Chapter 7 The Quest of the Missing Map by Carolyn Keene
Escape
Everyone waited, wondering what the important announcement might be. Homer Garwin began to speak once more.
“The next event on our program is the presentation of a pantomime produced by members of the Emerson College Dramatic Club,” he said in a loud voice. “Now, as you all know, it is our custom to select each year a beautiful young lady to preside over this event—one who will wear the Festival Robe and Crown. After careful consideration a choice has been made by a committee of faculty and students.”
“Gosh, I wonder who the lucky girl will be?” Bill Tomlin commented. “It always goes to the prettiest and most popular one in the audience.”
Young Garwin clapped his hands for attention once more, as the room had become noisy with excited conversation.
“Will Miss Nancy Drew please come to the stage?” he requested, smiling down at the girl.
Everyone began to clap and whistle, for beyond question the choice was a pleasing one. Though somewhat startled, Nancy responded graciously, mounting to the improvised stage where she donned a white robe, a golden paper crown, and occupied the seat of honor.
Lights were dimmed and the presentation of the pantomime began. It was impossible to tell who the various players were, for all wore tiny black masks. Nancy thought she could identify Ned as a Black Demon, but before she could be sure, the room lights suddenly were extinguished.
“Hey, what’s the big idea?” masculine voices called. “Is this part of the show?”
After several minutes of confusion the lights were turned on.
“I am sorry for the interruption,” Homer Garwin said in apology. “Some prankster evidently thought he could heighten the entertainment by this very stupid joke.”
“Say, what became of the queen?” Bill Tomlin demanded, gazing toward the stage.
The draped chair which Nancy had occupied was vacant.
“Yes, where is she?” Ned asked, stepping forward in alarm. “This isn’t all part of the show?”
“I assure you it isn’t,” the announcer said in distress. Then aloud he added, “No doubt Nancy Drew has stepped outside for a breath of air.”
The explanation satisfied the audience, but both Bill and Ned realized that Garwin did not believe this himself. As the orchestra began to play they quickly joined the chairman on the veranda, where they could discuss the situation without being overheard.
“Something has happened to Nancy!” Ned declared anxiously. “Shouldn’t we call the police?”
“Not yet,” pleaded Garwin. “It would get into the papers and give Emerson unfavorable publicity. Besides, we aren’t sure anything has happened to her.”
While the three were searching for her on the campus, Nancy already was several miles away, a captive in a gray car which raced over the country road. When the lights at the dance had been extinguished, a man with a mask, whom she assumed to be one of the players, had glided to her side.
“Come with me!” he had commanded.
Thinking that it was all part of the show, she had obeyed. No sooner had she reached the hall than a woman had appeared from behind a screen of palms. Together the pair had gagged and hustled Nancy to a waiting car. Too late, the girl had realized that she had fallen into the hands of the same man and woman who had followed her to the town of Hamilton.
“Now I’ve removed your gag,” a cool voice said in her ear. “Don’t make a move or try to escape. Just hand over that map and you won’t be harmed.”
Nancy squirmed sideways on the car seat, peering at the woman who held her arm in a vise-like grip. A heavy veil covered her face. The car was being driven by a man who still wore a dark mask over his face.
“So it was you who switched off the lights,” Nancy remarked in as offhand a manner as possible. “You followed me to Emerson College!”
“None of your talk,” the woman answered harshly. “Just hand over that map or I’ll take it from you.”
“I have no map.”
“I know better. Oh, you thought you pulled a clever trick, taking it from your pocketbook this afternoon! Hand it over, I say.”
“I tell you I have no map,” Nancy repeated. “I’m not in the habit of bringing such things with me to dances.”
“You must have taken it there,” the woman insisted. “I’ll get it, too!”
With ruthless hands she began to search Nancy’s person, but she did not find the article.
“What have you done with it?” she demanded angrily.
Nancy remained mute.
“All right, don’t talk!” the woman snapped. “See how far it will get you! You’ll be held a prisoner until that map is placed in our hands.”
The threat filled Nancy with despair, for she did not doubt that the couple would do as they promised. She realized, too, that if her father should learn of her plight he would give up the map immediately to insure her safety.
If only she could think of some way out of this situation!
The automobile was approaching an intersection marked by a traffic light. At the moment the signal was green, but Nancy thought if luck should favor her it might turn red before the car reached the crossroad. She determined to make a desperate attempt to escape. First she must distract the woman’s attention.
“It will be very foolish of you to try to hold me a prisoner,” she said distinctly. “Especially since the original map has been stolen.”
“Oh, we know all about that,” the man answered from the front seat.
“Perhaps you engineered the theft,” Nancy said slyly.
“No such thing! I heard Tomlin Smith telling about it. A duplicate was made and you have that duplicate!”
“You sneaked it out of your pocketbook this afternoon!” added the woman.
“Are you sure it was I who removed it! Perhaps your friend here can explain what became of that map.”
The driver of the car slammed on the brakes to keep from running through the red traffic light. Angrily he peered over his shoulder at Nancy.
“What are you trying to do, stir up trouble?” he demanded. “I never took that map from your pocketbook.”
“Your conscience seems to be pricking you,” Nancy said sweetly.
“Fred, if you’ve tried to double-cross me—” the woman cried in a suspicious tone. “If you have——”
“Oh, quiet down,” the man commanded. “You make me tired!”
“You’ve been working with Spike Doty and leaving me out!” she accused him, her voice rising to a shrill pitch. “You want to get all the money for yourself and leave me in the lurch!”
With the two absorbed in their quarrel, Nancy knew that she had a good opportunity to escape. In a moment the traffic light would flash green again. She dared wait no longer.
Exerting all her strength, she tore free from the woman’s grasp. In a twinkling she had jerked open the car door. Springing to the ground, she began to run.
“Stop her, Fred!” she heard the woman shout. “Don’t let her get away!”
Frantically Nancy wondered what to do. On either side of the highway there were deep ditches and barbed fences separating her from open fields. Hampered as she was by the long flowing white robe, she knew she could not elude recapture if the man should take after her on foot.
As Nancy despaired, a long beam of bright light flashed back of her. Her heart leaped with hope for it was the headlight of an automobile.
The kidnapers would not dare bother her with witnesses approaching. If she could only get a ride aboard the oncoming car, she would be safe from the couple.
Nancy knew it might be unwise to signal strangers at night, but her plight was a desperate one. Indiscreet or not, she must try to stop the approaching automobile!