Chapter 18 The Clue of the Tapping Heels by Carolyn Keene
An Unpleasant Interview
“Are you acquainted with Beverly Barrett?” Mr. St. Will inquired, turning to Bess.
“Oh, no,” the girl stammered, “but I’ve heard her name mentioned.”
“Her pictures are lovely,” added George.
Nancy wondered if the actor might be going to New York on a mission similar to their own. Surely he must have learned that Miss Carter was supporting the young woman.
Apparently the topic of conversation seemed a dangerous one to Mr. St. Will, for he quickly changed it. After talking with the girls for half an hour he went back to the observation car.
Nancy and her chums, weary of riding by the time they reached New York, were glad to arrive at their destination. According to a prearranged plan, Bess’s Aunt Helen Miller was to meet the girls in the station. They glanced about eagerly as they followed their red-capped porters to the gate.
“There she is!” Bess cried suddenly, indicating a plump, jolly looking woman in a gray suit. “See! She’s waving to us!”
Mrs. Miller gave her niece an enthusiastic kiss and had a warm handclasp for Nancy and George.
“Did you have a nice trip?” she asked, escorting them to a taxi cab.
“Yes, very pleasant,” Bess assured her. “We met a friend, and time passed quickly.”
The girls looked about the station but did not see Mr. St. Will. Evidently he had taken his time in leaving the train. They were sorry they had not learned where he expected to stay while in the city.
“This is where I live,” said Mrs. Miller presently as the taxi drew up in front of a tall brick apartment building overlooking a park.
An elevator took the group to the third floor where their hostess led the way to Suite 23. The girls exclaimed with admiration as they entered the living room for it had been decorated very attractively. Mrs. Miller, talented as an artist, had painted the walls herself in woodland scenes.
“Such a lovely apartment!” Nancy murmured.
“It isn’t quiet enough to suit me,” Mrs. Miller responded, closing the door. “My neighbors in the rooms above are inclined to be noisy at times.”
In a few minutes the girls understood why she felt annoyed, for a radio was turned on in the apartment above them. It blared forth loudly and at the same time someone began to tap dance, bringing her heels down on the floor so vigorously that the lamps began to shake.
“There’s no excuse for such dancing,” Mrs. Miller declared. “I don’t object to the tenant practicing her steps but it seems to me she could tap her heels lightly.”
“You should see Nancy do it,” Bess said proudly. “She’s as light as a fairy!”
“Hardly!” laughed Nancy.
“We have a little dance we do together,” George went on enthusiastically. “It’s all in code.”
“Isn’t that something new?” inquired Mrs. Miller.
“It’s original with us anyway,” Bess chuckled. “We spell out messages with our tapping.”
“I don’t understand,” her aunt said in perplexity. “You must give me a demonstration.”
To the tune of the radio music from above the girls executed a clever little dance, explaining the code which they used.
“That certainly is clever,” Mrs. Miller declared. “You girls dance well enough to be on the stage.”
During the evening friends dropped into the apartment, so that it was late before the girls retired. They did not breakfast until after nine o’clock the following morning.
“Would you like to go to the theatre this afternoon?” Mrs. Miller asked as she poured coffee. “I’ve not bought tickets yet for I thought you might prefer to see some particular play.”
“If you don’t mind, Aunt Helen, we’d rather go visiting today,” Bess said quickly. “Nancy is eager to interview a Beverly Barrett, and George and I thought we’d tag along.”
“Beverly Barrett, the actress?” Mrs. Miller inquired in surprise.
“Yes. We don’t know her but are well acquainted with a lady who befriended her and started her upward in the world.”
“You girls are to feel perfectly free to do what you wish,” Mrs. Miller assured them. “Just make my apartment your headquarters. Come and go as you please.”
After luncheon Nancy, George and Bess took a taxi to Miss Barrett’s address. The apartment building was situated in an exclusive section of the city.
“If Miss Carter is paying for all this,” Nancy remarked as they took the elevator upward, “it just isn’t fair.”
“I wonder how Miss Barrett will receive us?” George murmured uneasily.
“If she’s the right sort she should be glad to learn the truth,” Nancy replied.
The girls paused in front of Suite 16, noticing that the door was slightly ajar. George lifted the brass knocker and let it fall.
“Come in,” called a voice.
After a slight hesitation Nancy pushed open the door and entered the apartment. The three found themselves in a luxuriously furnished living room. They had no opportunity to look about, for the beautiful young woman who lay upon the divan arose to face them just as they came inside. Upon each girl she bestowed a critical, haughty glance.
“You will not do at all!” she said coldly before anyone could speak. “You are all too young and have no dignity. I am looking for an experienced maid——”
Nancy and her chums glanced at one another in amazement and irritation. To be mistaken for a housemaid was not at all flattering.
“We’re not looking for positions,” Nancy told the young woman quietly.
“Then why are you here?”
“We happen to be friends of Miss Carter who lives in Berryville.”
Beverly Barrett’s face underwent a sudden change, but her cold, haughty manner remained.
“Oh, so my dear friend sent you here? I suppose she wishes me to test you out to see if you have talent. Obviously you are all too young for the stage. My advice to you is to return to your studies. Even though Miss Carter is very wealthy it would be a waste of her time to try to launch you on careers now.”
“We are not interested in becoming actresses,” Nancy answered evenly. “And you have made another mistake. Miss Carter is not wealthy.”
“Not wealthy!” Miss Barrett’s voice rose to an unpleasant pitch. “How ridiculous! She has always had a great deal of money.”
“Miss Carter is living at Berryville practically in poverty,” Nancy insisted. “She is very proud and does not wish anyone to learn of her true financial condition.”
“You can’t expect me to believe such a story. Why, Miss Carter writes to me every week and she’s never even hinted that she was short of funds.”
Before Nancy could reply there came a knock at the door.
“Package for Miss Barrett,” called out a delivery boy.
The young woman went to the door and accepted the parcel.
“Oh, yes, my new evening gown!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been looking for it. Wait just a minute until I make certain there is no mistake.”
As the actress tore off the wrapping, the girls caught a glimpse of a gorgeous blue chiffon dinner dress. The price tag dropped to the floor. When Miss Barrett picked it up Nancy saw that the garment had cost one hundred and eighty-nine dollars.
Before the young woman could dismiss the delivery boy a second caller paused at the door. She was a gray-haired old lady in a frayed black dress. Her hands were rough and coarse from hard work.
“I have guests,” said Miss Barrett quickly. “You can’t come in now. I’ve asked you so many times not to come here at all.”
“I don’t mean to embarrass you, Beverly,” sighed the old lady, “truly I don’t. I wouldn’t have come, only I haven’t a penny left and I’ve been sick.”
“Here, take this,” the actress said, removing a dollar bill from her purse. “It’s all I have to give you.”
“Thank you, Beverly,” the old lady murmured in a subdued voice. “I know you hate to be bothered by an old, useless grandmother.”
“It’s not that,” Miss Barrett replied. “I haven’t the money.”
“This won’t go very far when I have to buy medicine, but I’ll do the best I can with it.”
The old lady turned and slowly walked down the hall. The actress curtly dismissed the delivery boy, then faced Nancy Drew and her chums.
“I must ask you to leave now,” she said haughtily. “It is late, and I have to dress for dinner. I am dining with the famous actor, Horace St. Will.”
Bess, goaded beyond endurance by the young woman’s insolent manner, could not resist saying shortly:
“We all know Mr. St. Will very well indeed.” Then, indicating her chum she added, “Nancy’s father, Carson Drew, is working with him on a law case at the moment.”
Miss Barrett stared at Bess, then her eyes wandered to Nancy. For the first time it dawned upon her that the girls really had been telling the truth. If they were well acquainted with both Mr. St. Will and Miss Carter they might make reports which would lead to awkward complications.
“Why didn’t you tell me that at first!” she stammered.
“You didn’t give us an opportunity to say much of anything,” Bess returned coldly. “Come on, girls, we may as well leave.”
“Yes, it’s time to go!” added George.
By this time Miss Barrett was pathetically eager to detain her young visitors.
“Please, let me explain——” she pleaded.
The callers had no wish to continue an unpleasant interview. Nancy opened the door into the hallway. She stopped short, finding herself face to face with a gentleman who had been studying the number of the suite. He was the expected guest, Horace St. Will.