Nancy flopped onto the bed and stretched out. “I do feel a little worn out,” she admitted.
Briefly and haltingly, she told what had occurred at the museum.
Bess gasped. “Nancy, you might have been killed!” she exclaimed.
George felt Nancy’s pulse. “I don’t think you need a doctor,” she said. “But your pulse is on the slow side. I recommend you stay in bed until tomorrow morning.”
Nancy did not argue. All she wanted to do was go to sleep. She realized the shock to her nervous system had been greater than she at first thought. Knowing how much good Glenn’s massaging of her arm had done, she asked George to give her a stimulating rubdown.
George complied at once. She had learned some physiotherapy techniques through a course in gymnastics. Within minutes Nancy was asleep.
It was nearly ten o’clock that evening when she awakened. Nancy opened her eyes to see Bess, George, Burt, and Dave in the room. They had not made a sound and were watching Nancy carefully to make sure she was all right.
With vigor that startled her friends Nancy sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Hi, everybody!” she said. “You all can stop worrying. I’m fine.” She grinned. “I’m hungry. It must be very late, but is there any chance of getting something to eat?”
Her friends were so relieved to hear this good report that each one offered to prepare something for her. Burt and Dave waved Bess and George aside. “We know what Nancy likes,” Burt said. “We’ll get her something to eat and maybe we’ll bring a snack for the rest of us.”
The boys brought an excellent meal of hamburgers on buns and a fancy fruit-and-ice cream parfait. It was a relaxing end to a trying day. Relieved and happy that Nancy was all right, the group finally said good night.
The following morning Bess and George drove Nancy out to the airfield to meet Glenn. They took off at once and were in Martin City before ten o’clock. Glenn inquired the way to Main Street and found Mr. Schneider’s office. Fortunately he was not in conference and said he would see the callers at once.
Henry Schneider was a good-looking, pleasant man. “Please sit down,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
Nancy began her story by saying she was interested in the Anderson Museum, and its mystery. In trying to solve it, she herself had had a frightening experience.
“A mystery you say?” the insurance officer asked.
“Don’t you know anything about it?” Nancy queried in surprise.
The man shook his head. “I must admit I seldom go to the museum. I depend on Miss Wilkin to keep me posted.”
“And you haven’t heard about what happened yesterday afternoon?” Glenn spoke up.
“No, I haven’t,” Mr. Schneider replied. “Please tell me everything.”
Nancy gave him the details of her first visit to the museum when the glowing eye had appeared on a wall. Then she told about going there the previous day, after learning from Mr. Fayne that the glowing eye had been removed.
Nancy went on. “Miss Wilkin assumed that students from Emerson who had been working there had taken it. When she showed the list of names to Professor Titus, he said that not one of them attended Emerson.”
“This is amazing,” Mr. Schneider remarked. “A small group of young men headed by a somewhat older man with red hair came here a few months ago and asked if they might rent a small corner of the museum to carry on some harmless experiments.”
Glenn smiled. “They’re far from harmless.” He told the insurance man what had happened to Nancy.
Mr. Schneider’s eyes opened wide. “This is criminal!” he said. “I’ll certainly try to track down these people.”
He turned to Nancy. “In the meantime, I’ll warn Miss Wilkin not to let anybody into the museum without proper credentials. By the way, Nancy, you haven’t told me how you first became interested in it?”
The young detective explained that her father was a lawyer and had a case which indirectly involved the museum. “I don’t know what it is specifically, but Dad asked me to try to find out something about the mystery, so I came up here.”
At that moment Mr. Schneider’s phone rang. He excused himself and answered the call. He listened a moment and then declared, “You can’t do that!”
He listened a few minutes, frowning deeply. Finally he said, “Well, if you insist, but I’ll have to figure it out. I’ll send you a check for the amount I owe you.”
He said good-by and put the phone down. “That was Miss Wilkin,” he explained. “She has resigned!”
“What!” Glenn exclaimed.
Nancy told the insurance man that Miss Wilkin had complained last evening of not feeling well. “Maybe she’s ill,” the young detective said.
“Possibly,” Mr. Schneider replied, “but I believe this mystery you’ve been talking about is partly responsible for her sudden resignation. Why, that museum has been her pet for years! Something must have frightened the woman dreadfully to make her leave in such a hurry.”
Nancy remarked that perhaps Miss Wilkin knew more about the strange events there than she cared to tell. “I think I’ll go see her. Where does she live?”
Mr. Schneider replied, “Miss Wilkin said she was calling from somewhere else—that she had left town and did not know when she would return.”
Nancy sat lost in thought. Here was a new angle to the mystery! Was Miss Wilkin involved in the strange affair?
The young detective was brought out of her reverie by a remark from Mr. Schneider. “Miss Wilkin didn’t go to the museum this morning so the place is closed. That’s unfortunate. I guess it will have to remain shut until we can get someone else to act as hostess.”
A sudden idea flashed into Nancy’s mind. “Mr. Schneider,” she said, “I have two girl friends staying at Emerson with me while we work on the mystery. Would you consider letting us pinch-hit for Miss Wilkin?”
Mr. Schneider thought about the offer for several seconds, then said, “That’s very good of you, but frankly I wish we could invite a scientist to try finding an explanation to what has been going on.”
Nancy told him that perhaps Professor Titus could come.
“Excellent idea,” Mr. Schneider said. “Can you call him from here?”
Nancy nodded. In a few minutes she had Professor Titus on the line. He readily accepted the invitation to work at the museum for a while. Mr. Schneider was delighted to hear this.
“The sooner I get back the better,” Nancy said. “Thank you for seeing us. My friends and I will try to do a good job for you.”
He smiled. “And solve that mystery,” he replied.
He took a key from a filing cabinet and an architect’s drawings of the museum. “These should help you,” he said, “but do be careful. I don’t want you to injure yourself again.”
Nancy promised. Then she and Glenn said good-by and left the insurance office. They went back to the airfield and Glenn took Nancy to Emerson. As they parted, he held her hand and added, “Any time you need me, let me know and I’ll come flying in.”
She smiled her appreciation and said, “I’ll do just that.”
She phoned Bess and George and they came to pick her up. When they heard about their new assignment, the cousins were excited, but Bess was leery of the job.
“Goodness only knows what may happen to us!”
“Don’t be chicken,” George said to her. “All this is not only going to solve the mystery but also capture the real villain.”
“That’s right,” Nancy said quietly, “and in turn lead us to Ned.”
CHAPTER XVI
Astonishing Discovery
THAT evening the young people discussed every angle of the tangled mystery but always came back to the subject of Ned Nickerson. Where was he?
Burt said, “I’m sure Crosson, or whoever kidnapped Ned, knows that two hiding places are under surveillance. He’d be stupid to return to either one.”
George spoke up. “Then where would he go?”
“I wish I knew!”
Burt replied. “But I feel strongly that Crosson may ditch the copter somewhere and hide out in a new place with Ned.”
Dave remarked with a groan that this would mean practically starting all over again to solve the mystery.
“Yes,” Bess agreed. “Oh dear! We haven’t any dues left to follow. What are we going to do?”
Up to now Nancy had said nothing. An idea was formulating in her mind, however.
Finally George said, “Nancy Drew, what’s whirling around in that brain of yours? You have the kind of faraway look you get when you’re planning to go off on a new tack.”
Nancy smiled. “I admit I’m thinking about a another approach to the mystery. Give me time. If nothing comes of my plan, I don’t want to be shown up before you other detectives!”
Her friends laughed and Bess asked, “On how many occasions have you been wrong? I can’t think of any.”
Dave said, “Nancy’s hunches usually turn out to be right, but at times”—he paused—“she has some harrowing experiences before drawing her mystery to a conclusion!”
Pretty soon everyone began to yawn and finally good nights were exchanged. Burt told the girls that he and Dave had an appointment after Sunday chapel services the next day. “We may not see you in the morning. You’re going to the museum, aren’t you?”
Nancy nodded and said if anything unusual or exciting happened she would telephone the boys.
Directly after breakfast the following morning the girls tidied their room, then drove off to pick up Professor Titus. After greeting them all he climbed into the front seat with Nancy, who headed for the chapel. When the service was over they drove directly to the Anderson Museum.
Professor Titus turned to Nancy. “Are you going to solve the mystery today?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Why not?” she bantered. Then, becoming serious, she added, “The authorities haven’t captured Zapp Crosson with Ned and we all think that the kidnapper has a new hideout.”
“And we haven’t the vaguest idea where it is,” Bess spoke up, “although I personally suspect Nancy has a hunch.”
Nancy made no comment and in a little while they reached the museum. She unlocked the front entrance and they all went in. Professor Titus snapped on the hall light.
“Nancy,” he said, “suppose you give us each a job to do. I am not very well acquainted with the exhibits here. Perhaps I should familiarize myself with them in order to be able to answer any questions visitors might ask.”
Nancy said that she had formulated a plan of action for the group, but it had more to do with solving the mystery than it did with visitors.
“I suggest that Bess sit here at the hall desk where Miss Wilkin used to be. Bess, you take the admission money and hand each caller one of these visitors’ maps of the building.”
George suggested that her cousin study each newcomer carefully. If she felt suspicious about any person, she immediately was to call her friends to the lobby.
Nancy asked Professor Titus if he would go into the room where they had seen the glowing eye and watch the wall carefully.
“If anything unusual takes place, give a shrill whistle and we’ll all come running.”
George spoke up. “What’s my assignment?”
Nancy said that she and George would explore upstairs. “I guess it’s not part of the museum itself because Miss Wilkin didn’t mention it as such and the map with directions to the exhibits shows only the first floor.”
“How do we get to the second floor?” George asked. “I don’t see a stairway anywhere.”
The young detective told her that they would have to hunt for it. She pointed out that the little map had an ST on a spot in the rear hall which probably indicated a door leading to a stairway.
The two girls went off and soon found the door. It opened easily and revealed a rather steep set of steps. Nancy led the way to the second floor, where there were several bedrooms with baths.
Nancy and George went from one to another. They were in perfect order and did not seem to have been used recently.
“I guess nobody slept up here,” George said as they came to the last room. “Oh, oh, I was wrong,” she added suddenly.
Though there were no clothes in sight, the bed looked as if it had been hastily and badly made and there were soiled towels carelessly slung over racks in the bathroom.
Nancy remarked that she was sure Miss Wilkin had not stayed in the room. “She’s too neat to have left the place looking like this.”
“Then who was it?” George asked. “I’ll bet you’re thinking of Zapp Crosson.”
Nancy smiled. “Yes, I’m thinking just that. But I’m also wondering if Ned was with him.”
George said she doubted it because Ned would have left some kind of clue hoping Nancy would find it. Both girls began a thorough search of bureau drawers and even pulled the bed apart. They found nothing to help solve the mystery.
“I don’t think,” George said, “Miss Wilkin knew anyone was using the place for diabolic schemes. Zapp probably worked on his weird inventions when she was not on duty.”
“On the other hand,” Nancy countered, “Miss Wilkin may have been intimidated by him to keep still, but our sleuthing frightened her and she resigned in a hurry.”
Perplexed, the girls started to walk back to the stairway. At that moment they heard a thud on the third floor. The two young detectives stared at each other. Was the intruder up there?
Both girls had noticed a door which probably led to the third floor. Nancy tried to open it but the door was locked.
“I’d like to look up there,” Nancy said. “Maybe there’s a key to this door downstairs somewhere.”
Before going there to hunt for it, George said she would look in all the furniture drawers on the second floor. Nancy assisted but the girls had no luck. In the meantime, there were no further sounds from the third floor.
“Perhaps no one’s up there,” George decided. “Something just gave way and fell.”
The girls went to the first floor and began another search. When they came to the entrance hall, they asked Bess to look in the desk. There was no key in it.
“Did you hear a thud upstairs?” George asked her cousin.
Bess nodded. “I thought one of you knocked something over.”
“It was on the third floor,” George told her. “We were on the second.”
Bess made a face and hunched her shoulders. “More spookiness. I’ll be glad when five o’clock comes. We haven’t had a single visitor. Maybe other people have had strange experiences here.”
Nancy and George went into the large room where Professor Titus was on guard. He reported nothing had happened, but said he too had heard the thud and had assumed the girls had caused it. When he learned otherwise, he did not take it lightly.
“Somebody may be up there. If so, we should call the police.”
Nancy said she would like to investigate the third floor before doing this. “Perhaps there’s a ladder in the basement, and I can climb up.”
She and the other girls found none. Nancy suggested that they hunt for a secret stairway to the third floor. “Let’s examine the chimney in the center of the house first.”
They made a search but stayed away from the wall which had proved dangerous for Nancy. Once more they met with disappointment.
“Now will you please give in, Nancy?” the professor urged. “One of us should call the police.”
“All right,” she said, and went to the entrance lobby to put in the call.
At once Bess spoke up, “Don’t use the phone. It’s dead. I tried to call the boys at the fraternity house. But come over here. I have something very exciting to show you!”
Nancy, George, and Professor Titus hurried to the desk where Bess was seated.
“I made a discovery,” she said. “After you asked me to look for the key, I thought I’d make a better search in the drawer and I found this!”
She showed the others a handwritten bo
ok of verses and began to read some of them.
“They’re weird!” Professor Titus remarked. “Who wrote these?”
In answer Bess opened the book to the first page. Written on it was:To my lovely and understanding
aunt, Beatrice Wilkin.
Cyclops
CHAPTER XVII
Paralyzing Light
BEATRICE WILKIN the aunt of Cyclops!
Everyone crowded around the small desk where Bess was seated and stared at the book she had found in the drawer.
“I can’t believe it!” George burst out. “That prim little woman the aunt of a criminal!”
Nancy suggested that they look inside the book for further information. Everyone was astounded at the contents and puzzled as to why Miss Wilkin had left the book there.
“You would think,” Professor Titus spoke up, “that she would want to conceal such information.”
Bess sighed. “She probably forgot to take it with her because she was in such a hurry to get away.”
As the group read on, there was only praise for the elderly custodian who had permitted Cyclops to sleep on the second floor of the museum and to carry on certain experiments in the building.
“This means Cyclops is one person,” Nancy deduced, “not a gang.”
“But what about his pals?” George spoke up. “How much did they know?”
“Read this!” Nancy said presently. “Cyclops actually experimented on the glowing eye project right here, and Miss Wilkin knew all about it!”
George asked, “Do you suppose she could have worked hand in hand with her nephew?”
“That seems incredible,” Professor Titus replied. “I’m more inclined to think that Miss Wilkin did not understand the invention. When several people inquired about it, she became suspicious herself. Then, after what happened to Nancy yesterday, the woman panicked and left suddenly.”
Nancy was not completely satisfied with this explanation. Did Miss Wilkin believe that Cyclops’ pals were Emerson College students? Or had she lied to Nancy and her friends when asked about them?