New Developments

The police offered to take Nancy and her friends to headquarters at once.

“I just hope they don’t try to keep us there, ” Bess confided to her cousin as they walked toward the Rialto with Antonio.

“How could they? ” George replied.

“I don’t know. But I’m sure they’d figure out a way if they wanted to.”

“Bess, ” Nancy interrupted, “do you think that you would be willing to interview the night clerk for us? ”

“The night clerk—me? And wind up in another closet? Uh-uh. No thanks.”

Even George looked askance at the idea.

“What makes you think he’ll show up for work—especially when he finds out we escaped? ” she asked.

“Well, it’s only a hunch, mind you, ” Nancy said, “but according to my watch, he ought to be going on duty soon, in which case there’d be very little time for anyone to have reported our escape.”

By now, the group had reached the familiar iron door of the police station, and the girls wasted no more conversation on the current topic. Instead, with Antonio’s help, they gave a report of what had happened to them, supplying as many details as they could, including a description of the night clerk.

“I hope you realize you are making a very serious charge against this man, ” Antonio translated on behalf of the captain. “Perhaps you should think about it again. After all, it’s possible he was simply trying to get to know you, miss, and became an innocent victim of circumstances? ”

Bess shook her head resolutely. “No, Captain, ” she said, “I was the victim of circumstances.”

“If you say so—but you have yet to tell me why anyone would want to hold all of you prisoners.”

That was Nancy’s opportunity to reveal the conversation she had overheard in which the name Dandolo was mentioned, but she didn’t say anything, honoring her promise to the duchessa. No one knew about Filippo’s disappearance, and Nancy vowed she would not let the information slip out now.

“Molto bene. Very well then, ” Captain Donatone said, filling in the silence. “We will look into the matter further, but I cannot promise what we can do about it. I suggest, however, that you return to the States.”

“We will consider it, ” Nancy answered politely, then asked about her Emerson friends.

Hearing they had been released the previous day, the young detectives were both elated and eager to see them.

“Can you imagine how worried they must be about us? ” Bess said as they hurried back to the Gritti Palace Hotel accompanied by Antonio. “Oh, we’ll have to go out for a big reunion dinner tonight! I’m absolutely famished! ” George tossed her gaze to a sign that said DO FORNI. “Then that’s the restaurant for you, ” she announced. “Two ovens for a double-sized stomach! ”

“Very funny, George, ” her cousin replied. Despite the grimace on her face, however, she felt a modicum of delight at being the butt of George’s teasing again, which she had sorely missed during the past twenty-four hours. “You don’t still want me to talk to the night clerk, do you, Nancy? ” she inquired.

“It all depends. Let’s see if he’s around first, ” the girl detective said. “Actually, I’m hoping we can get to our room before he turns up—if he turns up.” She gave a sidelong glance to George that did not pass unnoticed by Antonio.

“Perhaps it is not wise for you to stay at the Gritti, ” Antonio suggested.

“But it’s so beautiful, ” Bess commented. “Oh no, we wouldn’t want to stay anywhere else in Venice.”

The young man smiled, spiraling his gaze toward the sky that now flushed pink in the setting sun. “Well, then, you had better run if you want to catch the view on the canal, ” he said. “It should be spectacular.”

“’Bye, Antonio, ” the girls said in unison.

“We’ll be sure to call if we need you, ” Nancy added cheerfully.

When they reached the Gritti, however, the girls’ spirits sank considerably. Their friends from Emerson College had not only checked out of the hotel. They had left for home!

“I just don’t believe this is happening to me, ” Bess groaned.

“To you? ” George asked. “What about the rest of us? ”

“Well, you know what I mean, ” Bess said, collapsing on her bed to stare at the ceiling. “First, our beautiful vacation turns into a nightmare and then Dave takes off.”

“He wasn’t alone, either, ” Nancy put in. “It just doesn’t make sense. It’s so unlike Ned.” “And Burt, ” George added, sitting in the chair by the window. “By the way, did anybody notice the night clerk lurking around? ”

“No, ” Nancy said in a faraway voice, now feeling an uncontrollable desire to sleep.

Perhaps it was due to the stress of recent harrowing events and the fact that since the girls’ arrival in Venice, they had spent little time relaxing. Whatever the reason, Nancy sank deeply into her pillow; and it wasn’t until the phone rang some forty minutes later that she and the other girls awoke.

“Hello, ” she said, stifling a yawn as she listened to the voice at the other end. “Ned! Where are you? ”

“Are they all still in Italy? ” Bess asked eagerly.

Nancy motioned her to be quiet, and when she finished speaking on the phone, she said, “The boys are here, but Ned wouldn’t tell me where they’re staying. We’ll meet them later under the belltower in the square.”

“Next to the basilica? ” George asked warily. “You’re sure you were talking to Ned and not somebody who sounded like him? ” Bess put in quickly. “I’d hate to walk into another trap.” “If you’re really worried about it, ” Nancy said softly, “I can see the fellows alone.”

That was more than enough to spur Bess to her feet. “I wouldn’t think of it. George, please hand me my cosmetic bag, ” she said and flew into the bathroom, poking her head out of the door for a second. “How would Dave feel if I didn’t show up? ”

“Beats me, ” George said, doing all she could to refrain from giggling at her cousin’s newfound energy.

When Bess finally reappeared again, her hair was swept back in a crown of waves, but instead of asking for the girls’ opinion as she usually did, she leaped to the closet.

“Guess it’s my turn, ” George went on. “What are you wearing tonight, Bess? ”

“Oh, something exotic. My silk dress perhaps, ” she said, referring to a cream-colored outfit that complemented her fair skin. “Of course, I was hoping to have a tan by now, but..

Her words faded as she rumbled through her shoes, while Nancy made her own selection of clothes, a pretty ruffled skirt with a blouse to match and low-heeled sandals. Those, she concluded, were not only comfortable for walking but perfect for chasing any would-be assailant!

“Speaking of kidnappers—” Nancy said offhandedly.

“Oh, do we have to? ” Bess put in, as she buttoned a cuff.

“It is a dreary subject, ” Nancy agreed, “but unfortunately it’s also a reality for us. I’m sure the duchessa is wondering why she hasn’t heard from us.”

“And I’m wondering if she’s been contacted again, ” George said. “Do you suppose we should also try seeing her later? ”

“That’s a thought, ” Nancy said. She picked up the phone, ready to dial the woman’s private number but changed her mind. “We can call from the restaurant.”

“Whew! ” Bess grinned. “For a minute there, I expected you to cancel out on dinner.”

Nancy grinned back. “Come on, everybody. Let’s go.”

When they reached the downstairs lobby, they glanced at the registration desk looking for the night clerk but he wasn’t there, and Nancy inquired about him.

“Erminio Scarpa is on vacation, signorina, ” his replacement informed her. “Perhaps I can help you.”

The young detective hesitated, then continued.

“Could you, by any chance, give me his home address? ” Nancy asked, causing the man’s face to become animated.

“As a rule, we do not—” he started to say. “The police are looking for him, ” Nancy interrupted boldly.

“He tried to kidnap us, ” Bess blurted. “What? ” their listener answered, shaking his head in puzzlement. “That’s the craziest thing I ever heard. Not only that, it’s quite impossible, too. As I said, Mr. Scarpa is on vacation.” “Well, perhaps we aren’t talking about the same person, ” Nancy said. “The man we have in mind has thick black hair that sits like a cap over his ears. He’s about your height—”

“I tell you he hasn’t been here, ” the clerk insisted, admitting that the description fit Mr. Scarpa. “Perhaps you have him mixed up with someone else.”

“May we have his address, please? ” George cut in.

“I’m sorry. It’s against our policy. Now if you will excuse me.”

The man turned on his heel, leaving the girls utterly stunned by his lack of sympathy.

“He’s covering up, that’s all, ” Bess told her friends as they headed for the piazza. “We’ll just have to track Scarpa down on our own.” “That’s the old spirit, ” George said. “Got any brilliant ideas how to do it? ”

“We can start with the telephone directory, ” Nancy replied, “and if that fails, we’ll speak to our hotel manager in the morning.”

Soon the trio arrived at the belltower. The boys were there already, and Ned and his two friends hugged the girls joyfully.

“Are you ready to eat? ” Burt asked. “We’re starved.”

“So are we, ” the girls replied in unison and Nancy mentioned Do Forni.

“It’s supposed to have wonderful risotto, ” she said gleefully.

“Then let’s go! ” Ned exclaimed, taking her arm.

Once they were there, however, they spent less time on the meal and more on news of the past twenty-four hours. When the boys heard what had happened to their friends, they were shocked and angry.

“We tried to find you at the Lido, ” Ned said. “The night clerk told us that’s where you went.”

“That figures! ” Bess groaned.

“He sent us on a wild-goose chase, ” Ned said, “and then told one of his buddies to sink our boat.”

“There was this creep hanging from a rope, ” Burt muttered. “Too bad he didn’t fall into the drink—”

“But we found a clue! ” Dave cut in. “Ned, show Nancy the cap.”

The girl looked it over carefully. “Someday I'll find out whom this belongs to” she vowed.

‘But now tell us why you were thinking of flying home? Did you really believe we had left Venice? ”

“Of course not, ” Ned said. “As a matter of fact, we—” He stopped speaking instantly as three pretty girls emerged from the restaurant doorway.

Burt and Dave had seen them too, but pretended not to, downing large helpings of the creamy rice dish in front of them. “You were right, Nancy. This risotto is spectacular, ” Burt said, steering George’s gaze away from the threesome they had met at the Hotel Excelsior.

But upon seeing the boys, the girls waved and came forward. “Don’t forget, ” Christine said to Dave, “we’ll be here until Saturday.”

As she spoke, Bess smiled pleasantly. “That’s nice, ” she said. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“We are? ” Dave coughed, gulping on his glass of water.

“Yes, if you make a date with her! ” Bess giggled under her breath.