Mystery of the Glowing Eye - Carolyn Keene [43]
She hurried from the room and ran to the lobby. The scene before her startled the young detective. It was evident that Bess, George, Dave, and Professor Titus had received a dose from the paralyzing searchlight. Fortunately they were all regaining their ability to move.
“Zapp Crosson is our prisoner in the attic!” Nancy exclaimed. “Professor Titus, will you go up there with me to identify him?”
“Yea!” shouted Dave.
“Hypers!” George said. “You’ve done it again, Nancy Drew!”
The young detective still looked sober. “He won’t answer my question about where Ned is, but I’m going back to see if I can find out anything.” Then she asked, “Tell me exactly what happened down here.”
Bess explained that she had seen the front door open silently and the red-haired Cyclops had come in with his paralyzing searchlight and immediately beamed it on Dave and her, but she had managed to scream. George and Professor Titus had come running, and in turn had received an electrical shock.
Not only Professor Titus, but Bess, George, and Dave accompanied Nancy to the attic. The professor took one look at the prisoner and said, “It’s Zapp Crosson all right.”
Then he glanced at the turned-off searchlight which was still lying on the floor. He picked it up and examined the strange gadget. It would no longer switch on and he declared that the mechanism had worn out.
Nancy went to stand in front of the prisoner. Again she asked, “Where’s Ned Nickerson?”
Crosson eyed her skeptically. “Let me loose and I’ll tell you a lot,” he replied.
The others waited for him to give an explanation about the kidnapping. Instead he suddenly began to laugh.
“I know you’re going to have me arrested but the authorities have no charge on which to hold me. You have no proof of anything. I had permission to stay in this museum and to work in this laboratory. That’s not against the law. I’ll deny everything else I’m accused of. That goes for your boy friend, Nancy Drew. I happen to know he’s safe, but he’ll never be able to leave the place where he’s being held unless I give the word.”
The red-haired man stopped speaking and refused to answer any further questions. When Nancy realized that for her to continue was hopeless, she decided to call the police and turn the whole matter over to them.
She hurried to the first floor and dialed the number. Tim Rooney answered.
“Don’t tell me you’ve caught the intruder!” he said.
“Yes, I’m reporting just that,” Nancy replied. “But he won’t tell where Ned Nickerson is. Can some of your men come to the museum at once and take charge?”
“They’ll be there shortly,” Tim Rooney told her, then said how astounded he was that Nancy Drew had caught the kidnapper.
When two other officers arrived, they were equally amazed. Nancy led them at once to the third-floor laboratory. Crosson glared at the officers and instantly told the men that they had no case against him.
“I demand that you release me!” he said.
“There’s already a warrant out for your arrest,” one of the officers told him. “And if we need any proof, I think there are several witnesses right here in this room who will testify against you in court.”
The men searched the prisoner’s pockets. When they found nothing, they untied the electric cord which had bound him, slipped on handcuffs, and let Crosson stand.
“We’ll lock him up,” one officer said. Turning to Nancy, he asked, “Just how did you solve this case?”
“By two 1923 pennies,” the young detective replied. Crosson gave a start and cast an ugly look in Nancy’s direction.
The officer asked, “Where will I be able to find you people?”
Professor Titus said he thought the group should return to Emerson at once for a good night’s sleep. Everyone agreed and the police were given the telephone number of the fraternity house.