Nancy shrugged. “If anyone sees me, I can say I lost my way.”
She walked to the doorway leading to the entrance hall. A guard stood by the door, and another was making his rounds past the base of the staircase. She was a little surprised at the heavy security, especially since Martha claimed Hans Pieters was such a trivial painter.
As soon as the second guard disappeared round the corner, Nancy ducked out of the doorway and nonchalantly began climbing the stairs. Stopping near the top, she bent down and pretended to fix her stocking. She peeked down the stairs. No one had seen her.
She tiptoed onto the Oriental rug covering the hall floor. Standing still, she listened for voices. She heard them at the end of the hall, inside Jonathan Mason’s office.
At first the voices were muffled and indistinct, but Nancy could tell they were arguing. She moved closer to the door and soon began to make out the words.
“I promised to help you, but you have to listen to me,” Bernard was saying forcefully. “I know it’s wrong, but think of what’s at stake. We have no choice but to follow their instructions. Meet me back here at twelve-thirty A.M. and we’ll get the painting.”
“There’s got to be another way,” Mr. Mason argued.
“There isn’t,” Bernard replied. Then he added in a harsh voice, “Unless, of course, you don’t ever want to see your daughter again!”
Chapter
Eleven
NANCY STOOD GLUED to the floor. Mr. Mason was being blackmailed with his daughter’s life!
Whoever had kidnapped Denise was apparently holding her for ransom, in exchange for one of the paintings at the gallery.
Nancy’s thoughts immediately flew to The Young Boy. Was that the one? she wondered. Martha had tried to take it. Was that because she knew it was valuable? She didn’t seem to think highly of Hans Pieters’s paintings as a whole.
Well, at least Nancy could rule out Bernard as a suspect. He was on Mr. Mason’s side, so he couldn’t be one of the kidnappers.
Suddenly Nancy heard footsteps approaching the door. Wildly she looked around for a place to hide. There was only the office next door.
It was unlocked. Nancy slipped in and eased the door closed behind her. It clicked shut just before she heard Mr. Mason and Bernard walk past on their way to the staircase.
She leaned against the door to catch her breath and glanced around the room. It contained row after row of file cabinets.
Perfect, Nancy said to herself. It was a great opportunity to check the Hans Pieters file. Maybe there was something in it to help her figure out who wanted one of his paintings badly enough to kidnap for it.
She opened the drawer marked Current and Upcoming Shows. The Pieters file was thick. There had been a lot of mail back and forth. The paintings had been due to arrive three weeks earlier, but a mix-up at the museum in Holland had held them up. Bernard had sent out several frantic telegrams, copies of which were in the files. Nancy had to smile at some of them. Bernard hadn’t struck her as such a worrywart.
In the back of the file was an insurance form listing all the paintings and how much each was worth. Nancy scanned the list. The paintings weren’t priced particularly high, and The Young Boy wasn’t the most valuable of the lot, either.
She thought about how Martha had hidden the painting in the storage room closet. Why? What was so special about it? Or was Nancy on the wrong track altogether?
The one thing Nancy knew was that a few questions would be answered at twelve-thirty. And she would be there.
Glancing at her watch, she noticed that it was already ten forty-five. The gala was only supposed to go till eleven. She had to sneak back downstairs and find Ned and the others. If she was going to remain inside until twelve-thirty, she needed someone outside to make sure she could get out then.
Nancy made her way down the sweeping staircase and into the ballroom. Only a handful of people were still there. She walked through it and into the adjoining room. Ned, Martha, and Tim Raphael were sitting against one wall, deep in conversation. Dave and George were standing together in front of one of the paintings.
“Nancy!” Ned said, standing up. He looked relieved to see her.
“Hi!” said Nancy. “Ned, come here. I want to show you something.” She took his hand and practically dragged him into the ballroom.
“You have to cover for me,” she said as soon as they were out of earshot of anyone else. “I’ve got to stay here until twelve-thirty. I’m going to hide out upstairs until everyone is gone. When you go back into the ballroom, pretend I had to go home.”
“Why?” Ned asked. “What’s going on?”
Nancy quickly explained what she had overheard upstairs and what she planned to do. “I want to see which painting they’re after and try to find out where they’re taking it,” she concluded.
“I don’t like to leave you here alone,” Ned told her.
“I’ll be fine, as long as you’re standing by to rescue me if anything goes wrong,” Nancy told him. She grinned. “My hero.”
Ned gave a half smile, then looked deeply into Nancy’s eyes. “Be careful,” he said, and drew her into his arms. She felt so warm and secure that she didn’t want him to ever let her go.
“I hope we find Denise soon,” Ned added.
Nancy drew back abruptly, feeling as if she’d just had cold water poured on her head. Why did he have to keep reminding her of how much he cared for the missing girl?
“Yeah, me, too,” she said, trying to sound normal. “See you in a few hours.”
Nancy stole back up the staircase and into the file room. It seemed a good place to hide until people had left the gallery. She found a dark corner and made herself comfortable.
It was eleven-fifteen. An hour and a quarter to wait. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
When her eyes snapped open a while later, it took her a moment to remember where she was. It was dark and quiet in the file room. She looked at her watch. Two minutes to midnight.
She stood up, stretched her legs, and walked quietly to the door. The floorboards creaked loudly, and she stopped, her heart beating fast. No one came, no footsteps, no alarms. She was alone in the gallery.
Nancy opened the door and slipped out into the hallway. She could see the red emergency exit lights at the ends of the hall. The staircase was unlit, but the burnished wood seemed to glow with a light of its own. Nancy fought the jitters that were beginning to make her stomach churn.
Slowly and deliberately she walked down the staircase and into the ballroom. A few dim lights had been left on, as if to keep the paintings company. Nancy moved from painting to painting.
Somehow, without the bright light and the clamor of the artsy crowd, the paintings came to life. She stopped in front of The Young Boy. Sitting in his huge velvet chair, the small, thin, dark-haired boy looked incredibly sad and alone. She turned away, then gazed over her shoulder at the painting. Sad eyes gazed back.
Suddenly Nancy heard the bolt move on the front door. Her heart began thudding in her chest. It wasn’t twelve-thirty yet—they were early! Where should she hide?
She squeezed behind the door leading from the ballroom to an adjoining room just as footsteps echoed in the ballroom. Because the door was slightly ajar, Nancy could see out. It was Mr. Mason, and he was alone. He took a key from his pocket and stuck it into a plate in the wall. It was the new alarm panel, Nancy guessed. Obviously he was turning it off.
She watched as Mr. Mason dragged a chair over to The Young Boy and stood on the chair to unhook the painting from its supporting wires. He almost fell under the weight, and Nancy suppressed her instinct to move forward to help him. He recovered his balance and slowly eased the painting down onto the floor.
Mason walked directly toward Nancy, and for a moment her heart was in her throat, but he just flipped on the storage room light on the other side of her doorway. He returned from the room with a handful of tools. Nancy could see his heavily lined face in the spill fr
om the fluorescent lights. He flicked the switch to Off again, then walked as if in a dream, past her and back to the painting on the floor.
She watched as he slowly unhinged the painting from the frame and began working his way around the borders of the canvas.
“It’s true,” he muttered after a moment. “I wish it weren’t, but it is.” He sank down heavily on the floor, his face in his hands.
The sudden sound of another voice made Nancy jump.
“Jonathan, for goodness’ sake, get ahold of yourself.”
It was Bernard. His voice sounded high and thin to Nancy, as if she were hearing it in a dream. “Why are you doing that now?” he demanded.
“I couldn’t wait. I had to see if it was true,” Mr. Mason said in a hollow voice. “They were right. They did smuggle a Rembrandt in behind the Pieters painting. Why?”
A Rembrandt! Nancy nearly cried out in shock. So that was what this case was all about!
“That robbery two years ago at the Davis Gallery probably made them think we would be an easy target—a small gallery that could be hit easily. They would rob us, and everyone would think it was just some minor Dutch painting that had been taken. No one would guess that behind it was a Rembrandt that had been smuggled out of Holland.”
Mason raised a hand as if he couldn’t bear to hear any more. “Just help me get it out and we’ll hang the Pieters again. The sooner we get this to them, the sooner we’ll get Denise back. We’ll take it to them tomorrow afternoon.”
Nancy watched as the two of them skillfully removed the top canvas and separated it from the Rembrandt that had been concealed underneath. Nancy strained to see the Rembrandt, but she couldn’t get a glimpse of it in the dim light.
Next Mr. Mason and his assistant replaced the Pieters in the frame and carefully put the Rembrandt in a portfolio-size steel box that Bernard had brought with him. The whole operation must have taken about an hour and a half. Nancy’s legs ached from standing. She watched as Mr. Mason replaced the Pieters on the wall and rearmed the security system with his key.
Quickly the two of them straightened up the room. This time Bernard went into the storage room to put the tools away. As she heard the closet door opening she noticed the same chemical smell that had wafted out earlier that day. This time she recognized it.
The smell was turpentine. Turpentine was what she smelled when she had been kidnapped.
Turpentine was what oil painters used to clean their brushes, Nancy knew. Did that mean she had been taken to an artist’s studio? Was that where Denise was being held?
They were leaving now. Nancy crept out from behind the door and followed the men into a back room. She watched as Bernard unlocked the door that led into the back garden of the mansion. That must have been how he had gotten in earlier, Nancy guessed.
Just before leaving, Bernard stopped at the door and punched a few numbers on a keypad beside the door. A red light went on.
Too late, Nancy realized what was happening. Bernard had set the door alarms. She was trapped inside?
Chapter
Twelve
NANCY DIDN’T PANIC. After Mr. Mason and Bernard left, she went to check the front door. There was an identical keypad there. If she opened either door, an alarm would go off and summon the police.
Well, that would be one answer, she thought. But bringing the police in now could jeopardize Denise’s safety. If the kidnappers found out that the police were involved, they might just kill Denise and make a fast escape.
Then Nancy heard a gentle but steady tapping. It was coming from somewhere at the back of the house. The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. Who—or what—was making that sound?
Gulping down her fear, she walked deliberately toward the sound. She followed it into the kitchen. In there it was very loud. It was coming from behind a latched door that looked as if it might lead to a basement.
“Who’s there?” Nancy asked. Her voice sounded hoarse to her own ears.
“Nancy, it’s us!”
Nancy sighed out loud with relief. It was Ned! She unbolted the door and saw him, George, and Dave in the dim light.
“How did you get in here?” she demanded. Then she flung her arms around Ned’s neck. “Never mind—I’m just glad you did. I thought I was trapped for the night!”
“Hey, you told me to be your hero,” Ned reminded her with a grin.
“Can we get back out that way?” asked Nancy, pointing into the darkness behind them.
“Yup. Stay close behind me,” he answered, reaching for her hand. They crept down the stairs into a dank, musty-smelling basement.
“This way,” whispered Ned. He led them out a large metal door that creaked. Flakes of rust drifted off the bolt. They were below ground level at the side of the mansion.
“How did you manage to get in this door?” asked Nancy.
“With a little help from Mr. Sampson’s toolbox and a little brainwork,” Ned replied.
“Don’t forget the part about the rusted lock,” put in George, with a grin.
“Here, I brought your coat,” she added, handing it to Nancy. “We were smart enough to take it with us when we left.”
Nancy was glad. The night had turned sharply cold. And, she suddenly realized, she was starving.
“What do you say to a little midnight raid on the Sampsons’ fridge?” she asked. “I have a lot to tell you guys, and we need to make some plans.”
• • •
The foursome made hot chocolate and cinnamon toast in the Sampsons’ kitchen while Nancy told them what she had discovered.
“It was a professional smuggling operation, and Denise was kidnapped to make Mr. Mason cooperate,” Nancy said, slowly stirring her hot chocolate.
“You’re saying we should follow Mr. Mason to find out where he has to take the Rembrandt,” Dave said, his eyes widening.
“Right. Luckily, I heard them talking about the ‘drop,’ ” said Nancy. “It’s supposed to happen tomorrow afternoon.”
“Do you think we could get Mr. Mason to let us help him?” asked George.
“Or get him to cooperate with the police,” said Dave. “This is really way over our heads.”
“I think I should try to contact Mr. Mason and let him know we know what’s going on,” said Nancy. “He may agree to let us help. Even if he doesn’t cooperate, though, we might be able to follow him to the drop.”
“As long as we don’t do anything to endanger Denise,” said Ned quietly.
Nancy felt a pang. Of course she wouldn’t do anything that would put Denise in danger. How could Ned think she would?
“Well, I say we get some sleep and rendezvous here in the morning,” said George. “Even detectives need to sleep.”
After Ned and Dave left, Nancy and George lingered at the kitchen table a little longer, finishing their hot chocolate.
“What’s up, Nan?” George asked after a few moments of silence. “You seem pretty moody about something. It’s not just the case, is it?”
“George, I think Ned’s kind of in love with Denise,” Nancy blurted out.
“What?” George asked incredulously.
“And I’m afraid I’m not doing my best on this case, because if I solve it I’ll be the one who ends up bringing them together,” Nancy rushed on. There, she had said it.
“Nancy,” said George firmly, “I really don’t believe that Ned is in love with Denise.”
“Oh, George, don’t tell me you didn’t notice the way they looked at each other at Puccini’s?” Nancy bit her lip. It hurt to think about.
There was a silence. “Okay, maybe. But I didn’t think it was him as much as it was her,” George said at last.
Nancy smiled wearily. It was good to have a friend who always knew the right thing to say.
“So—how are you and Dave getting along?” she asked, changing the subject.
“He’s great,” said George. “I do like him, but he doesn’t make my heart go ba-boom, if you know what I mean
.” She grinned. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
Nancy laughed. “Well, I’m sure I’ll get over it,” she told her friend. “Come on, let’s clean up here and get some sleep.”
• • •
Nancy was up and dressed by eight-thirty the next morning. She hadn’t slept well—her mind was working overtime.
Questions gnawed at her as she lay in bed. The biggest of them was, who had set up the kidnapping? Who knew enough to set up the whole practical-joke idea at Puccini’s? Martha or Tim Raphael might be able to help out with that.
Another nagging question—what was Martha doing when she hid that Pieters painting in the closet? She must have known there was a Rembrandt behind it—why else would she have singled it out? What was she up to?
Nancy needed some answers. A good place to start would be Martha Raphael. It was Sunday morning—the perfect time for a surprise visit.
Nancy rummaged through her purse for a program from the basketball game and looked up the bio on Tim Raphael. She remembered reading in there a reference to where he had grown up.
“Bingo,” she said softly. He lived in the Lakeview section of Chicago. She went to the phone book and soon found the address of the only Raphael in Lakeview.
It was a gray, blustery morning, and the smell of snow was in the air. The Chicago streets were quiet as Nancy sped along in her Mustang. The Raphaels lived in a nice, middle-class neighborhood, in a two-story brick house with a small yard. There was a driveway next to the house, and a basketball hoop hung from the garage door.
Nancy walked up the steps. Before she even knocked on the door, it opened. Tim stood there, his face blank with surprise at seeing her.
“I was just getting the paper,” he said. “Hi.”
“Hi,” said Nancy. Beyond Tim she could see Martha sitting at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug. “I just wanted to ask your sister a few questions.”
“Martha?” Tim raised an eyebrow at Nancy. “Be my guest—but be careful. Martha’s not a morning person.” Picking up the paper, he went into the living room with it, casting a curious glance at Nancy over his shoulder as he did.