Bad Times, Big Crimes

  “Of course,” I said, biting my tongue.

  Just then a short, stout officer dragged a young boy over to where the police cars were parked. He was holding the boy by the collar. “This is exactly how she described him.”

  “Someone witnessed the bank robbery?” I asked.

  “Not exactly,” said the officer. “Our witness saw another crime.”

  “Who’s the witness?” I asked.

  Just then I heard a familiar voice coming from behind us. “Me!” she said.

  I spun around and widened my eyes. Could it be?

  “DeeDee?” I asked.

  “That’s Miss Shannon to you, Nancy Drew,” she said primly. “And besides, my name is Deirdre!”

  Ugh. Some things never change.

  Deirdre was dressed in a fancy party dress. It was pale pink and poofy. With her white, elbow-length gloves, she looked as if she’d stepped straight out of the pages of a fashion magazine. Sort of strange for a weekday jaunt to Hooverville.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I’m helping out Chief McGinnis,” she replied. “We’re catching a crook. I know that’s usually your territory. Or at least, you have that reputation. But it looks like you’ve got some competition now.”

  “I’m not interested in competing with you. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on.”

  Deirdre pointed to the boy the police officer was holding. “This boy stole an apple pie right off my windowsill. Why they even let him wander the streets in my neighborhood, I’ve no idea. It’s obvious he doesn’t belong.”

  “I’m so sorry,” said the boy. His voice was quivering. “My grandmother was so hungry, and it’s her birthday. I just wanted to do something nice. You see, she’s sick and it’s been so hard for her since we lost our house.”

  With her hands on her hips, Deirdre peered down at him and said quite snootily, “It’s illegal to steal, even if it is for your so-called grandmother.”

  “Deirdre, why are you being so hard on him?” I asked. “Times are so rough—he’s only doing what he thinks he needs to.”

  Deirdre scoffed at me. “Oh, that’s a fine excuse. Things aren’t so bad. My family’s doing great.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Anyone who wants to can find a job,” she continued. “In fact, my dad’s investing in the big new casino. It’s all legal, of course; he’s figured out a way to be involved, since it’s such a profitable enterprise. They’ll need plenty of people working there soon.”

  I suddenly realized why the man talking to Loretta at the casino last night had looked so familiar. He was Deirdre’s father. And, hello—legal? “He’s not investing with Loretta and Clay Gaines, is he?”

  “Yes—what’s it got to do with you?” asked Deirdre. “The Gaineses are coming over for dinner. That’s why I made the apple pie in the first place. They’re wonderful people. So sophisticated.”

  Yikes! Dilemma: Do I tell Deirdre to hide the crystal? Or do I let her family entertain the crooks, which could lead to them making a huge mistake? “I’d be careful around them,” I said. Vague, but still a warning. I just hoped she’d listen to me.

  “Oh, Nancy. You’re just jealous,” Deirdre replied.

  “I’m really not,” I said. “Seriously, Deirdre. Warn your family to be careful. At least wait a few days before writing the Gaineses any checks.”

  “Oh, I’ve had enough of this,” said Deirdre. “I can’t believe I’m hanging around Hooverville talking to Nancy Drew. How perfectly dreadful! Chief McGinnis, I’ve helped you find the boy. Now please take me home.”

  Hoping that Chief McGinnis would be more reasonable, I asked, “Do you really think this young man is so guilty that he should be arrested?”

  “The pie was just the beginning, I’ll bet,” the chief replied. “What’s your name, young man?”

  “Barry,” said the boy. “Barry Stevenson.”

  “So where did you hide all that dough?” asked the officer.

  “Uh, I didn’t hide it,” said Barry. “The pie is gone. We ate it. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll pay you back.”

  “We’re talking about the money from the bank heist,” the chief said. “Not the pie dough.”

  I read panic in Barry’s eyes. His voice cracked as he said, “Bank heist? I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Put him in the car,” Chief McGinnis ordered. “We’ll handle this downtown.”

  “Wait a second,” I cried. “There’s a big difference between stealing an apple pie and robbing a bank. This boy can’t be more than ten years old.”

  “You’re right,” another officer chimed in. “I’ll bet he had help. Let’s haul in his entire family.”

  “What?” I cried. What the police were doing had to be illegal. I wished my dad was here. He’d know how to sort this all out.

  Just then I realized something. “Does anyone have the time?” I asked.

  “It’s five minutes after twelve,” one of the officers told me.

  Darn. In other words, it was five minutes past the time I promised my dad I’d be home.

  “I need to run—but don’t worry,” I said to Barry. “I’m going to help you. I promise!”

  9

  Dropping Hints

  I made it home in record time—which was something, considering this car wasn’t nearly as powerful as my hybrid. Still, I was fifteen minutes late. My dad was waiting for me on the front porch, dressed in a coat and hat, with his briefcase beside him.

  “Dad. I’m so sorry. I lost track of the time.” I rushed up to him and handed him the keys. “I would have called, but, but cell phones haven’t been invented yet.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “Oh, um, nothing,” I said. “Bad joke.” Actually, it was a good joke—if only there was someone around to get it.

  “How did everything go this morning?” asked my dad. “You left in quite a hurry.”

  “Everything was wonderful until Chief McGinnis showed up,” I replied. I told him about the apple pie, and how Barry and the entire Stevenson family were hauled downtown.

  “Well, that’s horrible,” my dad said. “I’ll head over to the station as soon as I finish up in court. See if I can’t get some information.”

  “I have a better idea,” I said, following him to the car. “Take me with you and drop me off at the police station. I’d like to talk to Chief McGinnis myself.”

  I hopped into the passenger seat before my dad could argue. On our way downtown I explained how we were able to get Miss O’Brian back in the schoolhouse.

  He thought it sounded like a great idea. “I’m so proud of you, Nancy. That’s wonderful news. Did you find anything out for the Smiths?”

  “I’m still working on that piece of the puzzle,” I said. I just knew that Clay and Loretta were up to no good. They had to be behind the bank robberies. And I even had the sneaking suspicion that they were about to swindle local investors out of lots of money. All I needed was the proof.

  “Well, Hannah would sure be grateful if you figured it out.”

  “The Smith children are a handful, huh?” I asked.

  “I’m afraid so. The mouse got loose again. Scared Hannah half to death.”

  Dad dropped me off in front of the police station. I was about to walk inside when George rushed toward me.

  “Hello there, Nancy.”

  “What’s up, George?”

  For some reason George stopped in her tracks and stared up in the sky. “Can’t see anything except some clouds.”

  “Huh?” I asked.

  “You asked me what was up. I thought maybe you saw a plane,” said George. “Wouldn’t that be swell?”

  “‘What’s up’ is an expression,” I explained. “As in, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’”

  “Hay?” asked George. “As in, the hay that horses eat? Is that the expression?”

  “Not exactly,” I said. “But never mind.”

  “Is th
is all part of your amnesia?” she wondered out loud.

  I smiled weakly. “I suppose so.”

  “Hmm. You sure you don’t want to see the doctor?”

  “No, that’s okay. I think I’m getting better,” I said, lying through my teeth. Honestly, I was getting more and more worried about my predicament—when would this end? But I had a hunch the doctor wouldn’t be able to solve that problem.

  “Well, anyway,” said George. “Everyone I talked to thinks the bartering system sounds swell. I have a huge list of merchants willing to trade their goods for services. I can’t wait to get back to Hooverville to show Bess.”

  “After you do that, can you do me another favor?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  I told George what had happened in Hooverville—and also about my suspicions regarding Clay and Loretta and the casino project. If we could prove that the Gaineses and their gang had struck in other cities nearby, it would be easier to convince the police that they were guilty.

  “I just worry that we’re running out of time,” I said. “Once Loretta, Clay, and their cronies get everything they want out of River Heights, they’ll skip town.”

  “Looks like they’re close, too,” said George. “We’ll definitely have to act fast. As soon as I get Bess this list, I’ll head to the library and dig up whatever I can.”

  “Thanks so much,” I said, wishing we had a computer and a good search engine at our fingertips. Not for another several years.

  “Meet you back at your place in a couple of hours?” she asked me.

  “Sure,” I said. “And, George. You’re awes—I mean, you’re really swell.”

  I climbed the steps outside the police station quickly. I had a big problem to tackle: Chief McGinnis.

  Taking a deep breath, I walked inside. The station was pretty amazing. It looked the same—with its gray, cinderblock walls and its old, scratched wooden floor. And it smelled the same too—of stale coffee. But there was paper everywhere. It made sense, I guess. With no computers, every record and file had to be written out. Still, the sight of each officer’s desk overflowing with paper, the boxes in the aisles, and the file cabinets lining each and every wall was something. And all the police officers were men.

  In fact, there was only one woman in the entire office—the chief’s secretary, Lotte. She was sitting outside his closed office door, filing her nails.

  It was so strange not seeing Tonya Ward. Her spunky, no-nonsense attitude was something I’d come to rely on. But it made sense that she wasn’t here. No way would she fit in. She was way too modern for a 1930s police station.

  So I walked up to Lotte. “Hi, I’m Nancy Drew. I’d like to have a word with Chief McGinnis.”

  “Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

  I answered honestly. “Not exactly.”

  “Hold on one moment.” She disappeared into the chief’s office and came back outside very quickly. “The chief is busy right now.”

  “I’ll wait,” I said, sitting down in the chair right by his door.

  “He’s going to be busy for a long time,” she said.

  “That’s okay,” I said. “This is important.”

  She shrugged and then went back to her filing.

  Ten minutes later she took a break.

  “Lotte, will you get me coffee?” I heard Chief McGinnis yell. He didn’t even open the door—lucky for me. Nor did he say please—unlucky for Lotte.

  “Right away,” I called, doing my best impression of his secretary’s voice. Heading to the coffeepot, I got him a cup and walked into his office.

  “Thank you,” said Chief McGinnis without even looking up.

  I’d assumed he was working on some urgent police matter, so I was surprised to see him concentrating on a crossword puzzle.

  “Chief McGinnis, I know you’re terribly busy, but I was hoping you could take just a few minutes to talk to me.”

  The chief looked up. When he realized it was me, his eyes clouded over with annoyance.

  “Nancy,” he said. “I thought that Lotte told you I was busy.”

  “She did. But then she got busy herself. And I didn’t want you to have to leave your desk to get your coffee yourself. Don’t worry. I only need a few minutes,” I said as I sat down across from him. “Think you can spare the time?”

  He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “All right, Nancy. What is it?”

  I was used to his less-than-enthusiastic response. It didn’t bother me one bit. “I was wondering how the Stevensons were doing.”

  “They’re just fine,” said the chief. “Barry is going to pay Deirdre back for the pie.”

  “You’re not keeping him in jail, are you?”

  “No, but I don’t regret hauling him in. That young man needed to be taught a lesson. Apples don’t grow on trees. Er, apple pies don’t, that is. You know what I mean.”

  “So the Stevensons didn’t rob the bank?” I said.

  “It doesn’t look that way,” said the chief. “But that’s not to say that everyone in Hooverville is innocent.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, but did you ever ask yourself, What if the criminals aren’t from River Heights at all? What if they’re new in town?”

  “What are you getting at?”

  I leaned forward. “Have you heard of Clay and Loretta Gaines?”

  “Of course I have. I had a meeting with them this morning, in fact.”

  “So you suspect them too?” I was so relieved.

  “Suspect them of what? We were talking about investment opportunities. They’re building a new casino, and Mr. Shannon has figured out a way to invest lawfully. Sounds like a great idea. It’ll bring lots of jobs to River Heights.”

  “You didn’t give them any money, did you?” I asked.

  Chief McGinnis frowned at me. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, Miss Drew.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “You’re right. But I do think there’s something fishy going on. So far it’s just a hunch. But I’m working it out, and I should have proof for you soon.”

  Shaking his head, the chief replied, “We do have plenty of professionals on our payroll, Miss Drew. We don’t exactly need your help.”

  That’s what you think, I thought, but didn’t say. No need to annoy Chief McGinnis. Well, not any more than I already had. Plus I still hadn’t gotten to the reason I wanted to see him. I had to act carefully… subtly. I leaned forward. “If only there was a way we could make sure no one left town for the next couple of days. Without being searched, I mean.”

  “Hmm,” said the chief.

  I had an idea. Charlie had mentioned to me that there was only one paved road out of town. If a roadblock was set up and each car that tried to leave was searched, then the Gaineses and their cronies would never get away fast. The trick was to convince Chief McGinnis that this plan was a good one. I knew that if he thought it came from me, he’d automatically be biased against it. However, if the chief thought that the roadblock idea was something he came up with on his own, well that was another matter entirely.

  “I just have this sneaking suspicion that whoever stole the money is still in town. I mean, why would someone want to leave? River Heights is such a wonderful town. Well, except for all the poverty, and all the crime… which has been happening a lot lately, huh?” I paused for a moment to see if what I was saying was working on the chief. No luck—I’d have to keep going. “When did you first meet Loretta and Clay? I wonder if they know anything about the bank robberies. Their arrival came when all this funny business started, right?” Okay, now I was dropping hints as big as boulders. Come on, Chief!

  “It’s an interesting theory,” said the chief.

  “If only there was a way to keep them here. But I guess that would be impossible. I mean, how would you stop someone from getting out of town?”

  Not a peep from the chief. This was tough.

  “No one would be flying out of town—no
planes here. There’s the river—but what criminal travels by boat? That’s no way to make a fast getaway. If I was a crook, I’d be using a car, I think. That way it would be easy to speed out of town.”

  I snuck a look at the chief. It looked as if he was meditating on some thought.

  “Love the new road, by the way.” It took all my willpower to keep from screaming out, Set up a roadblock!

  Just then the phone rang. Chief McGinnis picked it up on the first ring. “Hello? Yup. Yup. Sure. Nope. Okay, then.”

  “Nancy,” he said, standing up. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Well, if you think of anything…” I tried, one last time.

  “Oh, I already have,” he said. “I’m going to set up a roadblock right away. There’s only one paved road out of this town, and no car will be leaving River Heights unchecked.”

  “Chief McGinnis, that’s a brilliant idea!” I jumped out of my seat. “I feel so much safer knowing that you’re in charge around here.”

  The man beamed at me. “Well, thank you, Nancy. But I’m just doing my job.”

  “River Heights sure is lucky to have such a hardworking and intelligent chief of police.”

  Chief McGinnis blushed. “Thanks very much,” he said, leading me to the door. “I know I’m appreciated, but it’s nice to hear it every now and then.”

  Once I got outside I rolled my eyes. Same old chief!

  10

  Hatching a Plan

  Sister, can you spare a dime?” asked a thin man. He held out a dirt-smudged hand. The collar on his jacket was ragged, and his pants had a hole in one knee.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” I replied. “If I had a dime, it’d be yours.”

  Boy, was this hard.

  Now that my meeting with the chief was over, I was walking home. It wasn’t an easy trip, and not only because my pumps were giving me serious blisters. What made it so difficult was seeing all the beggars. They were on almost every street corner, and I’d already given away all my pocket change to the first three I’d come across. I’d had no idea there would be so many more.

  I sure missed my old life. The modern-day River Heights had hardly any poverty. We took care of many of our homeless people, with soup kitchens and shelters. No one went hungry, and no one slept on the streets.