The Clue Of The Tapping Heels Part 21

"I feel the same way," Nancy agreed. "I can't wait to follow up this new lead."

Before Nancy started off for Miss Carter's the next day, Mrs. Gruen said, "Do be careful. Put up the top of your convertible and lock yourself in."

"All right and don't worry. I hope the next time I talk to you, I can report that the mystery's solved."

Nancy packed a few extra clothes, then kissed Hannah good-by and drove to Berryville. Bess and George were waiting in the driveway when she reached Miss Carter's house.

"Hi, girls!" Nancy called out. "I'm surprised that you're still up. You should be getting some sleep. Tell me, did anything happen last night?"

"Not a thing," Bess replied. "No cat thief, no tapper, n.o.body sneaking around."

"The only thing interesting," George put in, "were the lights in the Bunces's house."

"What do you mean?"

George said she doubted that the Bunces went to bed at all. "Lights were popping on and off in various rooms most of the night. I wonder what they were doing."

Nancy told about her latest lead in the mystery which concerned a W. F. Bunce, whom she suspected might be Fred Bunce. The other girls were amazed.

"What are you going to do about it?" Bess asked her.

"You say the couple was up during the night?" Nancy replied with a faraway look. "Well, maybe they're asleep now. All the shades on this side of the house are drawn."

George told her that the shades had been drawn throughout the house. "A couple of times I went out of the garage and walked around for exercise. I noticed that every shade in the place was down."

Nancy wondered how long to wait before going next door to learn what she could about the couple. It was now nine forty-five.

"I think ten o'clock is late enough," she decided.

Fifteen minutes later the girls knocked on the rear door. There was no response. They tried the front doorbell. The Bunces did not answer this, either.

Nancy used the door knocker. It resounded loudly. Still no one appeared.

"Do you suppose they're still asleep with all this racket?" Bess asked.

Nancy shrugged. "George, would you go back to Miss Carter's and phone the Bunces? That should wake them up."

George hurried inside but returned in a few minutes, saying there had been no response.

"Maybe the couple has gone out," Nancy said. "I'll look in their garage."

The doors were closed but she peered through a window. There was no car inside.

It occurred to Nancy that possibly Hannah Gruen's telephone call to the Bunces the night before had frightened them and they had left. At that moment a neighbor on the other side of the house came out.

"Are you looking for Mr. and Mrs. Bunce?" she asked.

"Yes," Nancy replied. "We're staying with Miss Carter and wanted to speak to them."

"Well, I'm afraid that's impossible," the neighbor said. "About six o'clock this morning a truck came here. The driver loaded it with a lot of boxes and bags. The Bunces followed in their car."

"By any chance do you know the license number of the Bunces's car?" Nancy asked the woman.

"Funny you should ask that and I can say yes. I remember it because the letters in it happen to be my initials and the numbers are the reverse of those on my car." She gave the full license number.

"Thank you very much," Nancy said. "And now please excuse me. I must hurry inside and make a phone call."

She dashed into the house and dialed her father. "Oh, Dad, we've missed again!" she said woefully. "But here's the Bunces's license number. Perhaps you can check to whom it was issued and maybe the police can stop the car before it disappears."

Mr. Drew said he would check the name of the owner. As for stopping the couple on the road, he had no right to ask this.

"We have no concrete evidence against Mr. Bunce, nothing but suspicions," he reminded his daughter. "But I'll let you know what I find out."

When Nancy finished talking, Bess asked, "Do you mind if I use your car? I have some errands to do downtown. Marketing-and I must buy more cat food for the pets."

"Go ahead," Nancy replied.

Nancy went upstairs to say good morning to Miss Carter and brief her on the latest event. The actress was astonished at the news.

"Well, if Bunce was the tapper," she said, "then we won't hear him again. Maybe it's just as well that he's gone. He hated my cats, anyway."

A few minutes later George joined them and the two girls went to dust their rooms. Nancy stopped to talk to her friend while George made her bed.

"Listen!" she said suddenly.

This time the strange sound was not tapping. It was more like a weird plaintive wail.

Both girls stood still. Nancy pointed upward and whispered, "Something or somebody is in the attic!"

The girls tiptoed to the door of the third-floor stairway. It was open a few inches. They paused a moment, then started up the steps. Wondering what they would find, the girls stood at the top of the stairs and stared ahead.

The queer sounds were coming from inside the wooden mummy case, which was wobbling back and forth!

CHAPTER XVI.

Telltale Handprints

WITH cautious steps Nancy and George approached the wobbling mummy case. It was locked on the outside.

The wailing within had now intensified. Had a person been imprisoned? Yet the sounds did not seem human.

Taking a long breath, Nancy opened the latch on the mummy case. A wild-eyed Persian cat leaped out!

"Oh!" the girls exclaimed.

Then Nancy and George began to laugh. George said, "Boy, I'm something! I can't tell the difference between a cat and a ghost!"