Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn G. Keene

I can get it there. But I must go to Ira’s first.”
    Fifteen minutes later she arrived at Ira Nixon’s little white house. The front door was unlocked and she let herself in. The mail carrier, haggard and worried-looking, sat in a rocker near the fireplace. He explained that he had had a chill and one of his neighbors had come in to build a fire.
    “Everybody is so kind to me except—except my brother. He gives me orders every time he comes here.”
    Nancy sat down. “Did he come to get money from you?”
    Ira Nixon shook his head. “Not this time,” he said. “And that’s why I sent for you. Here’s what happened.
    “Edgar came here about an hour ago. As soon as he’d gone I tried to get you on the phone but it was busy. My brother was all dressed up as usual and he has a new car. It’s red.”
    Nancy made no comment about the new car, but she was thinking hard. “Yes?” she urged Mr. Nixon, who had stopped speaking. “Go on.”
    “Nancy, that boy had nothing to do with my hard luck, I’m sure of that now.” The postman continued. “He said he came here as soon as he heard about the mail robbery. He was as sympathetic as you are. Wanted me to give him some. of my inheritance to hire a private detective and clear up the whole matter.”
    “Have you received all of your inheritance?” Nancy asked.
    “Not a cent. I told him that.”
    Ira Nixon went on to say that Edgar had tried to talk him into handing over any money he had on hand. “He said he would take care of all the details of hiring a detective, but some cash would help a lot.”
    Nancy had her own idea of just how much detective hiring Ira would have received for the money, but she said nothing.
    “So you see,” Ira continued, “you were all wrong about Edgar. He’s not a suspect. He knew nothing about the stolen mail. He’s too dictatorial to suit me, but I certainly can’t say he’s a thief.”
    Nancy made no comment but asked, “Did your brother happen to say where he’s staying?”
    “Oh yes. There’s no secret about that,” Mr. Nixon went on. “He’s boarding up in Ridgefield. He even gave me his address. I have it written down here. Wait a minute—
    “Here it is!” Ira took a slip of paper from the pocket of his bathrobe. “He boards with a family named Hemmer on Harrison Street.”
    Nancy got up to leave. “By the way, did your brother ever mention a girl friend?”
    “Not until today,” the old man replied. “Edgar said he’s going to marry a rich girl very soon.”
    “What’s her name?”
    “He didn’t say.”
    Nancy wondered if it could be the English Nancy Drew. In any case, she decided to go to Ridgefield right away and see what she could find out. Before leaving, Nancy asked if Edgar Nixon were employed.
    His brother shrugged. “We never discussed his affairs. He was always well dressed and had a car, so I guess he made a good living.”
    Further suspicion ran through Nancy’s mind. It seemed most unnatural for a brother to be so uncommunicative. It was just possible that Edgar’s way of earning a living was too shady for him to reveal.
    After saying good-by to Ira Nixon, Nancy drove directly to police headquarters and asked to see Chief McGinnis. She was told to go right into his office.
    “Hello, Nancy,” he said. “You’ve been neglecting us lately.” He grinned and added, “I thought you’d have the mystery of the missing mail solved by this time.”

    “Here’s one of the clues,” said Nancy
    “Not quite yet,” Nancy replied. “But I do have some interesting clues. Here’s one of them,” she said, handing over the worn shoe to Chief McGinnis.
    Nancy went on to bring the chief up to date about all the information she had on the suspect.
    “I’m going to drive up to Ridgefield and do a little investigating,” she said. “If I turn up any valuable clues, shall I get in touch with you or the Ridgefield police?”
    “You’d better tell the chief up there.”
    Directly after lunch