XV
What Mr. Drew Learned
“What’s the idea of having breakfast in the middle of the night?” Mr. Drew asked the question with good-natured gruffness as he yawned sleepily. “Why, look at that clock! It isn’t seven o’clock yet.”
“I’m sorry,” Nancy apologized guiltily as she poured his coffee. “You see, it was this way. I knew you had a big morning ahead of you and I wanted you to get an early start.”
“So it would seem, young lady. But, as it happens, I haven’t any special case coming up in court today.”
“Dad, you haven’t forgotten what you promised to do for me!”
Carson Drew, who was fond of teasing his daughter, pretended that he did not know what she meant.
“You were to see Mr. Hodge and the pawnbrokers,” Nancy reminded him severely. Then she saw the twinkle in her father’s eyes. “Oh, you’re trying to tease me!”
“I won’t forget to see them,” Mr. Drew promised soberly.
“And if you should find out anything important, please let me know right away.”
“All right, I will.”
After her father had left the house, Nancy Drew helped clear away the breakfast dishes and gave a few orders to Mrs. Carter. She then went to her room to straighten up and gather together a few things which needed mending. Bringing her sewing downstairs, she curled up on the davenport and tried to occupy herself with her work. But try as she would, she found it impossible to settle down. Every time the telephone rang she jumped to her feet and ran to answer it.
“Oh, dear,” she thought restlessly. “I know Dad won’t call for an hour or two, anyway; but I seem to be all on edge. I think I’ll run out and see Emily Crandall this morning. It will help kill the time and she’ll probably need cheering.”
Dropping her sewing, she dashed out into the kitchen to tell Mrs. Carter that she was going for a little drive and would be back in half an hour. The morning air was cool and crisp, and as Nancy drove toward the cottage on the lake she felt refreshed. Walking up the path with a carefree stride, she knocked on the front door. Almost at once it was opened by Emily.
“Oh, Nancy Drew!” the girl cried excitedly. “I’m so glad you came. Do come inside! Tell me, have you good news?”
Nancy’s face clouded. She wished with all her heart that she could give her friend encouragement.
“I haven’t anything definite to report yet,” she returned quietly; “but I’m hoping to have something soon.”
“Oh, Nancy, you must help me! If you can’t do it no one can!” Emily’s face clouded and she clutched Nancy by the arm. “Everything depends on getting those jewels back. Dick’s future and my happiness! And then there’s poor Mrs. Willoughby. The police are trying to brand her as a thief. Oh, it’s too dreadful!”
“Don’t give up hope, Emily. I’m doing everything I can.”
“Oh, you’ve been wonderful, Nancy. I wasn’t blaming you for a minute. I know I shouldn’t expect you to solve a mystery when the police and professional detectives can’t do it.”
“I may do it yet!” Nancy said resolutely. “I haven’t given up!”
“I’ll be your slave forever if you get my jewels back!” Emily promised rashly.
“If I do, I’ll not exact such high pay,” and Nancy smiled. “By the way, is Mrs. Willoughby here?”
“No, she went to River Heights early this morning. A detective came after her and took her to headquarters for more questioning. I feel so sorry for her! They haven’t given her a day’s rest since the robbery.”
“You think a great deal of her, don’t you, Emily?”
“Indeed I do! She’s always looked after me like a mother.”
“Do you know anything about her finances?”
“Her finances? What do you mean?”
“Well, to put it bluntly, has she ever been in need of money? Recently, I mean.”
“Oh, yes. She always worries about debts, though I guess she manages to get them all paid in some way. Mrs. Willoughby craves pretty things, but her income isn’t sufficient to meet all her wants, and that’s the rub. She buys more than she can pay for.” As she spoke Emily glanced anxiously at Nancy and noticing her sober expression, decided that she had told too much. “I hope you don’t think Mrs. Willoughby had anything to do with the robbery,” she added sharply. “Why, she wouldn’t touch a penny of my fortune!”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t,” Nancy returned soothingly. She could see that Emily was overwrought. “I intend to help her if I can.”
“Haven’t you any idea who took the jewels, Nancy?”
“Well, I have several ideas; but I’m not sure any one of them is a good one. However, I think I can promise you that I will solve the mystery during the next few days—if I ever solve it.”
“If only the police don’t arrest Mrs. Willoughby before that time!” and Emily began to pace the floor.
Nancy cheered her friend as best she could. When she left fifteen minutes later, Emily was calm again.
“I just know things will come out all right,” she told Nancy bravely, as she accompanied her to the roadster. “You’ve never failed to solve a mystery yet.”
Nancy Drew had stayed longer at the cottage than she had intended, and once on the road she drove rapidly to make up for lost time. Her talk with Emily Crandall had made her more than ever determined to find out what had become of the Crandall jewels. Though she was inclined to believe in Mrs. Willoughby, she was keen enough to realize that the evidence against her was extremely damaging. Unless the evidence soon pointed strongly in some other direction, the police would have Emily’s guardian behind the bars.
“Emily would suffer dreadfully from the humiliation,” Nancy thought. “And even if she were later proved innocent, it would ruin Mrs. Willoughby’s social standing.”
Driving up the boulevard she caught a glimpse of her own home and was surprised to see her father’s car parked on the driveway.
“Oh, I wonder if he found out anything about Mary Mason?” she asked herself eagerly.
Bringing the roadster to a halt beside her father’s sedan, she sprang out and ran toward the house. Carson Drew, who had seen her from the window, met her on the porch.
“Oh, Dad, did you find out anything?” Nancy demanded before he had an opportunity to speak.
Mr. Drew nodded.
“Come into the house,” he suggested quietly. “It may not be wise to let the neighbors into all our secrets.”
“You’re right,” Nancy laughed.
She followed her father into the living room and plumped herself down in an easy chair which all but enveloped her in its luxurious depth.
“What did you find out?” she inquired impatiently.
“Well, I saw Mr. Hodge, as you wanted me to. At first he didn’t take very kindly to the idea of looking up this Mason girl’s account.”
“Don’t tell me he refused!”
“No, he finally agreed to tell me what I wanted to know, provided that we keep the information confidential.”
“Of course.”
“It seems that you were right about the girl’s buying clothes.”
“I knew I was,” Nancy declared triumphantly.
“According to Hodge, she’s been buying scads of things lately. Mostly unnecessary articles.”
“Did you find out what she paid for them?”
“Yes.” Carson Drew took a slip of paper from his pocket and glanced at it. “A hat—fifteen dollars. Dress—forty-nine fifty. Shoes—fifteen. Scarf—five. Belt—two-fifty. Perfume—eight. Pocketbook—ten ninety-eight.”
“Imagine paying eight dollars for perfume!” Nancy exclaimed. “And nearly fifty dollars for a dress when she hasn’t even a position!”
“The whole thing comes to more than a hundred dollars,” Mr. Drew observed, studying the figures.
“And she paid cash?”
“The packages were sent C.O.D., just as you thought. She paid for them when they were delivered.”
“Did you call at any of the other stores?”
“Yes, at the River Heights Department Store and at Hidelberg’s. They had never heard of her at the River Heights Department Store, but at Hidelberg’s I found that she had bought a dress.”
“She must have gone back and bought it after I met her there,” Nancy said excitedly. “Probably she was afraid I’d see her buy it.”
“That might be.”
“What did she pay for the dress, Dad?”
“Sixty-five dollars.”
“Why, I wouldn’t think of spending that much for a dress myself! Where does she get the money? I think it looks mighty suspicious.”
“It does look odd,” Mr. Drew agreed. “But there’s one weak spot in your hypothesis—besides my suggestion of the other day that someone is paying her to keep silent.”
“What is that?”
“This Mary Mason may have come into her money in a perfectly honest way. I visited all the pawnbroker shops this morning and I’m sorry to say I didn’t find a trace of the Crandall jewels.”
“Would you know the jewels if you saw them, Dad?”
“Yes, I am sure I would. I saw them a number of years ago, and I pride myself on having a certain eye for beautiful jewels. Even if they had been removed from their settings, I would recognize them instantly.”
“Did you describe Mary Mason to the pawnbrokers?”
“Yes, I gave them the best description I could. I’ve never seen the girl myself, but I recalled what you had told me about her. The pawnbrokers were quite certain they had never seen such a person.”
“I was afraid we’d not be able to trace the jewels that easily,” Nancy sighed.
“If that girl had anything to do with the robbery, she must have gone out of town with the loot. Perhaps we had better put a detective on the case.”
“Oh, don’t do that!” Nancy protested quickly. “Please let me work this out in my own way. Give me a week or ten days. If I can’t get anywhere in that time, then you can call in the regular detectives.”
“Good enough,” Mr. Drew agreed, “unless that girl slips through our fingers.”
“I’ll see that she doesn’t,” Nancy promised emphatically. “I believe I’m on a track now that will lead to an arrest before another week is over! Just whose, we can’t be sure,” she added soberly. “Perhaps Mrs. Potter’s, though I confess that seems unlikely. We’d better look further into that, though. Perhaps Mrs. Willoughby’s; but I hope not for Emily’s sake. She’s a good kid, Dad, and it would break her heart if her guardian had done this thing. Perhaps Mary Mason. Perhaps Viola Granger. I haven’t yet found out where she went after she left Lilac Inn that day. Perhaps someone we haven’t yet suspected.”
“Yes, it’s complicated. But good luck to you, Nancy. And now you better get a little rest to clear that brain of yours.”