The Clue In The Crumbling Wall Part 14

"We'll have to return to town and rent a boat,"

Nancy concluded.

The trio walked as fast as they could and made their way to the main highway. Bess pointed out that public transportation was infrequent along this route.

"Last time I was here I thought the bus would never come," she said.

The girls waited impatiently for twenty min- utes. They were almost in despair when Nancy saw a familiar car headed in their direction.

"It's Lieutenant Masters!" she cried, holding up her hand to signal the officer.

The young woman stopped. "Hop in," she in- vited, and Nancy introduced her friends.

"Did you go to Heath Castle?" the officer asked.

"Yes," Nancy said. "We found several good leads. In fact, we were following one this morn- ing. Salty came with us."

"Salty?"

"He's the singing clam digger of Muskoka River," Bess explained. "We left him on the beach. He may be in the hands of the thieves by now!"

Quickly Nancy explained the situation and asked the officer if she could arrange to send out a police boat to rescue Salty. "I'd like to go along if they'll let me," Nancy added. "I'm worried and feel responsible for him."

"We'll go too, if we may," put in George.

Lieutenant Masters radioed headquarters. In a few minutes she had arranged for the girls to accompany the rescue party. "But be careful," she warned them. "Meanwhile, I'll tell the chief to search for Biggs and Cobb."

On their way to the police dock. Lieutenant Masters said that she had planned to stop at the Drew home to discuss the problem of Joan Feni- more and Teddy Hooper.

"I had hoped Joan wouldn't play with Teddy any more," said Nancy.

"I'm inclined to think she may have tried not to," the officer said slowly, "but-well, here's the story. Teddy really causes me more worry than a dozen other boys on my list. He hasn't been to school for three days. It does no good to talk to his mother. She always sides with Teddy. I'm con- vinced she's unsuited to look after him."

"I'll say she is," George burst out, and told Lieutenant Masters about her stolen clothes.

"We're sure he took them," she concluded.

Nancy said, "He's friendly with Biggs and Cobb." She explained about Teddy and the two men at the castle.

The lieutenant listened seriously. "I'm afraid the boy may be a thief," she agreed. "This morn- ing I caught him trying to sell a pearl at Weath- erby's curio shop. When I asked him where he had gotten it, he refused to answer me. Maybe he was the one who s.n.a.t.c.hed your purse, Nancy.

Anyway, when I took him home, his mother said she knew nothing about the pearl. Teddy finally said that Joan Fenimore had given it to him, but she denied this."

"What a pity he's involved her," Nancy said.

"She's too nice a child."

A few minutes later Lieutenant Masters pulled up to the dock, where two officers were waiting in a motorboat.

The girls were introduced to Lieutenant Car- ney, a stocky, muscular-looking man, and Officer Mellon, who was tall and soft spoken.

The girls climbed aboard and the craft roared off. In a short time they reached the Heath estate.

The rented motorboat was anch.o.r.ed in the same spot but there was no sign of Salty and his row- boat!

"He wouldn't have had time to row home,"

Bess said, worried. "And we didn't pa.s.s him on the way."

Lieutenant Carney cast anchor and everyone waded ash.o.r.e. They started an intensive hunt.

Before long George spotted the sailor lying mo- tionless near the entrance to the cloister. She gasped. But suddenly he sat up and looked at her. "Thought ye'd never come," he muttered.

There was blood on his face and shirt.

"Salty!" exclaimed Nancy, who had hurried over. "You're hurt!"

Her cry brought Lieutenant Carney on the run. Salty stood up and insisted he was all right, though he was somewhat unsteady.

"What happened?" Nancy asked, and Lieu- tenant Carney pulled out his notebook.

"I was diggin' for clams when a couple o'men an' a boy seemed to come right out o' nowhere.

They asked me who I'd brought to the Heath gardens."

"Did you tell them?" Bess asked.

"No, but they said they'd beat me up if I didn't an' then go after the intruders themselves."

"I tried to argue 'em out o' it, but they was stubborn as mules. When they started to go after you, I tried to stop 'em."

"But there were three against you!" George said.

"Ye're right. Fraid I got knocked out. But I come to pretty soon; in fact, just in time to see one o' the rascals takin' my boat."

Salty told how he had seen one man going through the section of wall with the stone steps beyond and decided to follow. But the sailor had gone no farther than the opening before every- thing went black again before his eyes.

"Later I come to," he said, "but I couldn't seem to move for a while. Somewhere in the gar- den I heard two men talkin'. Nancy, you must be very careful from now on," he warned. "Those guys are plannin' to kidnap you!"

Lieutenant Carney spoke up. "We'd better get back to headquarters. Salty. You can give us a description of the men there. Also I want you to see a doctor to make sure you're all right."

In a few minutes the police boat was skimming down the river with Salty aboard. Nancy and her friends took the rented craft back to Campbell's Landing, then headed home in her car.

It was midaftemoon when Nancy reached her house. She found Mr. Drew there, looking through some old newspapers. He and Nancy ate a late lunch while she eagerly showed him the photo- graphs and the diary from the Heath estate.

"You certainly had an exciting time," her father remarked. "But I have some interesting news, too."

Nancy's eyes lighted with curiosity. "Something that will help solve the mystery, Dad?"

Her father nodded. "It concerns Juliana's miss- ing nurse."

"Emily Foster?"

"Yes. I've located her. And here's the best part.

Tomorrow morning she'll see you and tell you all she knows!"

CHAPTER XVI.

News of Juliana.

"Oh, Dad! Where is Emily Foster?" Nancy asked, thrilled by the news.'"How did you find her?

What did she say about Juliana?"

"One question at a time, please," Mr. Drew said, laughing I talked to her only by telephone, go I didn't get any details."

"Is she here in River Heights?"

"No. In Hampton. I traced her by contacting the State Board of Nursing. Miss Foster is on a case in Hampton. She'll be free tomorrow, and has promised to meet us at the Hampton Motel."

"That's great. Maybe now we'll find Juliana!"

"Don't build your hopes too high," the lawyer warned his daughter. "Miss Foster may not know what became of the dancer. Even if she's able to provide a clue, you have only a short time to fol- low it up."

"That's the trouble," Nancy agreed, worried.

"Only ten days are left before Heath Castle will be lost to Juliana."

"Anyway, it seems to me you've built up a case against Daniel Hector, and that's something," her father said. "Even if Juliana is never found, there's no reason why that unscrupulous lawyer and his henchmen should help themselves to any of the estate."

The Drews planned to leave for Hampton that evening and spend the night at the motel in order to be on time for their early-morning appoint- ment. Nancy, knowing she had a dozen things to do before leaving, rushed to do them.

Before they left, she suggested that they stop at the Fenimores' to see if Joan and her mother needed anything.

"I can't help worrying about them," she said.

Mr. Drew agreed. When they arrived at the house, the little girl was asleep. Her mother, how- ever, was up and in surprisingly good spirits.

"The Hoopers have moved!" she said. "Now Joan and Teddy will be separated!"

"I wonder why they left so suddenly," Nancy mused.

"It was strange," Mrs. Fenimore replied. "Mrs.

Hooper never talked about moving. A truck drove up with Mr. Hooper and another man and they loaded up all the furniture. Then Mrs.

Hooper and Teddy left in a taxi with their lug- gage."

Mrs. Fenimore went on to say that Teddy had been boasting to Joan lately.

"He said his father was a smart man-he knew how to make money without working for it. Oh, how the talk frightened me!"

"I've never seen Mr. Hooper," Nancy said.

"Can you describe him?"

"Cobb Hooper is a tall, thin man, sullen-faced, and unkempt in appearance."

"Did you say Cobb?" Nancy was startled by the name.

"Yes."

Nancy did not show her excitement as she recognized the name of the suspicious man she had overheard in the cloister at Heath Castle! She asked Mrs. Fenimore if she knew anything about Teddy and his family.

"I never knew when that boy was telling the truth," the woman replied. "But he told Joan he knew where there was a hidden treasure."

Nancy's mind was whirling as pieces of evi- dence seemed to fall into place. "Mrs. Fenimore,"

she asked, "did Joan ever talk to the Hoopers about Juliana and the property she was to in- herit?"

"Dear me, yes! The child told everybody."

"And Teddy repeated it to his parents?"

"I don't know. He told Joan he went to the castle himself. But she was to keep it a secret."

"When did Teddy tell your daughter this?"

"Oh, some time ago."

There was nothing more of importance that Mrs. Fenimore could remember. After learning that the family was not in need of food or any- thing else, Nancy and her father got up to leave.

Nancy remarked that they were on their way to interview a woman who might have information about Juliana.

"Oh, I hope she does!" Mrs. Fenimore said.

As soon as the Drews were in the car, Nancy told her father of her suspicion regarding Cobb Hooper.