He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the civets behind the glass. “I work late a lot, and I have the keys, so I’m a natural suspect. Personally, I think that whoever did it is setting me up. The head of security questioned me again last night,” he added.
“You don’t seem too upset,” Nancy commented.
“I didn’t do it,” Owen said, finally facing Nancy. There was no anger in his voice. “Sooner or later they’ll catch the person who did.”
“You said someone might be trying to set you up,” Bess pressed.
Instead of answering, Owen just shrugged again, as if he were impatient with the whole conversation. Bess exchanged a look with Nancy. Neither of them could understand why Owen was being so evasive. Nancy wondered if it was because he did have something to hide.
George jumped in. “I bet it could be Tyler,” she said quickly.
“Who’s he?” Nancy asked Owen.
“Tyler Mack. The assistant zookeeper,” Owen answered grudgingly. “He’s always giving me a hard time.”
“He’s been really mean to Owen,” George confirmed, leaving Bess’s side and going to stand next to him.
“That’s just his personality. He’s mean to everyone,” Owen told her. “I don’t see why he’d want to steal civets, let alone pin their theft on me.”
Nancy was about to ask Owen a question when a pretty, dark-haired woman came up to them. She was wearing a white lab coat, unbuttoned, over a pair of beautifully tailored black pants and a rose-colored sweater. Although the woman was dressed casually, she wore her clothes with a natural elegance.
“Owen, are these your friends?” she asked. Her voice had a slight French accent.
“They’re friends of George’s,” Owen answered. He introduced her as Zoe Spelios, the zookeeper in charge of the Africa exhibit.
“I prefer ‘curator,’ ” Zoe said with a low laugh. “It sounds more artistic, no?”
“Apparently, Nancy is a detective,” Owen said, not bothering to keep the skepticism out of his voice. “George thought she could help us find the civets.”
The dark-haired woman looked Nancy up and down. “Aren’t you a little young to be doing such dangerous work?” she asked, emphasizing the word dangerous.
“I’ve done pretty well so far,” Nancy told her. Zoe raised her eyebrows, clearly not believing her.
Without further comment, Zoe excused herself. “I must see to the snake’s breakfast,” she told Owen. “Please get to work as soon as possible.”
“What a chic woman,” Bess commented, watching her hurry away.
Owen nodded. “Would you believe that she’s a reptile expert, a herpetologist? One of the vipers is sick, and she’s trying to get it to eat.”
“Well, she looks more like a fashion model than a zookeeper. And she was wearing an absolutely fabulous perfume,” Bess said, gushing. “Did you notice, George?”
“You’ve got perfume on the brain,” George answered, teasing her. “Now let’s get out of Owen’s way so he can get to work,” she added.
“I’d like to take a look at the door to the civet room, if you have a minute,” Nancy said.
“It’s in the back,” Owen said. “I have time to show it to you. We’ll have to go around the side of the building.”
As they were leaving the building, a short red-haired man in a lab coat stopped Owen. “Taking a break already, Harris?” he asked with a sneer.
“Just showing some friends around, Tyler,” Owen answered agreeably. “Bess, Nancy, this is Tyler Mack. You already know George, Tyler.”
Mack nodded. “Your little girlfriend,” he said nastily. George turned red with embarrassment.
Ignoring George, Tyler asked Bess, “Are you girls going to be tour guides, too?”
“Actually, Nancy’s a detective,” Bess replied, trying to contain her temper. “She’s investigating the civet thefts.”
Tyler shot Owen a sharp look. “Did Zoe approve this, or is it something you dreamed up on your own?” he asked Owen icily. Not waiting for an answer, he turned to Nancy. “On second thought, I doubt Harris would want an investigation. He looks pretty guilty right now.”
“You can’t prove anything!” George said angrily.
“Can’t I?” He gave George a withering stare. “Either way, the security people can handle it without interference from amateurs.” Tyler looked down his nose at Nancy even though she was taller than he. Then he turned to Owen. “Especially if they’re friends of yours.”
As Nancy watched, Tyler leaned in to Owen until his face was only a few inches from the student’s. He dug his index finger into Owen’s chest for emphasis. “You better keep your nose out of this business, Harris. Or I’ll personally guarantee you’ll be out of here before you know what happened!”
Chapter
Three
WHY, YOU—” His temper finally igniting, Owen stepped menacingly toward the other man, his hands outstretched. “Where do you get off, accusing and threatening me?” he asked angrily.
Nancy gently placed a hand on Owen’s arm. “Think about what you’re doing, Owen,” she said, trying to calm him down.
George took his other arm. “Relax, Owen. It won’t help if you lose your temper.”
“You better listen to your little friends,” Tyler jeered. Before Owen could reply, he turned and stalked away.
Owen balled his hands into fists, and he stared after the man with a look of hatred in his eyes. “That rat! He’d be happy to see my project go up in smoke.”
“Don’t let him get to you,” George said softly. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Owen looked down at George and slowly relaxed his hands. “Sorry about that,” he murmured with an apologetic smile. Then he turned to the others. “I don’t know what came over me.” He shook himself and raked his hands through his sandy blond hair. “When I think of having to give up this project, I get pretty emotional, I guess.”
“That’s understandable,” Bess said, exchanging a look with Nancy.
“Should we proceed to the door to the civet cage?” Nancy asked, trying to change the subject.
“Sure,” Owen said. As he led them outside, Nancy couldn’t keep her thoughts off the scene she had just witnessed.
Clearly Owen, in spite of his outward calm, was upset and defensive about the missing civets. Otherwise, Tyler Mack couldn’t have gotten to him so easily. Meanwhile, why did Mack have such a grudge against Owen?
Nancy’s thoughts were interrupted by Bess. “Where are we going?” she asked Owen.
He was leading them around the side of the building, Nancy saw. “The staff entrance is back here. We bring animals in this way, too.”
The staff entrance was hidden behind some trees, right next to the parking lot. It would be easy to move animals in, or out, without anybody noticing, Nancy thought.
“What’s that?” Bess asked as they were about to go in the staff entrance. She was pointing up in the air.
Nancy looked up and saw a gondola swing by on an aerial cable. “Looks like a new ski lift,” she commented.
“That’s the Sky Ride,” Owen explained. “It gives visitors an aerial tour of the zoo.”
“I’d like to take it sometime,” George said to him. “The other guides say it’s really fun.”
“It is,” Owen assured her. “I’ll take you later, if you want.”
“I’d love it,” George said, smiling.
Owen used a key to open the staff door. Inside was a reception area with several offices opening off it, and beyond that a long, wide hallway. The hall was lined with doors, each bearing the name of a type of animal.
Owen stopped at the door marked Civets. “This is the back door to the exhibit,” he explained. “Through here is a small room where we keep food and supplies, and then the exhibit itself.”
He unlocked the door to the supply room, and the others followed him in. Nancy knelt to examine the inner door for signs of a break-in.
Owen turned t
o Nancy. “Do you see anything strange?”
She nodded. “Depends on your point of view. There aren’t any scratches or signs of tampering.” She examined it again. “Whoever broke in here was either an extremely skillful lock pick or had a key.” She stood up and brushed the dust off her knees. “Can I look on the other side of the door?”
Owen nodded, looking impressed by her deduction. “I’m not supposed to let you, but I guess I can make an exception,” he said in a friendlier voice than he’d used before. He put his key in the door and turned the lock.
Before he could open it, however, a voice behind them barked, “What are you doing?” Nancy spun around to find a bearded older man staring angrily at them.
“Who gave you permission to be here?” the older man continued.
Owen stepped forward. “I’m Owen Harris, sir,” he said nervously as the man’s eyes bored into him. “I’m doing a project on civet behavior, remember? We met at your office last month.” He introduced the others to the man. “This is Maurice Berry. He’s one of the directors of the zoo.”
“Oh, yes, Harris. I’ve heard about you,” Mr. Berry said, frowning. “Who are these girls? You know visitors aren’t allowed back here.”
“I’m not a visitor,” George said, moving over to stand next to Owen. “I’m a tour guide, and these are my friends Bess Marvin and Nancy Drew.”
Berry shook his head. “I don’t care who you are, you shouldn’t be back here,” he said ominously. “It’s against the rules—Did you say Nancy Drew?” Berry shook his finger at her. “I’ve heard about you. I’m told you’re quite a detective!”
When he saw Nancy’s confused look, Berry explained, “Chief McGinnis is a friend of mine, and he’s mentioned you more than once.” He glanced from Nancy to her friends. “But what are you doing here? You’re not investigating a mystery, I hope?”
“Actually, we are.” Quickly Nancy explained about the civets.
Berry turned back to Owen. “Does security know about this?” he asked brusquely.
“Yes, sir,” Owen replied nervously. “They haven’t turned up anything.” Nancy noticed that Owen didn’t mention that security was suspicious of him.
“So you brought Nancy in? Good work.”
“Actually, it was George’s idea,” Owen said, smiling at her. George’s face lit up.
“Well, it was a good one. Do whatever you have to, Nancy. I’ll tell Zoe and Tyler to cooperate.”
“Thanks, Mr. Berry. I’d appreciate that.”
He nodded. “I have to get back to the office, but let me know if you need anything.”
As Berry walked away, Owen fit his key into the lock again and opened the door to the civet exhibit itself. Nancy stepped inside, being careful to stay hidden in the trees that camouflaged the door.
The lock on the inside showed no signs of tampering. “Strange,” Nancy murmured.
“Do you see anything?” Bess asked anxiously from behind the door.
“Not even a scratch,” Nancy told her. She stepped back out, and Owen shut the door and locked it behind her. “If there’s nothing else to see, we’ll let you get to work,” she told him.
“I have to go, anyway,” George said, checking her watch. “My first tour is at nine-thirty, and it’s almost that now.”
Owen walked them back to the staff entrance. “It was nice meeting you,” he said politely, opening the door for them. “Thanks for your help, even if you couldn’t find anything.”
“I don’t think I’ll give up just yet,” Nancy said casually. Was Owen trying to tell her he didn’t want her on the case?
He shrugged. “Whatever. Keep at it if you want to. Just don’t waste your time.” He turned to George. “If you want to have lunch, stop by around one,” he told her in a softer voice. George nodded happily, and he brushed her cheek with his hand. “See you then.”
Nancy and Bess walked down the path to the parking lot, with George floating behind them in a romantic daze.
“What did he mean, don’t waste your time?” Bess whispered furiously as they passed an outdoor sea lion tank. “He acts as if we’re just doing this for fun.”
Nancy shrugged. “I guess he doesn’t take us seriously.” Her casual tone hid the fact that she, too, was a little ticked off by Owen’s attitude.
George caught up with them near the gate, in front of a giraffe habitat. “I have to meet a group here in a few minutes,” she told them. “So what do you think? Isn’t Owen cute?”
“Gorgeous,” Nancy said before Bess, who had opened her mouth, could speak. In her current state of bliss, George wasn’t going to react kindly to any criticism of Owen. Bess sensed what Nancy was getting at and kept quiet.
“George,” Nancy went on, “are you sure Owen wants me on the case?”
Her friend looked shocked at Nancy’s question. “Of course he does!” she assured her. “Why?”
“No reason,” Nancy told George. “I guess we’d better be going,” she said, changing the subject. “I want to check out a few things.”
“Like what?” George asked.
“We still don’t know what motives the thief might have for stealing the civets,” she explained. “Why don’t you come over after dinner tonight, and we’ll put our heads together?”
“Sounds good. Thanks again for your help, Nancy.” George smiled gratefully.
As they drove out of the parking lot, Bess crossed her arms and said, “I don’t mind telling you I’m not crazy about Owen. He acts like we’re a couple of empty-headed teenagers.”
Nancy concentrated as she made a left-hand turn out of the lot into traffic. Then she said, “He doesn’t know us.”
“So what? We’re friends of George’s.”
“Still, we probably do look like meddling kids to him,” Nancy pointed out.
“Mr. Berry didn’t think so,” Bess said in a satisfied voice. “Owen was pretty surprised that he knew about your detective work.”
Nancy nodded. “Did it seem to you that Mr. Berry had something against Owen?” she asked her friend.
Bess thought about it. “He seemed a bit abrupt at first, but that was all,” she said finally.
“I wonder,” Nancy mused. A little while later she turned the Mustang into the parking lot of the River Heights Mall.
Bess looked at her in surprise. “Nancy, where are we going? Don’t tell me you have a sudden urge to shop!”
Nancy laughed. “Sorry, no. I’m just looking for information.”
“At the mall?” Bess asked. She eyed her friend as if she’d gone crazy. “What kind of information can you get here?”
“I want to find out if civet fur is at all valuable,” Nancy explained. She pulled up outside a store with a big sign in the window that read Hermanovich Furs.
Bess’s blue eyes had been sparkling at the thought of going to the mall, but now she looked serious. “Oh, no. You don’t think the civets have been made into coats, do you?”
“That’s what we’re here to find out,” Nancy told her.
Nancy parked and the two friends went inside, where they were greeted by a chubby, white-haired man.
“Can I help you girls?” he asked with a twinkling smile. “Maybe something in a nice fur jacket?”
“Actually, I just have a couple of questions,” Nancy said.
“If it’s about fur, I’m your man. Alexander Hermanovich, furrier,” he said proudly.
Nancy introduced herself and Bess, and explained that they were looking for information on civets. “Are their pelts ever used for coats?” she asked.
Mr. Hermanovich shook his head. “I’ve never heard of one,” he said. “Like many wild animals, civets won’t breed in captivity. Most fur coats are made from animals like mink and rabbit, which breed easily.”
“But if civet fur is rare, wouldn’t that make it more valuable?” Bess asked.
“In some cases rarity does increase the value,” Mr. Hermanovich admitted. “However, because civet fur is extremely coarse, it
wouldn’t be comfortable.” He shook his head. “I doubt that anyone would even want a coat made from civets.”
Nancy bit her lower lip. That pretty much ruled out one motive. She thanked Mr. Hermanovich for his help and found Bess.
“At least now we know that the civets probably aren’t being stolen for fur,” Nancy said as they left the store.
“That’s right. So what do we do next?” Bess asked.
“I don’t know.” Nancy shook her head in frustration. “We’re no further along than we were before. We’ve still got to find a motive for the civet thefts.” The girls were standing outside the mall in the winter sunshine.
“While we’re thinking about it, how about an early lunch? Something nice and fattening?” Bess asked. “I don’t know about you, but I have trouble solving cases on an empty stomach.”
“What about that five pounds you’ve been threatening to lose,” Nancy said, teasing her.
Bess’s eyes grew round, and Nancy knew Bess was trying to come up with an excuse for abandoning her diet. Bess looked great, but she constantly struggled with losing the same five pounds she had decided would make her perfect.
Bess opened her mouth, her excuse obviously rehearsed and ready. Before she could launch into it, she stopped herself. “Nancy, what’s that man doing to your car?”
A man in jeans and a ski jacket was crouched down beside Nancy’s Mustang. Motioning Bess to stay back, Nancy edged up behind a neighboring car and peered at him around it.
The man appeared to be doing something to the Mustang, but Nancy was still too far away to see exactly what. Cautiously she came out from behind the car and made her way directly toward him.
When she was a few yards from her car, Nancy was able to get a better look at what the man was doing. To her dismay, she saw he had a lock-pick in his hands. He was breaking into her car!
Chapter
Four
ALTHOUGH SHE REMAINED perfectly still, Nancy’s mind was racing. If this was a simple car robbery, the thief was taking a big chance attempting it in broad daylight. The man must have some other motive for breaking into her car.