Mystery Of The Tolling Bell Part 15

Nancy and the girls went on to Mrs. Chantrey's house. Mr. Drew, obviously upset, was walking restlessly about the lawn when they arrived.

Before Nancy could ask what was wrong, he noticed George's bandaged ankle and inquired what had happened. The girls told of their experience. Then Nancy said, "Dad, you seem upset. Tell us what's the matter."

"I'm disgusted. Read this!"

The lawyer thrust a telegram into his daughter's hand. It had been sent from New York and was from one of the young a.s.sistants in his office.

AS PER INSTRUCTIONS CALLED BROKERS OFFICE AND HOTEL. THEY HAVE SKIPPED. AWAIT FURTHER ORDERS.

"That's dreadful, Dad."

"Indeed it is! This ruins all my plans. The mistake I made was in giving Tyrox and the others a chance to make good. They should have been told nothing until I was ready to prosecute. Not only have they vanished with Mrs. Chantrey's money, but probably that of other investors as well!"

"You've never told me much about the case, Dad. What kind of stock was it Mrs. Chantrey bought? Anything I ever heard of?"

"The stock is not listed on any exchange. I do wish Mrs. Chantrey had asked my advice before she bought shares in a worthless perfume company."

"A perfume company?"

"Yes, a salesman showed her an impressive report of the firm's earnings, which of course was a fake. Mrs. Chantrey thought she was buying into an old, well-established company dealing with exclusive French products of high quality."

"What's the name of the firm, Dad?"

"The Mon Coeur Perfume Company."

Nancy stared at her father, scarcely believing him. Mr. Drew noted his daughter's startled expression.

"Don't tell me you know something about that company!" he exclaimed.

"I've seen the Mon Coeur products," Nancy replied. "There's a woman right here in Candleton who sells them. And I've seen a stout, red-faced man, whose looks I don't like, on the street with her!"

It was Mr. Drew's turn to stare.

"Your description of the man fits Harry Tyrox, one of the swindlers I'm after! He's the head of the company. Nancy, do you think you can find him for me?"

CHAPTER XI.

The Chemist's Report

WHILE Nancy was telling her father everything she knew about Madame and her fancy cart of cosmetics, Ned drove up and joined the Drews. He listened in amazement to the story.

"Did that woman speak with a French accent?" Ned asked suddenly.

"Yes."

"And did she wear her black hair pulled back, and have a mole on her left cheek?"

"That's a very accurate description," Nancy agreed. "But I didn't know you were close enough to her to make such a minute observation when we saw her the other day."

"I wasn't!"

"Then don't keep us guessing. Where did you see her before?"

"At the hotel in Fisher's Cove. When I saw that woman with the cart here in Candleton I thought her face looked familiar. Ever since then I've tried to remember where I'd seen her before."

"She may have recognized you, Ned. That would explain why she hurried away so fast. Where was she in the hotel?"

"She was coming down from the third floor as I was on my way up, and told me you had left the hotel. I didn't reveal that you had just signaled to me from the window. But she must have sent the clerk up after me. They didn't want me to find you and your father!"

"It looks as if you've hit upon a good clue to locate the Mon Coeur swindlers," Mr. Drew reflected. "Let's take the car and see if we can find the woman with the cart."

For an hour the three searched through Candleton, asking for Madame. No one had seen her for several days.

"She probably left town after she saw us, Ned," Nancy said. "Maybe she went back to Fisher's Cove."

"And you'd like to go there to find out," Ned remarked, smiling. "How about you both having dinner with me in Fisher's Cove?"

Mr. Drew declined, saying he expected a phone call from his young a.s.sistant who was in New York.

The three returned to the Chantrey house. While Nancy showered and changed her clothes, Ned chatted with Bess and George.

Later, as he and Nancy drove off, he asked, "Shall we eat along the way or wait until we get to Fisher's Cove?"

"To be truthful, I'm dreadfully hungry," Nancy confessed. "I haven't eaten for hours. There's an attractive place about five miles from here."

"I know the one you mean," Ned answered. "They have good music and we can dance. We'll stop there."

It was nearly nine o'clock when they finished eating. Ned and Nancy were reluctant to leave the pleasant atmosphere, but finally they went on to Fisher's Cove and parked near the old hotel.

"Don't get into another fuss with the clerk," Nancy teased her companion as they went inside.

The interview with Mr. Sloc.u.m, who was on duty, started badly. When Ned asked if a woman answering the description of Madame had registered there, the man was as uncommunicative as before.

"I don't know whom you're talking about," he retorted, "and furthermore, I don't care. All I ask is that you two quit bothering me."

"It should be of importance to you to know the kind of people who frequent your hotel," Ned said.

"You'd better watch what you say about this hotel!" the clerk cried out.

Ned bristled, but Nancy restrained him, saying, "We're not accomplishing a thing this way. Let's go."

"Sloc.u.m knows more than he'll tell," said Ned as they walked away from the desk.

Nancy told him that she had another plan for getting the information, and they left the hotel. From a nearby telephone, she called her father and told him of Sloc.u.m's att.i.tude.

"How about having a plainclothesman stake out the hotel to watch everyone who enters or leaves the place?"