Nancy said, tugging on the iron bolt. Her fingers, wet with perspiration, slipped.
George grasped the bolt firmly and yanked it back. The door swung open, revealing a small closet. Inside was Bess, a gag stuffed across her mouth, her wrists and ankles bound tightly. She sat on the floor, leaning against the cold stone wall, where spiders had fastened their cobwebs.
“Oh, Bess!” Nancy gasped.
“Are you all right?” George cried, quickly bending over her cousin to remove the gag from her mouth.
“Who did this to you?” Nancy asked as she went to work on the ropes that were tied around the girl’s wrists and legs.
“A—a man!” Bess murmured. “He was dressed like a ghost. Oh, it was horrible!”
“Poor Bess,” George said sympathetically, massaging the red welts where the rope had cut into her cousin’s wrists.
“He—he came out of that closet,” Bess went on. “He grabbed my flashlight, then put the gag over my mouth.”
“Did he say anything to you?” Nancy asked.
“No, nothing.”
“We must report this to the police,” George said resolutely as Bess slowly stumbled to her feet.
Despite the ache in her ankles, the girl insisted on climbing the stairs without help. “I don’t want to stay down here one more second.”
When they emerged into the kitchen, the girls heard the back door open and close.
“That must be Madame Chambray,” Nancy said, calling out her name.
“Yes, dear, I’m home,” the woman replied, joining her young guests. Madame Chambray’s smile quickly changed to a deep frown when she saw the smudges on Bess’s face and the stains on her skirt. “Did you fall?”
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes as she said no and explained what had happened.
“Ma pauvre chérie,” the woman said, hugging Bess briefly. She rinsed a small towel in lukewarm water and patted the girl’s face. “There, there, you will be fine again.”
“Oh, thank you,” Bess said. “I do feel better.”
“How did this terrible man get into my house?” Madame Chambray asked. “Maybe we should call the police.”
“Well, he’s gone now,” Nancy said, adding, “Is there some sort of connection between the basement and the canal?”
“Not that I know of. I haven’t lived here very long and I am still learning about the house. It seems to be full of little doors and nooks and crannies so there may well be an underground passage.”
That was all the young detectives needed to hear. “Are you game to go back down?” Nancy asked George, knowing that Bess was not up to it.
“Why not?”
“Please don’t,” Bess pleaded. “The ghost may try to stick you both in that awful closet!”
“We’ll be careful,” Nancy promised. “And we’ll send up a report every ten minutes. Okay?”
As she and George hurried below, Bess asked to be excused.
“By all means,” Madame Chambray said. “Take a good hot bath and relax. You want to look your prettiest tonight!”
She winked at the girl, causing Bess to wonder if she was planning to introduce her guests to some charming young Belgian men. “Oh, I will!” Bess giggled, leaving her hostess alone in the kitchen.
Madame Chambray busied herself with some last-minute dinner preparations. Then, glancing at the package she had brought home for Nancy, the woman smiled happily.
I think she will like it, Madame Chambray thought. I’ll put it on her bed, so when she comes up she’ll find a nice surprise.
She stepped out into the hallway and was about to go upstairs when she spied someone staring through the living room window.
“Who’s there?” she called out.
The figure ducked quickly out of sight, prompting Madame Chambray to drop the package and run to the door. She opened it and stuck her head outside.
“Is anyone there?” she repeated.
But the only response was the water of the canals gently lapping against the walls of the house.
How strange! she said to herself.
Nancy and George, in the meantime, were exploring one
George grasped the bolt firmly and yanked it back. The door swung open, revealing a small closet. Inside was Bess, a gag stuffed across her mouth, her wrists and ankles bound tightly. She sat on the floor, leaning against the cold stone wall, where spiders had fastened their cobwebs.
“Oh, Bess!” Nancy gasped.
“Are you all right?” George cried, quickly bending over her cousin to remove the gag from her mouth.
“Who did this to you?” Nancy asked as she went to work on the ropes that were tied around the girl’s wrists and legs.
“A—a man!” Bess murmured. “He was dressed like a ghost. Oh, it was horrible!”
“Poor Bess,” George said sympathetically, massaging the red welts where the rope had cut into her cousin’s wrists.
“He—he came out of that closet,” Bess went on. “He grabbed my flashlight, then put the gag over my mouth.”
“Did he say anything to you?” Nancy asked.
“No, nothing.”
“We must report this to the police,” George said resolutely as Bess slowly stumbled to her feet.
Despite the ache in her ankles, the girl insisted on climbing the stairs without help. “I don’t want to stay down here one more second.”
When they emerged into the kitchen, the girls heard the back door open and close.
“That must be Madame Chambray,” Nancy said, calling out her name.
“Yes, dear, I’m home,” the woman replied, joining her young guests. Madame Chambray’s smile quickly changed to a deep frown when she saw the smudges on Bess’s face and the stains on her skirt. “Did you fall?”
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes as she said no and explained what had happened.
“Ma pauvre chérie,” the woman said, hugging Bess briefly. She rinsed a small towel in lukewarm water and patted the girl’s face. “There, there, you will be fine again.”
“Oh, thank you,” Bess said. “I do feel better.”
“How did this terrible man get into my house?” Madame Chambray asked. “Maybe we should call the police.”
“Well, he’s gone now,” Nancy said, adding, “Is there some sort of connection between the basement and the canal?”
“Not that I know of. I haven’t lived here very long and I am still learning about the house. It seems to be full of little doors and nooks and crannies so there may well be an underground passage.”
That was all the young detectives needed to hear. “Are you game to go back down?” Nancy asked George, knowing that Bess was not up to it.
“Why not?”
“Please don’t,” Bess pleaded. “The ghost may try to stick you both in that awful closet!”
“We’ll be careful,” Nancy promised. “And we’ll send up a report every ten minutes. Okay?”
As she and George hurried below, Bess asked to be excused.
“By all means,” Madame Chambray said. “Take a good hot bath and relax. You want to look your prettiest tonight!”
She winked at the girl, causing Bess to wonder if she was planning to introduce her guests to some charming young Belgian men. “Oh, I will!” Bess giggled, leaving her hostess alone in the kitchen.
Madame Chambray busied herself with some last-minute dinner preparations. Then, glancing at the package she had brought home for Nancy, the woman smiled happily.
I think she will like it, Madame Chambray thought. I’ll put it on her bed, so when she comes up she’ll find a nice surprise.
She stepped out into the hallway and was about to go upstairs when she spied someone staring through the living room window.
“Who’s there?” she called out.
The figure ducked quickly out of sight, prompting Madame Chambray to drop the package and run to the door. She opened it and stuck her head outside.
“Is anyone there?” she repeated.
But the only response was the water of the canals gently lapping against the walls of the house.
How strange! she said to herself.
Nancy and George, in the meantime, were exploring one
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