The Sinister Omen

  Nancy sighed, and then, realizing it was useless to argue, she got out her note pad and began to question Mrs. Palmer, seeking every bit of information she could gather. Where had Mrs. Palmer been each time a burglary occurred? She had been out. When did the burglaries take place? Always in the evening. What about the servants?

  Mrs. Palmer grew stiff at the last question. ''I have a butler, a maid, and a gardener, and they're all beyond reproach. Besides, none of them were home during the burglaries, except Errol, the butler, was here the first time. He chased the crooks but didn't catch them. Hit his head in the process, poor man."

  "I'll need to speak to him," Nancy said.

  "He's not here now," Mrs. Palmer said stiffly.

  Nancy did not press the matter for the present, deciding to get back to the subject later when she had better learned how to handle the old lady.

  "All right," she said. ''Let's see what we have." She riffled through her notes. Mrs. Palmer arched her neck and looked at the pages.

  "May I congratulate you," she said. "Most people today write as if they were handcuffed. But your handwriting is precise and beautiful."

  "Well," Nancy said, ''that's more a matter of necessity than of good training. When I first started, I used to scrawl my notes. Then I found I couldn't read some of them, and a detective who can't read her notes may as well take up another profession. So I forced myself to write neatly."

  Mrs. Palmer waved her hand. "No modesty. Whatever the reason, I find it admirable. Now you were saying?"

  ''Well," Nancy continued,. "it's obvious we have one of two possibilities here. The burglars are looking for something specific, which they believe is in this house. Now, either it is here or they have been misinformed, and it is not."

  Mrs. Palmer nodded, showing signs of impatience. "Yes, yes."

  "That's it," Nancy said. "Unless you actually know what it is they're looking for, but for some reason won't reveal it?"

  12. An Inside Job?

  Mrs. Palmer stared fiercely at Nancy for a long time, but the girl met her look and did not blanch. Then, slowly, the woman permitted herself a smile.

  "Well, Nancy Drew, you really aren't afraid of me, are you? That's good. I can't bear people who are scared of me." She walked up and down, gesturing with her cane like a field marshal reviewing troops.

  "No," she said, "I don't know what it is they are after. Money, silver, jewels, some pieces of paper they feel are valuable? I have no idea. I think they're just crazy."

  "Or," Nancy said, "it could be that someone is trying to drive you crazy."

  "Me!" Mrs. Palmer cried, laughing heartily.

  "Drive me crazy? Oh, my. Half of Fort Lauderdale thinks Tm crazy already. Oh, no, I don't believe that."

  Nancy tapped her pencil on the table and frowned.

  "Maybe," Bess put in, "Mrs. Palmer's dismissal of the police guard was a good move after all."

  The old woman turned to look at the girl, who sat back, a little abashed at having spoken up. But Mrs. Palmer motioned for her to continue.

  "Well," Bess went on, "with no police, the crooks may try to get in the house again. We know they'll do it at night, because that's how they've always done it. It seems to me that all we have to do is to lay one of the famous Nancy Drew ambush scenes."

  Mrs. Palmer walked over to Bess and raised her chin with one hand. "You are too pretty to be looking down so much. Don't be so shy. I admit it's refreshing to see a girl with downcast eyes. But save that for the boys. Among us girls, keep your head up, because you just had a very good idea."

  Bess smiled, relieved and feeling good under the praise.

  Nancy nodded. "That was a good idea, Bess. We'll start tonight."

  ''No," Mrs. Palmer objected. 'Tm having company for dinner. But I shall let you know about tomorrow. Perhaps we can plan it then." She indicated that the interview was at an end. But Nancy did not get up.

  "Mrs. Palmer," she said, "we haven't quite finished yet. There is still the matter of your servants and their reliability."

  Mrs. Palmer snorted. "Really, Nancy. I won't discuss that because, as I said before, my servants are beyond reproach. Now that settles it."

  Nancy shook her head. "You are too smart a woman to believe that. If you were in my place, you know very well that you would insist on knowing everything about everyone. It would be unforgivably sloppy detective work to ignore the servants."

  Mrs. Palmer started to speak, stopped, and took a few paces. ''Very well. But you are wasting your time."

  "I hope so," Nancy said, "because I don't want to find that one of your people is involved. But I must learn the truth."

  Mrs. Palmer nodded. "I think I'll sit down for this," she said, and took the chair that Nancy quickly brought to her.

  "Now, what about the butler?" the young detective asked.

  "Errol has been with me for thirty-three years. He is immaculate and impeccable in his duties. I have never known him to be rude.''

  ''Has he ever been arrested?"

  ''Why on earth did you ask that?" Mrs. Palmer huffed.

  "Because if he has been arrested or has a prison record it might. . ."

  "It might cause the police to believe that he was a thief. Oh, really, Miss Drew!" The woman's tone was now icy.

  "No, no, Mrs. Palmer, listen. If he had been arrested or has been in jail it doesn't mean that he's guilty. But perhaps someone knows about it and is now trying to blackmail him or implicate him in some way. Maybe he has even been threatened."

  "My heavens," Mrs. Palmer marveled, her icy tone gone. "How your mind works! Crack, crack, crack! Amazing. But no, I tell you, Errol has never been in jail. "

  "Nor arrested?" No.

  "Now, what happened when he encountered the burglars?"

  "You can ask him, if you wish. I just heard the door and I'm sure that's Errol. Just a minute."

  Mrs. Palmer went outside and returned with a man in his fifties, who had a warm smile for the visitors.

  After Mrs. Palmer had made the introductions, he said to Nancy, "It's so nice to meet you. I'm sure you'll be able to help us in this most annoying situation."

  Nancy nodded, then asked, "I hear you were home during one of the burglaries."

  "Only the first one," the butler replied. "In fact, I'm proud to say that I discovered the rascals but not in time to stop them. They stopped me, however." He pointed to his forehead where Nancy saw a scar.

  "Oh, no!" she said. "Did they hit you?"

  "I wish it were that heroic. No, I stormed down the stairs, shouting at them, hoping they'd run away since I was unarmed. But I tripped about halfway and did a couple of somersaults. Knocked me out, I'm afraid."

  "Did you see what the intruders looked like?"

  "No. There were two of them, but they wore stocking masks over their faces. All I know is that they were on the tall side. Anyway, I hope you're successful in putting an end to this nonsense."

  "I'll try very hard, Errol," Nancy said.

  The buder smiled and left the kitchen.

  "What about the gardener?" Nancy asked Mrs. Palmer.

  "Edward. He has been with me forty-seven years. Longer than the trees, he Hkes to say. Well, it's true. He planted everything you see around this house. Now don't tell me you suspect Edward. He's a perfect lamb and quiet as can be. He never misses church."

  "And he has never been arrested or jailed?"

  "Oh, no! He'd die of shame if they ever arrested him."

  ''And where was he at the time of the burglaries?"

  "On vacation. Poor dear had a bad illness, so he went to recuperate at his sister's for a couple of weeks. But he's due to come home today."

  "That leaves the maid," Nancy went on.

  "Right," Mrs. Palmer said. "That's Odette. She's twenty-eight years old. Her mother worked for me for forty years. Oh, my. Impossible, Nancy. Forget about the servants."

  "She's never been arrested?" Nancy pressed on.

  "Yes, as a matter of fact, she has. It wa
s a dreadful mistake, though. Many years ago, a salesman came to the door. Very persistent. He pushed past her and came right into my kitchen, trying to sell me aluminum ware. Well,

  Odette is part French and has a very hot temper when angered. When the man refused to go, she attacked him with his own pots and pans. Beat him rather severely and almost destroyed his samples. He ran out of here with lumps all over him. But he came back with a policeman and said Odette had tried to murder him, which was a terrible exaggeration. We then charged the man with unlawful entry and trespassing, and everyone had to go to the police station."

  "You, too?'' Bess squeaked.

  "Of course, me, too," said Mrs. Palmer. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Anyway, my lawyer had Odette free in no time."

  "What happened to the salesman?" George asked, curious.

  "Oh, we dropped the charges. Poor thing, he was so bruised and his pots were a mess. He'd been punished enough."

  "May I talk to Odette?" Nancy asked.

  "She has the day off."

  Nancy nodded. "Can you tell me something about your servants' habits, Mrs. Palmer?"

  "Habits?"

  "Yes, or I should say, have there been any recent changes in their habits?"

  "Oh, really, Nancy. I don't pry into my servants' lives."

  "Of course not," the young detective said soothingly. ''But did you notice any change in any of them in the last few months?"

  Mrs. Palmer furrowed her brow and stared out the window. 'Tm trying to think," she said. There was silence for a few moments, then she spoke again. "Odette has started an exercise class. And Errol has taken up boating. You know, motorboating. He does that a lot lately. Anything suspicious there?"

  Nancy smiled but did not comment. "Mrs. Palmer, you've been very helpful. I think that's about all I need to ask right now. But as I come up with other questions, may I call you?"

  "Why, of course," the woman replied. "If you like, I'll find out everyone's hat size and favorite color. My goodness. Detectives. Such a nosy group."

  Susan McAfee winked at Nancy over Mrs. Palmer's shoulder, then came forward and escorted the girls out. As they passed through the parlor, Bess and George questioned Susan about the furnishings. Suddenly, Nancy heard a noise and was startled to see the mauve drapes move slightly. She glanced at the floor and noticed a pair of men's shoes beneath them! As she started toward them, the feet pulled out of sight!

  13. Trapped!

  Nancy stopped, letting the other girls get ahead of her. Her mind raced. Who could the intruder be, and where did he retreat to? Perhaps he was climbing out of the window!

  She was just about to rush toward the spot where she had seen the shoes, when Errol stepped out from behind the heavy drapes. He held a dust cloth in one hand and a hammer in the other.

  "I didn't mean to startle you," he said, "but these old windows jam badly. I had to give them a little rap with the hammer."

  "Oh, that's all right, Errol," Nancy said, feeling a bit foolish.

  Just then George called from the vestibule. "Come on, Nancy!"

  "I'm coming" the young detective called back and joined her two friends in the hallway.

  They said good-bye to Susan McAfee, then left the old Victorian house. Andre was standing next to the light blue limousine, waiting for them.

  On the way back to the Segovia mansion, Nancy told the girls about seeing Errol behind the drapes. ''He had a perfectly good explanation of what he was doing there. Yet, the way his feet were sticking out really gave me a scare.''

  "Maybe he was eavesdropping!" George said. ''And he just used the story about the windows as an excuse!"

  "I don't think so," Bess objected. "He's a perfectly sweet man."

  "That's the impression I had," Nancy agreed. "But, you never know."

  "And now," Bess said, "can we stop being detectives for a little while and become tourists? I'd like to swim and water ski and live it up in the sun!"

  "I'd go for that," George agreed.

  "That makes three of us," Nancy said. "Let's do it as soon as we get back."

  "I hope the boys haven't splashed all the water out of the pool," Bess said.

  ''They couldn't" George reminded her. "Remember, they went off on that gorgeous yacht!"

  In late afternoon, Nancy and the other girls were sitting by the pool when the yacht returned. As it hove to around a bend in the canal, the girls broke out in a laugh. Ned, Burt, and Dave were lying flat on their backs on deck chairs, dropping grapes into their mouths like so many Roman emperors.

  ''This is the only way to live!" Dave cried.

  There was a lot of teasing and small talk, then the boys had a swim before they all heeded the warning cry, "Dinner in half an hour!" and hurried to their rooms to get dressed.

  After dinner, Nancy said, "Anyone ready for Fort Lauderdale Beach?"

  "Yes!" Bess exclaimed. "I thought you'd never mention it."

  After calling good-bye to Señor Segovia and Carson Drew, the group started for Las Olas Boulevard that led directly to the beach. Andre was about to help them into the light blue limousine again, when Nancy stopped short.

  "No," she said. "It's not far and we're getting spoiled. I'd rather walk."

  "Oh, really?" Ned said. "I should think you'd have some pity for us poor people. I've never ridden in a light blue limousine before"

  "But the walk will be good for us" George declared. ''Honestly, you boys are so lazy"

  ''Lazy?" Burt cried. "Lazy? How would you like to push a Rover over half of New Jersey and then catch a plane in the wee hours of the morning?"

  The kidding continued as they walked out the driveway. Behind them, Nancy noticed a tall, muscular man whom she had never seen before, and she stopped.

  "Excuse me, but may I ask why you're following us?" she asked him.

  The man smiled, crinkling the well-tanned, almost leathery skin of his face. "Not at all. Miss Drew. I'm Albert. I work for Señor Segovia and he's told me to go along with you folks and make sure that everything is all right."

  "You mean, you're a bodyguard!"

  "Yes ma'am, I guess you could call it that. I'm supposed to see you don't get hit by cars or eaten by alligators and things like that."

  They all laughed, but Ned was uncomfortable with the situation. "We'll be all right," he declared. "We've got three men here who are capable of taking care of themselves."

  Albert smiled. "I don't doubt that, Mr. Nickerson, and if it were up to me I wouldn't argue the point. But I work for Señor Segovia and when he tells me to do something I generally do it because I want to keep eating and wearing good boots." Albert smiled again. It was clear that no one was going to change his mind.

  ''Well, all right," Ned said, ''but you won't make it obvious, will you?"

  "No. You won't even know I'm around unless there's trouble. There are two other fellows who'll be with us. They're up ahead. You probably won't see them but we'll all be in the neighborhood in case any of Señor Stroessner's hoods decide to play rough."

  With Albert drifting along behind them at a discreet distance, the boys besieged Nancy with questions.

  "What's happening?" Burt asked. "We heard about your dad's kidnapping—"

  "It's another case, isn't it?" Ned put in.

  "Yes," Nancy replied. "Actually, it's two cases, mine and my father's. He and Señor Segovia are trying to track down stamp thieves while I'm supposed to find a bunch of burglars who don't steal anything."

  "Tell us more," Burt urged.

  "Later," Nancy said. "I promise. Now let's

  relax and forget all about crooks, shall we?''

  Reluctantly, her friends agreed as they walked along Las Olas Boulevard toward the sea. It was in the oldest part of the city and was filled with beautiful shops, all with canopies built out over the sidewalks so that shoppers could stroll for blocks without getting heatstroke from the strong Florida sun.

  "I can smell the sea,'' Nancy said, tilting her head and inhaling deeply.
br />   "A11 I hear is a roar," Bess said. "And it sounds more like a crowd than the ocean."

  "It is a crowd," Dave told her. "There are thousands of students here on their spring break."

  Weary policemen, on foot and on motorbikes, moved among the young people, trying to make paths for the few unsuspecting motorists who had taken the beach road, and were now crawling along at a snail's pace.

  At last, Nancy and her friends reached the beach. They took off their shoes, waded in the water, and talked with several vacationers, mostly about the trials of getting to Fort Lauderdale in this busy season.

  Finally, everyone agreed it was time for snacks and soft drinks. They made their way back to the street and managed to struggle into a restaurant and out again with a huge order of pizza, spare ribs, hamburgers, and Cokes. They took their food to a vacant corner that Ned found in an alley between two apartment buildings. Wearily, they sat down on the curb.

  Suddenly, in the midst of their meal, they heard a sharp cry. "Look out! Get out of the way!

  A small truck hurtled up the alley from the beach with its lights out. The boys and girls scattered like tenpins, and their food wound up splattered all over the front of the truck. Seconds later, the vehicle plunged out the other end of the alley and turned onto a relatively quiet street that had not attracted the crowds.

  ''Who in the world was that?" Bess cried. "Look at my blouse! Vm covered with pizza."

  "We're all full of food," George grumbled. "On the outside, I mean."

  Nancy was on her feet, staring up and down the alley. "Who gave us that warning shout?" she wondered.

  Suddenly, a tall man with his hat pulled low over his face appeared at the head of the alley. Nancy wheeled and looked toward the other end. Two more men were approaching from that direction! In the dim light, she could not tell anything except that they seemed strong and walked very purposefully.

  A cold shiver ran down the girl's spine.

  "We're trapped!'' she hissed.

  14. Hidden Talkers

  The young people stared back and forth from one end of the alley to the other as the menacing figures moved in closer.