household would have realized Nancy had not come home and they would be frantic.
“How far do you think we are from the lodge?” the girl asked Ned.
“I have no idea, but my guess is that we’re at least a mile away.”
The thought of the long trudge back through the same tangled woods made Nancy groan. But as the sun’s warmth enveloped her again, she smiled.
“At least we don’t have to swim through another flood,” she remarked, letting Ned lead the way when the trail narrowed to a thin footpath.
By the time they reached the lodge, they realized that they had returned along a different route. But where it lay in relation to the one they had taken the day before remained a mystery.
“I wonder if there’s a road to the retreat,” the young detective said as they headed for the car. “Maybe I ought to ask Mr. Lal.” And without giving Ned a chance to reply, she raced into the building.
There were different clerks on duty, however, and when she asked for the Indian man, she was informed that he was not in and wouldn’t be back for a few days.
Nancy returned to the car, reporting the little she had learned.
“Don’t worry,” Ned said. “We’ll track that retreat down eventually.”
“I hope so,” Nancy replied. She lapsed into silence, saying no more on the subject until they were inside the Drew home. Then, before Hannah or Mr. Drew could reveal their news, the couple spilled out their story in detail.
“By the way, where’s Cliff?” Nancy inquired when she finished speaking.
“Oh, Nancy, please don’t blame me,” Hannah pleaded, causing the girl’s face to close in fear.
“Has something happened to him?” she asked.
“We don’t know,” Mr. Drew replied.
“He’s been kidnapped! ” Hannah blurted out. “Someone came in while I went food shopping and took him! ”
The woman fixed her eyes steadily on the girl. “Bess and George were here, too, when we found out he was missing. We called the police right away.”
As the reality of what had occurred sank in, Nancy sat down next to her father. “This is awful,” she said. “I should never have left the house.”
“Nothing else was taken,” Hannah remarked.
“Only Cliff,” Nancy murmured dejectedly.
The housekeeper bit her lips as a rim of tears developed in her eyes. “Excuse me, everybody,” she said, and left the room.
“Maybe I should go too,” Ned said. “I’ll call you later, Nancy.”
The girl stared at her father for some offer of advice. “I don’t know what to suggest, dear,” he said. “I’m sure the police will find Cliff.”
“But he was our responsibility, Dad,” Nancy answered.
She telephoned Bess and George, and after they agreed to meet her for lunch at a downtown restaurant, Nancy decided to talk with the Drews’ neighbors.
To her delight, she learned that the son of one couple had noticed a car speeding away from the Drew home the previous afternoon.
“Cool car,” the boy said. “Stripes and everything.”
“Did you notice the license plate?” Nancy asked excitedly.
“I noticed everything,” he said, repeating the number. “197-MAP.”
By now, Nancy’s heart was pounding as she wondered if the vehicle was the one she had seen at Rosemont Hospital and the one that might have caused Tommy Johnson’s accident!
She raced back to her house and telephoned the information to the police, who promptly fed it into a computer. It was only a matter of minutes before the girl had an answer.
“We have traced the owner of the car,” the officer reported. “His name is Dev Singh. He lives near the river.”
Nancy quickly jotted down the address, eager to reveal the discovery to her friends.
What intrigued her most, however, was the man’s name. Was he from India? If so, might he be the man who had accompanied the bearded stranger to Mr. Jhaveri’s shop?
11
Cancellation!
While Nancy stared at the unusual name she had written on a notepad, she also noticed a bright yellow
“How far do you think we are from the lodge?” the girl asked Ned.
“I have no idea, but my guess is that we’re at least a mile away.”
The thought of the long trudge back through the same tangled woods made Nancy groan. But as the sun’s warmth enveloped her again, she smiled.
“At least we don’t have to swim through another flood,” she remarked, letting Ned lead the way when the trail narrowed to a thin footpath.
By the time they reached the lodge, they realized that they had returned along a different route. But where it lay in relation to the one they had taken the day before remained a mystery.
“I wonder if there’s a road to the retreat,” the young detective said as they headed for the car. “Maybe I ought to ask Mr. Lal.” And without giving Ned a chance to reply, she raced into the building.
There were different clerks on duty, however, and when she asked for the Indian man, she was informed that he was not in and wouldn’t be back for a few days.
Nancy returned to the car, reporting the little she had learned.
“Don’t worry,” Ned said. “We’ll track that retreat down eventually.”
“I hope so,” Nancy replied. She lapsed into silence, saying no more on the subject until they were inside the Drew home. Then, before Hannah or Mr. Drew could reveal their news, the couple spilled out their story in detail.
“By the way, where’s Cliff?” Nancy inquired when she finished speaking.
“Oh, Nancy, please don’t blame me,” Hannah pleaded, causing the girl’s face to close in fear.
“Has something happened to him?” she asked.
“We don’t know,” Mr. Drew replied.
“He’s been kidnapped! ” Hannah blurted out. “Someone came in while I went food shopping and took him! ”
The woman fixed her eyes steadily on the girl. “Bess and George were here, too, when we found out he was missing. We called the police right away.”
As the reality of what had occurred sank in, Nancy sat down next to her father. “This is awful,” she said. “I should never have left the house.”
“Nothing else was taken,” Hannah remarked.
“Only Cliff,” Nancy murmured dejectedly.
The housekeeper bit her lips as a rim of tears developed in her eyes. “Excuse me, everybody,” she said, and left the room.
“Maybe I should go too,” Ned said. “I’ll call you later, Nancy.”
The girl stared at her father for some offer of advice. “I don’t know what to suggest, dear,” he said. “I’m sure the police will find Cliff.”
“But he was our responsibility, Dad,” Nancy answered.
She telephoned Bess and George, and after they agreed to meet her for lunch at a downtown restaurant, Nancy decided to talk with the Drews’ neighbors.
To her delight, she learned that the son of one couple had noticed a car speeding away from the Drew home the previous afternoon.
“Cool car,” the boy said. “Stripes and everything.”
“Did you notice the license plate?” Nancy asked excitedly.
“I noticed everything,” he said, repeating the number. “197-MAP.”
By now, Nancy’s heart was pounding as she wondered if the vehicle was the one she had seen at Rosemont Hospital and the one that might have caused Tommy Johnson’s accident!
She raced back to her house and telephoned the information to the police, who promptly fed it into a computer. It was only a matter of minutes before the girl had an answer.
“We have traced the owner of the car,” the officer reported. “His name is Dev Singh. He lives near the river.”
Nancy quickly jotted down the address, eager to reveal the discovery to her friends.
What intrigued her most, however, was the man’s name. Was he from India? If so, might he be the man who had accompanied the bearded stranger to Mr. Jhaveri’s shop?
11
Cancellation!
While Nancy stared at the unusual name she had written on a notepad, she also noticed a bright yellow
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