Chapter 11 The Clue of the Velvet Mask by Carolyn Keene
The Woman of Mystery
It was with a sinking heart that Nancy started for the door. But she was not one to give up easily. Though Mr. Johnson was dismissing her, she did not take his refusal as final.
“A clever person with a police record may have slipped into your employ,” she countered.
“That’s possible of course,” he agreed, realizing that he had been rather abrupt with Nancy. “I’d like to co-operate, Miss Drew. But as I’ve explained, it would mean endless work to find the owner of this particular plate.”
“I know how the checkup could be made without very much work,” Nancy said.
“How?”
“Just this. Ask all your employees to turn in their plates on a pretext of changing them. Naturally the person who lost this one wouldn’t be able to.”
Mr. Johnson paused near the door and considered the suggestion.
“Such a procedure would establish the honesty of your clerks and other employees,” Nancy pressed her point.
Finally the credit manager admitted that Nancy’s proposal could be carried out with a minimum of trouble.
“You present your arguments very well, Miss Drew.” He smiled. “I’ll do it, even though it does inconvenience us.”
Satisfied that she had done all she could to find out who the owner of the charge plate was, Nancy next dropped in at her father’s law office. He was dictating a letter to his secretary, but promptly put aside the task.
“Nothing new to report,” he anticipated her questions. “Mr. Lightner came in to see me this morning. He’s still worried about those threatened lawsuits. We’re stalling for time. And what’s your news?”
Nancy told him, then said she was going to follow Mr. Tombar that noon when he went to lunch.
“But only at a safe distance,” the lawyer cautioned. “And suppose you tell me what you hope to find out.”
Nancy told him about seeing Tombar bring a package from the entertainment company the same morning the telltale cloak disappeared.
“He shook me off his trail rather pointedly when I followed him,” she said. “And he’s perfectly horrid about Linda without any reason, it seems to me. She’s a fine girl and I’m sure above suspicion. She’s very smart, too. Maybe he’s afraid she’ll find out something about him that he doesn’t want her to know.
“And, Dad, about that big robbery of costumes and masks from the company—it wouldn’t surprise me if Mr. Tombar knows more about it than he’s telling.”
“That’s a harsh accusation, Nancy,” her father said. “Better keep your suspicions to yourself until you have some evidence to back them up.”
“I promise, Dad.”
Nancy phoned Linda Seeley who told her that Mr. Tombar had not come in that day.
“And the mysterious torn black cloak has never been returned,” Linda reported. “But I have something else to tell you,” she said. “Come over at noontime, will you?”
“Meet you at the drugstore soda counter,” Nancy promised.
At noon the two girls met at the fountain and sat down side by side. Linda seemed almost happy and said that everything was going well at the Lightner Entertainment Company.
“But I suppose something could happen at any time. Nancy, how would you like to attend a musicale?”
“When?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. At the Elkin home on Kenwood Boulevard. The affair will be very ritzy. It’s to introduce the French singer, Madame de Velleaux, and there’ll be wonderful refreshments, too.”
Nancy giggled. “You mean you’re bound to enjoy one thing or the other? Is your company in charge?”
“Yes, and I can get you an invitation if you’re interested. I’ll be there.”
Nancy decided instantly. She would enjoy the concert and there was the possibility that one of the party thieves might put in an appearance.
“I’d like to go,” she said. “Where shall I meet you, Linda?”
“I may have to go early,” the other replied. “Tell you what! I’ll send your invitation by special messenger. Then if I’m held up, you won’t be kept waiting at the door.”
The next day Nancy consulted Hannah Gruen about what to wear.
“Oh, the pink-flowered dress, by all means. And the pink hat with the black velvet bow,” the housekeeper said. “And mind you, Nancy, listen to the music and don’t get mixed up with any more of those thieves.”
Upon reaching the Elkin home, in its attractive setting, Nancy presented her invitation to the butler at the front entrance. The hall and living room where the concert was to be held were richly furnished and held many priceless art objects. So far as the girl could observe, there was not a single plain-clothes man on duty.
Avoiding the music room, which was jammed with chattering women, Nancy lingered near the front door so that she could scrutinize all new arrivals. A few minutes later she caught sight of Peter Tombar. He saw her at the same moment and came over to chat.
“Well, well,” he said with unpleasant and false geniality, “fancy meeting you here, Miss Drew! I thought girls your age were only interested in dance music and the latest hit tunes. So you are an admirer of Madame de Velleaux?”
“I’ve never heard her sing,” Nancy replied. “Is Linda Seeley here?” she asked.
Mr. Tombar shot Nancy a quick glance. The girl did not betray by her expression that her remark was intended to have a double meaning.
“Linda isn’t coming,” Mr. Tombar said shortly.
“Is she ill?”
“No. She was needed elsewhere. I sent her to another house. I’m taking over here myself.”
Nancy remained silent, wondering whether the excuse he had given was really what lay behind Linda’s failure to appear.
“How did you get in?” Mr. Tombar asked Nancy abruptly.
“By invitation.”
“And where’d you get the invitation?” the man growled. “Your name wasn’t on the guest list.”
“No?” Nancy smiled sweetly. “Perhaps you didn’t look carefully enough.”
Deciding not to give the man an opportunity to question her further, Nancy sauntered away. She entered the music room and seated herself in the last row near the door.
After Nancy had sat there long enough to make it appear that she had come only to hear the concert, she decided to start her sleuthing. Tiptoeing from the room, Nancy stood in the main hall a moment. The other rooms on the lower floor appeared to be deserted. Meeting one of the maids, she asked her if she knew what had become of the man from the Lightner Entertainment Company.
“No, miss, I don’t,” the maid replied. “I’ve been upstairs. The only person up there is the sick lady.”
“Someone ill?”
“Yes, miss. One of the guests. She was taken sick just a few minutes ago and asked me to fetch her a cup of tea from the kitchen. I’m getting it now.”
“Where is the lady?”
“In the bedroom where the guests left their coats. She took sick awful quick. Soon after the musicale started.”
The maid hastened on to the kitchen. Nancy hesitated a moment, mulling over the information. Was the woman really ill? The errand might have been a way for her to get rid of the maid!
“I’ll offer to help and see if the story’s true,” Nancy thought, quietly mounting the carpeted stairway.
So silent was the girl’s approach that she reached the bedroom and opened the partly closed door without any warning of her arrival. A slim woman, in a dark-blue dress which clung to her shapely hips, stood at the dresser. She had her back to the door and was hurriedly removing jewelry from the top drawer!
In the mirror Nancy caught a fleeting glimpse of a hard, brazen face. She knew instantly that she had seen the woman some place. But where? One of George’s abductors? No. The Hendricks’ ball perhaps? Yes, that was it! This was the woman who had worn the Javanese costume!
Now Nancy had caught her red-handed in the act of stealing! She must bar the exit and call for help.
Before she could make a move, Nancy suddenly felt herself grasped from behind by an arm. As she attempted to squirm around, a hand was pressed over her eyes.
“You’d better not make a peep,” came the woman’s harsh voice. “Or else—” she added ominously.
Although Nancy’s first impulse had been to cry out, she had refrained. For even without the threat just uttered, she knew very well that these thieves would stop at nothing to gain their ends.
Now she was shoved roughly into the room. Although Nancy struggled with all her might, she was pushed, face down, among the wraps on the bed and held there in a viselike grip. She was unable to move an inch.
“Good work!” she heard the woman exclaim. “Serves the little sneak right!”
“I jolly well perceived something might be amiss up here,” replied the man, speaking with an exaggerated Oxford accent.
Still maintaining a tight hold on Nancy, her captor chuckled softly.
“I fancy she’ll not interfere again soon,” he added.
With that, he rolled the bedspread tightly around Nancy and piled a number of coats on top of her.
“Give it to her good,” cried the woman. “Make sure she won’t meddle any more!”
“No time, my deah,” the man answered. “We shall be forced to make a hasty exit. The maid is returning.”
“Then cut out that silly lingo and let’s get out of here—but fast!” the woman muttered.
Nancy used every muscle in a frantic effort to free herself. A wave of panic seized her as she fought desperately for breath in the rolled-up bedspread.
Just when she thought she surely would suffocate, the man suddenly released his hold. He and the woman raced from the room.