The Mystery at Lilac Inn - Carolyn Keene [23]
“Yes. That’s another reason I came here,” her father said. “I had to phone him on a legal matter. He told me that you found the charge plate and the envelope with your name on it. By the way, there were no helpful prints on either the plate or the envelope.”
Nancy decided to wait before telling her father of the other mysterious incidents, and now suggested that the men come into the dining room to breakfast. She made the necessary introductions. The Willoughbys and Mr. Drew were well acquainted and exchanged warm greetings.
Maud fluttered her eyelashes. “So you’re the famous criminal lawyer,” she said coyly.
Carson Drew did not like flattery, but nodded politely. He congratulated Emily on her forthcoming marriage. When the men had finished eating, Nancy and her friends went with them to see the burned cottage.
Emily told Lieutenant Brice everything that had happened but excluded the diamond theft. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then said, “All could be malicious pranks, not connected with the explosion. On the other hand, they could very well be part of some big scheme.”
When the group reached the site of the burned cottage, they found John there. Nancy introduced him to her father and the police officer.
After Lieutenant Brice had probed the ruins of the cottage, Nancy and her friends gave him and Mr. Drew a full account of the previous night’s events. When he heard of Helen’s experience, Mr. Drew looked grave and suggested she return home.
Helen shook her head. “I can’t desert Nancy.”
The young sleuth smiled gratefully. Secretly she longed to tell her father the rest of the story—the trip to Benton, the diamond turning up in her purse, the faked message from John, and her skin-diving adventure. But all these, Nancy realized, were related to Emily’s stolen gems.
Finally Lieutenant Brice announced, “I’ve found fragments of what I am positive was a time bomb you heard ticking, Miss Drew. I’ll send an explosives expert over to verify this, however.”
Carson Drew turned to his daughter. “Nancy, I wish I could stay here and help you work out this mystery. Unfortunately, I have to return to River Heights and review highly important evidence for a case I’m to try next week. But keep me posted.”
“I will, Dad. In fact, I may see you if I do some sleuthing near home, as I plan.”
Before leaving, Mr. Drew asked if Nancy had come upon any leads to her impersonator.
“Nothing definite, Dad,” was all Nancy could in truth reply.
The attorney then advised Emily to engage a guard to stand night duty. “I can recommend an excellent man,” he said. “His name is Carl Bard.”
Emily agreed and Mr. Drew went inside the inn to telephone him. He returned shortly and said Mr. Bard would report there later.
“Fine,” said Lieutenant Brice. “And I’ll have a squad car patrol the inn frequently. I suggest that no one venture out alone—especially at night—until this case is broken.”
Good-bys were exchanged, and Nancy stood waving to her father as he drove off. Meanwhile, Helen and Emily had started for the patio.
As Nancy hurried after them, she came to the tool shed. John had investigated it, but Nancy wondered if she might find some clue he had overlooked.
The door was open. She went inside. Spades, hoes, rakes, and other similar equipment lined the walls. Nancy studied the array. “Just ordinary garden tools,” she mused. Then suddenly she noticed a pad of notepaper lying on a bench. Nancy picked it up and turned the pages, which contained various notations for the gardeners. One item, on the third page and in a different kind of printing from the other instructions, read: “Prune blue pipes near grove.”
“ ‘Blue pipes,’ ” thought Nancy, as she tore out the sheet. “Now what does that mean? Could it possibly be a code message? Or a signal? I’ll ask the gardeners.”
She left the shed, and began to look for the men. The only man in sight was Gil, who was cutting the lawn with a power mower. She went up, and attracting his attention, asked him, “Can you tell me what ‘blue pipes’ are?”
“Never