Chapter 15 The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene
Plans for Rescue
Back in River Heights, meanwhile, Hannah Gruen had spent a restless and worried evening, expecting to hear Nancy’s convertible pull into the driveway at any moment. Moreover, Mr. Drew had failed to call at the appointed hour and Hannah had no knowledge of how to contact the lawyer.
At ten thirty, when the front doorbell rang, the housekeeper limped hurriedly to answer it. Instantly she felt a sense of keen disappointment.
“Oh, hello, Laura,” she said, and turned to greet Don Cameron. “Did you have a good time at the barbecue?”
“It was wonderful!” Laura exclaimed happily, as she and Don entered the house.
“Certainly was fun,” Don agreed. “Too bad Nancy wasn’t with us. Where is she, Mrs. Gruen?”
At these words tears welled up in Hannah’s eyes. She told of not hearing from either Nancy or Mr. Drew that evening. “I’m so upset,” she said. “What will we do? Call the police?”
“Probably Nancy decided to stay overnight at the Beach Cliff Hotel,” Laura said at once. “Have you called there to find out?”
“No, because Nancy always calls when she changes her plans.”
Don, greatly concerned, went at once to the telephone. Impatiently the young man waited for a response to his ring.
The hotel telephone operator answered. When Don asked for Nancy Drew, the girl said, “Just a moment.” It was nearly five minutes before she told him:
“We are unable to reach your party. Miss Drew is not in the hotel.”
“Then she didn’t check out earlier this evening?” Don inquired.
“No. Miss Drew is still registered.”
Don Cameron hung up, a drawn expression on his face. He told the others what he had learned.
“Oh, I just know something has happened to Nancy!” Laura cried, her lower lip quivering with nervousness. “And it’s all my fault.”
Hannah took the girl into her arms. “You must not feel this way,” she said gently. “Nancy is trying to help you because she wants to.”
Don spoke up, “I don’t know whether we should notify the police or drive to Melrose Lake ourselves.”
As the three hesitated, they heard an automobile stop in front of the house. Then a door slammed. Don looked out the window.
“It’s a man,” he said. “He’s coming to the door.”
Don opened the door to Carson Drew, who came inside immediately. He greeted Hannah and Don. Then, after being introduced to Laura Pendleton and bidding her welcome to his home, the lawyer asked:
“Where’s Nancy? Upstairs?”
When told that his daughter had not returned from her investigation at Melrose Lake, the lawyer was gravely concerned.
“I don’t like the sound of this at all,” he said. “I had no idea that Nancy was planning to sleuth in Mr. Aborn’s home at night.”
“She mentioned something about wanting to pay another visit to a mysterious shack in the woods, Mr. Drew,” Hannah volunteered. “But I don’t know where it’s located.”
Carson Drew’s anxiety deepened. “It would be just like Nancy to follow up a good clue,” he said, “particularly if she thinks there is something odd about the shack. She never gives up until she figures out the solution to whatever the problem is.”
Despite his worry, Nancy’s father uttered these words proudly. He had often admired the initiative his daughter displayed when she was trying to unravel a mystery.
“I think you’re on the right track, Mr. Drew,” Don Cameron said thoughtfully. “Since Nancy hasn’t returned to the hotel, there are three possibilities—she’s had car trouble, something has happened to her in the woods—”
“Or the Aborns have discovered Nancy prowling about their house,” Laura put in fearfully. “And if that is the case, there’s no telling what they may do to her!”
The girl quickly mentioned a few of the things which had happened in her brief stay at the Aborns.
“I’ll leave for Melrose Lake immediately,” Mr. Drew announced. “If I don’t find Nancy in a very short time, I’m going to notify the police that she’s missing!”
The others begged Mr. Drew to let them accompany him. The lawyer thought it best for Hannah to remain at home in case Nancy should call.
“But I’ll be glad to have you accompany me, Laura and Don,” he added.
Don hurried to the telephone to notify his parents of the plan, while Laura went for a coat. Then they went outside and got into Mr. Drew’s car.
“Be sure to call me as soon as you’ve found out something!” Hannah called.
“Don’t worry, we will!”
Nancy’s father was a skillful driver and right now he was intent upon reaching the lake as soon as possible. He could barely restrain himself from breaking the speed limits.
“This is one time I wish I had a helicopter,” he told the two young people.
“It wouldn’t do you much good at Melrose Lake, Mr. Drew,” said Laura. “It’s a pretty thickly wooded area. I doubt that you’d find a landing strip.”
Don realized that this remark, although unintentional, heightened Carson Drew’s worry about Nancy being lost in the woods. He changed the subject quickly.
“I thought you weren’t due home until Sunday, sir,” Don said.
“That’s right,” the lawyer replied, his eyes intent on the highway ahead. “In Cincinnati late this afternoon I had a call from Chief McGinnis of the River Heights police. He thought it was imperative for me to return home immediately.”
Mr. Drew proceeded to tell Don and Laura the complete story of the embezzlement case.
Laura looked worried. “The Monroe National Bank had my mother’s securities!” she exclaimed. “You don’t suppose—”
“Maybe,” Don put in, “Nancy learned something in connection with this at the Aborn house and is staying to get more information.”
“Oh, she shouldn’t have done it!” Laura cried out fearfully.
“Now there may not be anything to your theory,” Mr. Drew remarked. “Don’t borrow trouble.”
Don patted Laura’s shoulder. “Sure. We have enough worries as it is. Mr. Drew, you were telling us why you came back early.”
“Yes. Although I’m making a private investigation for Mr. Seward, the bank president, Chief McGinnis has been helping me on an unofficial basis. We’re old friends, you see.
“When Nancy told me that two of the suspects—the Dowds—were in the acting profession and had been out of town recently, I had a hunch they might tie in with the case. I asked the chief to check on any past records the couple might have, and call me in Cincinnati.”
At this point Carson Drew explained that Chief McGinnis had learned that the Dowds both had records for theft and embezzlement. Each had served prison terms. Using various aliases, they had either acted or worked in theaters in several states and among other crimes had robbed the ticket offices.
“When the chief told me this,” said Carson Drew, “I asked him to take the list of missing securities to various brokerage offices in the River Heights area. He did this and found that during the past few days all of them had been sold by a woman.”
“The same woman?” Don asked.
“Apparently not,” Mr. Drew replied. “At least when Chief McGinnis asked for the woman’s description it was different every time.”
“How odd!” Laura exclaimed. “Could it have been Mrs. Dowd? Since she’s an actress she must be good at disguise.”
“You may be right,” Mr. Drew acknowledged. “Anyway, the chief sent two officers to their house to pick up the Dowds for questioning.”
“Did they find them?” Don asked eagerly.
The lawyer shook his head. “When the police got to the house they learned that the actor and actress had had a man caller earlier in the day and that the three had left together. Mr. Dowd said they would not be back.”
“How discouraging for you”—Laura sighed in sympathy—“but I’m sure you’ll find them.”
“There’s a state alarm out for the couple,” Mr. Drew said. “They shouldn’t be able to get very far.”
“What do the Dowds look like?” Laura asked.
In reply, the lawyer took two photographs from his breast pocket and handed them to her.
Laura held the pictures toward the light on the dashboard. She shook her head in disbelief. “These are the Dowds?” she repeated.
“Yes, why? Have you seen them before?”
Laura said in a tense voice, “I know them as Mr. and Mrs. Aborn. Oh, Mr. Drew, if they’ve caught Nancy, she’s in real danger!”