THE SEARCH
"Miss Drew, you may as well wait in one of the sheds where you'll be
out of the rain," Captain Dudley said, addressing Nancy. "I'll have the
motorboat dragged up to the dock where it will be safe to board her. It
will take only a few minutes."
"Thank you," Nancy replied quietly.
"Since you're through questioning me, I want to go to a hotel," Mary
Mason declared angrily. "My clothes are soaking wet and----"
"If you make the slightest disturbance, we will call the police without
waiting for Miss Drew to produce the jewels," the captain told her
severely.
"She can't do it!"
"Take the three prisoners into the boat-house," Captain Dudley ordered.
In spite of her protests, Mary was marched along with the others.
Though no compulsion was placed upon Nancy, she followed, to get out of
the rain which had chilled her to the bone. Her serene expression did
not disclose that she was troubled, but in reality she was in far from
a comfortable state of mind. Only too well she knew that if she failed
to produce the Crandall jewels it would only be a case of her word
against that of Mary Mason.
"If I just knew where to hunt!" she told herself anxiously.
She was soberly contemplating the work before her when Captain Dudley
came to the door to inform her that the motorboat had been brought to
the dock.
"You can go aboard her now," he told her.
"I insist upon being present when the search is made," Mary put in
angrily.
"Very well," the captain said, after a brief hesitation. "I'll give you
every opportunity to prove your story."
Soberly, Nancy Drew followed the captain to the motorboat, while Mary,
guarded by the naval officer, brought up the rear.
"Perhaps I'd better keep all of the bystanders away," the captain
suggested to Nancy.
"By all means."
Not without misgiving, she stepped aboard the boat and entered the
cabin. Fortunately, everything was as it had been left at the time of
the accident, for the rain had extinguished the fire as quickly as it
had started. Critically, Nancy Drew surveyed the room, wondering where
to begin the search.
"Well, produce the Crandall jewels if you know where they are!" Mary
brought out triumphantly.
Nancy did not make a response, but began to open the drawers of the
table. As she had half-expected, she found nothing. Undaunted, she made
the rounds of the walls, tapping upon them sharply with her knuckles.
To her disappointment, there was no indication of a hollow behind any
of the panels.
"Didn't I tell you?" Mary demanded of the captain. "Now will you let me
go?"
"I'm not through searching yet," Nancy said sharply. "I know the jewels
are hidden here somewhere."
"Take all the time you need," Captain Dudley told her kindly.
Again Nancy Drew surveyed the room. She could not admit defeat, and yet
she was at her wit's end.
As her eyes roamed over the walls again, her attention was attracted
to a round-faced wall clock which had stopped at the hour of twelve.
The timepiece was very ordinary in appearance, and Nancy might not have
given it as much as a second glance had she not chanced to look toward
Mary Mason.
The girl was staring fixedly at the clock and for one fleeting instant
there was an expression of stark terror in her smoldering eyes. The
next moment she looked away from the wall indifferently, but Nancy Drew
was not to be deceived.
She rushed eagerly over to the clock. It was far above her head, but by
mounting upon the cot she found that she could reach it.
"Well, of all the silly things!" Mary burst out, but there was a tremor
to her voice.
Quickly, Nancy reached up and opened the glass door of the clock. The
cardboard face did not appear to be securely in place, and upon impulse
she began to pry at it with her fingers.
"Here's my knife," Captain Dudley offered.
"Thank you, that's just what I need."
Nancy took the knife and pried off two tiny screws. The face then
dropped down into her hands.
"Oh!" she cried. "The secret compartment! I've found it!"
She had expected to view the "works" of the clock, but instead beheld
a round metal box which fit snugly into the wall. The clock was only
a clever sham. To her delight, she found that the metal box could be
removed from the wall.
Placing it on the table, Nancy surveyed Mary Mason triumphantly.
"I guess this proves my story, doesn't it?"
She fumbled with the catch on the box and lifted the lid. There before
her was an array of jewels such as she had never viewed before in her
life. Brilliant diamonds mounted in old-fashioned rings and quaint
bracelets. Pendants of rubies and broaches of sapphires. For a moment,
Nancy Drew was so dazzled by the display that she could only stare
open-mouthed.
"My word!" Captain Dudley exclaimed, breaking the silence. "What a
collection!"
"They belong to Emily Crandall, a friend of mine," Nancy explained.
"I'm afraid some of the jewels are missing."
Captain Dudley turned sternly upon Mary.
"What have you to say for yourself now, young lady?"
Mary's arrogant air had fallen completely from her. She looked crushed
and beaten.
"Well, I guess you have the goods on me," she admitted with a shrug of
her shoulders.
"Do you admit that Miss Drew's story is true?"
"Yes, I stole the jewels."
"What have you done with the ones that are missing?" Nancy broke in.
"Out with it!" Captain Dudley commanded sharply. "It will go harder
with you if you try to keep anything back."
"We pawned several of the diamonds," Mary admitted grudgingly.
"Where?" Nancy demanded.
"At a pawnshop Tom Tozzle knows about in Winchester. It's a place on
Bond Street."
"I know the locality," Nancy told the captain. "It's possible that
we'll be able to recover the jewels. I believe it's a law that
pawnbrokers must not accept stolen goods."
"The first thing to do is to land our prisoners in jail," the captain
suggested. "If you'll take charge of the jewels, Miss Drew, I'll step
out and call the police."
Within fifteen minutes the authorities had arrived at the dock and the
three prisoners were handcuffed and hustled into the patrol wagon.
"We've been on the watch for this jane nearly a year," one of the
policemen told Nancy. "She's wanted for half a dozen smaller thefts.
You've done a good night's work, young lady."
"I live in River Heights," Nancy returned, with a smile. "If you need
me to testify, I'll be at your service."
After the patrol wagon had departed, the crowd began to disperse. For
the first time Nancy Drew realized that the hour was late.
"Why, it's after four o'clock," she said in astonishment, as she
glanced at her wrist watch.
"Won't you do me the honor of taking breakfast at my home?" Captain
Dudley asked. "My wife will be delighted."
"At this hour?" Nancy laughed. She shook her head. "No, I must get
back to River Heights just as quickly as I can. Poor Mrs. Willoughby
is under suspicion for the theft of the Crandall jewels and the police
intend to arrest her."
"Then of course I won't try to hold you here. When you see your father,
give him my kindest regards."
"I will," Nancy promised. "And now, if someone will tell me where I can
get a taxi-cab----"
"I'll be glad to drive you to River Heights in my car," the naval
officer volunteered. "If you intend to take those jewels with you,
you'll need someone to go along as a guard."
"Perhaps you are right. I shall be delighted to accept your kind offer."
During the night the storm had blown itself out, and as Nancy Drew
stepped into the automobile she noticed that the sky had cleared.
Gazing toward the east, she was surprised to see that the sun was about
to peep over the horizon.
"Ho-hum," she yawned sleepily. "It's been a terrible night, but I
wouldn't have missed it for anything! I only hope I get home safely
with these jewels. As soon as I deliver them, I'm going to bed and
sleep a month!"