Chapter 15 The Mystery of the 99 Steps by Carolyn Keene
Missing Gold
“Poor Fifi!” cried Bess. “She must have been stolen!”
“But that seems impossible,” said Madame Bardot. “Every window and door on the first floor was locked. If some thief did get in, he must have had a key. But where did he obtain it?”
“Do you mind if we make a thorough search of the house?” Nancy requested.
“Oh, please do. We must find Fifi!” Madame Bardot’s eyes filled with tears.
The group divided up to hunt, but with no success. As time went on, Nancy became more and more convinced that some intruder had been able to enter the house. On a hunch that the dog might have been hidden, she began a systematic search of all closets but did not find Fifi. Finally the only place left was the attic tower of the house. There was a door at the foot of a stairway leading up to it. Nancy opened the door and ascended. At the top she looked about at the small square room lighted by a tiny window on each side.
“Oh!” she cried.
In the center of the floor on a faded rug lay Fifi!
Since the dog did not move at Nancy’s approach, she was fearful the pet might not be alive. In a moment she realized Fifi was breathing, but unconscious. There was a strong medicinal smell about the animal, and she guessed the dog had been drugged to keep it from barking the alarm.
Nancy was angry. Who would do such a mean thing? But there was no time to think about this at the moment.
Taking the steps two at a time, Nancy hurried to the second floor and called out loudly, “Come quickly! I’ve found Fifi in the tower!”
Madame Bardot rushed from a bedroom. “Is she all right?” the woman asked worriedly.
“I think so,” said Nancy, “but a veterinarian should see her as soon as possible. She’s unconscious.”
By this time Monsieur Bardot had appeared in the hallway. He offered to phone the doctor and the police while the others hurried to the attic. Bess and George were indignant also at the mistreatment of the poodle.
In a short while the veterinarian arrived. He examined Fifi and declared that the intruder had injected a drug that produced sleep for a long time. “She will be all right, however,” he assured Madame Bardot. “And I do not think she needs medication. Just let her sleep off the effects.”
As the veterinarian was leaving, two police officers drove up. They talked briefly with the doctor, then began to quiz the Bardots.
“We have little to tell,” Monsieur Bardot replied. “My wife and I heard no unusual noises last night.” He introduced the American girls, singling out Nancy. “Mademoiselle Drew is here trying to solve a mystery. Perhaps she can be of some help to you.”
Both policemen frowned, and Nancy felt sure that the suggestion was not a welcome one! Quickly she said to the officers, “I’m sure you won’t miss any clues the intruder may have left. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to do a little looking myself.”
The policemen nodded stiffly, then said they wanted to see where the dog had been found. The Bardots led them to the tower.
After they had gone, George whispered, “Nancy, I dare you to solve the mystery before those policemen do! Bess and I will help you find some clues before they get back downstairs!”
Nancy grinned. “All right. Let’s start!”
While the girls were searching the first floor, Bess remarked, “Nancy, do you realize that several houses—or buildings—you’ve been in lately have been entered by an intruder?”
“That’s right,” said Nancy. “But in this case, I hardly think the person was out to find me or take anything valuable of mine.”
“If he was,” said George, “he certainly got fooled, because we were away and had our passports and money and jewelry with us!”
Nancy examined the outside kitchen door. It had a Yale lock, but when she tried the key, she discovered that it was hard to turn.
“This must be how the prowler got in,” she concluded. “He tried various keys before he found the right one, and almost jammed the tumblers.”
“He’s just a common burglar then,” George declared. “He probably stole things from the house.”
By this time the police and the Bardots had reached the first floor.
George blurted out, “Nancy discovered how the intruder got in!” She explained about the lock, then added, “The intruder put Fifi to sleep so she wouldn’t bark and awaken anyone. Then, to keep the Bardots from notifying the police right away if they found the dog unconscious, he carried her to the tower.”
The two officers stared at the girls unbelievingly. Finally both grinned at Nancy and one said, “I must admit you do have a good detective instinct, Mademoiselle Drew, and your friend here too. Perhaps you three girls can give us some more help.”
This time Bess spoke up. “Yes, we can. I believe Monsieur and Madame Bardot will probably find some things missing.”
At once Monsieur Bardot went to the desk in his den. He yanked open the top drawer, then said, “Well, at least the burglar wasn’t after money. The bills I had here in an envelope are intact.”
Meanwhile, Madame Bardot had hurried upstairs to her room. In a moment the others heard her cry out, “They’re gone!”
The policemen rushed up the stairway, followed by the girls and Monsieur Bardot. They crowded into the bedroom.
“All my gold jewelry!” Madame Bardot gasped. “Some of it was very old and valuable—family heirlooms!”
This second shock was too much for Madame Bardot. She dropped into an armchair and began to weep. Her husband went to comfort her.
“There, there, dear, do not let this upset you,” he said. “Fifi is going to be all right, and you rarely wear the old jewelry, anyway.”
His wife dried her eyes. By the time the police asked for a description of the missing pieces, she had regained her composure enough to give them a list.
Nancy asked if any other jewelry had been taken, and Madame Bardot shook her head. This set Nancy to thinking. The intruder must have been after gold only! She inquired if there was anything else in the house made of the precious metal.
“Some demitasse spoons in the buffet,” Madame Bardot replied, “and a lovely collection of baby cups.”
She rushed downstairs to the buffet and opened the top drawer. “The spoons are gone!” Pulling the drawer out farther, the Frenchwoman cried out, “The baby cups too—all of them! I had one that once belonged to a queen. It is priceless!”
The Bardots opened every drawer and closet in the house to examine the contents. Nothing else had been taken. The police made no comment, but took notes.
Nancy herself was wondering if the intruder had a mania for gold. Suddenly she thought of the Green Lion, and Monsieur Neuf—Louis Aubert!
“Is he the housebreaker?” she asked herself.
Nancy was tempted to tell the police her suspicions about the man but decided that without any evidence she had better not. Instead, Nancy decided to consult her father about her theory.
After the police had left, she put in a call to Mr. Drew and fortunately reached him at once. He listened closely to Nancy’s account of her adventures and agreed with her that Louis Aubert was indeed a likely suspect for the chateau thefts. “He must have known Madame Bardot owned objects of pure gold. I hope they can be recovered,” the lawyer said.
Nancy mentioned the strange letters which Monsieur Aubert the teacher had received in error. She asked her father if he thought the elusive Louis Aubert, assuming he was a chemist, wanted the gold to use in an experiment.
“Very probable,” Mr. Drew answered.
Nancy’s father said he had news of his own. He had learned that Monsieur Leblanc had recently purchased a lot of uncut diamonds. “The reason is not clear,” Mr. Drew added. “It would not be feasible for him to have such a large quantity of stones cut for jewelry, and diamonds are certainly of no commercial value to him—they’re not used in his factory work as sharp drilling tools.”
Mr. Drew went on to say that Leblanc had served notice his factory was closing down in a month. “Of course his employees are in a dither.”
“That’s dreadful!” said Nancy. “Dad, what are you going to do?”
Mr. Drew sighed. “I don’t seem to be making much headway, but I have invited Monsieur Leblanc to luncheon today. I hope to find out something without his becoming suspicious.”
“Please let me know what happens,” Nancy requested, “and I’ll keep you posted. I wish you luck, Dad. Good-by.”
A short time later the Bardots and their guests sat down to luncheon. Suddenly Madame Bardot said, “In all the excitement I completely forgot! A letter came from Marie and Monique. They have some news of special interest to you, Nancy. Incidentally, everyone at your home is fine, and our daughters are having a wonderful time. I’ll get the letter.”
Madame Bardot arose and went to the living room. Presently she returned and handed the envelope to Nancy.
“Shall I read it aloud?” Nancy asked.
“Please do,” Monsieur Bardot said.
The message for Nancy was near the end of the long letter. It said that the night police guard presently in charge of Claude Aubert understood French. The day before the sisters’ letter was written he had heard the prisoner mumble in his sleep, “Hillside—woods—ruins—go Chamb—”
“Whatever does that mean?” George spoke up.
“It is only a guess on my part,” said Monsieur Bardot, “but I think the ‘Chamb’ could be Chambord. That is one of the loveliest chateaux in the Loire valley.”
“I certainly will investigate,” Nancy said eagerly. She recalled the reference in Mrs. Blair’s diary to the haunted ruins of a Chateau Loire. Perhaps the girls would have a chance to go there, also. Nancy now asked if there were any special stairs at Chambord.
Monsieur Bardot smiled. “If you are asking me about 99 steps, I cannot tell you. There is a double spiral staircase which is architecturally famous, and for that type, unusually wide and ornate.”
As soon as the meal was over, Nancy suggested she and the cousins visit Chambord. Bess and George were enthusiastic and eager to go. In case of an unexpected overnight stay, the three took along suitcases.
They climbed into the rented automobile and Nancy headed down the driveway. As she neared the street, Nancy noticed a car approaching and pressed the foot brake. To her dismay, it did not work. Her car moved on!
Quickly Nancy leaned over and pulled on the hand brake. This would not hold either! With a sinking heart she realized there was no way to stop her car. It rolled onto the road directly into the path of the oncoming vehicle!