The Hidden Staircase - Carolyn Keene [43]
“Yeah,” said Harry, “I’m not goin’ to hold out any longer, I admit Greenman had me scared, but he’s the guy who rode in my cab, then ordered me to keep my mouth shut after that other pas. senger blacked out.”
Captain Rossland looked astounded. It was evident he could hardly believe that Nancy in only a few minutes had persuaded the man to talk!
“And now,” Nancy asked, “may I talk to your prisoner?”
“I’ll have you taken to his cell,” the captain responded, and rang for a guard.
Nancy was led down a corridor, past a row of cells until they came to one where the man with the crinkled ear sat on a cot.
“Greenman,” said the guard, “step up here. This is Miss Nancy Drew, daughter of the kidnaped man. She wants to talk to you.”
The prisoner shuffled forward, but mumbled, “I ain’t goin’ to answer no questions.”
Nancy waited until the guard had moved off, then she smiled at the prisoner. “We all make mistakes at times,” she said. “We’re often misled by people who urge us to do things we shouldn’t. Maybe you’re afraid you’ll receive the death sentence for helping to kidnap my father. But if you didn’t realize the seriousness of the whole thing, the complaint against you may turn out just to be conspiracy.”
To Nancy’s astonishment, Greenman suddenly burst out, “You’ve got me exactly right, miss. I had almost nothing to do with takin’ your father away. The guy I was with—he’s the old-timer. He’s got a long prison record. I haven’t. Honest, miss, this is my first offense.
“I’ll tell you the whole story. I met this guy only Monday night. He sure sold me a bill of goods. But all I did was see that your pop didn’t run away. The old-timer’s the one that drugged him.”
“Where is my father now?” Nancy interrupted.
“I don’t know. Honest I don‘t,” Greenman insisted. “Part of the plan was for somebody to follow the taxi. After a while Mr. Drew was to be given a whiff of somethin’. It didn’t have no smell. That’s why our taxi driver didn’t catch on. And it didn’t knock the rest of us out, ’cause you have to put the stuff right under a fellow’s nose to make it work.”
“And the person who was following in a car and took my father away, who is he?”
“I don’t know,” the prisoner answered, and Nancy felt that he was telling the truth.
“Did you get any money for doing this?” Nancy asked him.
“A little. Not as much as it was worth, especially if I have to go to prison. The guy who paid us for our work was the one in the car who took your father away.”
“Will you describe him?” Nancy requested.
“Sure. Hope the police catch him soon. He’s in his early fifties—short and heavy-set, pale, and has kind of watery blue eyes.”
Nancy asked the prisoner if he would dictate the same confession for the police and the man nodded. “And I’m awful sorry I caused all this worry, miss. I hope you find your father soon and I wish I could help you more. I guess I am a coward. I’m too scared to tell the name of the guy who talked me into this whole thing. He’s really a bad actar-na tellin’ what’d happen to me if I gave his name.”
The young sleuth felt that she had obtained all the information she possibly could from the man. She went back to Captain Rossland, who for the second time was amazed by the girl’s success. He called a stenographer. Then he said good-by to Nancy and Helen and went off toward Greenman’s cell.
On the way back to Twin Elms, Helen congratulated her friend. “Now that one of the kidnapers has been caught, I’m sure that your father will be found soon, Nancy. Who do you suppose the man was who took your father from Greenman and his friend?”
Nancy looked puzzled, then answered, “We know from his description that he wasn’t Gomber. But, Helen, a hunch of mine is growing stronger all the time that he’s back of this whole thing. And putting two and two together, I believe it was Willie Wharton who drove that car.
“And I also believe Wharton’s the one who’s been playing ghost, using masks at times—like the gorilla and the unshaven, long-haired man.
“Somehow he gets into the mansion and listens to conversations. He