Doubting Workmen

“STOP that! ” George yelled at Antin.

She grabbed his arm and as Nancy staggered away, George buckled the man’s knees and flipped him over her shoulder. He fell to the floor with a crash.

“Good for you, George! ” exclaimed Bess in glee.

Antin had been taken completely by surprise and had had the wind knocked out of him. Slowly he arose.

Meanwhile Hannah had rushed to Nancy’s side and asked, “Are you all right? That was a contemptible thing to do to you! ” she said. “Antin, hereafter don’t you ever dare lay a finger on Nancy or any of the rest of us! ”

Nancy assured Hannah she would be her normal self in a few minutes and flopped into a chair. Antin looked at her, then said grudgingly, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry if I did. You make me see red when you act suspicious of me. You mentioned my taking a bath. By the time I finished, Tina was asleep.

“It worried me that since I’d been away all day the machinery might not have been switched off in the packing house. I went to investigate.

“While there, I decided to put in a phone call to a friend of mine who is giving a surprise birthday party for his wife. Her name is Ruth. We are calling it R-day.”

The commotion had brought Tina downstairs in her robe and slippers. She looked at the group questioningly. Antin repeated his story about R-day to her and she nodded affirmation.

Hannah spoke up. “There may have been misunderstanding on all sides. Why don’t we talk this whole thing out? ”

“Good idea, ” said Antin.

Mrs. Gruen went on, “In the first place, I may as well tell you I resent your not helping in the house. You eat the food I cook and even leave your dirty dishes for me to wash.”

Tina retorted, “Mr. Billington didn’t tell me I had to wait on these extra people. He just told me Mr. Drew and his daughter might be down. I’m not strong and I’m not too well, ” she went on, “and I won’t wait on so many people! That’s final! ”

“She’s right, ” Antin burst out. “Between all the extra work and you people practically accusing us of being crooks, I think Tina and I will move to a motel until after you go home.”

Hannah and the girls looked at one another. It would be a great relief to have the unpleasant Resardos out of the house. But if the couple stayed, they could be kept under surveillance.

Antin went on, “You think I had something to do with those explosive oranges. Well I didn’t, and I gave the FBI an airtight alibi about where I was the day it happened.”

Nancy did not like the man’s defensive attitude. She knew that guilty people often play the part of aggrieved persons, trying to cover up the truth. Was this the case with the Resardos?

Again Hannah spoke up. “I’m glad we had this talk, ” she said. “Tina and Antin, I’m sure Mr. Billington would be very hurt if you leave and he might even decide not to let you come back.”

This thought startled the couple. They looked at each other and finally Tina said, “All right, we’ll stay. I’ll help with the cooking whenever Antin and I are here. I guess all of us can keep the house clean.”

Nancy sensed the Resardos were annoyed because Hannah had won her point. The couple wished the others good night and went to their room. George looked after them. Did she imagine it, or was Antin limping a little because of her Judo trick?

The atmosphere the next morning was a bit strained, but Tina did help prepare breakfast. She did not serve the food, however. Instead she and Antin sat down in the kitchen to eat, while the others carried their plates of eggs and bacon to the dining room.

Immediately after breakfast Nancy and Bess went upstairs to make their beds. George was about to follow a few minutes later when she saw Antin leave the house. On a hunch she trailed him, keeping well out of sight.

The foreman went directly to the packing house and George started back through the grove. Suddenly it occurred to her that she might get a clue to the orange mystery from some of the pickers. Seeing two of them a little distance away, she walked toward the men.

When George came near, she heard one man say, “I wouldn’t trust that guy any place.”

His companion replied, “Me neither.”

The other man said laughingly, “I’ll bet you the boss is making a killing for himself! ” Were they talking about Antin or Mr. Billington?

Puzzled but suspicious, George hurried back to the house. By the time she arrived Tina had gone upstairs and Bess and Nancy had come down. George told them what she had heard in the grove.

“Which boss do you think the men were talking about? ” she asked.

Nancy smiled. “I’ll try to find out.”

She went to the phone and called the packing house. When a man answered, she said, “I’d like to speak to the boss.”

“Okay. I’ll call him, ” the worker replied. He yelled. “Antin, you’re wanted on the phone.”

Noiselessly Nancy put down the receiver and reported to the other girls.

“Shall we go tackle him? ” George asked. “I’m sure he’s doublecrossing Mr. Billington.”

Nancy agreed but said, “I have a feeling that today Antin will be on his good behavior. In the meantime let’s try once more to get into the Webster house. I can’t wait to see the inside.”

“How are you going to accomplish that without a key? ” Bess queried.

Nancy said she would start by going back to Mr. Scarlett’s office. She might be able to learn something from nearby store owners.

When the girls reached the realtor’s office, they were surprised to see the door open. Lovely, low singing was coming from within. Wondering what was going on, the three callers walked inside. A stout, pretty woman was singing a lullaby as she dusted the furniture.

Upon seeing the girls she smiled broadly and said, “You want Mr. Scarlett? ”

“Yes we do, ” Nancy replied.

The pleasant woman jerked her thumb toward a closed door. “He’s in there.”

Nancy was surprised and delighted. Now she could get the key!

She knocked on the closed door. A voice said, “Come in! ”

As Nancy walked in, she said, “Good morning. I’m Nancy Drew.”

“Oh yes. Mrs. Nickerson left a note you might come. Why did you? ”

“To have you show me the interior of the Webster house, ” she answered.

The realtor scowled. “Don’t you know I’m on vacation? ”

“Your sign said so, but you seem to be right here, ” the young detective replied with a smile.

“Well, I am on vacation. There were certain papers in my files I had to pick up.”

Nancy pretended not to notice he was trying to evade her. She said pleasantly, “I’m lucky to have found you. If you can’t show me and my friends the Webster house, then, since you know the Nickersons, will you please lend me the key? I’ll return it through your mail slot, unless my father decides he wants to buy the place. In that case I’ll keep the key.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort, ” Mr. Scarlett said unpleasantly. “The house is not for you. You wouldn’t like it and there are lots of things the matter with the place.”

“Like what? ” Nancy asked.

Mr. Scarlett frowned. “It’s not necessary for me to go into that.”

Nancy was not ready to give up yet. She smiled. “Why are you so anxious to keep us away from the Webster property? If I were a suspicious person, I would think something wrong was going on there.”

Mr. Scarlett’s eyes narrowed angrily. “Nonsense.”

“Then why are you refusing to let me see it? ”

Mr. Scarlett bit his lip. “Oh, all right, ” he said. “I don’t have time to show you the place myself.” He opened the drawer and took out a key with the letter W cut into it. A tag marked Webster was attached. “Here you are, ” he said icily. “But if anything is missing or disturbed, you’ll be held responsible.”

“I understand, ” Nancy said.

She took the key and joined Bess and George. They said good-by to the cleaning woman and went out to the car. Nancy drove directly to the lovely house on the Indian River and the three girls went in.

“How wonderful! ” Bess exclaimed, after looking around. “It’s even nicer inside than outside.”

Nancy too was charmed by the place, which was attractively furnished. The walls of the modern Spanish-type rooms were artistically decorated. In this warm climate the whole place had an air of coolness and true hospitality.

“I don’t see anything the matter with this house, ” said George. “Mr. Scarlett’s opinion is for the birds.” The others agreed and all of them wondered why the realtor had tried to discourage them.

Suddenly they were startled by the same chilling scream they had heard when looking over the grounds with Mrs. Nickerson.

“There it is again! ” Bess murmured. “Ugh! I wouldn’t want to live here with that gross thing next door.”

“Let’s find out what it is! ” Nancy urged.

“Not me, ” Bess said firmly.

“Don’t be chicken, ” George chided her cousin.

Reluctantly Bess went outside and Nancy locked the door. The girls hurried toward the heavy wire-mesh fence. There was another scream, followed by a snarl.

“It’s a wild animal! ” Bess whispered. “We’d better run! ”