Carolyn Keene - The Clue in the Jewel Box

Nancy left the room and went to inspect the house. Almost everything of value except heavy pieces of furniture had been stolen. The Easter egg, a pair of gold candlesticks, the silverware-all articles that Mrs. Alexandra treasured.

“She will never survive this blow,” Nancy said to Ned. “How can we tell her the truth?”

“Maybe the police can get some of the things back,” he replied hopefully.

Within a few minutes a car arrived from headquarters. Nancy was able to give the officers a detailed description of nearly every object which had been stolen from the house.

“Any idea who committed the crime?” one of the policemen asked her.

“Yes, I have!” she answered. “The theft probably was engineered by the man who was arrested tonight on the other side of the river. I don’t know his real name-he wouldn’t tell me. He has been living here, posing as a relative and robbing Mrs. Alexandra.”

“Then the actual robbery must have been done by one or more of his pals,” the officer declared. “Mrs. Alexandra hasn’t talked?”

“No, neither she nor her maid has been able to say a word.”

“We may get something out of them after they recover from shock,” the policeman said. “In the meantime, we’ll talk to the prisoner. Maybe he’ll reveal the identity of his accomplices.”

Soon after the police had completed their inspection of the house, the ambulance arrived. Nancy and Katherine rode to the hospital with the patients. Nancy was given permission to remain in Mrs. Alexandra’s room.

“I want to be here when she recovers consciousness,” Nancy had explained to the nurse. “She may reveal something that will help the police make an arrest.”

Katherine, meanwhile, had taken up her post in another room beside Anna’s bed. Now and then she and Nancy would meet in the hall to hold whispered consultations.

“Anna-she spoke a little while ago,” Katherine reported at one of the sessions.

“What did she say?” Nancy asked eagerly.

“She keep mumbling about a stolen jewel box.”

“Then she must know what happened. Katherine, at the next opportunity try to get her to describe the man who bound her.”

“I learn what I can,” the girl promised.

Nancy returned to Mrs. Alexandra’s bedside. A moment later the nurse excused herself to get some medication from another part of the hospital. The sound of the closing door seemed to arouse the patient from her long stupor. She opened her eyes, staring at Nancy without recognition.

“Do not strike me! I will tell you where my money is hidden!”

“Mrs. Alexandra, you’re safe now,” Nancy said soothingly. “Don’t you know me? I am Nancy Drew.”

Mrs. Alexandra relaxed slightly. She reached for the girl’s hand and clung tightly to it.

“My jewels-” she whispered.

“Now don’t worry about anything,” Nancy comforted the woman.

With a deep sigh the former queen closed her eyes again.

“Mrs. Alexandra,” Nancy said, fearing that the victim would lapse into a stupor once more, “did you see the man who tied you up?”

“I was upstairs alone when he came into the room,” Mrs. Alexandra replied, speaking with great difficulty. “The man was thin, of medium height, and wore a black mask. That’s all I remember.”

Before Nancy could ask another question, Katherine appeared in the doorway. She motioned to the young detective to come out into the hall.

“Anna has talked to me!” she said as Nancy joined her. “She tell me that she was in the library when she hear a noise. As she go into the living room to investigate, a masked man leap at her. They struggled, she break away and run upstairs toward Mrs. Alexandra’s room. Just then another man step out and grab her.”

“Then there must have been at least two men in the house,” Nancy commented gravely. “Was Anna able to describe either of them?”

“She say both men wear black masks. Oh yes. She call the one upstairs wiry, of medium height.”

“That tallies with Mrs. Alexandra’s description,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “I wonder if he may be one of the pickpockets the police are after.”

Convinced that the clue was a vital one, Nancy waited until the nurse returned to take charge, then she went to a public telephone and called police headquarters. She reported the information received from the two patients. To her satisfaction, the desk sergeant promised that a special effort would be made to round up the long-sought pickpockets at once.

The hour was late, and Nancy knew that Hannah and her father would be worried about her. She decided to phone them, and was just about to call when Ned thrust his head into the booth.

“Keep your money if you’re calling home,” he advised cheerfully. “I talked to your father a while ago. He says for you to stay here as long as you’re needed.”

“Thanks for calling,” Nancy said. “But I may as well go home. There’s nothing more I can do here.”

“Let’s get Katherine and Jim and go somewhere to eat,” Ned proposed.

“I am hungry,” Nancy admitted. “We cheated ourselves out of most of the supper at the inn. But what about the party there? Shouldn’t Jim go back and get Helen?”

“He phoned soon after we got here, and the party was breaking up then. Bess and Dave were going to take Helen home.”

When Katherine heard this, she consented to go along, and the young people left the hospital.

“Where to?” Ned asked.

“Not many places open at this time of night,” Jim replied, glancing up and down the deserted street. “I know a diner that has good food.”

“Lead on!” Ned commanded. “All we ask is food and plenty of it!”

Jim escorted the party to a place that was open all night. Its only customer was a truck driver seated at the counter.

“I believe I may as well order breakfast,” Nancy declared, scanning the menu. “Orange juice-”

She broke off as the door opened. A man, who was breathing hard, came hurrying in. Almost at his heels was a policeman.

“Hold on there!” the officer exclaimed, grabbing the fellow’s arm. “I’ve got you now!”

“You’ve made a mistake,” the man replied in a haughty voice. “Frequently I am taken for a pickpocket who closely resembles me.”

“Well, we’re looking for him, too.”

“But my name is Dorrance.”

“Doesn’t mean a thing to me.”

Dorrance’s gaze roved about the diner and came to rest upon Nancy. His eyes brightened.

“Here’s a young lady who knows me well, and knows I’m honest,” he told the officer.

Smiling at Nancy, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and waved it.

“Can you identify this man?” the policeman asked her.

“Indeed I can.”

Nancy arose and faced David Dorrance. “Officer, arrest this man!” she said, her words dropping like chips of steel. “He is one of the two pickpockets the police are looking for!”

DAVID Dorrance stared at Nancy as if unable to believe his ears. He had felt certain she would exonerate him, and instead she had accused him of being wanted by the police.

“Just because I look like another man is no reason for arresting me as a thief.”

“If you’re innocent, you won’t mind being searched,” she told him.

At this remark the color drained from the man’s face. The officer examined his pockets and found a large sum of money. Several bills were marked ones which had been given to a police decoy to trap the pickpockets.

“You’re one of the men we’re looking for, all right,” the officer stated.

“You win,” Dorrance said angrily. “Miss Detective, just how did you figure all this out?”