The Crooked Banister (3 page)

“What do you mean?” Mrs. Carrier asked.

The lawyer explained that he did not know exactly how the robot worked. It was possible the figure was charged with electricity and should not be touched.

“Let’s find out!” Nancy suggested and began pulling out kitchen drawers. Finally she found what she was looking for—a long-handled wooden spoon.

“Perfect,” her father said. “This is a nonconductor. We’ll soon know if our little friend is hot!” He began poking into the neck of the robot and announced, “Here is a tape.”

Further exploration revealed that many wires and pulleys ran to the robot’s arms and legs.

“Evidently,” Nancy remarked, “this little man was programmed to do certain things, even to warn visitors away.”

Mrs. Melody looked puzzled. “But if nobody was here, how did it start?”

“I’m not sure,” Mr. Drew replied. “Some robots are set off by heat, even the warmth of a human body. Others are designed to react to sound. I suspect it is sound in this case.”

Mrs. Carrier said, “You mean that when we came into the house the pitch of our voices activated the robot?”

“Possibly,” Mr. Drew replied.

Nancy took a flashlight from her purse and shone it down inside the figure. “A lot of wires are broken,” she said, “so we can be doubly sure this creature won’t hurt us. But I do think he should be fixed. I have a hunch he’s going to figure big in our mystery.”

She opened other drawers and presently came upon reels of tapes, marked with numbers and letters.

Nancy turned to Mrs. Carrier. “Is there a good electrician in town who would come and repair the robot?” she asked.

Several seconds went by before the woman replied. “I dislike the thought of bringing strangers here,” she said. “But if you really feel that the robot might be a clue to the whereabouts of my brother, I’ll agree. There’s a very good electrician in Mountainville. I’ll get in touch with him.”

Nancy thanked her and then suggested that they search the house. The kitchen was modern with an outside door which had a Yale lock.

“I hope we don’t have any more scares,” Mrs. Melody said.

On one side of the center hall, in back of a den, was the dining room with crudely made but symmetrical furniture. Its walls contained several paintings, all of queer-looking undersea creatures, some with long tentacles.

The living room was on the opposite side of the hall. It was furnished with ultramodern pieces and had a large convex bookcase on the hall side.

As the group mounted the zigzag steps to the second floor, Nancy and Mrs. Melody began to giggle The woman said, “This is like climbing a stony mountain trail that twists and turns every few feet.”

The bedrooms and a study proved to be comfortable but filled with weird and ghoulish silver figurines. In the room where Rawley apparently slept, the bed had a high peak under the middle of the spread.

Mrs. Melody remarked, “Sally, do you suppose your brother slept with his legs draped over that barrier?”

“He’s tall enough to,” Mrs. Carrier answered.

Nancy examined the bed and found that it contained a jointed mattress which could be moved electrically. She pushed one of the control buttons and the mattress descended to a flat position.

“That looks better,” Mrs. Carrier said.

While the others gazed at the ultramodern etchings on the walls, Nancy walked over to a fireplace which looked as if it had been used frequently. Ashes and half-burned logs lay just inside the hearth. A slender, rounded, brass box stood at the edge. Nancy opened it and gasped.

Not wishing to upset Mrs. Carrier, Nancy went over to her father, took his hand, and unobtrusively guided him to the brass box. Then she walked back to the two women. Mr. Drew lifted the lid and gave Nancy a knowing look as he closed it.

A few minutes later Mrs. Carrier and Mrs. Melody left the room and went downstairs. The Drews discussed the clue of the taper match.

“It certainly seems to indicate that Rawley set the fires and stole the papers,” Mr. Drew stated.

“To make sure,” said Nancy, “I’ll take one of these fireplace matches along and compare it with the match I have at the motel.”

When she and her father joined the two women at the foot of the crooked stairway, Mrs. Carrier said she was worried about leaving the property unguarded. “There’s a lot of valuable art work and silver pieces in this house. What do you think I should do, Mr. Drew?”

The lawyer suggested a watchman. They found a telephone and directory in the kitchen and looked up the name of an employment agency in Mountainville.

As Mrs. Carrier dialed the number, she gazed at the headless robot and remarked, “That thing gives me the creeps! ... Hello. Tepper Employment Agency?”

“Yes. Frank Furness speaking.”

Mrs. Carrier gave the address of Rawley Banister’s house and said she would like to hire a watchman to guard the place day and night.

“I’ll call you back,” Mr. Furness said, “after I contact some names on our list.”

Twenty minutes later the phone rang. “I’m sorry, madam, but I couldn’t find anyone to help you out. You know, that place has a reputation of being a crazy house. The men I asked said they wouldn’t go there for a million dollars!” He hung up.

When Mrs. Carrier repeated the conversation, Nancy smiled. “Don’t worry. If guards are afraid to come here, I’m sure burglars would be too.”

“I hope you’re right,” Mrs. Carrier said with a deep sigh. “I suppose we may as well leave.”

The front door was securely locked and the visitors walked to Nancy’s car. Mr. Drew slid into the driver’s seat. Nancy sat next to him. On the way back to town, he said:

“Mrs. Melody and I must leave directly after lunch.”

Nancy was disappointed. She had just become involved in the baffling mystery and now she must give it up. To her surprise Mr. Drew said, “Nancy, if you are willing to stay here, I’d like you to continue work on the case.”

The young sleuth’s eyes lighted up. “Dad, that’s terrific! You know I’ll do my best—”

“Not so fast,” her father said, patting Nancy on the shoulder. “There’s one big condition that goes with this.”

“What is it, Dad?”

Mr. Drew said he would like Nancy to call her friends Bess and George to see if they could come and stay with her. “If they can’t, you’ll have to return home with me.”

Bess Marvin and George Fayne were cousins. The two girls had been friends of Nancy’s for many years. They often accompanied her when she was working on mysteries and always proved to be of great help.

After dropping Mrs. Carrier at her home, the Drews and Mrs. Melody returned to the motel. Nancy immediately phoned George and asked if she and Bess could spend a few days with her in Mountainville to solve a mystery. Nancy mentioned the motel fire.

“If you girls can come, please call Hannah and have her pack a suitcase of clothes for me.” George said she would do this and let Nancy know the plans.

During lunch she received a call from George saying she and Bess could come. They were getting a ride with a relative who would pass through Mountainville about five o’clock.

Nancy told her father the good news. He wished the three girls luck and added with a chuckle, “Mrs. Melody, I always give Nancy hard assignments and always with great confidence that she will come up with the right answers.” He smiled affectionately at his daughter.

Nancy smiled back, though she did not feel confident about solving this mystery. She had been given the difficult task of learning the whereabouts of a man who had not only disappeared but had left behind a frightening robot!

She drove her father and Mrs. Melody to a bus stop directly after lunch and then went on a shopping tour to look at fall clothes. If she were going to stay in Mountainville for some time, there might be cool days. For a while Nancy’s mind was taken completely off the mystery as she tried on sports suits. She decided to purchase a tan suit, then bought shoes to match.

Later, Nancy stopped at the police station and the firehouse to inquire if there was any new information on Rawley Banister or the person who had set the three blazes at the motel. In each case the answer was no.

Leaving the firehouse, Nancy looked at her wrist watch. She still had plenty of time before Bess and George would arrive, and decided to walk back leisurely to the motel.

As she gazed into an art-shop window, a man’s voice behind her said, “Hello, Nancy Drew.”

She turned to face a stranger. Nancy was sure she had never seen him before.

“I guess you don’t remember me,” said the tall, thin man with a rather pinched face. He was in his thirties, Nancy judged, and the thought also ran through her mind that he could use a good meal!

He laughed and said, “I met you at Emerson College, where I used to teach. I’m Clyde Mead.”

Still Nancy could not remember him. Emerson was the school her friend Ned Nickerson attended and she had been to many football games and house parties there. She tried her best to recall this man but failed.

“You’re not at the college now?” Nancy asked.

“No.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a professional fundraiser. At present I’m working on an appeal you’ll certainly be interested in.”

The longer the man talked, the more suspicious Nancy became of his former connection with Emerson College and of his sincerity. She decided to get away from him as quickly as possible.

DETERMINED to end the conversation, Nancy turned and said to Mr. Mead, “I must go back to the motel now.” She looked at her watch. “I’m expecting friends soon.”

Nancy’s hopes of getting rid of the man vanished. Taking her arm and smiling most ingratiatingly, he said, “Let me take you there. I’m so glad I ran into you again.”

Not wishing to make a scene on the street, Nancy allowed Mr. Mead to accompany her, but casually shook off his hand. When they reached the motel, he walked into the lobby with her.

“Oh good!” he said. “They’re serving tea. Suppose you and I sit down and have some. I know you’ll be interested in what I’m doing. I’ll tell you about it. Have you ever been on an Indian reservation?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know that many of the Indians make only a bare living from farming, and their children lack many comforts of life.”

Though concerned about the plight of the Indians, Nancy was exasperated by the man’s aggressive manner. Just as she decided that the only way to get rid of Mr. Mead was to go to her room, he summoned a waitress and ordered two cups of tea and a plate of cookies. The young detective’s face reddened in anger, but again she did not want to call attention to herself and reluctantly sat down.

Once more she looked at her watch. If only Bess and George would come and free her from this man! There was still half an hour before they would arrive.

Mr. Mead said, “My sympathy for the children on the reservations was aroused during a recent trip out West. The poor little ones need so many things—clothing, books, games, toys, and even food.”

He pulled a pamphlet from his pocket. Distress and poverty were shown in a series of pictures.

“Aren’t they pathetic?” he asked. “Miss Drew, surely you can’t refuse to help them. I know a fine little fellow who could use some money from you to buy clothes and food.”

Nancy was touched by the depressing pictures, but did not reply. As she looked off into space, she was relieved to see Bess and George coming through the front door.

Nancy jumped up, saying, “Excuse me, Mr. Mead. My friends have arrived.”

She rushed over to the two girls and hugged them. Bess, blond and pretty, was slightly plump. George, slender and athletic-looking, enjoyed her boyish name. She too was attractive and had short black hair.

“You made good time!” Nancy exclaimed.

“Not much traffic,” Bess replied. “My aunt knew a shortcut, and here we are!”

Nancy had not noticed that Clyde Mead had followed her. Bess and George looked at Nancy in surprise.

The man did not wait for an introduction. He put out his hand. “You girls are friends of Nancy Drew?” he asked. “I’m so glad to meet you. The name is Clyde Mead, but just call me Clyde.”

Thinking that Nancy had accepted his friendship, the cousins shook hands cordially. Nancy was even more angry with him now. Ignoring Mead, she asked Bess and George to register, then led the way to the room the three girls would share.

When they were inside, Bess asked, “Who’s your new flame?”

Nancy told them how the two had met. “Maybe Clyde Mead is working for a good cause, but he’s the most annoying man I’ve ever known! It would please me if I never see him again!”

“Why, Nancy,” George said, “I haven’t seen you this mad in a long time! Tell us all about him—where he’s from and everything.”

When Nancy had finished, George said, “I don’t blame you for being suspicious. He doesn’t seem like the professor type. Let’s forget him. We want to hear all about the mystery you’re working on.”

Nancy told her friends how the Melodys had been swindled, then went on to describe Rawley Banister’s mysterious house with the robot guard, the amazingly crooked staircase, and the bizarre serpent picture.

“It’s the craziest place I’ve ever heard of,” George remarked. “Just the same, I can hardly wait to see it.”

Bess said she was not so sure she wanted to go inside the house. “It sounds spooky and dangerous. That robot may have more tricks up his sleeve!”

Nancy laughed. “Not until he gets his wires fixed and his head back on!”

She added that Mrs. Carrier was going to find an electrician to repair the robot.

“I’d like to be there to see what happens,” she said. “How about going out to the house tomorrow morning?”