew said. “Don’t try capturing them yourself!”
Nancy laughed and said she would like to put the ad in the paper at once. “May I borrow your car?” she asked Mr. Billington.
“Yes indeed.”
Mr. Drew smiled. “I have a surprise for you girls. Yesterday I rented a car for you to use during the rest of your stay here. It had to be serviced, so I said you’d pick it up this morning.” He took the receipt from his pocket and handed it to Nancy.
“Wonderful, Dad!” she exclaimed, and kissed him. “Thank you loads. George and Bess can bring your car back, Mr. Billington.”
“No hurry, Nancy. Your father and I have some work to do here on the case. We’ll be around until after lunch.”
The three girls left the house and drove directly to the newspaper office. Nancy handed in her coded message for the personal column and paid for it. She was assured it would appear the following day.
As Nancy and the other girls strolled outside, Bess asked, “What’s next?”
Nancy said she wanted to tell Mr. Scarlett that she had Mr. Webster’s permission to keep the key, in case the realtor had not already been informed.
“We’re not far from his office. Let’s see if he’s there.”
She drove to it but found the door locked. She went to his home. No one answered the doorbelL
A woman in a neighboring yard called out, “The Scarletts aren’t here. They drove off early this morning.”
“Thank you,” Nancy said. “I’ll leave a note for Mr. Scarlett.”
She took a sheet of paper from her bag and wrote down the message. Then she slipped it through the slot in the front door.
“When do we get our car?” George queried.
“Right now.”
Nancy headed for the center of Cocoa Beach and drove to the rental agency. Bess and George waited for her while she went into the office. Nancy showed the receipt and the clerk led her to a parking lot at the back of the building. He pointed out an attractive tan station wagon.