The Clue Of The Tapping Heels Part 27

By this time the three had reached the second floor. Bess and Dave came running forward, astounded.

"You caught the tapper?" Bess cried out. "It was the one you suspected, Nancy!"

Gus replied, "Yes, I'm the one who was doing the tapping. I took off my shoes and used the heels. But sometimes I used a hammer."

The group entered Miss Carter's room. After she had been told what had occurred in the attic, Gus went on with his story.

"As I told you, my parents went on a long trip and left me with two guardians, a couple named Gardner. They were pretty cruel-locked me in the secret room which they made from a storage area. Years ago you could only open the panel from the outside. But I fixed that lately.

"At the time my guardians kept me there, they had an old man as kind of a guard whenever they went out. He used to fall asleep frequently and leave the panel open a little. Then I would sneak out and grab things which were my grandmother's. For a while I hid them in the secret room. There's a closet back of the bookcase, which moves. That's where I hid myself sometimes and why I set the mousetrap so n.o.body could find out the way to swing open the bookcase.

"I also made openings in wooden panels around the house and in the ceiling of the bas.e.m.e.nt to hide my things in. After four years I forgot where they were and tapped trying to find them. By the way, the kitchen door to the bas.e.m.e.nt was never locked until you girls came here. You made it hard for me to get around."

As Gus paused, Nancy asked Bess if she would go and get George and Burt. As soon as they arrived, the confession was resumed.

"Tell me," said Nancy, "when you had a chance to roam around the house and secrete various objects, why didn't you run away?"

Gus smiled. "I guess I was greedy. In any case I felt that what was rightfully mine I should hide while I could. I planned that as soon as I had found everything, I would gather them together and then go."

Gus went on to say that the plan had been interrupted when his parents suddenly took him off to the Beverly. He had waited nearly four years to get away from there.

"When I finally did, I came here to Berryville expecting to find my parents. To my surprise they had sold the house and vanished. Do you know anything about them?" he asked.

There was silence for a few moments, then Miss Carter spoke up. "Your parents pa.s.sed away some time ago. Their estate was left in charge of a man named W. F. Bunce."

Gus lowered his eyes for a few moments as if in respect. "I'm sorry I was such a problem to them." Then he added, "I never heard of W. F. Bunce."

"By any chance did you knock out the man next door in the driveway Thursday night?"

Gus looked sheepish. "Yes, I did. I thought he might have seen me climbing down the wall. Besides, he was sneaking out of this house."

"Sneaking out of here!" Nancy repeated.

She had wondered why Bunce had never reported the attack to the police. Was it because he had recognized Gus and didn't dare go to the authorities ? Or was it because he had illegally entered Miss Carter's house? It could even have been a contributing factor in his hasty exit from Berryville!

Nancy said to Gus, "We understand that your parents left a good bit of money in trust for you."

"What!" Gus exclaimed.

"Mr. Bunce was both the executor and administrator. He was supposed to send money to the Beverly to cover your expenses there, the way your father had, but we understand he never did. Dr. Jones was unaware your parents had died."

Nancy revealed all their suspicions about the couple who had been living next to Miss Carter and had moved out suddenly.

"Mr. Bunce had an automobile which was registered in your name."

"Why, the old cheat!" Gus cried out. "I haven't owned a car in years. I rent the ones I use now. Where can I find this man?"

Nancy smiled. "We're looking for him ourselves. We suspect he may know something about the theft of several of Miss Carter's valuable cats."

Gus looked at the floor. "Which one of you was tapping to me in Morse code?"

"I was," Nancy answered.

"It was very good." Gus chuckled. "Did you understand what I tapped back?"

It was Nancy's turn to grin. "You dared me to catch you. Well, I did!"

"I suppose," said Gus, "that this is the end of the line for me. My tapping heels helped to catch me. It seemed like fun at the time. Now, no doubt, I'm wanted by the police for breaking in here and burglarizing this place."

"I'm afraid so," the young sleuth replied. "Also, the police will want to know about the car you rented to follow me to River Heights. It had stolen license plates."

"I didn't know that," he declared.

At a nod from Nancy, Ned went to telephone headquarters.

Gus continued, "I think I'm all through running away."

Nancy hoped so. Perhaps, with a steady income, which he could earn from his knowledge of Morse code, Gus would act more mature. If Bunce had not spent all the money in the estate, there might be a good portion left for the rightful heir.

In a short time Detective Keely arrived. He was pleased that the tapper had been caught. Gus went willingly with him and another police officer.

After they had gone, Burt said, "This sure was an exciting evening. But now I guess it will have to come to an end. How about it, fellows?"

Reluctantly Ned and Dave agreed. Emerson College was a good many miles away and all three boys had early-morning cla.s.ses.

"Let us know about any new developments," Ned requested. He chuckled as he added, "I sure enjoyed tackling Gus Woonton. Stopping a man on a football field is cool, but it can't compare with getting the better of a housebreaker!"

Bess spoke up. "Would you do me a big favor and take me home? River Heights is on your way."

"Sure thing," he answered.

George said she would like to go too. "Bess and I can come back tomorrow morning and bring Mrs. Bealing. Nancy, would you mind terribly staying here alone?"

"Of course not, especially since our mystery tapper has been caught."

Left alone with Miss Carter, Nancy brought a tray with hot cocoa and a few cookies for the actress and herself. While sipping their midnight beverage, the two talked about the mystery and hoped that Fred Bunce would be caught soon.

Presently Nancy kissed the actress good night and went to her own room. There was not a sound in the house nor outside, yet Nancy could not go to sleep. A sudden thought came to her. The secret trap door in the attic had not been closed.

"I'll go up and shut it," she said to herself.

Taking her flashlight, she went to the third floor. As Nancy neared the opened trap door, she became curious to know what lay below.

"Which part of the kitchen had the sealed-off stairway opened into?" she wondered. "Probably back of the cabinets."

Although Nancy went all the way to the bottom, she found nothing unusual except a box of sandwiches which Gus apparently had left there.

She turned back and came up. Just as she reached the top, a man's hand suddenly knocked her flashlight down and someone else clapped a hand over her mouth!