Chief Burke’s eyebrows lifted. “Moonstone Valley gang?” he repeated. “That’s one gang I haven’t heard of. What do you know about them?”
Nancy produced the typed slip which she had found in the prisoner’s bedroom. The officer was amazed and requested that she leave the paper with him. “This calls for a police investigation,” he declared. “But I’m glad you sightseers learned about this fellow.”
“When you searched the prisoner,” the young sleuth said, “did you find anything of special interest on him?”
Chief Burke opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a dirty piece of white paper. “Only this,” he said. “It might be a clue to something, but it doesn’t make sense to me.”
“What does it say?” Nancy inquired.
The officer handed the paper to her. The instant Nancy saw the two words, she was sure this was a code signal. It read:
Wolrs Eye.
CHAPTER XV
An Exciting Photograph
NEITHER Nancy nor the police detectives could shed any light on the mysterious words “Wolf’s Eye.”
“But please let me know if you find out what it means,” Nancy requested. “Also, if your prisoner talks—or if you have any word about my stolen car.”
Chief Burke promised, adding that he was sorry that his men had not been able to pick up one single lead on Nancy’s convertible.
“I certainly do miss it,” said Nancy. “But right now we have transportation.” She shot a grateful look at Ned and the officer smiled.
When Nancy and her friends reached the motel, Mrs. Thompson said that Jody Armstrong had been trying all day to get in touch with them.
“She wants you girls to come to a picnic supper at her home.”
“That’s sweet of her,” said Nancy. “I’ll call her right away.”
Out of earshot of the others, Nancy telephoned Jody. After thanking her for the invitation, Nancy said that three friends of hers were there for the night, so she would not be able to accept.
“Oh, bring them along!” said Jody. “The more the merrier!”
“Is this a picnic party just for girls?” Nancy asked hesitantly.
“Oh, no,” Jody replied. “It’s a coed party!” She giggled. “Are your friends boys?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Wonderful!” Jody cried joyfully. “I’ll expect you all at seven.”
The boys were delighted. Ned remarked with a twinkle in his eye, “I’ll be glad to see you relax for once, Nancy. I’m sure there won’t be any mystery at the picnic.”
The three girls looked at one another. They said nothing. to the boys, but were hopeful they would pick up a clue there regarding Jody Armstrong’s adoption.
The Armstrong backyard was large and very attractive. There was a beautiful velvet-green lawn surrounded by deep flower beds. The scent of roses pervaded the warm night air.
At one side was a long buffet table with tempting salad bowls and platters of snacks. There was a large punch bowl in the center brimming with ice-cold punch. Farther along at the side of the garden was a stone fireplace for outdoor cooking. A boy about eighteen years old stood there, grinning. He wore a large white apron and a chef’s cap.
Many young people had already gathered when Nancy and her friends arrived. Jody, a gracious hostess, immediately introduced the group. When they came to the chef, Jody giggled. “This is my cousin, Harvey Smith. He’s the best cook-out chef in the county. Isn’t he a riot in that outfit?”
Harvey acknowledged the introduction and said, chuckling, “It’s one way to get yourself invited to all the parties!”
Nancy, Ned, and the others seated themselves on mats on the ground with the other guests. They thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Burt declared that Harvey’s steaks were the best he had ever eaten. The rest of the menu included potato chips, several kinds of salad, vanilla ice cream topped with fresh fruit, and cake.
“I’m stuffed!” Dave said with a groan, as he finished the last crumb of cake.
As he spoke, the strumming of a guitar could be heard. Looking up, the River Heights visitors and their escorts saw a young man standing at the edge of the crowd. The musician began to sing. First came a humorous song about a hillbilly and his first store-bought shoes. Each verse ended with “Ow! They pinch! Ow! They hurt!”
Soon he was playing familiar songs. Everyone at the picnic joined in. This was followed by a sidesplitting skit put on by one of the couples. They represented two travelers who had met on a cruise. They could not speak each other’s language, but each was trying to tell the other how to get back to the same hotel!
Before anyone realized the time, one of Jody’s friends said, “My goodness! It’s almost twelve o’clock!”
That seemed to be a signal for everyone to leave. Nancy and her friends went to say good night to their hostess.
When Nancy reached Jody, the girl said, “Oh, please don’t go yet. I have something upstairs I want to show you. Wait until all the other guests except your friends have gone. My cousin wants to talk to them, anyway.”
“All right.”
Nancy and her friends walked over toward a particularly beautiful part of the flower garden. There were a couple of benches here, and they all sat down. Harvey Smith joined them.
Presently the last of the other guests had said good night. Jody came over and beckoned to Nancy. To the others she said, “I won’t keep her long.”
The two girls went upstairs to Jody’s bedroom, which was dainty and girlish with its white muslin draperies and hand-embroidered bedspread.
“Mother said that when you were here yesterday you mentioned childhood pictures of me,” Jody began. “Well, we hadn’t looked at them in ages, so just for laughs, I went up to the attic last night and unearthed them. Would you still like to see them?”
“Oh, yes,” Nancy responded.
Most of the pictures were in boxes. The first one Jody picked up held photographs of her at the age of twelve. There was nothing about this girl that looked like the three-year-old whose photograph Nancy had in her purse.
“I guess you were always cute,” said Nancy, smiling. She mentioned the dress Jody was wearing in the picture and the two girls laughed over it.
“You wouldn’t think styles for kids would change so quickly,” Jody remarked. “And my hair A twelve-year-old today wouldn’t look a bit like that!”
Jody kept going backward in time, as Nancy concealed her impatience. But finally she reached the last box and said, “These pictures were taken soon after my mother and father adopted me.” Jody smiled. “Adopted children are very lucky because they’re chosen and keenly wanted by their adoptive parents.”
Nancy agreed and added that the Armstrongs were wonderful people. “You’re fortunate to have found one another.”
At that moment Mrs. Armstrong called Jody. “Will you please come downstairs for a minute, dear?” she asked.
“Of course, Mother.” Jody turned to Nancy. “I won’t be away long. You go right ahead looking at the pictures.”
Nancy was delighted to be left alone. Quickly she opened the last box and picked up a photograph. Her pulse quickened as she opened her purse and took out the picture of Joanie Horton taken only about six months before the other one.
This was the same child!
“Jody Armstrong and Joanie Horton are the same person!” Nancy thought. “Her mother didn’t leave her under mysterious circumstances! Her parents weren’t living. She was kidnaped! I’m sure Jody and Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong will want to know the truth. And it will bring such happiness to the Bowens to know their granddaughter is alive and happy!
“And Jody is the rightful heir to Mrs. Horton’s estate! That twenty-one-year-old girl who claimed it brought forged identification papers with her from New York!”
Many suppositions raced through Nancy’s mind. First of all, she must keep her findings a secret until she could talk to her father. Who was back of the whole scheme? Who had kidnaped little Joanie an
d left her at the adoption society? The girl who later impersonated her or someone else? Where was that girl now? In San Francisco? Was any of the estate money left after all this time?
“One thing is sure,” Nancy told herself. “The people responsible for this deception are determined I’m not going to upset anything.” She chuckled. “But I’ve uncovered their evil scheme.”
Suddenly she heard Jody coming back upstairs. Quickly Nancy tucked her own photograph of Joanie Horton into her purse.
As Jody walked into the room, Nancy said, “Thanks a million for showing me the pictures. You were a darling to go to all that trouble. And now, I guess I’d better not keep my friends waiting any longer.”
Nancy kept the secret to herself until the young people had driven back to the motel and the girls had said good night to the boys. Then, when she was in her room with Bess and George, Nancy told them the exciting news.
“Oh, Nancy, you are absolutely marvelous!” Bess said. “Now Jody can learn the truth and get all that money.”
George took a more practical view of the matter. “There may not be one cent of it left,” she said. “I think it would be better if matters stay the way they are and Jody never finds out.”
“No matter what we do,” said Nancy, “you must help me keep this a secret.”
Her friends promised, then Bess asked, “What are you going to do?”
Nancy said that at this point she thought her father should take over the case. “He’ll decide what is the best move to make. Dad will know how to break the news to the Bowens and see what they want to do.”
“Now that you’ve solved the case, I suppose we’ll go home,” Bess remarked.
“Oh, no,” Nancy said quickly. “I haven’t solved anything except the identification of Jody Armstrong. Don’t forget that her grandmother’s estate was stolen. Now we have to concentrate on unraveling that mystery.”
Bess and George knew that Nancy suspected Mr. Seaman, the other mysterious man who had followed her, and the bewhiskered fellow they had caught in the castle. Both girls said they would stay with her and continue their work.
The three friends were up early to say good-by to the boys. Ned and the other boys begged the girls to be careful in their sleuthing.
“I’m mighty glad we were here to help you capture that fellow,” said Ned. “But don’t try going to that castle by yourselves!”
Nancy smiled. “Next time I’ll take a handsome young policeman,” she teased.
As soon as the boys had driven off, Nancy went to the phone and tried to reach her father. But he still had not returned to the San Francisco hotel. She then called her home in River Heights. She told Hannah Gruen of her exciting discovery and asked the housekeeper to try reaching Mr. Drew in California to give him the information.
“I’ll keep calling,” the housekeeper promised. “It’s too bad I didn’t know this yesterday. Your father phoned last night—said he had tried you at the Long View, but learned you were out and didn’t leave his name. So he gave me some interesting information to pass along to you.”
“What is it?” Nancy asked quickly.
Mrs. Gruen said that Mr. Drew had tracked down a Joanie Horton who had come from the East. “She is now married to a John Taber. Your father didn’t have any further details, but I think he’s going to try to see this woman.”
“She may be the impostor!” Nancy said excitedly.
“It looks that way,” Hannah Gruen agreed. “My goodness, Nancy, this case may be drawing to a close!”
“Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful?” Nancy exclaimed.
“In any event, I’ll be glad when you come back home,” the housekeeper said wistfully. “It’s too quiet here.”
“I’m sure it won’t be long,” Nancy said cheerfully. “Well, ’by for now.”
When Nancy relayed the information to Bess and George, they too were excited. “Well, what course shall we follow, Captain Drew?” George asked.
Nancy thought a moment, then answered, “Let’s have an early lunch at the Brass Kettle. If Mrs. Hemstead is there, I’ll ask her if Mr. Seaman has been around.”
“But we haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Bess spoke up. “What are we going to do between now and lunchtime?”
Nancy suggested that a walk would do the girls good. “Let’s hike down to that diner.”
The girls ate a tasty breakfast, then Nancy said, “How about going over to police headquarters to see if Chief Burke has any news?”
The three girls hurried to headquarters. They were shown at once to the police chief’s office.
Chief Burke looked up and said genially, “You must be mind readers. I was just going to get in touch with you.”
“Do you have news for us?” Nancy asked.
“Yes, indeed. Your bewhiskered prisoner has talked!”
CHAPTER XVI
Reptile Guard
“THE prisoner has confessed?” Nancy eagerly asked the police chief.
“Not completely,” the officer replied. “But he did tell us his name. It’s Jake Suggs.”
“And he was living at the castle?”
“Yes.”
Chief Burke went on to say that the prisoner had suddenly called one of the guards and cried out, “I’m not goin’ to be responsible for a murder!”
Nancy’s eyes widened in wonder as did those of Bess and George. “Murder!” Nancy repeated.
“That’s what he said,” Chief Burke continued. “Then this man Suggs said, ‘There’s a man hidden in the cellar of the castle. He’s sick! If you don’t get him out of there, he’ll die!’ ”
“Did you get him out?” Bess asked breathlessly.
The officer nodded. “And now here’s the big surprise. The prisoner in the cellar was Mr. Wheeler!”
The girls were dumfounded. Finally Nancy found her voice to say, “Thank goodness! How is he?”
Chief Burke said that Mr. Wheeler had been taken to the hospital and was now under heavy guard. He had been fed and well cared for by Suggs, but was too weak to escape.
“Did you learn anything else from either Mr. Wheeler or Suggs?” Nancy queried.
“Not a thing. Mr. Wheeler evidently was put to sleep before he was taken from the hospital and knew nothing more until he awakened in a dark room in the castle cellar. No one had questioned him, and except for the care Suggs gave him, the retired lawyer was left alone. Suggs merely said some people brought Mr. Wheeler to the castle and paid him to take care of the lawyer.”
“Who were they?” Nancy asked.
“I wish I knew,” said Chief Burke.
Then the officer’s stern expression relaxed and he smiled slightly. “I thought you might be interested in Suggs’s story about the bats,” he said. “He let them remain there to frighten away any intruders.”
Bess giggled. “They did that all right,” she said, hunching her shoulders reminiscently in disgust.
The chief turned to Nancy. “Miss Detective, have you any idea who brought Mr. Wheeler to the castle?”
“I’m afraid not. But I’d certainly like to find them.”
“I’ll bet Nancy will find them!” George spoke up.
Nancy now said that she thought Suggs knew much more than he was telling. “For instance, before Mr. Wheeler was kidnaped, George and I went to the castle and were warned away when we were about to enter. Furthermore, we saw a car leaving there that same day. Also, through binoculars I used on the hill, I saw Suggs signaling from the tower. The day Suggs was captured my friend Ned Nickerson was in the cellar searching and didn’t see Mr. Wheeler.”
“That’s not surprising,” said the officer. “Mr. Wheeler was in a room with a well-camouflaged door.”
He went on to say that the police were still searching for the kidnapers, of course, but had to admit they did not have a single lead and Suggs refused to give names. “And I’m afraid we have no word on your car, Miss Drew.”
Nancy had a sudden idea. She knew the chief would think it farfetched
, since he had no notion she connected the mystery of Mr. Wheeler’s abduction with the mystery about which he knew nothing—that of Joanie Horton’s kidnaping. Aloud she said, “If there’s a gang around here hiding things at the castle, maybe my convertible is there.”
Even Bess and George were surprised to hear this. George reminded Nancy that not only had the girls and boys searched the castle, but also that the police had.
“But they didn’t search the grounds,” Nancy countered.
“That’s true,” Chief Burke admitted.
Nancy asked him if he could spare any officers to go out to the castle with the girls and look around. He agreed and said he would send Sergeant Fosley and Detective Humfrey with them. The men were called in and introduced, then they led the girls outside to a police car.
The group set off for the castle. When they reached it, Nancy was glad to find the drawbridge still down. She had half expected that when Suggs’s friends failed to see him signaling, they would have come to find out why. The first thing they would do would be to remove the stones and wires holding down the drawbridge and hope to avoid a further search of their secret meeting place by the police. What had happened? Were they afraid to return?
The driver parked on the narrow roadway beside the wall, then the three girls and two police officers began a thorough and systematic search of the grounds. They had concluded there were plenty of places in which a person might hide a car. Tall grass and weeds grew everywhere. The searchers fanned out around the sides and rear of the castle.
Presently George called, “I see flattened grass —two narrow rows of it. They could be from automobile tires.”
Nancy and Bess ran to her side. There was no mistaking the tracks, although the weeds and grass were struggling to an upright position again.
Excited, the girls followed the trail. Presently they reached a slightly depressed area at the end of which was a huge mound of grass. Embedded into the hill was an enormous wooden door.
“Your car could be in there!” Bess called over her shoulder to Nancy.
Bess was in the lead. But suddenly she stopped and shrieked, “Ugh! A snake—a monstrous snake!”