The Eskimo's Secret (8 page)

“Out of our way,” the bigger man snarled, shoving Ben to one side. “We’re going to find the girl.”

Ben started to swing, then seemed to think better of it. “Search if you like,” he said. “Just try not to disturb any of the people upstairs. They might call the police about burglars like you.”

The other man chuckled evilly. “Not on your phone lines,” he said.

Alana and Nancy gasped and looked around. It took only a moment to spot the cut lines.

“What are we going to do, Nancy?” Alana whispered.

“We’re going to get out of here,” Nancy replied. “Come on.”

They left the protection of the log structure and made their way through the trees to where the cars were parked. Nancy studied them, then grinned. “Let’s let the air out of two tires on every car,” she said. “Except for mine, of course.”

Alana started to protest, then she giggled. “Even my car?” she asked.

Nancy considered for a moment, aware that Alana’s car was bigger and more powerful, then she nodded. “The authorities must be looking for your car,” she said. “We’ll be much safer in my rental.”

“Okay, Nancy,” Alana agreed.

There were some angry shouts from inside the lodge. Nancy looked up as lights went on behind some of the windows. “I hope they don’t hurt anyone,” she murmured, feeling guilty for having led the men to this refuge.

“Don’t worry about the people who live at the Firebird,” Alana said. “They’re well able to take care of themselves. Those two may find themselves tossed out, if they get too pushy.”

The girls moved from car to car leaving a trail of flat tires behind them. They’d just finished the last car when a dark form detached itself from the shadows. “What are you two doing?” Ben asked.

“Just slowing down the enemy,” Nancy said.

“How about letting me put the finishing touches on their car,” Ben said, releasing the hood of the big, mud-caked sedan. “You get your car started, Nancy. We don’t want to be here when they come out.”

Nancy did as he suggested, feeling better than she had since the phone call about her father. She was really no closer to rescuing him, but at least she had gained some information as well as Alana’s and Ben’s help.

“Let’s go,” Ben said, getting into the backseat.

Nancy swung the small car around and headed down the rutted road just as the door of the lodge opened and the two men came racing out. Their shouts range in her ears.

“What about your friends at the lodge?’ Nancy asked. “How will they manage with their cars disabled and the phone lines out?”

“When they get ready to leave, they’ll just hike down to the harbor and take their fishing boats out,” Ben said. “Your playmates are the only ones who are going to be stuck at the lodge for a while.”

“What a shame,” Nancy said, laughing.

Alana sighed. “So what do we do now?” she asked.

Nancy’s high spirits dropped. “I really don’t know,” she admitted.

“I still can’t go to the authorities,” Alana said. “I couldn’t let you, anyway, not while they have my dad,” Nancy reminded her.

“We need to come up with a plan,” Ben said. “A way to get your father back, Nancy, and to trick those crooks into giving up the Tundra. If we could do that, we could clear up everything.”

Nancy nodded. “Sounds like the perfect solution. Do you have a plan?”

“Not a hint of one,” he admitted.

“How about you, Nancy?” Alana asked. Nancy bit her lip. “I don’t have any ideas either,” she said. “I just know we have to be very careful. I don’t want Dad to get hurt.” “Don’t even think about that,” Alana said. “They’re not going to do anything to him, not when they think they can trade him for me.”

“I wouldn’t do that, Alana,” Nancy told her. “You know I wouldn’t. No matter what they say.

“I think we have a more immediate problem,” Ben interrupted.

“What’s that?” Nancy asked.

“Where to go now. Those two are going to be stuck at the Firebird for a while, but once they get away, they’ll look for us again and I don’t know of any other place to hide Alana.”

“I wish we could go to my uncle,” Alan said, “but I’m sure he’s being watched and I can’t bring him any more trouble.”

“Well, you know, the kidnappers were kind enough to reserve two rooms at the hotel for my father and me, so I suggest we use them,” Nancy said. “What do you think?”

“You mean stay at your hotel?” Alana and Ben chorused.

“Well, they’ve been watching it pretty closely but since they obviously followed me when I left earlier, there’s probably no one watching now.”

“That’s crazy,” Alana protested.

“Why?” Nancy asked. “I have to be there so they can contact me about Dad.”

“You’re right,” Alana admitted. “I’m sorry, Nancy. I guess I’ve been thinking of my own problems so long that I’d forgotten other people have trouble, too.”

“Anyway, think about it, you two. I can go in first and pick up Dad’s key, then I’ll go to the fire door and let you in so no one will see you.” Nancy grinned at them. “Don’t you think the hotel will be the last place that anyone would look for you, Alana?”

Ben and Alana exchanged glances, then shrugged. “I guess we really don’t have much choice,” Alana said. “I just don’t want to put you in any more danger, Nancy. What’s happened to you and your father is all my fault.”

“I called you, Alana,” Nancy reminded her.

“But I asked you to help me,” Alana said.

“And warned me to leave before I got too involved. Besides, I have a feeling that we still don’t have the whole story.”

“But what else could there be?” Ben asked.

“My father was kidnapped before I came to Victoria,” Nancy said. “I mean he must have been, because he left the hotel in Seattle hours before I did and he never reached the Haggler estate.”

“The Haggler estate?” Alana said. “You mean the Haggler that has all those terrific import shops?”

“You’ve heard of them?” Nancy was a little surprised.

“You can’t be interested in art and not know about Haggler International Imports,” Alana declared. “Miss Haggler has imported some really fabulous things and she does occasionally handle Northern Indian or Eskimo art, too, you know. Everything in her shops doesn’t come from Japan or China or Europe or South America.”

“Sounds like you’ve checked them out pretty carefully,” Ben teased.

“When your uncle runs a gallery and eats, sleeps, and breathes art, you get to see a lot of import shops,” Alana replied with a small giggle. “Was your father working for Miss Haggler?”

Nancy nodded. ‘That’s why we were in Seattle.”

“I just wish you hadn’t been,” Alana said, her good spirits fading as quickly as they’d come. “I wanted to see you, but not like this.”

“This will be cleared up soon,” Nancy told her as she turned in to the hotel parking lot. “And after it is, we’ll have a real visit.”

“I’ll even take you and your father out fishing, if you like,” Ben said.

Nancy gave him a grateful smile, aware that he, too, was trying to remain optimistic. “Now,” she said. “You two say in the car for a while, then just casually make your way around to the far side there. The fire door opens just past that flowerbed. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“We’ll be there,” Ben promised. “You be careful.”

Nancy nodded. “After all that’s happened, I will be,” she said.

The hotel lobby was nearly empty when she entered, reminding her for the first time of the lateness of the hour. Though she still had her own room key, she headed directly for the desk. There was a different clerk on duty, so she simply asked about a reservation for Carson Drew, signing her father’s name to the register.

“Oh, Miss Drew, you have some messages,” the clerk said when he handed her the key.

“Messages?” Nancy swallowed hard.

“There have been a number of calls.” The clerk handed her the list.

“Thank you,” Nancy said. There was only one name on the list, but the messages had become increasingly urgent. Helen Haggler was desperately trying to reach Carson Drew and she wanted him to call—no matter what time it was. If she did not hear from him by morning, she would contact the police!

Nancy started toward the elevators, then hesitated, suddenly remembering what had happened to Tod after her telephone conversation with him. The men had been in her hotel room; the missing notebook was proof of that. She had no way of knowing if they’d bugged the telephone while she was away.

Nancy headed for the public telephones, closing herself in a booth and placing a call to Miss Haggler.

“Carson?” Helen Haggler began as soon as she’d accepted the collect call.

“No, Miss Haggler, it’s Nancy,” the girl said.

“Where’s your father?” Miss Haggler asked. “Has he arrived there?”

“He’s in Victoria,” Nancy began, “but he isn’t at the hotel.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“I’ve heard from him,” Nancy replied, choosing her words carefully, trying to avoid an outright lie, yet also wanting to keep the real situation from the woman.

“Nancy, give me a straight answer,” Helena snapped. “Have you seen your father?”

“No.” Nancy couldn’t keep her tone from showing her desperation.

“Has he been kidnapped?”

“Kidnapped?” Nancy swallowed hard. “What makes you think that, Miss Haggler?”

“So something has happened to him.” The woman sounded as weary and discouraged as Nancy felt.

“They warned me,” Miss Haggler said. “They said to drop the investigation or accept the con-sequences. I expected maybe another warehouse fire or an interruption in a shipment from a foreign port. I never dreamed they would strike so close to home.”

“Who?” Nancy demanded, recovering her senses. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the men behind Investors, Inc., of course. Why do you think I told your father that I wanted to call off the investigation. I was trying to buy some time, time to build up my security at all the shops, time to warn all my import people, my foreign buyers. I just wanted time to set up some sort of trap.”

“Is that what you and Dad were going to dis-cuss?” Nancy asked. “Had you told him?”

“I was going to tell him when he got here,” Helen Haggler answered. “I don’t ordinarily discuss things like that over the telephone.” “Did anyone else know what you were planning?” Nancy asked, her frown deepening.

“Just my board of directors. I had to tell them about the new threat, but surely none of them would betray me.” Her tone had changed to one of speculation.

Nancy hesitated for a moment, her mind whirling. She didn’t know what to say.

“Where is your father?” Miss Haggler asked again.

“He’s being held somewhere,” Nancy replied, making her decision. “He’s safe as long as I don’t call in the authorities and do what his kidnappers want.”

“What do they want?” Helen asked. “Is it my corporation?”

“No, no, it has nothing to do with you,” Nancy answered. “It’s another matter entirely, something that I was working on here in Victoria. I’m making ransom arrangements now, so please, Miss Haggler, for Dad’s sake, don’t do anything to jeopardize them. Just wait and he’ll be calling you himself.”

“You can’t deal with that sort of person,” Miss Haggler warned. “You can’t trust them, Nancy. You need help.”

“I have it,” Nancy replied, stretching the truth a little. “I have friends with me now, some of the people involved in the case, so it will be all right. Please trust me.”

There was a long moment of silence and Nancy held her breath, well aware that her father’s safety could depend on Helen Haggler’s cooperation. Finally the woman sighed. “I’ll give you until this time tomorrow night,” she said. “If I don’t hear from Carson by then, I’m going to report his disappearance and stir up a manhunt that will put all these crooks out of business for good.”

“Midnight tomorrow night,” Nancy murmured, closing her eyes for a moment to offer a silent prayer that it would be long enough. “I’ll be in touch before then.”

“Not you, Nancy,” Miss Haggler corrected. “I want to talk to Carson before that. Understand? I don’t care what other cases he’s working on.

He was on his way to talk to me and I feel re-sponsible for his disappearance.”

“He’ll call you,” Nancy promised, hoping she was telling the truth.

“You take care of yourself, too,” Miss Haggler continued. “I know how much confidence your father has in your abilities, but this must be a dreadful time for you. If there is anything I can do, just let me know—day or night.”

“Thank you,” Nancy replied, “and thank you for caring.”

“Just get Carson back.”

“I’ll do my best.” Nancy replaced the receiver, feeling drained. She leaned against the cool metal for a moment, then she remembered that Alana and Ben would be waiting for her. In spite of her exhaustion, the night was not yet over.

She took the elevator to her floor, then hurried along the hall to the stairs. Once there she took a bandage from her purse and used it to keep the door to the stairway from locking. The doors to the stairs, which were meant only as a fire exit, had no knobs on the inside, so they couldn’t be opened except from the hall or with a key. Once she was sure she could get back into the hall, she hurried down to the first floor and cautiously opened the exit door.

“Where have you been?” Alana demanded. “We’ve been waiting forever.”

“I’m sorry, but I had to take care of something,” Nancy said, then explained about Miss Haggler’s call, finishing, “I couldn’t risk her calling the police in Seattle and I was afraid the phone in my room might have been bugged.” Alana nodded. “We have to keep anyone else from knowing what is going on.”

“Anyway, let’s get back upstairs and out of sight,” Nancy said.

“This really is very kind of you,” Ben commented.