The Haunted Bridge Part 4

In the morning Nancy awoke feeling greatly refreshed. Her back was not so sore as she had expected, though her hand still hurt. She needed her friends' a.s.sistance to dress and had just slipped on her shoes when a telephone call came from Mr. Drew.

"How would you like to take a ride with me this morning? That is, if you feel all right."

"Of course. I'm much better," Nancy answered promptly.

Intuition told her that the ride might have something to do with her father's mysterious case.

"We girls will be down to breakfast in five minutes."

They were about to leave their rooms when a porter appeared with a box of flowers for Nancy. She a.s.sumed that her father had sent them. As Nancy tore away the tissue paper from a dozen red roses in a container, a card dropped to the floor. She picked it up.

"Martin Bartescue!" Nancy exclaimed as she read the name. She left the flowers in the box and walked away.

"Wait a minute!" Bess cried out. "Even if you don't like the man, don't punish the poor flowers." She rescued the roses and got water for them in the bathroom. "I've never seen a more attractive arrangement."

"They are pretty," Nancy admitted reluctantly. "I suppose he sent them because he feels responsible for my falling off the terrace."

"Wear one of the roses down to breakfast," Bess suggested.

"I'd rather not, but you girls are welcome to them."

"No thanks," said George. "I don't like that man any better than you do."

"I don't either," Bess added.

Nancy looked at Bartescue's card once more. Turning it over, she saw that he had written a brief note of sympathy on the back.

"Girls, look at this handwriting! " she called.

"It's different from the signature on your scorecard," Bess observed.

"And from the one on the hotel registration card," Nancy told her.

George remarked, "I can't help but feel there's something suspicious about Martin Bartescue!"

Knowing that her father was waiting for her in the lobby, Nancy dropped the card into her purse without further comment. The three girls hurriedly locked their doors and went downstairs.

Directly after breakfast Nancy and Mr. Drew drove away. Bess and George decided to play tennis and do some letter writing.

While the Drews were riding along, the lawyer revealed to his daughter that for the past week he had been working on the legal angles of a smuggling case involving an international ring of jewel thieves.

"It has baffled New York detectives. For many months the customs authorities have been trying to round up the gang. Now the work has spread out all over the country. It's believed that one of the members is a woman who frequents the summer resort hotels in this particular area. Unfortunately no description of her is available."

"Then how can you hope to trace her, Dad?"

"There is one good clue."

"What is that?"

"Detectives have learned that the woman carries an expensive jeweled compact set with diamonds and precious stones. In the case is a small picture of a child."

"Her own child?"

"I don't know, Nancy. There is very little information about this woman."

"And you say she frequents the better hotels near here?"

"Yes. For days a woman detective who works with me has been making the rounds, searching for her. Miss Ingle has been taken ill and will be in a hospital for a while. That brings me to the point of why I invited you to come with me, Nancy. How would you like to take Miss Ingle's place until she's well again?"

"I'd love it!" Nancy cried promptly. "When do I start work?"

"This morning," her father replied with a smile as he turned the car into a curving side road. It led toward an imposing hotel at the top of a high cliff.

Mr. Drew parked his car in the grounds of the Hotel Lincoln. As he walked slowly toward the entrance with his daughter, he explained what he wished her to do.

"Your work is very simple, Nancy. While I interview the hotel clerk, you are to wander about the lobby. Observe the women who pa.s.s through to see if any seems to act suspiciously or happens to pull out a compact similar to the one I described. She might be a member of the gang of jewel thieves."

"I'll also look in the powder room," Nancy promised. "A woman naturally would make use of her compact there."

At the hotel entrance Carson Drew said, "We'll separate now. Meet you in half an hour at the car."

The lobby was fairly crowded so Nancy attracted no particular attention as she seated herself near the elevator. Here she could see everyone who entered and left by the front door.

Presently, satisfied that the woman she sought was not on the main floor, Nancy went upstairs to look in the ladies' lounge. She saw several women take compacts from their bags, but none of the containers was jeweled.

The chimes of a clock warned Nancy that she must return to the car to meet her father. "I shouldn't keep him waiting."

"No luck?" Mr. Drew inquired, noting her unhappy expression.

"Absolutely none."

"Well, we're only beginning our search," he remarked cheerfully, starting the engine. "An investigator's work is always tedious."

A short time later the lawyer drove the car into the grounds of Hemlock Hall, a hotel even larger and more exclusive than the Lincoln. "See you in half an hour."

In the crowded lobby Nancy soon lost sight of her father. She became completely absorbed in her task of studying the women guests. Nancy was a bit dismayed when she glanced at her wrist watch. She must hurry if she were not to be late meeting her father!

"I'll check out the powder room before I rejoin Dad," she said to herself.

The place was deserted, except for a maid and an attractive-looking woman in her early twenties. Nancy gazed at the latter intently and immediately noted the sad expression on her face.

"She can't be the person I'm after," Nancy thought, and made a pretense of combing her hair before the mirror.

Her eyes were not upon her own reflection, but focused on the woman who sat nearby.

The next moment Nancy nearly dropped her comb as she saw the stranger open her handbag and take out a beautiful compact set with sparkling gems!

CHAPTER IV.