Mystery of Crocodile Island - Carolyn Keene [14]
“True,” Mr. Gonzales agreed.
As they turned back to the clubhouse, Nancy stopped a couple who were driving in. She asked if they had seen a girl dressed in white except for a red-and-white vest. “We don’t know whether she was on foot or in a car.”
“No, we didn’t,” the man replied.
“Thank you,” Nancy said, disappointed.
Moments later a sports car came from the opposite direction. Mr. Gonzales asked the driver if he had noticed a girl on the road.
“A blond wearing a red-and-white vest?” the man asked.
“That’s right,” Nancy answered, excited. “Where did you see her?”
“I passed her about a mile down the road. She was riding in a brown car with a man.”
The information was sufficient for Nancy to conclude that the fraudulent Miss Boonton had made a quick getaway. “No use in looking for her any more,” she told Mr. Gonzales.
He nodded. “I owe you a lunch. You must be starved. Let’s return to the dining room.”
After they had ordered salads and iced tea, Nancy and her host talked about the mystery.
“I don’t understand how this could have happened,” he said, puzzled.
“I do,” Nancy said. “Your phone must be tapped. Do you remember where you were when you called my father on various occasions?”
Mr. Gonzales frowned. “The first call I made from home. The second one too—no, wait a minute. I made that one from the club. Yesterday I phoned from home again.”
Nancy nodded. “That proves my theory,” she said and told him about all that had happened, including the kidnapping attempt.
The man turned pale. “This means that not only am I in great danger, but you are, too!” he said. “I never would have asked you to come here if I had known!”
“Mr. Gonzales,” Nancy said, “I think you have more to worry about than I do. I have two friends with me, and a boy is helping us. We’ll be all right. But you would probably be better off if you left this club as little as possible while we’re working on the case.”
Mr. Gonzales nodded. “I see your point, and I’ll do as you say.”
Nancy changed the subject. “You told my father that you were suspicious of your business partners. Who are they, and exactly what worries you?”
“There are three partners in the Crocodile Ecology Company,” Mr. Gonzales said. “Hal Gimler, George Sacco, and me. Recently, the two active partners were evasive when I asked them about certain matters. I had a feeling they were dodging my questions about what’s going on. I found out they made trips to Mexico numerous times, and I know we have no dealings with that country. I had the feeling that they were trying to deceive me.”
“That’s when you called Dad the first time?” Nancy asked.
“Right. When they realized I suspected them, they asked me to sell my interest in the company to them; and at one point I felt that would be the best thing to do. That was when I called your father the second time and canceled your reservations.”
“But then you changed your mind?”
“Yes, because it turned out that I was not getting any cooperation at all from my partners. I’m glad you’re here, but I don’t like the idea of exposing you to danger.”
“We’re used to that,” Nancy said dryly. “Tell me, have you ever seen a submarine or a periscope near Crocodile Island?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
Nancy told him how she and her friends had spotted a periscope, which had disappeared before they could get a closer look.
Mr. Gonzales frowned. “The company could be shipping out crocodiles and not listing the sales. A submarine would be a splendid way of concealing the transaction.” He went on to say that some older reptiles had disappeared, and when he had inquired about them, his partners had merely said they had escaped.
“I don’t see how they could have, with the fencing there is all around the island,” Nancy commented.
“That’s true,” her companion agreed.
“How much of all this did you tell the other Miss Boonton?” Nancy asked.
“I mentioned that I was suspicious of Hal Gimler and George Sacco because I couldn’t get straight answers out of them. Then you arrived and she took off.”
“You didn’t mention the phone calls to