Carolyn Keene_Nancy Drew Mysteries 050 (7 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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Ned was fascinated too. When the number was over, he whispered to Nancy, “Is he your villain?”
She shrugged. “We’ll find out after the show.” The applause was thunderous and continued until Borovsky began to dance an encore. Other numbers followed, but none could equal his, which had been the high point of the evening.
When the curtains were drawn finally, Nancy and Ned walked toward the stage and opened a side door. They ascended a few steps and watched the scene onstage. A man in a business suit, apparently the director, was talking to the dancers, who were still in costume.
Nancy and Ned politely waited until he had dismissed the ensemble. Then, as the man turned to leave, they stepped onto the stage.
“Mr. Van Camp?” Ned asked.
The man nodded. “You are the couple who asked to see me?”
“Yes,” Nancy replied. “First, I want to tell you how much I enjoyed the entire ballet. Your dancers and the selections were really wonderful.”
Ned smiled. “I admit Nancy dragged me here, but I found myself liking the performance very much—particularly the high jumper.”
The director smiled at Ned’s athletic reference to the troupe’s star dancer, and Nancy was grateful for an opening to ask her first question. “Mr. Van Camp, do you know of any other male dancer in this area who can compare with Boris Borovsky?”
“Yes, I do,” the director replied. “He used to be with this troupe and I hated to lose him. He was one of the best talents I ever worked with. Unfortunately I had to let him go.”
Mr. Van Camp looked questioningly at the young people. “Did you have a particular reason for wanting to know?”
Nancy wondered just how much she should reveal and replied, “Yes. My father is an attorney and something strange happened on the case he’s handling. A clue to someone involved might be a male dancer who can leap unusually high.”
Mr. Van Camp now divulged the fact that he had discharged the other dancer for his disreputable connections and unprofessional attitude.
“I don’t know what he’s doing now, but I imagine he’s been dodging the law since he left here. His real name is Mervin Gantry but the stage name he uses is Merv Marvel.”
Ned asked, “Could this Merv Marvel guy be mixed up in any kind of a land deal?”
Mr. Van Camp frowned. “I imagine he could be mixed up in almost anything. Merv had a strange way of mesmerizing people. He could get them to do just about anything.”
Nancy was struck by the word mesmerized. “How did he
mesmerize
people?”
The director said he had even heard a rumor that Marvel had tried fleecing superstitious people by scaring them with signs of warning and strange omens of bad luck.
“What kind of signs?” Nancy asked quickly.
“Various kinds, I was told,” the director replied. “By the way, if you ever come across him don’t let him try to sell you anything!”
“Thanks for the tip,” Ned replied with a grin.
“Could you tell me,” Nancy persisted, “what any of the signs were?”
Mr. Van Camp said that Merv was very angry at being discharged. “He left one of his symbols on my desk.”
The director pulled a note pad from his pocket and with a pencil drew a circle with a cross inside. Nancy wanted to shout for joy, but restrained herself as did Ned who said nothing. She had picked up a real clue!
Mr. Van Camp went on, “I’ve been told that this symbol means bad luck of some sort.”
Nancy did not comment but wondered, “Is this a private mark the ex-dancer uses or is he a member of some witchcraft group?”
Out of the corners of their eyes, the couple became aware of some dancers still waiting in the wings to talk to Mr. Van Camp. Nancy and Ned started to thank him and excuse themselves when he surprised them by asking:
“Have you people ever danced ballet?”
Ned laughed. “Only around a football field.”
Nancy told him that she had taken ballet lessons and loved them. “Sometime I’d like to learn to leap,” she said. “We only studied it a little in acrobatic class.”
Mr. Van Camp’s eyes twinkled. He called out, “Boris, come over here!”
The agile dancer walked forward and was introduced to Nancy and Ned.
Mr. Van Camp repeated Nancy’s remark to Boris, who smiled. “I’d be happy to help her, but first let me see you dance a little, Nancy.”
“Music!” Mr. Van Camp called out to the musicians who were in conference with their conductor.
Nancy was flushed with excitement. She took off her shoes. As soon as the music started she found it easy to execute simple movements, then with increasing confidence, more complicated ones. Some of the professional dancers came on stage and applauded.
“You are excellent,” Boris complimented Nancy. “Take my hand.”
As they started to dance together, Ned was amazed by his friend’s obvious talent. He began to clap too.
Boris himself seemed pleased with his pupil. As the tempo of the music increased, the star’s performance encouraged Nancy to make more strenuous leaps. Though Nancy could feel a twinge of muscle cramp, she was determined to dance her best.
When the music ended, Boris surprised and embarrassed Nancy by giving her a hug and a kiss and saying, “You’re wonderful!”
Nancy was pleased, but decided she would always prefer Ned as her steady dancing partner. She thanked Boris Borovsky and wished him continued luck in his career. Mr. Van Camp came to pat her on the shoulder. “Any time you’re looking for extra work, let me know,” he said, smiling. “It has been a real pleasure meeting you and Ned. I certainly hope our paths cross again.”
“I hope so too,” Nancy replied. Lowering her voice, she added, “And thank you for the information about Merv Marvel. I’ll pass it along to my father.”
Blushing happily, she left the theater with Ned. He was very quiet and she wondered if he was embarrassed by her ballet exhibition, or was he sulking a bit out of jealousy?
She herself said little, but at the Drew home, she began to relate the full story of the day’s happenings to her father and Hannah Gruen. She had hardly begun to speak when Ned arose.
“If you don’t mind,” he said, “I think I’ll go to bed. I’m really beat.” He said good night and went upstairs.
“Ned doesn’t seem like himself,” Mr. Drew remarked. “Nancy, did something happen between you two today?”
Nancy explained about Ned’s and Mr. Thurston’s unpleasant experience.
“Then no doubt Ned is feeling the aftermath of it all. Sleep is the best thing for him.”
Her father’s comment caused Nancy to wonder if she had been inconsiderate of Ned in suggesting they attend the ballet. She chided herself for it, then went on with her detailed report. Nearly an hour passed before they went upstairs. The lawyer praised his daughter for having uncovered the clue to the leaping specter.
Ned, amazed, began to clap for Nancy.
“I’ll have someone start working on that angle at once,” he said.
Nancy found that she too was very tired and dropped off to sleep at once. It was some time in the early morning that she was awakened by voices out in the hall.
Peering from her door, she observed Hannah and her father talking together worriedly and she asked what was troubling them.
“Ned is very ill,” her father said.
CHAPTER X
Unpleasant Councilman
 
 
 
“NED ill?” Nancy repeated. “I must go in and see him!”
Mr. Drew put a firm hand on his daughter’s shoulder and shook his head. “We don’t know what the trouble is yet and it may be contagious. What you can do is telephone Dr. Black and ask him if he can come over at once.”
She disliked the idea of waking the physician so early, but realized her father would not have made the request unless it was an emergency. In a few seconds Nancy was speaking with Dr. Black.
“This is Nancy Drew, Dr. Black. My friend Ned Nickerson is visiting us. He has suddenly become very ill. Would it be possible for you to come right over so that we’ll know what to do?”
“I’ll be there in a little while,” the physician replied.
After he arrived, Nancy and Hannah waited downstairs. The housekeeper said suddenly, “Ned might have food poisoning. I’ve tried to serve only wholesome meals. But maybe my—”
Nancy interrupted to assure her that her cooking was not the cause of Ned’s illness. All of them had eaten the same food and none of the others had become ill. She wondered, however, if some of the supper she had prepared at the Thurstons had been spoiled. Nancy dismissed the thought upon recalling that she had shared the identical meal.
When she told this to Hannah, the housekeeper said, “Then all I can conclude is that, even though I’m not superstitious, Ned must have been jinxed at the Thurston farm.”
Her remark startled Nancy. She went to the telephone to find out how Oscar was feeling after the attack upon him and Ned. He answered the phone at once and assured Nancy that he felt quite well. “Evidently I suffered no ill effects from what happened yesterday. I’m about to go out and work with the birds.”
Nancy said good-by. “What can be the matter with Ned?” she asked herself.
Just then the door to Ned’s room opened. Mr. Drew came out, followed by Dr. Black. As they reached the foot of the stairs, Nancy asked, “Please tell me about Ned. How is he?”
While patting her on the shoulder, the physician answered, “He’s a pretty sick boy, Nancy, but I believe I know what’s causing the trouble and with correct treatment he’ll improve quickly.”
Dr. Black went on to say that he suspected Ned was suffering from an attack of ornithosis, a disease which is carried by sick birds. “I understand from your father that Ned’s been in contact with some at the Thurston farm. I’m having tests made at the lab and I’ll let you know.”
Instantly Nancy offered to play nurse for Ned. The doctor shook his head. “If it is ornithosis, it’s quite contagious. All of you might easily catch it. I shall see about having Ned removed to a hospital.”
Hannah Gruen stepped forward. “Please don’t do that. I’ll put on a surgeon’s mask and take care of Ned myself.”
“Where are Ned’s parents?” Dr. Black asked. “In Europe,” Nancy replied. “Oh, Dad, please let Ned stay here.”
Mr. Drew smiled but said emphatically, “We’ll have Dr. Black decide that.”
“I’ll let you know,” the physician replied.
He left the house, carrying his doctor’s kit. Nancy turned to her father. “Dad, you’ve been exposed to Ned. I hope you don’t get sick!”
The tall, handsome lawyer grinned. “I’m in tiptop shape, Nancy,” he said, thumping his chest. He put an arm around his daughter. “Please stop worrying.”
This was not easy for Nancy to do. She said nothing more, however, and went into the kitchen to help Hannah prepare breakfast.
During the meal, Mr. Drew and Hannah took turns going upstairs to peek at Ned. They reported that he was asleep.
When the telephone rang, Nancy hastened to answer it. Dr. Black was calling with his report.
“Your friend Ned definitely has ornithosis,” he stated. “I will have medication sent over at once. It’s an antibiotic which should alleviate the virus immediately. Nancy, I think you should inform the Thurstons about Ned’s symptoms.”
“I’ll give him a ring at once and tell him,” Nancy promised.
She put in a second call to the farm. To her relief Mr. Thurston told her he had already disposed of the lifeless birds and thoroughly sprayed the cages with disinfectant.
“Fortunately none of the other birds have been affected,” he said, “and Rausch reports that all the animals in the zoo are okay.”
Nancy felt relieved. “Oh I’m glad.”
After hearing about Ned’s condition, Oscar told her to give the young man his best wishes. “Tell him how sorry I am he picked up the virus at my bird farm. I’m wondering,” he went on, “if by any chance the intruder deliberately infected the birds in order to make us believe we’re jinxed.”
“That’s a possibility,” Nancy remarked. “In any case, it’s a shame you had to lose all those beautiful birds.”
Nancy said she assumed it would be safe now for her, Bess, and George to help with the cleaning and feeding of the healthy birds. Oscar gladly accepted her offer. As soon as Nancy finished talking to him, she called Bess, then George. Both were astounded to hear her report about Ned.
“Since I’m not allowed to help take care of him,” said Nancy, “how about the three of us pitching in at the Thurston farm?”
The cousins eagerly agreed to go. On the way, the girls decided to buy some groceries and prepare a couple of meals for the Thurstons.
When they arrived at the farm, they again found Martha Thurston in her wheelchair. After a quick pleasant greeting, the woman began to relate a terrible dream about a giant bulldozer coming on their property, knocking over all the buildings, and letting the birds fly away.

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