Nancy’s thoughts now fell clearly into place. That man was telling the story she had entered in the magazine contest! He was either Paul Frieden or André Bergère! She paused long enough for Bess to tug on her arm.
“I heard something upstairs,” Bess whispered.
Was there another intruder in the house—a partner perhaps of the man seated inside? the girls wondered.
“What should we do?” George asked.
“You and Bess check the top floors while I introduce Cody to Madame Chambray,” Nancy said.
Cautiously, Bess and George tiptoed to the second floor while the Texan trailed Nancy into the living room. The visitor was hidden from view in a high-backed chair.
“Excuse me, Madame Chambray,” Nancy said politely, “but I’d like you to meet the great-grandson of François Lefèvre—”
“That’s impossible!” the other man spouted angrily. He rose to his feet and turned sharply toward Nancy.
He was tall and slender, with a narrow face, thin lips, and a pallid complexion.
“Mr. Rocke!” Nancy cried out.
Furious, the man bolted past the girl, shoving her aside. “I don’t know you,” he growled.
“Grab him, Cody!” Nancy cried, but the agile impostor slipped out of the cowboy’s reach.
He tripped on the carpet, causing a small, glittering object to fall out of his pocket. “It’s the diamond cross!” Madame Chambray shouted.
Before Rocke could retrieve it, however, Nancy dived for it. He flew through the hallway, out the door, and down the steps to a waiting boat. Before Nancy or Cody Vaughan could catch him, he sped away.
“That’s the last of Mr. Ghost,” Nancy said, noticing the man’s boots. “The only time he didn’t wear those boots was when he followed us to the Gruuthuse and stole the lace!”
At once, the girl called the authorities and described Rocke and the boat he had escaped in. “He went up the canal in an easterly direction,” she added.
“We’ll look for him at once,” the officer on duty promised. “We will also alert the airport. In case he tries to leave the country, his passport will be flagged down.”
Bess and George, in the meantime, were unaware of what had occurred below. Nothing was out of order on the second floor so they climbed to the third.
“I definitely heard something,” Bess said, “and it’s too far for mice to climb.”
She and her cousin poised themselves outside the attic panel, then slowly slid it open. Except for the soft glow of streetlamps that traveled through the skylight, the room was completely dark.
“Stick close,” George whispered.
“Don’t worry.” Bess shivered, beaming her flashlight toward the trunk and boxes.
“If someone was here,” George observed, “I’m sure he left.” A chair stood under the skylight. “And that’s how he went.”
As she swung her light to another corner, Bess noticed an antique bureau. All the drawers had been pulled out, revealing lace-trimmed garments and lots of books that resembled the leather-bound diary in the trunk.
“I don’t recall that we ever opened those drawers,” George said. “They don’t have handles so we probably didn’t realize they were drawers. The intruder must have pried them open.”
“What about François’s red jacket and the lace cuffs?” Bess murmured. “I wonder if they were stolen?”
She hurried to the box near the trunk. The jacket was still there but the cuffs were gone! Obviously, the thief had mistaken them for the ones containing the secret message!
Suddenly the girls sensed that someone was behind them. Indeed, the hunched figure of a man was shuffling toward them, ready to pounce. In his hands were the missing lace cuffs.
“Help!” Bess cried aloud, as George gathered up all her courage and lunged toward the man.
Help, however, was on the way for the two terrified girls. Nancy and Cody leaped into the room, tackling the intruder. They pushed him to the floor within seconds.
“Let go of me!” he bellowed angrily.
“Not until the police come,” Cody said, twisting the man’s arm out flat.
“You’re André Bergère, aren’t you?” Nancy accused him, recognizing his face and sleek black hair. “I suppose Paul Frieden is around here as well. ”
Their captive laughed bitterly. Then, thinking he had everything under control, Cody loosened his grip a bit. Bergère took advantage of the movement, punching Cody in the ribs.
“Ow!” the Texan sputtered, allowing the prisoner to free himself in a sudden quick turn.
Nancy, however, grabbed his arm while George hooked another one, ready to heave him in a judo flip!
20
A Double Surprise
Once again Cody joined the struggle, weakening their prisoner at last.
“Quick, call the police, Bess!” Nancy told the girl.
“Oh, don’t do that! I beg you!” the man pleaded in exhaustion as Bess ran downstairs. His arms sank limply in those of his captors. “Just let me sit down a minute.”
“Don’t you try anything funny,” Cody warned.
“I won‘t, I promise I won’t,” The intruder gulped for air. “What do you want to know?”
“Are you or are you not André Bergère?” Nancy questioned. Nervously he ran his bony fingers through his sleek black hair.
“I am and—”
“And what?” Nancy prodded.
“And Paul Frieden.”
“What!” She stared at him in surprise. “You mean, Frieden is only a fictitious character?”
Bergère nodded.
“So when Rocke intercepted my manuscript,” Nancy continued, “he passed it on to you!”
Bergère shrugged. “We’re friends.”
“Was the contest prize worth so much to you that you decided to plagiarize my story and submit it yourself?” Nancy asked, feeling a twinge of disgust for the man.
“We knew there was an unsolved mystery in Brugge, that’s why we ran the contest,” Bergère grumbled. “We figured if Miller accused you of plagiarism, you’d stick around New York until you convinced him otherwise. Meanwhile, we could come here and search for the treasure mentioned in the letter.”
George chuckled. “You must have been surprised when you found out from Rocke that Nancy was going ahead with her travel plans.”
“So you waited for me to arrive at the airport and then stole my luggage!” Nancy added.
“No. That was Rocke,” Bergère protested. “He borrowed an airport worker’s jacket so he could get past the guards with your bag.”
“He wanted to stall me in Brussels for a while,” Nancy said, “but when that didn’t work out the way he planned, he decided to scare us. Rocke played ghost in Madame Chambray’s house—”
“I also kept close watch on everything you did,” the prisoner interrupted with a self-congratulatory smile. “I watched you in the garden and through the skylight and—”
“How did Rocke ever get the key to the tunnel?” Nancy went on.
“The first time he went there the door was open and the key was inside,” Bergère replied. “He had a duplicate made.”
“Once Rocke came when the door was locked from the inside,” Nancy said, remembering the time she had left the key in the lock.
“He pushed it out with a stick, then used his duplicate,” Bergère said. “These locks aren’t hard to tamper with.”
“Did Rocke have fun riding in the procession?” George asked. “You didn’t really think that dagger trick would frighten us, did you?”
Bergère shrugged. “We were desperate. Unfortunately, nothing worked. You girls spoiled everything!”
Just then Madame Chambray and Bess appeared in the doorway with two policemen.
“Here’s the man who sent you that threatening letter!” George piped up. “Or are you going to blame that on Rocke, too, Mr. Bergère?”
“No, I did it. But it was his idea.”
The officers stepped up to hand
cuff him.
“You can’t do anything to me!” Bergère shouted. “I’m an American citizen!”
“But you have committed a serious crime in our country,” one of the policemen told him. “We shall arrest you and try you for theft!” With that they led him away.
Madame Chambray, meanwhile, went over to Cody and kissed him on both cheeks.
“I am so pleased to meet you,” she said warmly. “I have something that belongs to you—or rather Nancy does.”
The girl detective pulled the diamond and lapis lazuli cross from her skirt pocket and folded it into the Texan’s hand.
“Too bad Rocke didn’t drop the linen wrapping,” Madame Chambray murmured. “It said, ‘God protect you wherever you go.’ ”
Cody gazed at the gleaming cross. “Oh, but I can’t keep this,” he finally said. “You deserve it more than I do.”
“Don’t be silly,” Nancy replied. “It was meant to bring luck to the Vonderlicht family.”
“I know you have a date,” George interrupted, “but—uh—”
Seeing the glint of interest in her cousin’s face, Bess turned to Cody. “Our search isn’t over yet, you know. We’re still hunting for the treasure François—I mean Friedrich—mentioned in his will. Please stay. After all, whatever we find most likely belongs to you.”
Cody smiled boyishly at George, who shifted her gaze in embarrassment. “Where should we start?” he asked.
“How would you like an old birdcage?” Bess giggled and darted behind the silk screen.
“Now I’ll have to buy a bird.” The cowboy laughed when he saw the cage.
Nancy stared at it openmouthed. It was a magnificent birdcage, and beneath years of tarnish was gold!
“I’m positive this is the geometric figure represented in the lace cuff!” the girl detective exclaimed.
“You think so?” Bess asked in amazement. “That never occurred to me.”
Suddenly aware that the ceiling beams crossed to form open triangles like the other pattern in the cuff, Nancy scanned them slowly.
“Look!” she cried, pointing to a broken hook in one of the beams. “That’s where the cage used to hang. I’m sure it was a marker of some sort.”
“Here,” George said, handing Nancy a chair which she placed directly under the beam and climbed up on.
“The cage must’ve fallen years ago,” Nancy surmised. She pulled on the hook, finding it loose but unwilling to budge. Disappointed, she started to step down from the old chair, when suddenly one of the legs gave way. Nancy grabbed for the hook, desperate to find something to help her regain her balance. The small section of wood tore away from the ceiling, and Nancy toppled to the floor while the onlookers attempted to break her fall. As they bent down to help Nancy to her feet, Bess noticed a ruby-studded pin and necklace on the floor. Looking up at the hole, Bess exclaimed, “François’s fortune!”
“And yours now, Cody!” Nancy added as she pulled over a stool that was standing in the corner, again stepping up to inspect the beam.
“Is there anything else?” George asked, helping Bess pick up the additional fallen treasures.
“I’ll say there is!” Nancy cried in happiness. She produced the missing lace cuffs. “I never dreamed we’d ever find—”
Gleefully, the girl detective jumped down from the chair and displayed the long-hidden, delicate clue.
Just as in Gelder’s painting, one cuff bore the figure of a birdcage under a pattern of baseless triangles and the words Je vous aime.
“What’s the message in the other cuff?” Bess asked eagerly.
Nancy examined it closely, repeating the words out loud. “It’s Épousez moi, s’il vous plait.
“What does that mean?” Bess asked.
Nancy translated, “Please marry me.”
“And that’s precisely what François did!” George said.
“Except no one in his family or hers ever knew it. It was their secret!” Nancy declared. “Antoinette changed her name to Elaine Warrington when she left home, and I gather that after her husband’s death, she moved to the States.”
“But she never told anybody who she really was,” Cody said. “Just look at how little I knew about her. ”
“Well,” Bess sighed, “Antoinette—Elaine really got what she wanted—François—Friedrich!”
Her listeners laughed, then George remarked, “The ending of your story, Nancy, was a bit different. This turned out to be a double surprise!”
“But that’s because the beginning wasn’t accurate,” Bess pointed out. “Your hunch about François’s move to Brugge, though, was right on target!”
As she spoke, Madame Chambray sailed cheerfully into the room. She blinked tearfully when she saw the jewelry and money. “I can’t believe it. You found all this?”
Cody slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Please pick out something—anything—from here you would like to keep,” he said to each one.
“Oh, we couldn’t,” George said.
“But I insist,” the young man replied. “It would make me very happy.”
Reluctantly, George selected a plain but beautiful gold necklace. Cody smiled.
“I would have chosen the same thing for you,” he said, causing a flush of red to spread along George’s neck.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Bess decided on an old-fashioned bracelet, while Madame Chambray selected an enamel and gold pin. When Nancy’s turn came, she picked a delicate chain with a beautiful locket on it. Inside were two photographs. She used her magnifying glass to decipher the faded wording underneath them.
“These are pictures of Friedrich Vonderlicht and his bride,” she said. “I can’t take this. Cody, you must save it for someone special.”
The cowboy shifted from one foot to the other. “Then you choose something else,” he said.
Nancy settled on a ruby ring. “Red will always remind me of François’s jacket.” She chuckled.
Madame Chambray, in the meantime, spoke quietly with Cody concerning arrangements to pick up his family possessions.
“Do you realize,” George turned to Nancy, “that the mystery is no longer a mystery?”
“Yes, I do, if you mean the mystery about François. But what about my manuscript?” Nancy replied. “I’ve got to talk to Dad about it.”
When she telephoned the Drew home later that day, Hannah Gruen answered. Mr. Drew was out of town, she said.
“What’s your news?” Hannah asked the girl detective.
Nancy related what had happened during recent days. “It seems that Matey Johnson heard enough of our conversation to trigger off a lot of interest in Madame Chambray’s letter. Then his pal intercepted my manuscript to keep me from flying to Belgium. Can you imagine that?”
“I can.” The housekeeper laughed. “Of course, he didn’t realize that no one can keep you from doing anything you want to. ”
The next day Hilda and her parents gave a farewell party for the young sleuths and their hostess, Madame Chambray. Cody and Joseph were also present.
“Can’t I convince you to stay longer?” the woman asked the girls.
“I’d love to,” Bess said, trying hard not to glance at Joseph who hovered near Hilda.
“So would I,” George admitted, “but Nancy—”
“My tour doesn’t finish for a whole week,” Cody interrupted. “Why don’t you change your mind?”
Nancy winked at her friends. “Well, I would like to see Ned before the summer is completely over,” she said.
Now Dr. Permeke offered a toast to his guests. “It is amazing to think that such an old, old mystery has been solved,” he began, “but that it took three American girls to do it—ah—that’s even more wonderful!”
“And we loved every minute of it!” Nancy answered. “Thank you very much for all of your help!”
The following day the girls flew back to New York, then on to River Heights. Mr. Drew and Hannah had just greeted Nancy when the phone rang.
“I’m sure it’s for you, dear,” Mr. Drew told his daughter.
To her surprise, the caller was John Miller, the editor-in-chief of Circle and Square magazine. “So you’re home,” he said. “Well, I have some wonderful news for our girl detective. You won first prize in the contest!”
Nancy was almost breathless. “I did?”
“Yes. I received word from the Belgian police last night that Herbert Rocke was arrested at Brussels airport when he tried to fly back to the States.” He paused. “I sincerely regret he was one of our editors and I apologize to you for—”
“That isn’t necessary,” Nancy interrupted. “I’m just so thrilled about the contest.” She gulped back tears of happiness as she realized her immediate challenges had finally come to an end.
Where would Nancy’s next adventure take her? She would find out soon when she solved The Greek Symbol Mystery.
“Mr. Miller,” the young detective went on, “now that I’ve found the real solution to the puzzle would you like me to write a new ending to ‘The Secret in the Old Lace’? ”
“Indeed, I’ll publish it!” Mr. Miller said with a chuckle. “Deep down I was sure you would solve the mystery!”
Carolyn Keene, The Secret in the Old Lace
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