(#30) The Clue of the Velvet Mask (10 page)

“Florence! Florence! Come here, will you?”

“That’s ‘im callin’ me now,” Mrs. Snecker said. “He’s a nuisance when he’s sick. Always keepin’ me on the run. He wants me to wait on ’im like a baby.”

Nancy could see that the woman was completely out of sorts.

“You needn’t tell the store what I just said,” Mrs. Snecker advised hastily. “I shouldn’t ‘a’ spoke my piece, but Ralph’s got me down with his gripes and complaints. When he works, things ain’t so bad. Oh, well, we’ll soon be out of these shabby quarters.”

“You’re moving to a better apartment?”

“You bet we are.”

“But I thought you just said Mr. Snecker’s salary isn’t large and he’s not a go-getter.”

“Not at store business, he ain’t. But he’s got another line he’s workin’.” Mrs. Snecker dropped her voice, so that it could not possibly carry upstairs. “We’ll soon be on easy street, struttin’ with the best of ’em!”

“Like your friend Tombar?”

“Sure, and believe me—”

Mrs. Snecker suddenly broke off, staring suspiciously at Nancy. Belatedly it dawned on her that she had talked too freely. Without another word she slammed the door in Nancy’s face!

CHAPTER XIII

Blue Iris Inn

ANGRY, Nancy knocked on the door, because she wanted to talk to Mr. Snecker very much. But his wife refused to open it.

“Go away!” she screamed.

“Oh, well,” Nancy thought, returning to her car, “I learned something. The Sneckers and Tombar are friends!”

As she drove through the downtown section of River Heights, Nancy also reflected on the remark that the woman had made about Snecker’s other work that would put them “on easy street.” Did it include Tombar?

That evening when Ned called for Nancy she floated downstairs in a sheer yellow formal with gold accessories.

“What a doll!” exclaimed her handsome escort. “All ready for fun!”

“Maybe trouble, too,” said Nancy and reminded him that it was the twenty-eighth, one of the dates in the hood. But her worry was needless. No robbery took place.

On Monday morning she went to see Mr. Lightner. He was in excellent spirits.

“The wedding on Friday, Miss Drew, went off like clockwork. No thefts or even attempted ones.”

“I know,” said Nancy. “The newspapers did not mention burglaries at any other parties either. But it doesn’t prove that the thieves have ceased their activities,” she reminded him. “They know the police are on their trail, so they may have decided to lie low for a while. Today may tell the tale. It’s the first of July—”

“Yes, I understand,” the company president cut in. “Linda told me about the dates in the mask. Tonight there’s a big dance at the John Dwight estate.”

“I think it would be a good idea if I attended that party,” said Nancy.

Mr. Lightner agreed and promised to arrange the invitation.

“Linda knew a great deal about your work, didn’t she?” Nancy asked. As the man nodded, she remarked, “I should think you’d miss her.”

“Well, yes, we do.”

“Then why not take her back?”

Mr. Lightner frowned. “You’ll have to discuss that with Mr. Tombar,” he said. “I can’t interfere. He handles all such matters.”

“But have I your permission to talk to him about her?”

“Certainly. Go ahead. I don’t think you’ll get very far, though.”

Nancy shared this opinion. Nevertheless, she felt that it would not do any harm to talk with Tombar about Linda. She went to the wardrobe rooms.

“He’s busy and I have no idea how long he’ll be tied up,” his secretary informed her.

“That’s all right. I’ll wait.”

Tombar was talking loudly. Nancy, seated in a chair near the door, could not help overhearing his angry voice.

“No, I won’t do it!” Tombar exclaimed. “Quit trying to persuade me. I wish you wouldn’t keep pestering me. I’ve told you before never to bother me when I’m on the job. This time I mean it.”

His visitor’s reply was so soft-spoken that Nancy could not catch what he was saying.

But she heard every word of Tombar’s angry outburst. “Get out of here, Harris!” he roared. “Get out of here before I throw you out!”

The door was flung open and Mr. Harris rushed out so fast that Nancy did not get a view of his face. She was confronted by Tombar’s beet-red face. He sprang toward her, shaking his fist.

“You here again!” he exclaimed. “You little eavesdropper! Spying on me! Well, I won’t have it!”

Though furious at Tombar’s outburst, Nancy gave no indication of her feeling.

“Spying?” she echoed. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re always around!” Tombar snapped.

Nancy smiled and remained silent.

“Well, since you’re so curious,” the man said, “I’ll tell you why Richard Harris was here. He’s trying to sell me a cemetery plot, and I don’t want to buy it. That’s all.”

Nancy was certain that the man was lying, but she pretended to accept his explanation. Quickly she explained the purpose of her call—to ask that he take Linda Seeley back. She gave several reasons why the girl should be rehired, but the man, who by now had calmed down somewhat, gazed at her coldly.

“I have someone else in mind,” he stated.

The telephone rang, and Tombar stepped to his desk to answer it. Though he lowered his voice, Nancy heard the name Florence. Instantly her suspicions were aroused. Was he talking to Florence Snecker?

Try as she would, Nancy could not figure out anything about the call because the conversation was one-sided, the other person doing all the talking. Finally he slammed down the receiver, and turning almost purple with rage, glared at Nancy in the doorway.

“I knew it! Trying to get an earful again!” he shouted. “Well, this is the last time!”

He started toward Nancy as if intending to harm her. Midway across the room he stopped in dismay, staring over her shoulder.

Nancy turned. Directly behind her stood Mr. Lightner, glowering at his employee.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

“Why, I—that is—Miss Drew is always interfering—” Tombar stammered.

“That’s no excuse for your actions, Tombar.”

“I—I’m sorry, Mr. Lightner. My apologies. I didn’t mean any harm. I—I—”

Nancy escaped to the hall so that the two men might talk privately. But they did not close the door, and she could hear them plainly.

“Tombar, I’ve given you free rein in the business,” Mr. Lightner said icily. “I permitted you to take complete charge in this department. Without my knowledge you discharged Miss Seeley, though personally I liked her work.

“And since then matters in this department have been no better—if anything, they’re worse. Records in bad shape. Customers dissatisfied.

“And now I hear you threatening Miss Drew, who happens to be the daughter of one of my very good friends. This is the last straw.”

“I gave an apology.”

“It is accepted,” Mr. Lightner retorted, “and also your resignation.”

“My resignation! You can’t do that. I’ve been here four years and people depend on me—!”

“I can and I have,” Mr. Lightner corrected. “Pick up your paycheck as you leave. There is nothing more to discuss.”

Mr. Lightner turned on his heel and left the office. Meeting Nancy in the hall he assured her that she was welcome to return at any time, and he was sorry for what had happened.

“I know it wasn’t your fault,” Mr. Lightner said.

He promised that he would look into Linda’s case as soon as he had the time. Nancy thanked him and started for the door.

At that moment she saw Tombar stride out of the building by a side entrance. He had not waited for his paycheck!

“That will give him an excuse to come back here later,” she thought, and left the building.

Her next stop was her father’s office. Through him she learned that Mr. Harris, instead of being a cemetery-plot salesman, was connected with a downtown real-estate firm.

“I’m afraid Tombar is doing a lot of covering up,” the lawyer stated. “Maybe I should have him followed.”

“If he found out about it, we might never be able to prove what we suspect,” Nancy said. “Give me a little longer, Dad. At least until you’ve finished the brief you’re working on.”

“Well, all right,” her father agreed.

Obtaining Mr. Harris’s address, Nancy went to his office. She told him quite frankly that she was a private detective and the purpose of her call was to learn of his business connection with Mr. Tombar. Still irritated by the treatment he had received, the agent willingly answered her query.

“I asked Tombar to sell the Blue Iris Inn,” he disclosed. “Do you know the place?”

Nancy shook her head.

“It’s a picturesque old inn out in the country on Woodland Road. An isolated place and in run-down condition. However, it could be converted into a topnotch dine-and-dance spot.

“I have a client who wants to develop the property. Tombar bought the place cheap and could make a neat profit on it.”

“He doesn’t want to sell it?” Nancy asked.

“We offered him double what he paid for it. He won’t even discuss the matter.”

“Maybe he plans to develop the place himself.”

“Tombar?” Mr. Harris smiled. “I doubt it. He’s just stubborn, that’s all.”

Nancy was sure that there was more than stubbornness back of the refusal. She asked the real-estate agent for a description of the old inn. He told her it was a clapboard structure, situated about eighteen miles from River Heights.

“I’ll bet,” Nancy reflected, “that’s where Tombar used to go on his lunch hour.”

Recalling the muddy tires on the man’s car, she asked Mr. Harris if Woodland Road were paved.

“Not all the way. That’s one of the bad features,” the agent admitted. “My client can finance the paving, though, for the short distance that would be necessary. Since it is fast falling into ruin, Tombar would be fortunate indeed to get rid of it now.”

Nancy thanked the man for his information and said good-by.

The name Blue Iris Inn intrigued her. She would have enjoyed looking it over under any circumstances. Now, knowing its owner was Peter Tombar, she had a particular desire to see it.

As soon as she reached home she telephoned Bess Marvin. Nancy brought her up to date on what had happened and invited her to drive out to the Blue Iris Inn.

“Just the two of us? Alone?” Bess asked dubiously.

“Why, yes. Unless George can go. There’s no chance of that, I suppose?”

“Don’t even let her know you’re making the trip,” Bess advised hastily.

“I won’t,” Nancy promised, deeply concerned. “You’ll go with me, though?”

“I suppose so,” Bess consented reluctantly. “I hate to do it, because I have a hunch we’ll run into danger, but I won’t let you down. When shall we start?”

“Right away. I’ll stop for you in a few minutes.” Nancy laughed, and added with a chuckle, “Better pack some sandwiches and a Thermos bottle of milk, too! The dining room won’t be open at the Blue Iris Inn. And I predict we’ll spend a long afternoon there!”

CHAPTER XIV

Nancy’s Disguise

THE sun blazed overhead when Nancy and Bess finally came within view of the rambling old Blue Iris Inn.

The wooden building stood lonely and forlorn in a spot shaded by tall pines. Flower beds, including the iris from which the inn had taken its name, were choked with weeds.

After parking some distance from the inn, Nancy and Bess advanced cautiously in case Mr. Tombar should be around. Their attention was focused on the windows, all of which were boarded.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Bess said. “It sure is no place to have a picnic.”

Nancy laughed. “It really could be fixed up very attractively.”

The girls circled the inn, peering through chinks in the boards which covered the windows. To their amazement, they could see that most of the rooms on the lower floor were cluttered with boxes and crates, many of them with lids nailed shut.

“Looks like a warehouse,” Bess remarked.

“I wonder if these came from Taylor’s,” Nancy said. “Snecker works in the receiving-and-marking room. And he’s a friend of Tombar.”

“Do you think they may contain stolen goods?”

“Maybe, Bess. I wish we could get inside and open one of those cases.”

Nancy made a careful inspection of the windows, and tested every door. She quickly reached the conclusion that the building had been effectively barricaded.

“Let’s leave, Nancy,” Bess urged.

“I guess we’ll have to.” Nancy sighed. “But you know, Bess, this puzzle is beginning to take a definite form.

“Remember the charge plate that I found on the railroad track? Well, it must have belonged to Snecker. Now, unless those cartons contain Blue Iris furnishings, I’m convinced there’s something fishy about their being here.”

“I think so too, Nancy. But if it should turn out that they’re filled with goods from the inn, wouldn’t we look silly reporting it to the police?”

“I’ll do a little more checking,” Nancy agreed.

“Let’s get back to town.”

After eating the delicious picnic lunch Bess had prepared, Nancy drove her friend home, then went straight to her father’s office. Through people he contacted she learned that at the time the Blue Iris Inn was sold, all the furnishings had been disposed of at auction. She asked his advice about telling the police her suspicions.

“Well, actually you haven’t much to go on,” he said. “Find out first whether Tombar himself bought some of the furnishings at the auction.”

Nancy set off for the auctioneer’s shop. A short distance from it she met Mr. Lightner.

“I’m glad I ran into you, Miss Drew,” he declared cordially. “After you left my office I was trying to reach you by telephone.”

“I’ve been for a ride in the country.”

“I’ve arranged for you to attend the party this evening. It’s to be a masquerade. What would you like to wear?” He added, smiling, “Lightner’s costumes are at your disposal.”

“How about my being a maid in the women’s cloakroom?”