Carolyn Keene_Nancy Drew Mysteries 050 (11 page)

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Authors: The Double Jinx Mystery

Tags: #Women Detectives, #Detective and Mystery Stories, #Girls & Women, #Mystery & Detective, #Juvenile Fiction, #Adventure and Adventurers, #Mysteries & Detective Stories, #Fiction, #Mystery Fiction, #Women Sleuths, #Adventure Stories, #Drew; Nancy (Fictitious Character), #Mystery and Detective Stories, #Mystery & Detective Stories, #Nature, #Birds & Birdwatching, #Birds

BOOK: Carolyn Keene_Nancy Drew Mysteries 050
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“How unfortunate!” the professor exclaimed. “Does Kammy know this?”
“I’m afraid not. She hasn’t been in touch with the Thurstons, but two friends of mine who drove me here are telling her now.”
Gradually Nancy turned to the subject uppermost in her mind and mentioned how upset Kammy was.
“She tells me she’s going to be arrested for stealing and selling birds from the museum.”
To Nancy’s amazement the professor laughed heartily. Then he sobered.
“Poor Kammy! Did she take that note seriously?” he asked. “Since it was unsigned, I assumed it was meant as some kind of a hoax or joke. It’s true that several valuable, rare birds disappeared from the museum. But it would not occur to me that Kammy had taken them.”
“Then I have your permission to tell her not to worry any more?” Nancy asked. “And that she’s not going to be arrested?”
“Please do. Tell her I’m exceedingly sorry this has happened. Kammy has seemed very sad lately but she never gave a reason for her moodiness and in fact she rarely talks.”
The professor went on to say that he had found the Eurasian girl charming but very mysterious.
“Mysterious?” Nancy repeated. “How?”
Professor Saunders pointed to a pile of themes pushed to one side of his desk. “My students had an assignment and of all those I have read so far, Kammy’s is superior to the rest.”
Nancy wondered what this remark had to do with his thinking Kammy was mysterious. In a moment he explained.
“Near the end of her paper, I found a sheet which had been inserted. The paper did not match the others and there was no handwriting on it, just a drawing.”
Professor Saunders stood up and started looking through the pile of papers. Presently he came to Kammy’s and pulled it out. After flipping over several pages, he showed one of them to Nancy. On the inserted sheet was a large circle in which a cross had been drawn!
Professor Saunders looked at Nancy. “Have you any idea what this means and why Kammy would have put such an unrelated piece in this theme?”
Nancy told him that it was said to be a bad luck symbol but admitted that she was baffled too. “I doubt that Kammy inserted it herself,” she said.
Professor Saunders looked at Nancy, puzzled. “My office is locked and no one but me has access to these papers.”
The young detective thought a moment, then said, “The person who stole the birds from your museum perhaps could have access to your office also.”
“That’s possible,” he agreed. “It might be a lead for the police. Apparently the thief is an enemy of Kammy’s.”
Nancy told the professor that the same symbol had been left in various places, including the Thurston home, the ballet director’s desk, and Ned Nickerson’s car. The professor was astounded.
“This whole case is more serious and mysterious than I realized,” he remarked.
Nancy did not want to reveal any more of the results of her father’s investigation, so she stood up and said she must hurry back to Kammy and tell her the good news.
“By all means,” he replied.
When Nancy reached the dormitory, she found Kammy, Bess, and George talking animatedly. They stopped at once and looked up at Nancy.
“Good news!” the young detective exclaimed and rushed over to hug Kammy.
After she had delivered Professor Saunders’ message, the Eurasian girl smiled. “Oh, I am so happy about this,” she said. “Now I must find Petra! Please, could you take me to the place where you saw him?”
“We’d be glad to, but first I want to tell you something,” Nancy replied. “Mr. and Mrs. Thurston need you very much at the farm, Kammy. The danger of the disease spreading among the rest of the birds is over. It will be perfectly safe for you to go back, and for you to take Petra if you find him.”
“But I am afraid I bring bad luck to the Thurstons,” she said.
Nancy insisted that this could not be true and that Oscar Thurston at least would not accept such an excuse.
“You know his wife is superstitious and believes in weird signs and omens and probably can be mesmerized. If she refuses to cooperate about selling the farm, someone may threaten to put a curse on her. We mustn’t allow this to happen.”
Kammy thought over the girl’s comments a few seconds, then said, “Nancy, you are an amazing person. I feel so much better now. When we get to the front hall, will you telephone to the Thurstons and ask if they really want me to come back?”
Nancy was delighted. “And if they do, will you go?”
“Yes.”
When Nancy phoned the Thurston home, Oscar answered. He said it would be wonderful if Kammy would return. Both he and his wife missed her very much and her help was invaluable. Nancy passed the complimentary message along to Kammy, whose face lighted up.
“I am so happy!” she said, and picked up Petra’s large cage. “Now we find my lovely bird!”
As the girls left the building, she tucked her arm into Nancy’s and said, “I just feel that some terrible spell has left me. I must not let it take possession of me again.”
Nancy, Bess, and George exchanged satisfied glances. This truly was good news!
On the way to George’s car, Kammy stopped at the housing office to arrange permission to return to the Thurston farm. Then the girls rode to the spot where they had seen the wryneck.
“Look!” Bess exclaimed. “Petra is sitting on that broken limb!”
When Kammy alighted from the car, she slowly walked toward her pet. He did not fly away nor even move. When she opened the bird-cage door, he flew to it and hopped inside. The Eurasian girl began speaking to him in her native language. The bird jumped around the cage excitedly, apparently understanding her words.
The next moment she reached in and took Petra in her hands. Lovingly she stroked his feathers.
Suddenly Petra began to show signs of being uncomfortable, so Kammy held him by his feet. The bird stretched his wings wide. His owner gave a little gasp.
Taped underneath one wing was a tiny package!
George spoke up. “So Petra was stolen!” she remarked angrily.
Carefully Kammy detached the little package, returned the pet to his cage, and closed the door. As the girls watched, she unwrapped the package, looked at the object inside, then burst into tears.
CHAPTER XV
Fingerprint Proof
 
 
 
“KAMMY, what’s the matter?” Nancy asked as her Eurasian friend continued to sob.
Bess and George were trying to see what she was holding, but the girl had doubled her fist, hiding the object from view.
A few seconds later Kammy stopped crying and opened her hand. On the palm lay a gorgeous ring. She slipped it onto her thumb and they all stared at the golden band. Mounted on the top were three circles of gems. The outer one was sparkling green emeralds. The middle one contained glistening yellow topaz and the inner circle was set with small diamonds clustered around a larger one.
“It’s fabulous!” Bess exclaimed. “But why would it be taped under Petra’s wing?”
“I do not know,” Kammy replied. “This is a family heirloom which I brought with me when I came to this country. It disappeared about a month ago and I thought I had lost it. I am very puzzled now—and a little frightened too.”
“Why should getting the ring back frighten you?” Bess asked her.
Kammy said it was not the ring itself which bothered her, but the strange way in which it was returned. Had someone found it? Had an enemy stolen it? But if so, why would he or she want to give the valuable piece back?
Bess gave a great sigh. “Oh, if Petra could only talk, he could solve the whole thing!”
Nancy, seeing that Kammy was becoming more upset, decided to change the subject. “Since you’re going back to the Thurstons, and if George doesn’t mind, why don’t drive over there now and leave Petra?”
Kammy agreed and George said she would be happy to take them all.
But Bess was concerned about how Nancy was feeling. “Maybe you’ve had enough excitement for one day. You were supposed to take it easy, and I wouldn’t say you have.”
Nancy laughed and assured the others she felt all right. “I’m sure I’ve recovered completely.”
The Thurstons were delighted to see the girls. They especially welcomed Kammy cordially and said they were delighted she was coming back.
“My birds haven’t seemed entirely happy since you left,” Oscar told her. “They don’t sing or chatter much.”
Kammy blushed. “It’s good to hear that they missed me,” she replied. “Is there some work I can do right now?”
“Not out in the cages,” the man answered. “But—”
Mrs. Thurston interrupted him and said to the girls, “Oscar and I are very much alarmed!” She turned to her husband. “Show the girls that awful letter you got.”
Oscar took it from the desk and read the contents aloud. The letter was from Mr. Ramsey Wright, president of the High Rise Construction Company. It was an order for the Thurstons to vacate the premises totally within a month.
“We are raising our price to you by one thousand dollars,” the letter stated. “That should cover any loss you may have to take with the closing of your zoo and aviary.”
Oscar put down the letter. “I don’t want the money. I just don’t want to leave here. Nancy, what can we do?”
The young detective offered to phone her father at once for his advice. Mr. Drew told her that Ramsey Wright had no business to send such a letter.
“Mr. Wright is just trying to take advantage of someone who does not know his rights under the law,” he said. “Nancy, tell Oscar that no sale can be forced until after the town council has voted to grant the High Rise Construction Company authority to acquire the land.”
Smiling, Nancy rejoined the group. She passed along her father’s message and Mr. and Mrs. Thurston relaxed.
“Dad also told me something else,” Nancy went on. “He received a phone call from Mr. Winnery, who said that he had convinced Mr. Hinchcliff, Mr. Ryan, and another councilman, Mr. Clifford, to vote for my alternate plan for the housing development.”
Bess suddenly clapped her hands and said, “Hip, hip, hurrah!”
As the others grinned at her in amusement, she went on, “Now that makes four out of the five councilmen who are for Nancy’s plan. Isn’t that a majority?”
Oscar nodded. “Yes, it is, but in this case the council agreed some time ago that the vote would have to be unanimous.”
“Humph!” said George. “That means we have one more man to convince.”
Kammy said she must leave. “I’ll take the bus back to the university and pick up my clothes that are there. I’ll return as soon as I can.”
George offered to take her but the Eurasian girl shook her head. “Nancy should go right home and crawl into bed. She looks very tired.”
Nancy admitted that she was, so all the girls left. They had barely started off when Nancy said, “I’d like to stop at police headquarters and see if there’s any news on the case.”
Bess tried to convince her friend that she should not stop just now, but Nancy said the call would not take long.
Chief Pepper greeted her warmly and said, “No new leads on the Thurston case. But my men will keep on the alert for Slick Fingers.”
Nancy thanked the chief for the information and left. Then George drove her directly to the Drew home.
When Nancy walked in, Hannah looked at her reproachfully. “Nancy, I think you’ve been doing something strenuous. You look exhausted and I suggest you get to bed at once.”
“But, Hannah dear, I have so much news for you and Dad. Please let me eat some supper with you while I tell you what happened today, then I’ll go upstairs.”
Her audience of two alternately chuckled and looked alarmed as Nancy told the story of her near accident on a broken tree limb, the rescue of Petra and of Kammy’s heirloom ring which had been returned so mysteriously.
Her father commented, “You had enough adventures in one day, Nancy, to last most people a week.”
Nancy laughed. “Don’t such things happen to all detectives?” she asked, then kissed Hannah and her father good night. “Tomorrow I plan to call on Mr. Tabler, one of the councilmen, and find out which way he plans to vote on High Rise’s proposed projects.”
“I believe he owns a nursery,” her father stated, “and High Rise wants to buy it. I hope you’re planning to take Bess and George along for support.”
The following morning Nancy called the cousins, who agreed to accompany her. Nancy offered to drive and pick them up. By the middle of the morning the three girls were nearing the town of Harper. They watched for signs to the Tabler Nursery.
“That’s probably it off to the right where all those trees and bushes are growing in rows,” Bess spoke up.
When they came to a narrow side road the girls saw the sign for which they were looking. They pulled into the rear yard of a farmhouse.
A large group of young boys and girls were running about, screaming and laughing. Nancy and her friends could not figure out what kind of game they were playing.
“What a noise!” Bess commented, holding her hands over her ears.
The three callers got out of the car. One boy about twelve who had been throwing a football into the air sent it whizzing directly at George. Before it could hit her, she caught the ball neatly and tossed it back to him. He looked surprised.
“Good catch!” he said.
In the meantime Bess had dodged a toy airplane. One little girl, who had made a row of mud pies in a corner of the yard, now picked one up. She threw it straight at Nancy, who quickly jumped out of the way. The mud pie landed on another child. The rest of them giggled and several clapped.
A woman came from a rear door of the house. She told the children to quiet down.
Nancy asked for Mr. Tabler and learned that he was not at home. The young detective explained her reason for coming and said, “Will you please pass this information along to Mr. Tabler.”

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