The Clue of the Broken Locket (5 page)

“Yes, and—” Nancy squeezed Bess’s arm so she would say no more.

Nancy was about to begin her shopping when the heavy-set customer came over to the girls.

“Are you Carson Drew’s daughter Nancy?” he asked.

When Nancy nodded, he added, “Sure pleased to meet such a famous young detective. I’m Henry Winch. I mailed the cottage key to your father so I suppose he sent you here with it.”

“That’s right.” Just then the young sleuth noticed the tall, thin man gazing at her with narrowed eyes. He turned abruptly and left the shop.

“Who was that man?” Nancy asked.

Both the proprietor and Henry Winch said they did not know. It was the first time he had been in the store.

The girls asked Mr. Winch about the phantom launch. He proved to be talkative, and vividly described the ghostly craft.

“The old boat drifts along in the mist,” Winch went on, “and then when it reaches the spot where it’s supposed to have gone down, it vanishes.” The caretaker shuddered. “Started a couple o’ weeks ago. Summer folks began leavin’ earlier than usual. If they’re scared to come back next season I’ll lose business. I’m thinkin’ of sellin’ out and goin’ back to my brother’s—to stay.”

Nancy and Bess, although sympathetic, did not comment. They quickly purchased the items they needed, then said good-by and left.

They met George and Cecily at the car. George announced the bottled gas would be delivered soon. Also, she had stopped at Mrs. Hosking’s to inquire about Pudding Stone Lodge. She learned that it belonged to the Kenneth Wayne family of Baltimore, who had rented the house early in the summer to two brothers named Driscoll.

“Oh, I must telephone the Waynes right away!” said Cecily. She told the others she had not been able to get hold of Niko either at his hotel or the theater where he was playing. “I did leave word I was at the cottage with friends,” she said, and sighed. “Oh, I just hope he isn’t too upset!”

Cecily hurried off to telephone the Waynes, and Nancy went to call her father. She learned that he would be away on a business trip for a couple of weeks and wished her luck in the mysteries.

“But don’t take unnecessary chances,” Mr. Drew cautioned.

“I’ll do my best not to,” Nancy replied. “Good-by, Dad, and lots of luck to you too.”

Cecily reported that she had been unable to get an answer to her phone call. The girls climbed into Nancy’s convertible and headed back to the cottage. As they reached the end of the lane a man suddenly stepped into the road, directly in their path. He was the tall, thin man from the general store!

He held up his hand and ordered, “Stop!”

Nancy had no choice but to obey. To the girls’ surprise, the thin man smiled at them and came up to the car. “Don’t be worried,” he said. “I’m Karl Driscoll. I heard my brother Vince ordered you off our property and I came to apologize. There’s no reason why you girls shouldn’t look around the grounds. You’re welcome any time.”

He smirked and went on, “I have a hunch you’re not just sightseers. You looking for something?”

Nancy would have preferred that the girls say nothing, but Cecily spoke up eagerly. “Yes, I’m looking for an iron bird. I have no idea what it looks like, and I’m not sure whether the lodge is the place for me to search. My ancestors once lived in a similar house, though, and I’m curious to find out if this is the one.”

Karl Driscoll showed great interest. “An iron bird, eh? Sounds unusual,” he said. “I wish I could help you, but I haven’t seen any such bird around since we rented the place. I’ll keep a look-out, though.”

He said he must be leaving and walked off toward Pudding Stone Lodge. Nancy had a sudden hunch that he would search for the iron bird himself—that he probably suspected there was more to the whole story than Cecily had revealed.

“What do you make of all that?” George asked with suspicion in her tone. “One brother is surly and the other goes out of his way to apologize.”

“It is strange,” Nancy admitted. “I think we should take advantage of Karl Driscoll’s offer and inspect the grounds very soon.”

Cecily was eager to do so and it was decided that they would go directly after luncheon. Back at the cottage, the girls were delighted to find that bottled gas had been delivered.

“Oh boy, hot water!” Bess exclaimed. “Me for a relaxing bath.”

“Not now,” George said. “Sleuthing comes first.”

The girls had a quick lunch and directly afterward put on hiking clothes and shoes and started up the lake path to Pudding Stone Lodge. From boundary markers they discovered that the property was very large. Their search went on all afternoon, both in the vicinity of the stone house itself and over the grounds. There was no sign of an iron bird.

Finally Bess suggested they give up. “I’m so tired I could break into pieces,” she said. “Let’s go back to the cottage.”

Though disappointed, the others agreed. They luxuriated in hot baths, rested for a little while, and then had supper. Afterward, Cecily proposed that they go to town. “I’d like to try telephoning Niko and the Waynes again.”

At seven o’clock they set off for the village. All the stores were closed with the exception of Eddie’s Soda Shop.

As Cecily went into a phone booth, the other girls engaged Eddie in conversation. They learned he was a newcomer in town but was doing very well.

“People around here must like ice cream,” Bess remarked.

“They sure do. In fact, people come from miles away to get my ice cream. It’s good as homemade.”

“In that case, I can’t resist a double helping,” Bess said with a giggle.

“What kind?”

“Vanilla,” Bess replied with a twinkle. “With hot fudge sauce.”

“Coming right up,” said Eddie.

Nancy and George said they would take the same. As they were being served, Cecily came from the booth and sat down at the table.

Eddie stared at her. “I’m glad you came in,” he said. “The record you ordered is here.” He grinned. “You owe me a dollar.”

Cecily in turn stared at him in amazement. “I’ve never been in your shop before,” she said. “This is the second time I’ve been mistaken for another girl. I’d certainly like to meet her!”

Eddie looked bewildered. “Well, if you say so, it must be true.” He shook his head. “But you two girls sure look alike.”

“Where does the girl live?” Nancy asked.

Eddie shrugged. “She didn’t say. Just told me she’d be back. Say, the record’s nifty—Niko Van Dyke’s latest.”

His listeners were astounded. Cecily cried out, “Niko’s record! Why, he—I—” She did not finish the sentence.

The girls did not explain to Eddie, but Nancy asked if he would mind playing the record. “And if you have another, I’ll buy it.”

“I have plenty now. They sell like hot cakes. I can’t keep ’em on hand long.” He went into a back room.

Cecily was blinking furiously, on the verge of tears. She explained to the girls that she had failed again to reach the Waynes or Niko. “I’m so worried,” she said. “He may be really angry. I wish I could see him!”

Nancy said soothingly, “I am sure you will soon.”

Eddie came back with a record and played it for them. The girls listened intently to the Flying Dutchmen’s number and at the end voted it an excellent piece.

“It’s Niko’s best,” said Eddie. “He must be making a pile of money!”

A pained expression came over Cecily’s face and George quickly suggested she have some ice cream. “Thanks, but I’m—I’m not hungry,” said the red-haired girl.

When the others had finished eating, Nancy picked up the record and they left. George, who was ahead of the others, stopped to look in a shop next door. It was called the Gift Emporium. She called her friends’ attention to the display window. In it, hanging as a wall plaque, was an ornamental iron bird.

“This gives me an idea,” said George. “Let’s ask if there’s an ironmonger around here. He might still have some information in old files of an iron bird having been made long ago for Pudding Stone Lodge.”

Cecily brightened at once. “That’s a great idea, George,” she said. “We can start inquiring tomorrow.”

After this, Cecily acted more like her animated self and conversation was lively and cheerful on the way home.

As they were about to unlock the door to the cottage, Bess, who was facing the lake, gave a scream. “Listen! Look!”

The others turned in her direction. They could hear a ship’s bell ringing! Up at the misty end of the lake, the girls were startled to see an old-time excursion launch, brightly lighted. It moved slowly, as if against a buffeting wind.

Passengers, dressed in clothes of the early 1900’s, walked about freely. They were talking and laughing.

“The phantom ship!” Cecily said in a hushed voice.

The girls’ hearts began to beat faster. Could they believe their eyes?
Was
the story true? But where did the ghost ship come from?

Bess stuttered nervously, “I—I h-hope it doesn’t come down here!”

Suddenly from the phantom craft came a scream of terror. The launch began to list. The next second all the lights went out and the boat vanished!

BESS shrieked as the phantom launch disappeared underwater. “I’ve—I’ve never believed in ghosts,” she said shakily, “but now I’m afraid I do!”

George looked at her scornfully. “Ghosts, nothing! There must be some logical explanation.”

Cecily had little to say except that she was mighty glad the girls were with her. “I would have been terrified staying here alone!” she added. “I don’t blame Henry Winch a bit for wanting to move.”

Nancy suggested they go to bed early. “I don’t believe the ghost ship will bother us,” she said reassuringly.

The young sleuth did not say anything to the others but determined to get up early and investigate the far end of the lake to see if she could pick up any dues to the weird apparition. She awoke at daylight, dressed quickly, and slipped out of the cottage. Nancy followed the path along the water, and crossed the beach below the lodge. Then she set off through the woods. As she reached the area of fog, Nancy saw a swampy stretch before her.

“It won’t hurt me to slosh through,” she said to herself gamely. Holding her shoes, she waded in. “Why, the water’s warm!” Her theory that there were probably hot springs in that section of the lake had proved to be correct.

The swamp was about three hundred feet long. It was more treacherous than Nancy had bargained for and she found herself floundering and slipping until she was soaking wet. The girl detective smiled.

“This is a crazy procedure,” she told herself. “I haven’t picked up one single clue, and what a mess I am!”

Nevertheless, Nancy pushed on and after a while reached dry land. The trees were thick here, but just beyond them was a large, relatively cleared area, with scrubby bushes and tall grass as well as a few saplings.

In the center of the clearing stood the tumble-down remains of an old-fashioned bandstand. Nancy examined the platform and the storage area underneath, but found nothing to suggest an answer to the phantom ship.

Disappointed, she turned back and reached the cottage just as the other girls were getting up. They stared at her.

Nancy grinned. “Yes, I know I’m a sight. But it was all in the cause of trying to solve the mystery of that phantom ship. However, I learned absolutely nothing.” She added laughingly, “It must rise out of the water, after all.”

The others knew she was teasing and were sorry she had found no explanation. Cecily remarked, “I’ll never feel completely safe here until that mystery is cleared up. Nancy, do you have some theory about it?”

The girl detective shrugged. “I’ve been wondering about those people at Pudding Stone Lodge. This ghost-ship business started after they moved there.”

“You mean they could be connected in some way with the mirage or whatever it is?” asked George.

Nancy looked thoughtful. “It’s a possibility. Anyhow, I’d like to do some investigating in the area of the lodge. Please don’t mind if I skip helping with the dishes.”

“Do you think you’ll be safe alone?” Cecily asked fearfully.

Nancy assured her she would be and said she might be able to hide among the trees better if she were alone. She changed into dry clothes, and directly after eating, set off.

This time, Nancy chose a vantage point on the side of the house which faced the lake. Her attention was drawn to a third-floor window, called a bull’s-eye window because of its roundness and small size.

Suddenly Nancy tensed. Sharp flashes of light were coming from the room where the bull’s-eye window was. Apparently a mirror was being used to reflect sunlight.

Nancy watched intently to see if anyone would appear at the window, but no one did. “Maybe the pane is too high from the floor,” she thought.

The young sleuth could well believe that something strange was going on inside the big stone house and even that someone was signaling for help. Her mind conjured up all sorts of possibilities about a prisoner who was bound and gagged in the room.

“I certainly can make a deep, dark mystery out of almost anything,” she chided herself with a smile as she moved away. Nancy realized she had been gone from the cottage for some time and no doubt the other girls were eagerly awaiting her return so they might all go to town to start their investigating.

When Nancy arrived at the cottage, she heard Niko’s hit record being played and realized Cecily must be using the cottage owner’s phonograph.

“Sounds better than it did last night,” Nancy thought, walking in. She mentioned this to the others.

Cecily said it was her very own record which Niko had given her. Nancy, curious, went for her disc and put it on the player. It was good, but definitely not so clear-cut as the other.

“It does sound different,” Cecily conceded. “Not so sharp. Sometimes it seems a bit fuzzy.”