Chapter 4 The Mystery of the Ivory Charm by Carolyn Keene
A Baffling Incident
Nancy moved swiftly toward the stricken woman, only to halt uncertainly as the front doorbell rang. She would have ignored it entirely had she not observed a man’s face pressed close against the glass pane. She wondered if he had seen Miss Allison faint. At least he might offer aid.
Darting to the door, she flung it open. Without waiting for an invitation to enter, a tall, athletic looking man deliberately strode into the room.
“I am Steve Roach,” he announced quickly. “Miss Allison’s escort.”
“You’re just in time to help! Miss Allison has fainted.”
The stranger moved swiftly to the chair where the woman lay in a crumpled heap, and to Nancy’s amazement lifted her up in his arms.
“I’m very sorry this happened,” he said apologetically. “Miss Allison is subject to fainting spells.”
“I am afraid I may have said something to excite her,” Nancy returned anxiously. “Will you please carry her up to a bedroom?”
“Oh, no, I’ll take her to my car. She’ll be all right in a minute or two.”
“But she’s as white as a ghost. You shouldn’t take her away in that condition.”
Miss Allison stirred slightly in the arms of her escort.
“You see, she’s coming around now,” the man said quickly. “Please let me handle this in my own way. I understand Miss Allison’s case far better than you do.”
Nancy realized that it would be useless to protest. She held the door open for Mr. Roach, and with troubled eyes watched him carry the limp figure to an automobile parked in front of the house. The man placed Miss Allison in the seat beside him and drove away.
As Nancy turned from the door, she noticed that the living room curtains had not been drawn. It occurred to her then that undoubtedly Steve Roach had been watching the house from his car and had observed Miss Allison’s peculiar actions.
“I wonder if I should have permitted him to take her away?” she thought uncomfortably. “Everything happened so quickly I had no time to think.”
She felt convinced that the woman’s fainting spell had been brought on by a glimpse of the carved ivory charm. Taking the trinket from the velvet cord about her neck she studied it intently. Surely it guarded some secret. Yet about its mysterious nature she could not hazard even a guess.
The brilliant beam of a headlight flashed across the driveway at that moment and Nancy ran to the window in time to see her father’s car enter the garage. She was relieved that he had returned home and hastened outside to relate the strange events which had occurred during his absence.
“I never heard of anyone by the name of Anita Allison,” Mr. Drew said thoughtfully. “And I’m certain there’s no one in River Heights called Steve Roach. Can you describe him?”
Nancy furnished an accurate description of the man but the lawyer shook his head. It did not fit any of his acquaintances.
“I can’t understand it at all,” he declared. “Evidently they’re a strange pair, to say the least. I’m just as glad Miss Allison didn’t remain to consult me, for I take no stock in silly dreams and I might have offended her by saying so.”
“It was odd that she fainted when she saw my ivory charm.”
“You’re certain that was what brought on the spell?”
“I’m not really sure, of course. But I know she became greatly excited when she saw my carved elephant. I believe she had seen it before.”
“That seems almost impossible.”
“Yes, it does. It isn’t reasonable that she could be acquainted with Rai.”
“Perhaps the charm isn’t as unusual as you believe, Nancy. It may have been duplicated many times.”
“Possibly,” Nancy agreed doubtfully, “but even so the charm must have some strange significance. I feel certain there’s a mystery connected with it.”
“It’s beyond me,” Mr. Drew smiled. “However, it will be interesting to see if anything develops.”
“I have a feeling that something will,” Nancy returned earnestly. “If Miss Allison should come to your office tomorrow, don’t forget to do a little detective work in regard to the charm.”
“I’ll try,” Mr. Drew promised.
The following afternoon Nancy was gathering a bouquet of flowers from the garden when Ned Nickerson’s car shot into the Drew driveway.
“Hello, Nancy,” he called gaily.
“Hello, Ned. I see you’ve been in a smash-up.” She indicated the fender of the front wheel which had been crushed out of shape.
The young man alighted from the machine as he replied gruffly to the girl’s statement:
“I’m disgusted about it, too!”
“Then you shouldn’t drive so fast.”
“I wasn’t traveling even twenty-five miles an hour when the accident occurred,” Ned protested. “It happened last night. I had the right of way. A big car barged out of a side street and struck my fender. The crash would have been a lot worse, only I managed to swerve.”
“It’s a wonder you weren’t injured.”
“Yes, this driver was as reckless a fellow as I have ever encountered on the road.”
“Why didn’t you have him arrested?”
“I had no chance. He didn’t even get out of the auto.”
“You mean he didn’t stop to learn if you were hurt?”
“He stopped for only an instant. I asked him what he meant by crashing Benton Boulevard and he cut me short by tossing a ten-dollar bill out the car window. ‘That should be enough to keep you quiet,’ he yelled at me. Then he drove on.”
“You didn’t take down his license number?”
“No, he was gone in a flash. But I’ll recognize the fellow if I see him again. He was tall and dark—the athletic type.”
“At what hour did the accident occur?” Nancy asked quickly.
“Around nine o’clock.”
“Why, that was about the time Steve Roach left our house last night,” Nancy said, half to herself. “And he was traveling toward Benton Boulevard.”
“Who is Steve Roach?”
“A stranger who called at our house. Tell me, Ned, was the driver alone?”
“No, he had a lady with him. She was pale and sick looking. I thought she had been crying, too.”
“Would you judge her to be of middle age?” Nancy questioned with growing excitement.
“Well, she looked fairly young to me. She was stylishly dressed.”
“Anita Allison does appear young at first glance,” Nancy said.
She quickly related her experience of the previous evening, and her description of the two visitors tallied perfectly with Ned’s own observations.
“Perhaps the fellow was excited because of Miss Allison’s illness,” he remarked doubtfully. “Even so, that was no excuse for his acting the way he did.”
“What sort of car was Roach driving?”
“I didn’t notice the make. It was fairly new, painted green, and had tan wheels.”
“Such a car should be pretty easy to spot again.”
“I’ll be on the watch for it at any rate,” Ned replied grimly. “Then ten dollars will just about pay for the fender, but I’ll not feel satisfied until I’ve given that fellow a piece of my mind!”
“He’s rude by nature, I think, Ned. At least he acted rather high-handed at our place last evening.”
“I guess the best thing I can do is to keep the ten dollars and forget about it,” Ned smiled. “I really came over to ask you to go to the ball game.”
“I didn’t know there was to be one.”
“River Heights has a crack team. This should be a good game. Want to go?”
“I’d love it.”
“We’ll have to hurry. The game is called for two-thirty sharp.”
Pausing only long enough to tell Hannah where she was going, Nancy sprang into the car and the couple drove rapidly toward the ball park. Leaving the automobile not far from the entrance gate, Nancy and Ned joined the throng which was milling toward the ticket window.
Suddenly the girl heard her name called. The next moment George and Bess bore down upon the pair. After chatting for a few minutes Ned went to buy tickets for them all.
“It will be lots more fun sitting together,” George declared enthusiastically. “Everyone says the game should be one of the best of the season.”
Nancy did not reply, for her attention had been attracted to a large, green automobile which had just entered the grounds.
“I do believe that is Steve Roach’s car!” she exclaimed.
Ned, returning with the tickets, arrived in time to hear the remark and catch a glimpse of the machine in question.
“I’m sure it was the same one that struck my car last night!” he cried.
Waiting for no further confirmation of her identification, Nancy darted through the crowd ahead of her companions. As the driver alighted from his car she saw that she had made no mistake. He was indeed Steve Roach!
Nancy spoke his name and added urgently, “Tell me about Miss Allison. Is she feeling better today?”
The man turned quickly, yet regarded Nancy with a cold, blank stare.
“My name is not Roach,” he denied. “And Miss Allison? I am sorry, but you have made a mistake. I am acquainted with no one by that name.”