Suspicious Message

NANCY watched her father’s face carefully as he stared out the window. She knew he was trying to make up his mind about something important. Finally he turned toward his daughter.

“I could use some help in solving the mystery of the explosive oranges.”

“And, ” Nancy said hopefully, “you think I might be able to help? ”

The lawyer nodded. “My client, Mr. Billington, was arrested for bringing explosive Hamlin oranges into the Space Center. He is out on bail but his case is coming up soon. He’s innocent. Mr. Billington owns a grove on Merritt Island, which produces only Pineapple Oranges. Someone secretly borrowed a truck of his and delivered several sacks of Hamlin oranges to the Center. The person presented an official card bearing Mr. Billington’s name, and signed a slip with his signature. Of course it was a forgery.”

Mr. Drew went on, “Unfortunately I can’t represent him in Florida because I have no license to practice in that state. My main reason for going down is to engage the services of a Florida lawyer. He and I will work together on the legal angle. I can’t stay long this time because I have other urgent matters coming up. But the mysterious culprit must be found before the trial.”

Nancy could not refrain from saying, “Dad, if you can’t remain on Merritt Island, how about Bess and George and Hannah and I making the trip and staying there? ”

“Just what I was thinking, ” her father replied. “Mr. Billington received special permission from the authorities to leave Florida and come North to sign for the purchase of some property. The buyer is going to Europe, so the transaction had to be made at once.

“Mr. Billington has offered me the use of his house and car and invited anyone else I would like to bring along. He and Mrs. Billington are on their way now but they have a caretaker and his wife who live in the residence. They’re Antin and Tina Resardo. She takes care of the house and does the cooking. Antin is foreman of the grove and the sorting and packing house.”

Bess and George said they would love to go but would have to obtain permission from their parents. George made the long-distance call. First she told her father about the accident and the wrecked car. “But Bess and I are okay.”

“It’s too bad about the car, but I’m glad you and Bess weren’t hurt, ” he replied. “George, report the damage immediately to our insurance agent, Mr. Dowley.”

“All right, Dad.” George now told him about the proposed trip.

“That sounds great! ” Mr. Fayne said. “I’ll ask the Marvins.” He came back to the phone, saying, “It’s okay. Have a good time.”

George spoke to her mother and Bess talked to her parents. When she finished, George phoned the insurance man and within fifteen minutes he was at the Drew house. She gave Mr. Dowley all the details and he promised to take charge of the matter.

“You go on to Florida and have fun, ” he said. “When do you leave? ”

George went to find Mr. Drew and asked him. He smiled. “I’d like to hop a plane this afternoon, ” he said. “Do you think you could be ready? ”

George looked at her watch. “It will take me about twenty minutes to pack some lightweight clothes and my swimsuit.”

It was decided that the group would have an early lunch at the Drews’ and leave immediately afterward. While they were eating, the telephone rang. Nancy answered it.

The others heard her exclaim, “Ned! How good to hear from you. Where are you? ”

From there on Ned did most of the talking. He was an attractive Emerson College football player who dated Nancy exclusively.

When she came back to the table, her eyes were sparkling. “Great news! ” she announced. “You know Ned’s parents have had a house on Merritt Island for some time. Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson are there right now and they’re going to have a house party. Bess and George, you’re invited, as well as myself, and Ned will bring Burt and Dave along.”

Burt Eddleton and Dave Evans were George’s and Bess’s favorite dates. They, too, went to Emerson College.

“Fabulous! ” Bess exclaimed.

“Super! ” George added.

Nancy remarked, “We’ll have time to work on the mystery before the house party starts.”

Mr. Drew chuckled. “Well, we’d better leave. I’ll load your luggage in the car, while you girls tidy up the kitchen. Hannah, will you see that all the doors and windows are locked and the burglar alarm set? ”

The housekeeper hurried off to do this. Then the travelers grabbed their coats and left the house. On the way to the local airport, Mr. Drew said they had a choice of flying either to Orlando or Melbourne, Florida. “Melbourne is a little closer to Merritt Island so I’ve chosen that one. We land at Kennedy Airport there. I phoned the Billington house and asked Tina if she and Antin would meet us. She agreed.”

Hours later, when the Drews and their friends reached Melbourne, they looked everywhere for the couple. No one fitting their description was around. Finally only one elderly woman and a naval officer were left in the passenger waiting room.

“I think I’ll telephone the house and see what happened, ” Mr. Drew said.

He closed himself into a phone booth and tried for ten minutes to get an answer. At last he came outside.

“No one was there, so maybe the Resardos are on the way. I guess we’ll just have to wait.”

An hour passed and still Antin and Tina had not arrived. Mr. Drew was annoyed. “We’ll have to take a taxi, ” he said. “It’ll be an expensive trip. I wonder what happened to the Resardos.”

The group enjoyed the ride past the many beautiful homes and glimmering lakes and inlets, some small, others large. When they reached Cocoa the driver went across the bridge to Merritt Island, then along various winding roads. Finally the taxi pulled up in front of a large Spanish-type house on the Indian River. The ground floor had a patio across the front and on one side. There were several chairs under a small grove of shade trees.

While Mr. Drew was paying the taximan, Nancy went to the front door and rapped with the knocker. The visitors stood waiting but no one came to let them in.

George walked to the rear of the dwelling and pressed a buzzer at the back door. No response. She rejoined the others.

“Nobody home, ” she announced, and dropped into a garden chair. Her companions also seated themselves and waited. About twenty minutes later a car pulled into the driveway and a couple got out.

As they approached the visitors, the man said, “We are the Resardos. Where have you been? ”

Mr. Drew looked directly at Tina. “Exactly where I asked you to meet us.”

The woman rolled her eyes toward her husband but did not speak. He said angrily, “You told my wife we were to meet you at Orlando but you weren’t there.”

“I told her Melbourne, ” Mr. Drew replied, “but never mind. Just let us into the house, please. How much time do we have to unpack before dinner? ”

Antin glared at the newcomers. “My wife has a bad headache and must lie down. You people will have to get your own dinner.”

He unlocked the front door, ushered Tina in, and followed her.

“Warm reception, ” Bess whispered to the other girls.

“I can foresee trouble with that couple, ” George replied.

Tina went upstairs, but Antin stalked to the back door and went out. He walked off to the right into a large orange grove.

The newcomers climbed the stairs and chose bedrooms. They found that one was closed and locked and assumed this must lead to the Resardos’ quarters.

After unpacking, Hannah and the girls located the kitchen and examined the contents of the refrigerator. There was plenty of food for a good meal and Hannah chose a big pot of chicken cooked with rice and gravy. The girls set the table in the flower-papered dining room, which had a large glass-top table and white wicker chairs.

When the meal was ready, Antin walked in. Without saying a word, he took one of the plates warming on the stove and helped himself to a very generous portion of everything. He then filled a second plate with food.

He said to Hannah, “I’m taking this up to my wife. We’ll eat in our room.”

The others assembled in the dining room and after grace had been said by Mr. Drew, they began to eat the delicious dinner. Before they had reached the dessert course, Antin came down the stairs carrying the empty plates, which he put into the sink.

The others heard him open a cabinet door and knew he was getting plates for the dessert, which was an apple pie. The visitors were aghast to see Antin going through the hall with at least half the pie on two plates!

After he had gone upstairs, George burst out, “What’s eating him? ”

Bess giggled. “Nothing. He’s eating everything.”

Nancy jumped up and went out to look at the pie. The portion that was left, if cut into five slices, would give each person a piece one-inch wide!

“That man is the limit, ” she complained to Hannah, who had followed her.

“He certainly is, ” the housekeeper agreed, “and I suppose he expects me to wash his dirty dishes.”

A little later Antin returned and left two empty plates. Nancy stopped him. Eager to start work on the mystery at once, she asked him what he knew about Mr. Billington’s case.

The caretaker scowled. “Nothing that you don’t know, ” he replied and went outdoors.

From the window Nancy saw him go into the orange grove. Dusk had fallen and she could not see which direction he had taken.

After the dishes had been put into the washer and the dining room vacuumed for crumbs, George said that she and Bess had promised to let their parents know of the girls’ safe arrival.

“I’ll do it, ” Bess offered and went to the rear of the hall. As she picked up the phone, the unfamiliar voice of a man was saying, “You know what to do next. Keep your eye on all visitors.”

Bess hung up and came back to the living room to report the conversation. “Are the Billingtons on a party line? ” she asked.

“No, ” Mr. Drew answered. He frowned. “I don’t like this. There must be an extension phone and somebody in this place is talking on it.”

“I’ll check! ” Nancy offered.

She knew there was no other phone on the first floor, so she started to climb to the second. Halfway up the stairs, she heard a door close softly. She ran the rest of the way and walked along the hall. There was an extension in Mr. Billington’s bedroom but nobody was there. The Resardos’ door was closed.

“Perhaps Tina was using the phone up here, ” Nancy thought.

What had the message meant? she wondered. And were she and her father and her friends the “visitors” that the man had referred to? Nancy went downstairs and told the others her suspicions.

“There’s probably another extension outside somewhere, ” Nancy said. “Perhaps in the orange packing house! Let’s see if anyone’s there! ”