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A Four-Handed Ruse






 

A cold wind penetrated Nancy’s cloak as she watched the woman in the doorway, who seemed to be waiting for someone. Then, as if in answer to the girl detective’s curiosity, a taxi pulled up to Number 11 and Mr. Belini, the owner of the fabric store, stepped out.

At the same time Nancy noticed a van parked down the street. Its lights flashed on and off and the vehicle crawled toward the building. But the dimness of the street lamps prevented her from seeing the driver and the person sitting next to him.

On a hunch Nancy pulled the collar of her cloak high around her neck and darted to a nearby corner, circling to the back of the van as Belini moved in and out of the doorway. Her heart thumping in panic, the girl dived into the shadow of the adjoining building to watch.

Rosalind seemed to have vanished, but Belini hurried to the vehicle’s rear doors. He opened one, revealing a rack of dresses covered in plastic. If only Nancy could get a closer look!

Belini poked his head deeper into the van, running through the dresses as if he were counting them. He shook his head and ran into the building once more, leaving the door ajar.

Nancy instantly raced forward, grabbing a plastic bag and pulling it into the light. As she had suspected, the gown inside was one that had been stolen the night of the benefit fashion show!

Before she could inspect the rest, however, the door opened again and she heard Belini’s voice. She leaped into the van, grateful that the engine was running and muffled any noise she made.

Belini walked over to the van, then stopped to talk to the driver. This gave Nancy enough time to hide behind the rack. To her relief, there was a partition between the front and rear of the small vehicle, so no one could see her unless the dresses were removed.

Yet she had little breathing space, and the garments surrounding her created a warmth that was uncomfortable, almost suffocating.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea, ” Nancy murmured, realizing she was trapped!

But there was no time to change her mind as the wheels of the van began to move under her!

By now Bess and George had met two young men who introduced themselves as Woody Haskins and Frank Vanderveer. Both looked to be in their twenties, and told the girls that their parents were in the clothing business. They had lived in New York City all their lives.

“And where are you two from? ” Woody inquired.

“River Heights, ” Bess replied. “Home of the famous Nancy Drew.”

“Oh, yes. She’s an amateur detective, ” Woody said. Then he whirled Bess onto the dance floor.

“Hm-hm. So am I, ” Bess told him.

“You solve mysteries, too? ” Frank asked George. He was tall and seemed reserved like her friend, Burt Eddleton, which made the girl relax almost immediately.

“Oh, we all do, ” she said brightly, as the music picked up tempo.

The beat was faster now, and the couples fell apart from each other for the duration of the dance. Afterwards, their escorts took the girls to the buffet for a snack. When they returned to their table, Bess and George suddenly realized that Nancy hadn’t come back yet.

Vaguely uneasy, they wondered what had happened to her. Bess nudged George. “We’ve been having such a good time that we forgot all about our best friend! ” she whispered. “Where do you think Nancy went? ”

“I don’t know, ” George said, “but I think we ought to go looking for her.”

The girls excused themselves and moved off, but neither of their escorts was ready to release them so quickly. The music had started again, and Frank and Woody ran after Bess and George, begging for another dance.

“But we can’t stay! ” Bess insisted as Woody tugged on her hand, pulling her back on the floor.

“Why not? Do you turn into a pumpkin at eleven o‘clock? ” The young man laughed, causing a tiny grin to wrinkle the girl’s face.

“No, but we really do have to leave, ” Bess declared and motioned to George, who looked forlornly at her date.

When the foursome stood together again, the young men continued to plead. “You came here to enjoy yourselves, didn’t you? ” Frank asked. “Why do you want to go home so early? ”

“Well, we’re not going home, ” George said. “We’re investigating something.”

“Tonight? ” Woody and Frank chorused.

“We’ll go with you, ” the latter volunteered.

“Oh, no! ” Bess exclaimed. “It’s nice of you to offer, but—”

“Then it’s all settled, ” Frank put in. “Now tell us, what are you looking for? ”

“Our friend Nancy, ” George said.

“Describe her, ” Frank went on. “Then we’ll fan out and search. Afterwards, we’ll meet at your table.”

Bess and George were glad to have help, but when they rejoined their dates fifteen minutes later, no one had seen Nancy.

“Maybe she left the party, ” Woody suggested.

“Let’s see if her cloak is still in the check-room, ” George replied.

Upon questioning the woman in charge, the girls were given Nancy’s message.

“We ought to go there at once, ” Frank spoke up. “Get a taxi, Woody.”

In the cab, Bess whispered to George, “I’m glad we have a couple of strong men with us! ”

“Just hope we find Nancy! ” George said.

By the time they climbed out of the taxi at Gramercy Park, most lights had been turned out in the various buildings and Number 11 seemed unoccupied.

“Maybe Nancy gave up on whatever she was looking for and went home, ” Woody suggested.

“Nancy? Give up? Never! ” Bess said.

She and George hurried ahead of the men toward the iron fence that framed the park area itself, thinking they had heard someone crying. But as they drew near, they realized it was only the whine of a small puppy.

“Where could Nancy have gone? ” Bess wailed.

She and George roamed close to the fence, peering at the blackness beyond, half wondering if Nancy had been abducted and taken to some forsaken area of the city.

As they returned to their escorts, who had remained near the entrance to Number 11, the cousins glimpsed something shiny in the street.

It was Nancy’s earring!

“It’s crushed, ” George said, examining it.

“Maybe a car rolled over it, ” Frank commented.

“Maybe one that kidnapped her! ” Bess exclaimed in fright.

As she spoke, the window above slid open and a woman addressed the foursome. The cousins looked up to see who it was, but the speaker pulled back as a waft of cold air drifted in.

“I believe the girl you are looking for is here, ” she called out.

“Is that you, Rosalind? ” George said, thinking she recognized the voice.

But there was no reply, only a halting cough.

“Should we go up? ” Bess asked.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, ” Woody said.

“Yeah, we’re with you, ” his friend added.

Even so, the girls wondered if the invitation was a sinister ruse. If Nancy were being held captive inside, the cousins might be stepping into the same carefully laid trap!

“Come on, ” Woody urged, leading the way into the dim corridor. “We have to find Nancy! ”

Bess, George, and Frank followed. The sounds of their footsteps on the stairway echoed loudly through the empty building, and the girls shivered when Woody banged his fist on the door. Tensely, they waited for the woman to open it!

 


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