The Strange Message in the Parchment (15 page)

Nancy asked if she might use Eezy’s walkie-talkie. “I’d like to tell the good news to everyone down at Triple Creek.”

The little group walked back to the cabin and Nancy called. Mrs. Flockhart answered and was thrilled to hear that mother and son were together after all these years. She was not happy, however, to learn that the four of them had been attacked by men who apparently were in Mr. Rocco’s employ.

“I’ll notify the police at once about what has happened,” she said.

Nancy had just finished the conversation, when she saw Bess, George, Ned, Burt, Dave, Dan, and Junie coming up the hillside. They waved gaily and Ned called out, “We captured your attackers! They’ve confessed!”

When the group drew close, Ned explained that the young people were hiding at various posts behind the sheep and trees, and saw the two coveralled men racing down the hillside. They were speaking in Italian but Dan could understand them.

“We realized from their conversation what had happened up here, so we ran after them,” he said. “Right now they’re in the hands of the police.”

“That’s great!” Nancy exclaimed, then properly introduced those present.

Mrs. Bolardo and Tony stood together, arm in arm, looking delighted at the turn of events. Then a walkie-talkie message came from Mr. Flockhart, advising that everyone except Eezy was to proceed at once to the Rocco home. He did not explain why, but everyone assumed that Rocco had been arrested.

Tony, excited, said in Italian, “I know a shortcut.” He bid Eezy good-by and thanked him for his good care and fine meals. Then the boy led the others down a different section of the hillside.

It was not long before the Rocco farmhouse was in sight. Ned, who had been walking with Nancy, had been very quiet, but now he said, “See all those people down there? Burt, Dave, and I got hold of the farmers and others who had joined the association. We suggested they come to Rocco’s place.”

Now the farmers and other residents of the area were milling around, talking. As Nancy and her companions came closer, she noticed that some of the crowd looked angry and a few were trying to get into the house. Police guarded the door and kept them out. By the time Nancy and her friends reached it, Mr. Flockhart was there and told the guard to admit them.

They found Mr. Rocco seated on his living-room couch, being quizzed by a police officer. He had denied every accusation.

Suddenly he looked up and blinked as he saw Tony and Diana Bolardo, arm in arm, standing before him.

Without speaking to them, the man jumped from the couch and dashed for the door. He was caught by a policeman and escorted back into the living room.

Finally he managed to say, “Diana! Diana! How did you get here? How did you find me? I meant no harm taking your baby. I felt that you would not be able to take care of him.”

“That was because you stole all my money!” the woman cried out. “Salvatore, you are a wicked man. How glad I am that these good people here were able to bring Tony and me together again so you can’t do him any more harm!”

Rocco looked defiant. “I did not harm him, and have brought him up right. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me for taking Tony.”

His sister-in-law made no response. At this moment there was a great shout from outside, and voices calling, “We want Rocco ! We want Rocco!”

“I’m not going out there!” the man declared.

“Oh yes you are,” one of the police guards said.

He took Rocco by the arm and walked him onto the porch so that he could face his accusers. Rocco still denied any wrongdoing, but they insisted upon his returning their money.

Rocco, livid, shouted, “All right! You can have your money back if you can find it!” He turned and went back into the living room.

Ned whispered to Nancy, “It’s my guess that the money is hidden on the premises. How would it be if the other boys and I help these farm workers find it?”

“Good idea,” Nancy said, and the great search started.

She went inside, where Rocco was again seated on the couch, with police guards on either side of him. He looked sullen and angry. His black eyes kept darting toward his sister-in-law as if he could not believe she was really there.

Nancy noticed that between glances, the man’s eyes kept roving toward a table with a large drawer in it. The girl detective wondered if there might be something in it that he did not want anybody to see.

She called one of the policemen aside and asked him to investigate. As the two walked toward the table, Rocco suddenly got up and tried to escape. He was soon stopped and brought back. The second guard rejoined Nancy, and they opened the long drawer in the table.

“Oh!” Nancy exclaimed. She turned to Rocco. “You had Sid Zikes steal this picture, hoping the secret it contains wouldn’t be found out!”

Rocco shouted, “I never should have sold the picture! I should have destroyed it long ago! I never saw the initials on the back, but when I heard Nancy Drew was working on the case, I decided to steal it!”

At this moment one of the men who lived in the house came into the room. He went over and addressed Rocco.

“You fooled a lot of people, Sal, but you didn’t fool me, although I admit your threats frightened me into being your puppet. I haven’t forgotten how you cheated me and my family years ago, and I was determined to get even at some time. You knew the secret locked in the parchment picture and I knew it too! But I didn’t know where Tony’s mother was and whether she was alive or not. When you sold the picture I saw a good chance for somebody else to figure out the secret and bring you to justice.

“After you sold the picture to Mr. Flockhart, I telephoned him that if he could decipher the meaning of the paintings, he would learn a great secret and right an old wrong.”

No one in the room was more surprised at this revelation than Nancy Drew. Now. all the questions concerning the strange mystery had been solved.

Nancy looked at the informer quizzically. “How much did you have to do with getting money from farmers to join an association?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “My name is Hapgood. I have been telling Sal that he ought to get the association started or give back the money. But he wouldn’t pay any attention to me.”

Suddenly Rocco screamed at him, “Hapgood, get out of here and never let me see you againl You are a cheat and a double-crosser!”

Hapgood did not move. He turned to the police guard and said, “I am innocent and I hope to get some credit for helping to straighten out matters at this place and restore Tony to his rightful mother. Most of the field workers, as well as Sal, sneaked into this country illegally.”

One of the policemen said, “That’s not for me to decide. You will be questioned with all the other men who work here.”

Just then there was a great shout from outdoors. Everyone rushed to the porch except Rocco and his guards. Ned Nickerson ran up to Nancy.

“All the stolen money and the names of the people have been discovered!”

“Where?” Nancy asked.

Ned told her that some of it had been found in an abandoned well, other cash in the hayloft, under the car seat of Rocco’s automobile, and the account book in one of the barns.

Farmers and others involved had appointed Mrs. Potter their chairman. Now she was busy giving out the proper amounts of money to each person who had contributed to the fake association.

Burt and Dave came up and said they had located a cage of mechanical birds, which had attacked Nancy and Junie on their first visit to the Rocco farm.

“We understand from the man who worked the mechanism by remote control that Mr. Rocco believed the lifelike birds would drive off intruders. He would not be blamed, however, because the victims would think the birds were alive.”

Finally the crowd outdoors dispersed, happy at the outcome. Mrs. Potter spoke for them all and thanked Nancy for her part in keeping them from losing so much money.

Nancy was thoughtful for a moment as she realized this mystery was solved. Little did she know that she would soon become involved in the exciting Mystery of Crocodile Island.

In the meantime, more police arrived. Every worker on the Rocco farm was rounded up and word came that other henchmen of Rocco’s were being sought.

After everyone had gone, Mr. Flockhart came into the house and talked with Mrs. Bolardo about her plans.

“Oh, as soon as we can get Antonio’s clothes packed and buy him some new ones, we’ll set off for Italy.”

Mr. Flockhart insisted that they stay at his home until the woman and her son were ready to fly to New York and then to Rome. She accepted the invitation, then looked at her son lovingly.

“Italy is where Tonio belongs,” she told the group, “but I promise you all that his English will not be neglected. I plan to send him to a special school where children learn many languages and talented young artists get fine training from the masters.”

“That’s great,” Nancy said. “Tony, I’m counting on you. Someday I hope to see many beautiful paintings by Antonio Rocco Bolardo.”

He tried to speak English, but gave up, and finished in Italian. His mother translated, then told Nancy the boy’s smiling answer.

“I won’t disappoint you, I promise. But in the meantime, please keep up your own interest in art, Nancy. It helped you solve the mystery of the parchment and gave me back my lovely motherl”