Mystery of Crocodile Island - Carolyn Keene [2]
“That’s right,” her father replied. “However, he doesn’t want his partners to know it, so you girls are not to visit his home or his office, or even phone him. Roger Gonzales is afraid his partners are spying on him, and in some way may find out he’s starting an investigation.”
Mr. Drew told the girls they should pretend to be just tourists. “I’d even suggest that while you’re there you act like silly young girls, so that the Crocodile Ecology people won’t catch on. The last thing you want them to know is that you all have high detective IQ’s.”
Bess laughed. “That’ll be easy enough for me. I can act silly any time, but Nancy will really have to play the part.”
Mr. Drew asked to be excused. “I must get back to my office for another case.”
After he had gone, the telephone rang and Nancy hurried to answer it in the hall.
“Is this the Drew home?” a man’s voice asked.
“Yes. Who is this?”
“The River Heights Trick Shop. I want to speak to the girl who bought the crocodile.”
Nancy motioned to George and handed her the receiver.
“Hello?” George said.
“Are you the girl who bought the crocodile?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You’re in great danger!” the man told her. “The boy who was working here gave you a live one by mistake.”
“What!” George cried out.
“Bring it back right away,” the man ordered. “If you don’t, the police will arrest you!”
George was aghast. She could be put in jail for five years or be fined twenty thousand dollars!
Nancy, who had overheard the conversation, looked toward the box on the table. Her father had not bothered to put the lid on after examining the crocodile. Now the reptile was climbing out of the container!
It opened its jaws wide. Though the crocodile was only a baby, there was no doubt about its viciousness. It could easily snap off someone’s finger!
Just then the other girls in the room noticed that the crocodile had escaped from its container. As Nancy dashed toward it, George froze and Bess screamed in fear!
CHAPTER II
New Names
MRS. Hannah Gruen, the Drews’ housekeeper, heard the commotion and rushed in from the kitchen. By now the baby crocodile lay at the edge of the table, making low hissing sounds.
Hannah backed away in alarm, even though she usually had plenty of courage when confronted with a crisis. A middle-aged woman, she had brought Nancy up after Mrs. Drew’s death, when Nancy was three years old. Since then kindly Mrs. Gruen had fostered the girl’s natural instinct to face danger without flinching.
“Wh—what on earth is going on here?” Hannah asked.
Before anyone could answer, Nancy’s bullterrier Togo slipped into the room behind the housekeeper. As soon as he spied the little reptile, he began to bark wildly. He jumped up in the air, trying to reach the crocodile with his paws.
“Don’t hurt it!” Nancy exclaimed. She grabbed Togo by his collar and tried to keep him from nipping the little creature.
“I’ll take Togo,” Hannah offered.
Nancy walked up to the table and turned the shoe carton on its end. Then, with the lid, she gently pushed the crocodile back toward it. Apparently the dog’s barking and yapping had frightened it, and the little reptile willingly crawled into the box.
“Thank goodness!” Hannah Gruen said with a sigh of relief as Nancy put the lid back on.
“I’m glad that’s over!” Bess added. “If one little baby can scare us like that, what’ll we do when we get to a farm full of great big crocs?”
Mrs. Gruen laughed. “No doubt the reptiles are kept in pits and can’t get out,” she said. “Don’t worry, Bess.”
Togo continued to bark and jump, so Nancy led him outside and put him in his run. The dog had helped her many times in her detective work, which had started with The Secret of the Old Clock. Recently she had unraveled The Strange Message in the Parchment.
Meanwhile, Hannah had found a sturdy cord to secure the shoe box. When Nancy returned to the living room, she suggested that the three girls go downtown and deliver the baby crocodile to its owner.
“I second the motion,” Bess said. “The sooner we get this creature