time, while Pieter van Druten wandered around the room, taking everything in.
“That’s strange,” he muttered, opening the top drawer of Sarah’s carved rosewood bureau.
“What’s strange?” sniffed Ritter.
“Sarah’s jewelry box. It’s missing.”
“Missing!” The young detective pounced on this new development like a hungry dog on a bone.
“It was here just before dinner,” said van Druten, wrinkling his brow. “I saw it here myself. Those jewels are worth a fortune!”
“I see,” said the detective, his eyes flashing. He addressed the small crowd. “All right, folks, in light of this new information, I have to reevaluate the situation. What we have here is apparently not a suicide, but murder!”
A stunned silence filled the room. Then, Ritter spun around and faced Nancy. “I’m told you were with the deceased when she died?”
“Yes. I was,” Nancy answered.
“The doctor here tells me that you claimed Mrs. Amberly was fighting for her life right up to the very end, is that right? Doesn’t sound like suicide, does it?” Ritter didn’t wait for an answer. “And I see there was no forced entry—that means the crime was committed by someone who was known to the deceased.”
Ritter focused on Alison Kale, sitting bleary-eyed in the club chair, then he looked over at Carson and Nancy.
“Felske, take a dusting of the victim’s fingertips.See if there’s any trace of medicine on them.” He laughed a humorless laugh. “There won’t be, I predict.
“Hmmm—first the missing ruby, now the missing jewel box. Very interesting, don’t you agree, Miss Drew? And definitely not a suicide. No, I suspect Mrs. Amberly returned to her room to find someone she knew and trusted, in here. But to Mrs. Amberly’s surprise, that someone was in the act of stealing her precious jewelry!
“Mrs. Amberly is shocked,” Ritter continued, melodramatically acting out his version of the events as he spoke. “She feels betrayed. Quickly she moves to her bedside to phone the hotel police. But that someone is too quick for her. Before Mrs. A. can make the call, that someone spots the pills and forces them down the poor woman’s throat!
“There isn’t much of a struggle. Poor Mrs. Amberly’s heart is broken with the shock of it all—she’s a sick woman, remember. When it’s all over, the murderer takes the jewels and runs. A nearly perfect crime, Miss Drew— nearly perfect.
“You were the last person to see Mrs. Amberly alive tonight. Yesterday you were here when the ruby ring was missing. Only Mrs. Amberly’s intervention saved you from arrest right then and there.” Ritter was looking at Nancy with undisguised scorn.
Nancy didn’t answer. What was the use? DetectiveRitter had already tried her in his mind and found her guilty. “I think I’d like to speak to my lawyer,” she said, looking at Carson.
“Take it easy, you’re not under arrest—yet. However, I advise you not to leave this hotel without my permission, Miss Drew. That goes for all the Amberly party as well. Felske, when the nephew gets back, fill him in.”
He glanced over at the vacant-eyed Alison. “Just a formality, ma’am.” Then he looked straight at Nancy. “I think we’ve already got our murderer.”
Chapter
Eight
L ET’S GET OUT of here!” Carson Drew strode powerfully through the door leading to the waiting area of the police station on Fifty-fourth Street and Eighth Avenue. It was two in the morning.
A weary Nancy followed him at a slower pace. Her normally bright blue eyes were dull and red-rimmed, and her peaches-and-cream complexion was stark white.
“I guess that questioning wasn’t so bad,” Nancy said. “The police just wanted me to tell them everything I knew. If it had been up to Ritter, they would have shone a bright light in my eyes.”She laid a hand on her father’s arm. “Thanks for being there with me, Dad.”
“What are fathers and lawyers for?” Carson said gently. “Come on,
“That’s strange,” he muttered, opening the top drawer of Sarah’s carved rosewood bureau.
“What’s strange?” sniffed Ritter.
“Sarah’s jewelry box. It’s missing.”
“Missing!” The young detective pounced on this new development like a hungry dog on a bone.
“It was here just before dinner,” said van Druten, wrinkling his brow. “I saw it here myself. Those jewels are worth a fortune!”
“I see,” said the detective, his eyes flashing. He addressed the small crowd. “All right, folks, in light of this new information, I have to reevaluate the situation. What we have here is apparently not a suicide, but murder!”
A stunned silence filled the room. Then, Ritter spun around and faced Nancy. “I’m told you were with the deceased when she died?”
“Yes. I was,” Nancy answered.
“The doctor here tells me that you claimed Mrs. Amberly was fighting for her life right up to the very end, is that right? Doesn’t sound like suicide, does it?” Ritter didn’t wait for an answer. “And I see there was no forced entry—that means the crime was committed by someone who was known to the deceased.”
Ritter focused on Alison Kale, sitting bleary-eyed in the club chair, then he looked over at Carson and Nancy.
“Felske, take a dusting of the victim’s fingertips.See if there’s any trace of medicine on them.” He laughed a humorless laugh. “There won’t be, I predict.
“Hmmm—first the missing ruby, now the missing jewel box. Very interesting, don’t you agree, Miss Drew? And definitely not a suicide. No, I suspect Mrs. Amberly returned to her room to find someone she knew and trusted, in here. But to Mrs. Amberly’s surprise, that someone was in the act of stealing her precious jewelry!
“Mrs. Amberly is shocked,” Ritter continued, melodramatically acting out his version of the events as he spoke. “She feels betrayed. Quickly she moves to her bedside to phone the hotel police. But that someone is too quick for her. Before Mrs. A. can make the call, that someone spots the pills and forces them down the poor woman’s throat!
“There isn’t much of a struggle. Poor Mrs. Amberly’s heart is broken with the shock of it all—she’s a sick woman, remember. When it’s all over, the murderer takes the jewels and runs. A nearly perfect crime, Miss Drew— nearly perfect.
“You were the last person to see Mrs. Amberly alive tonight. Yesterday you were here when the ruby ring was missing. Only Mrs. Amberly’s intervention saved you from arrest right then and there.” Ritter was looking at Nancy with undisguised scorn.
Nancy didn’t answer. What was the use? DetectiveRitter had already tried her in his mind and found her guilty. “I think I’d like to speak to my lawyer,” she said, looking at Carson.
“Take it easy, you’re not under arrest—yet. However, I advise you not to leave this hotel without my permission, Miss Drew. That goes for all the Amberly party as well. Felske, when the nephew gets back, fill him in.”
He glanced over at the vacant-eyed Alison. “Just a formality, ma’am.” Then he looked straight at Nancy. “I think we’ve already got our murderer.”
Chapter
Eight
L ET’S GET OUT of here!” Carson Drew strode powerfully through the door leading to the waiting area of the police station on Fifty-fourth Street and Eighth Avenue. It was two in the morning.
A weary Nancy followed him at a slower pace. Her normally bright blue eyes were dull and red-rimmed, and her peaches-and-cream complexion was stark white.
“I guess that questioning wasn’t so bad,” Nancy said. “The police just wanted me to tell them everything I knew. If it had been up to Ritter, they would have shone a bright light in my eyes.”She laid a hand on her father’s arm. “Thanks for being there with me, Dad.”
“What are fathers and lawyers for?” Carson said gently. “Come on,
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