As the three gazed down into the ravine, the first light of dawn revealed that the foreign car had rolled nearly to the bottom of it and overturned against a boulder. A wheel had been torn loose from its axle and the body had been smashed in. There was no sign of any of the three occupants.
A silence held the trio above. It was inconceivable that anyone in the wreck could be alive!
At last Carson Drew found his voice. “I guess we’d better notify the police and emergency squad,” he said.
Don agreed, but Nancy thought they should first see if by chance any of the accident victims were alive.
Mr. Drew and Don nodded, and followed Nancy as she scrambled down the incline. Nancy, in the lead, gasped as she saw the body of a strange man, apparently not the driver, which had been flung out of the car into a clump of bushes near the wreck. She also noticed gasoline spilling from a hole in the tank. Vaguely she thought of fire and an explosion.
“Hurry!” she urged.
As the three drew closer they saw a man’s leg and a woman’s high-heeled shoe protruding from beneath the left-hand side of the car.
With frantic haste Don and Mr. Drew dragged the man out, while Nancy tugged at the woman’s body. Stumpy Dowd and his wife! Both were breathing, but unconscious. The victims, cut and badly bruised, were carried to a safe place on the grass.
“Now let’s see about the other man, Mr. Drew,” urged Don.
As they headed for the bushes where he lay, Nancy stared at the car. “The suitcases!” she thought. “Laura’s inheritance and Mr. Aborn’s little fortune! I must get them out before they may be burned up!”
Crawling under the wreck, she began to grope about frantically. Her hand struck a suitcase and she dragged it out.
At that instant Nancy realized how hot the metal was. There might be spontaneous combustion at any second. She must work fast to save the second suitcase!
“It’s the only way I can ever repay Laura for saving my life on Twin Lakes!” Nancy thought.
By feeling around she found the bag and triumphantly brought it out, only to be jerked from the scene by Carson Drew and Don.
“Nancy!” Carson Drew cried, white-faced and horror-stricken. “Are you mad? Those suitcases aren’t worth your life!”
There was a sudden explosion. Then flames enveloped the car and the dry grass in the immediate vicinity began to burn.
Don Cameron shuddered, but looked at Nancy, admiration showing in his eyes. “You’re the most courageous girl I’ve ever met,” he said slowly. “Nancy, you might have been killed!”
As she herself realized what a narrow escape she had had, Nancy breathed a prayer of thanksgiving. She was shaken and silent as the men threw dirt on the flames to keep them from spreading. When they finished, Don told Nancy that he and Mr. Drew thought the third man would be all right, although the stranger as well as the Dowds were injured, perhaps seriously.
“Now I suppose we must get the three of them to a hospital as fast as we can,” he said.
At that moment they all heard the low whine of an ambulance alarm. This was followed by a police siren.
Nancy, Mr. Drew, and Don looked at one another hopefully. “Do you suppose—” Nancy began.
She was right. Help had come! A moment later police and emergency squad cars stopped at the top of the ravine. Four officers, two stretcher-bearers, and an intern, clad in white, hurried down to the group.
“Thank goodness,” said Mr. Drew. Introductions were quickly made, then he asked, “How did you know about the accident?”
An officer, Lieutenant Gill, told him that a farmer living not far away had seen the speeding car go off the road and notified headquarters.
“When we heard it was a black foreign car, we were suspicious immediately,” he said. “Can you identify these people as the Dowds?”
“From pictures, yes,” said Mr. Drew, and briefly told the whole story of the Dowd affair up to the present moment.
“And I can testify that they were impersonating the Aborns,” Nancy added.
“Anybody know who the other man is?” Lieutenant Gill inquired.
“I believe,” Mr. Drew replied, “that he’s William Frednich, assistant to the president of the River Heights branch of the Monroe National Bank. He’s suspected of removing certain securities from the bank.”
During this conversation the intern had been examining the accident victims and the attendants had laid them on stretchers. The doctor reported that the victims had been given first aid and had revived. They would be in good shape after a short stay in the hospital.
“They’ll get a nice long rest after that,” said Lieutenant Gill, “in the state pen. I shan’t try to question them now.”
As the prisoners were carried up to the ambulance, with the others following, Lieutenant Gill explained to the Dowds how Nancy had saved them from being burned in the wreckage.
“I don’t believe it,” said Stumpy ungratefully. His wife was more gracious. “Thanks, Miss Drew. And I want to tell you I’m tired of this whole business. You’re only a kid but you’ve really taught me a lesson.”
Nancy did not answer. She found herself choking up, and tears came into her eyes.
As the ambulance moved away, Nancy, quickly brushing her moist eyes dry with the backs of her hands, turned toward the east. She observed that a beautiful sunrise was beginning to flood the sky with brilliant color.
Don yawned. “What do you say we head for home?” he suggested. “Otherwise, I’ll never be able to make my sister’s wedding this evening.”
“Oh dear!” Nancy exclaimed. “I forgot all about it. Please forgive us for keeping you up all night.”
Don grinned. “I wouldn’t have missed this excitement for anything!”
“I suggest,” said Mr. Drew, “that we go back to Nancy’s hotel and the Drews will get some sleep. Don, you take my car and return to River Heights. Later, Nancy and I will take a taxi and pick up her convertible at the Aborns’.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll do that.”
While the three had been talking, Lieutenant Gill had been wedging open one of the two locked suitcases which Nancy had taken from the wrecked car. Mr. Drew and the others walked over as he lifted the lid.
The bag was jammed with feminine clothing. There were several dresses, a large make-up kit, pieces of lingerie, shoes, and several wigs—a gray one, a black hairpiece, and one which was decidedly auburn.
“That clinches it, Dad!” Nancy exclaimed. “Mrs. Dowd must have gone around in disguise to cash the bonds.”
“But where’s the money she got?” Don asked.
“It must be in the other bag,” Nancy suggested, “together with securities and money belonging to Laura Pendleton, Mr. Aborn, and River Heights bank clients.”
Lieutenant Gill opened the second suitcase. It contained men’s clothing and toilet articles.
“Nancy, you risked your life for this!” Don exclaimed.
Nancy Drew could not believe her eyes. Had she been mistaken in believing that Stumpy Dowd had put the contents of Mr. Aborn’s safe in the bags? Quickly she glanced down at the foreign car. Had Laura’s inheritance and other people’s money burned in it?
The thought stunned the young sleuth. But in a moment an idea came to her.
“There’s just a possibility the papers are here,” she said.
All eyes turned on the girl detective, as the group awaited a further explanation.
CHAPTER XX
A Surprise Gift
“I’M SURE,” said Nancy, “that Mr. Dowd not only put the money and securities in one of these suitcases, but never removed them!”
“Then where are they?” Don asked.
Nancy smiled. “These bags may have false bottoms!”
Lieutenant Gill said, “Why, of course. I should have thought of that.”
Kneeling down, he soon found that Nancy was right. The bottom of each bag opened up, disclosing packages of thousand-dollar bills and securities.
&
nbsp; “Good thinking, Nancy,” said Don admiringly. “You’re a whiz of a detective, all right.”
It took Mr. Drew and the officers several minutes to count the large sum of money and make a rough estimate of the value of the stocks and bonds. When they finished, the officer gave Carson Drew a receipt to turn over to the president of the Monroe National Bank. Meanwhile, he would take the stolen property to police headquarters and send on a detailed report.
A few minutes later Nancy’s group said good-by to the officers, and returned to Mr. Drew’s car. When they reached the Beach Cliff Hotel, Nancy and Mr. Drew got out. They thanked Don for all he had done.
“Don’t mention it.” The young man grinned. Turning to Nancy, he added, “I kept my date with you yesterday after all!”
As he got into the driver’s seat Don said that when he returned the car to the Drews’ home he would tell Hannah Gruen what had happened.
It was now very light. Nancy and her father, exhausted, could hardly wait to get a few hours sleep. They tumbled into their beds and slept until noon, then met in the hotel dining room for a hearty brunch.
“How’s your head, Dad?” Nancy asked.
“Sound as ever!” Carson Drew said, grinning. “I don’t even have a bump.”
“Then we have a date,” Nancy told him, waving a note. “This was at the desk. I picked it up. The clerk said Jim Donnell left it a little while ago.”
“The date’s with him?” Mr. Drew asked.
“No. Laura Pendleton. She says she and the Aborns are thrilled by the news which the police relayed and would like us to come to their house as soon as possible. What do you say, Dad?”
“We’ll go.”
As Nancy finished her pancakes and sausages she remarked that she could hardly wait to start for the Aborns’ home. “I wonder if the Dowds have confessed everything and what Mr. Frednich had to say.”
“In my opinion it’s an open and shut case,” the lawyer replied.
While Mr. Drew paid the hotel bill, Nancy called a taxi and soon the Drews were heading for Eagle Rock Lane. Reaching it, they got out of the cab and the lawyer paid the driver.
Nancy slid in behind the steering wheel of her convertible, as Mr. Drew got in on the other side. The motor started at once. “Good old Jim,” Nancy said with a smile, and drove up the lane to the Aborn home.
As she parked, the front door was opened by a woman of about forty-five. Her pretty face showed humor, kindness, and intelligence.
After the Drews had introduced themselves, the woman said she was Marian Aborn and had reached home “in the wee small hours” because her plane was late. “I’ve been most eager to meet you two,” she added, smiling. “How can I ever thank you for all you’ve done?”
As the callers went inside, Laura Pendleton hurried down from the second floor. After greeting Mr. Drew she gave Nancy a kiss and exclaimed, “Everything is so wonderful-you’ve captured the thieves and recovered all the money—and I have the nicest guardians anyone could ever hope for!”
“And Jacob and I have a daughter to love!” said Marian Aborn, smiling fondly at Laura.
Nancy asked how Mr. Aborn felt. His wife said, “Come see for yourselves,” and led the way to a small study at the rear of the house.
She knocked, then opened the door, and Nancy heard the steady drum of typewriter keys. Jacob Aborn was seated behind the machine.
The erstwhile cellar prisoner already looked like a new man. His face was flooded with color, and his eyes were alert and happy. Now he stood up, greeted the Drews, and expressed his great appreciation for all they had done in recovering his and Laura’s property.
He grinned at Nancy. “First time a girl ever risked her life for me!” he said. “To show my appreciation I’m writing my adventure. You know, writing is my business. If I sell this one to a magazine, I’m going to give the proceeds to Nancy’s favorite charity—the River Heights Youth Center!”
“Why, that’s terrific!” Nancy exclaimed.
Mrs. Aborn’s face sobered. She said that she had not yet heard the entire story of what had happened. Before anyone had a chance to tell her, the doorbell rang. Lieutenant Gill walked in with Chief McGinnis of River Heights and another man. While Nancy greeted the officers, her father hurried to shake hands with the stranger.
“This is Mr. Seward, president of the Monroe National Bank,” he announced a moment later, and introduced the dignified white-haired man.
The president’s glance included the policemen as he said, “I want to thank all of you in person for the splendid job you did in capturing the Dowds and the two bank employees involved in the thefts.”
“There is a fourth man?” Nancy asked in amazement.
Mr. Seward explained that Alma Dowd’s brother, Joe Jackson, had been employed by the Monroe National Bank in their vault department for some time. He and Frednich had cooked up the scheme of taking the securities. They had done this between audits of the bank’s holdings. Frednich, in his job as assistant custodian, had known exactly how to place his hands on the valuable stocks and bonds.
“Frednich overheard Mrs. Pendleton’s discussion with me about Laura and the large estate she would inherit some day,” Mr. Seward said, “and also that Mr. Aborn would be her guardian. When Frednich learned that Laura Pendleton had a valuable jewelry collection, he instantly thought of a swindle scheme. Frednich had chanced to meet Mr. Aborn one time while vacationing at Melrose Lake. He had been amazed by the strong resemblance between Aborn and Stumpy Dowd, whom Alma’s brother had introduced to Frednich. He asked Dowd to impersonate Mr. Aborn and to move up the date when Laura would come to the guardian’s home. He even deposited some securities with the bank in Stumpy’s name, so there would be no question of Dowd’s having anything to do with the thefts.”
“Where is Joe Jackson now?” Nancy asked.
Chief McGinnis said he would answer this question. “We caught him cruising by the Drews’ home. When we stopped the car, he tried to escape. After the whole story broke, we got a confession from him. He was going to burglarize your home, Nancy, to find the jewels.”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” said Mrs. Aborn. “Why did the Dowds rent the bungalow when they had helped themselves to this house?”
Nancy grinned. “I’m sure I know,” she said. “Dowd was smart enough not to want either Frednich or Jackson to stay here—just in case anyone from the bank traced the thefts to them before Dowd could make a getaway. So he had Alma Dowd rent the bungalow and convinced Frednich that it was a good hide-out.”
After Mr. Aborn and Laura had signed statements for the police, the officers and Mr. Seward left. Nancy suddenly felt a sense of loneliness and realized it was because her work on the case was at an end. Would another mystery come her way to solve? she wondered. And it did. In less than a week, Nancy was facing up to the challenge of The Mystery at Lilac Inn.
Nancy and her father now said good-by to the family at Eagle Rock. As Nancy gave Laura a farewell hug, she asked, “When will you come to get your jewelry?”
Laura consulted her guardian, who said the next day would be convenient for them to drive to River Heights. “Will three o’clock be all right?”
“Yes indeed.”
The following afternoon Laura Pendleton and the Aborns arrived promptly. After iced tea and some of Hannah’s delicious open-faced sandwiches, Laura whispered to Mr. Drew that she would love to get her jewelry from the safe. Excusing himself, Nancy’s father left the room and returned in a few minutes with the package, which he handed to Laura.
Nancy, meanwhile, was listening to Jacob Aborn’s surprising news that he had finished his story and was sending it to a leading magazine.
“Wonderful!” said Nancy. As she said this, she looked up to see Laura standing before her. In the girl’s hand was the beautiful aquamarine ring Nancy had admired earlier in the week.
“I’d like you to wear this,” Laura said shyly, “as a reminder that our friendship began on the water.�
� Quickly she slipped the ring on the third finger of Nancy’s right hand.
The pretty detective gave an exclamation of delight and admired the gift for a long moment. Then she showed it to the others. At last she turned to Laura and said with genuine sincerity:
“The ring is priceless and I’ll always treasure it as a reminder of you—although no one can place a value on a true friendship like ours.”
Seeing tears in Laura’s eyes, Nancy added quickly with a grin, “Even if we had to be shipwrecked to get an introduction!”
The Bungalow Mystery Page 11