Chapter 6 The Clue of the Tapping Heels by Carolyn Keene
An Interesting Clue
Mr. Bunce did not seem to be the least bit dismayed to discover that Miss Carter was entertaining a friend.
“I’d like to know what you mean by sending a lawyer to see me about Gus Woonton’s estate,” the man began angrily, addressing the spinster.
“Please, Mr. Bunce, I prefer not to discuss business just now. I have a visitor.”
“Oh, all right,” the neighbor said abruptly. “But understand, you can’t expect to get one penny of that money back.”
With a cold glance directed at Nancy the man left the house.
“I’m so sorry that dreadful person came here, Horace,” Miss Carter declared regretfully. “He is so unreasonable and has caused me a great deal of worry.”
“He spoke of someone named Gus Woonton,” Mr. St. Will said thoughtfully.
“Yes, I befriended the poor lad. Mr. Bunce neglected the child shamefully. At my own expense I had Gus placed in the Riverside Home. Mr. Bunce was satisfied with what I did at the time, but now he seems bent upon making trouble.”
“Woonton is a very familiar name,” Mr. St. Will said slowly. “You may recall that Ralph Woonton was distantly related to me.”
“Why, I never heard you speak of it,” replied Miss Carter in surprise.
“I did not know Ralph well, for he and his wife traveled a great deal.”
“Gussie’s father was a man by the name of Ralph Woonton,” Miss Carter declared. “Surely they couldn’t have been the same person?”
“I wonder—” the elderly actor mused. “I don’t recall that my relatives had a son named Gussie though it is possible they might have. I believe I still have all the letters Ralph wrote to me.”
“Do you suppose you could find them?” Nancy interposed eagerly. “Perhaps they contain information which would be of use to Miss Carter.”
“I have the letters packed away in a trunk somewhere. I’ll find them tonight.”
“Would it be too much to ask that if you should discover any interesting information you would get in touch with my father? His name is Carson Drew and he has offices in River Heights.”
“Mr. Drew is a well known lawyer who has taken an interest in my case,” Miss Carter added.
“Let me write down his address,” said Mr. St. Will. “I’ll telephone him as soon as I have read the letters.”
It was late when Nancy and her chums bade good-bye to Miss Carter. They had a great deal to discuss on their way home, for the day had been an exciting one.
“I’ve suspected from the very first that Miss Carter was once an actress,” Nancy declared. “She’s a dear and so is Mr. St. Will.”
She drove George and Bess to their homes, then went on to her own residence. Carson Drew, having returned from his office, was digging in the garden. Nancy sat down on a nearby bench. While she watched her father hoe the radish bed she told him of her meeting with Mr. St. Will.
“That’s interesting,” the lawyer replied. “You say the man is acquainted with the Woonton family?”
“Yes. He promised to look through some old letters and see if he can learn anything which may be of help to Miss Carter.”
“I see you’re bound to involve me in this case,” the lawyer smiled. “I am willing to do what I can to assist the woman, but I really doubt that she will be able to collect a cent. Very likely Mr. Bunce has already spent any money the boy may have inherited.”
“Then he certainly should be punished,” Nancy replied feelingly.
She did not expect to hear from Mr. St. Will for several days, so she was surprised when the actor telephoned by long distance that same evening.
“I have just finished reading the Woonton letters,” he told Nancy.
“Did you learn anything of interest?” the girl asked eagerly.
“Yes, I believe I’ve stumbled upon something rather amazing, Miss Drew. I should like very much to show the letters to your father.”
“I’ll make an appointment for you,” Nancy offered. “My father isn’t here now, but I am sure he’ll be able to see you at his office tomorrow at ten o’clock. If not, I’ll call you back later tonight.”
“Excellent. I shall be there, Miss Drew.”
Nancy was deeply excited. She sat up until her father came home from a meeting downtown and assured his daughter that he would be able to see Mr. St. Will at the appointed hour.
“May I be there too, Dad?” Nancy asked. “I’m just dying of curiosity to find out what Mr. St. Will discovered in those letters,” she added with a teasing look in her eyes.
“This is more your case than mine, my dear,” her father laughed. “By all means come to the conference.”
The next morning at ten o’clock the girl was eagerly awaiting the actor’s arrival at the law office. His limousine drove up exactly on time. A secretary escorted the man into the presence of Carson Drew and his daughter.
“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” Mr. St. Will said as he seated himself.
“Not at all,” responded the lawyer cordially.
“Here are the letters,” the actor continued, taking a package from his coat pocket. “I thought you might like to read them yourself.”
“You mentioned over the telephone that you had stumbled upon something important,” Nancy suggested eagerly. “Will it help Miss Carter’s case?”
“The letters reveal an amazing fact,” replied the actor. “Ralph Woonton and his wife had no son!”
“Then the Ralph Woonton you knew couldn’t have been the right person,” Nancy murmured in disappointment.
“On the contrary, I feel certain that he was the person claimed by Bunce to be the father of Gus.”
“Why do you think that?” asked Carson Drew.
“Because I have taken it upon myself to do a bit of investigating since yesterday,” the actor replied. “I spent half the evening on the long distance telephone, but I feel well repaid for my efforts.”
“What did you learn?” Nancy questioned eagerly.
“First, that my relative, Ralph Woonton, employed a secretary some years ago by the name of Fred Bunce. While the Woontons traveled, he usually remained at the family mansion to look after business affairs.”
“That’s certainly interesting,” Nancy commented, leaning forward in her chair.
“Yes. Upon learning this my suspicions were aroused. I made up my mind that probably Bunce was a schemer. My next act was to talk with the police.”
“Has the man a record?” asked Carson Drew.
“Apparently not,” replied Mr. St. Will, “but I learned Bunce had informed the authorities that the Woontons had a simple-minded son named Gus living at the mansion.”
“A deliberate falsehood!” Nancy exclaimed.
“These letters from my relative prove that no child existed. It was always the regret of Ralph and his wife that they were childless and they talked of adopting a baby.
“The Woontons died in South America without leaving any will, or if they did leave any, none ever was found. Fred Bunce then came forward, claiming the entire estate for the boy Gus.”
“I imagine he succeeded in having himself appointed guardian too,” Mr. Drew commented.
“Yes, no other person seemed to take any interest in the boy. Gus was sent away to a school, but in a few months he ran off and returned to live with Mr. and Mrs. Bunce. They kept the boy with them until he was entered at the Riverside Home.”
“All that time the Woonton estate gradually dwindled, I suppose,” remarked Nancy.
“Yes, it is my belief that Bunce managed to squander nearly all that was left.”
“This case has several very interesting angles,” Mr. Drew commented. “If the Woontons left no son of their own, then I wonder who this lad is who passed under the name of Gus?”
“I should like to know the truth, too,” the actor declared grimly. “That fact is a mystery in itself.”
Nancy was of the opinion that Fred Bunce deliberately had schemed to secure the Woonton fortune for himself. She was highly pleased when her father expressed a similar thought.
“I should like to have you take the case, Mr. Drew,” requested the actor. “I have an interest in seeing justice done, and Miss Carter is deserving of aid.”
“She has not asked me to represent her,” replied Mr. Drew thoughtfully.
“Miss Carter is very proud. I doubt that financially she is able to ask the services of a lawyer. I will guarantee you your fee, Mr. Drew.”
“I’m not worried on that score,” said the attorney, smiling broadly. “I just would like to be sure Miss Carter really wants me to do the work.”
“I wish you would take the case, Dad,” Nancy urged. “I’m certain Miss Carter would be grateful for any aid you might give her.”
The lawyer was silent for a moment, then he said:
“This case does interest me. I’ll keep these letters and read them tonight. In the meantime, Mr. St. Will, do not hint to Mr. Bunce that he is under suspicion. We’ll conduct a quiet investigation. When we have gathered all our facts, we’ll spring our trap.”
After promising to keep in close touch with the lawyer, the actor left the office. Presently Nancy went home.
During the next few days the girl became impatient for action. It seemed to her that her father was doing nothing at all about the case.
“You must learn to take matters more calmly, my dear,” the lawyer chided when she spoke to him about it. “It would be folly to act too hastily in this case. After all, our evidence is not very complete.”
“I don’t see that we’re learning anything by waiting,” Nancy complained. “I should think the thing to do would be to arrest Bunce and have the police question him.”
“He would deny everything, and our evidence might not stand up. We have no proof that the man stole any funds. Our case must be air-tight.”
Nancy said no more for she realized that her father was right. The day following this conversation, while she was downtown to buy curtain material for the sun room, she saw a familiar figure. She was just turning into one of the River Heights department stores, when her attention was drawn to the man who came hurriedly down the street.
“Why, that is Fred Bunce,” the girl observed. “I wonder where he is going in such a big hurry!”
She stepped into the entrance of the store so the man would not notice her as he went by. Nancy saw him cross the street and enter a large white stone building. Her curiosity was aroused for she knew that the offices were rented to firms in the stock market business.
“I’m going to follow him!” the girl decided impulsively. “Maybe that is where he squandered the Woonton money!”