Diamond Deceit (5 page)

Nancy and Marcia went back inside the shop, and Marcia bolted the door behind them. Gathering up her purse and a large canvas tote bag, she asked Nancy, “Ready to go?”

“Sure. Joanna's line was busy, so I'll try when I get back to my room. I hope I can talk to her tomorrow,” said Nancy.

She glanced around the workroom one more time, then followed Marcia to the front door. Marcia punched a code into the pad, activating the security system, then quickly locked the door. A green light indicated the system was on.

“Thanks again, Nancy. I'll be glad when this whole thing is cleared up. It makes me nervous when Len gets all worked up and goes around threatening people—even though I know he'd never carry out his threats. It's just his way.”

Nancy's brow furrowed. “Threats? What is Len threatening to do?” she asked.

Marcia seemed embarrassed that she had brought up the subject. “Um, he said something
about setting Joanna Burton straight, telling her that I had nothing to do with stealing her diamonds. But I talked him out of it and told him you'd take care of it,” Marcia assured Nancy.

“Hmm,” was all Nancy said, but inside she was worried. She couldn't really rule out Len or Marcia as suspects. After witnessing Len's temper, Nancy wasn't convinced that he would keep his anger under control. She only hoped he could.

• • •

“You're just in time for spiced cider,” George said when Nancy walked into their room at the Provence Inn ten minutes later.

George was carrying a tray with three steaming mugs from the kitchenette to the small sitting area next to the beds. She set the tray down on the coffee table, then joined Bess on the couch.

“It's Ted's special recipe,” Bess added.

Taking one of the mugs, Nancy sipped the steaming cider. “Mmm. That's really good,” she said, taking it over to the phone.

“I need to call Joanna Burton to set up an appointment to see her,” she told Bess and George.

Nancy took the card Marcia had given her from her purse and dialed the actress's number.

“Hello?”

Nancy felt a thrill as she recognized Joanna Burton's rich, sultry voice. “Miss Burton?” she asked to make sure.

“Yes, who's this?” Miss Burton said curtly.

“My name is Nancy Drew. I'm looking into the claim you've made that the diamonds in a piece of your jewelry were removed and replaced with fake stones.”

“It's about time someone returned my call,” Miss Burton snapped. “When will I get my check?”

It dawned on Nancy that Miss Burton must believe Nancy worked for the insurance company.

“Miss Burton, I, um, need to ask you a few questions about your claim,” Nancy said, without actually telling the actress she
wasn't
with the insurance company. “Perhaps I could stop by your house tomorrow morning, about ten?”

Nancy heard Miss Burton let out a long sigh. “This won't take long?”

“I'll make it as quick as possible,” Nancy promised.

“Tomorrow, then, ten
A.M
.” Then the line went dead.

Nancy raised her eyes to see her friends staring at her in amazement. “You're going to Joanna Burton's house!” Bess exclaimed as Nancy hung up.

“It
is
pretty exciting,” Nancy admitted. “Do you want to come along?”

“Not at ten in the morning,” Bess said, disappointed. “I do my baking then.”

Bess's comment suddenly reminded Nancy of Bess's proposed move to Carmel. For the past hour or so Nancy had been so caught up in the case that she'd forgotten about it. Now, Nancy decided, it was time to talk to Bess.

“Bess, about this job and staying here in Carmel,” George began before Nancy could say anything.

“Isn't it great?” Bess asked, a dreamy expression in her eyes.

“We think it's great that things are going so well, but isn't this kind of sudden?” Nancy asked her. “Have you really been here long enough to know if you want to stay?” She hesitated before adding, “It's hard to tell if you're staying because of the job or because of Ted.”

Bess bit her lower lip. “I guess it's a little of both,” she admitted.

“Did you tell your mom and dad?” George wanted to know. “What did they say?”

“They were the ones who suggested I invite you two out here to talk about it. They're willing to go along with whatever I decide.”

“We're not trying to talk you out of staying here, but whenever I think about you here and us in River Heights . . .” George didn't finish the sentence, but her sad expression said a lot.

“That would be the hardest part,” Bess said softly, “being separated from you two and my family.”

She opened her mouth to say something else
but was cut off as the phone rang. Nancy reached over and picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Nancy, it's Mrs. Menendez. Someone left a package for you at the desk. Do you want to come get it, or shall I send it along?”

“A package?” Nancy couldn't imagine who would be sending her something there. “I'll come get it,” she told Mrs. Menendez.

“I need to pick up a package someone left for me at the desk,” she told Bess and George.

“A secret admirer?” George teased. “Is there something you aren't telling us, Nan?”

Nancy giggled. “So far he's been so secret that even I don't know about him. I'll be right back, guys.”

She went down the hall and staircase to the inn's reception area.

“I came out to the desk a few minutes ago, and this package was sitting here,” Mrs. Menendez said, pointing to a cardboard box on the counter. “I guess whoever sent it wants to remain anonymous.”

The box had Nancy's name printed on the outside, but there was nothing to indicate from where or from whom it had come. “Thanks,” Nancy told Mrs. Menendez.

As soon as Nancy stepped back inside her room Bess said, “Open it!”

“Who even knows you're staying here?” George wondered aloud.

Nancy asked herself the same question. She quickly ripped off the tape holding the cardboard lid down and pulled the flaps open.

“Oh, no!” Bess exclaimed, staring into the box.

Nancy's stomach churned as she gazed down at the smashed cuckoo clock that lay in the box. The cuckoo lay crushed outside the clock's little door. A sheet of paper was affixed to its pointy beak. Written on the paper in block letters were the words “Time to mind your own business.”

F
OR A LONG MOMENT
Nancy, Bess, and George stared at the smashed cuckoo clock in shocked silence.

“I can't believe someone is threatening you,” George finally said, her brown eyes worried.

“I don't like this, Nancy,” Bess added. She stepped away from the box and flopped down on George's bed. “What if whoever sent this tries to hurt you? Maybe you should drop the case. I'm sure Marcia would understand.”

“There's no way I'm going to back off now,” Nancy said firmly.

Reaching into the box, George removed the clock and tried to stick the bird back inside the door. “You guys, this looks like the clock we saw at Cy Baxter's store!” she said excitedly. “Whoever
it was must have found out who you really are and sent it to scare you off.”

“Maybe,” Nancy said, frowning. “But why would he send me one of his own clocks? I mean, he would have to know that I would make the connection between the cuckoo clock and him—”

Nancy broke off as someone pounded on the door. She tensed automatically. Bess and George also froze, their eyes turned to Nancy.

“It's probably nothing, you guys,” Nancy said as she peered through the peephole. “It's Ted,” she announced, smiling.

The first thing Nancy noticed when she opened the door was the scowl on Ted's face.

“Is Bess still here?” he asked, pushing a hand back through his straight dark hair.

“I'm here,” Bess called, getting up from George's bed.

“I went to your room to talk about the desserts for the weekend,” Ted said. “When you weren't there, I thought I'd try here. Are you going to be a lot longer?”

His gaze fell on the broken cuckoo clock. “What happened to that?”

Ted listened while Bess, George, and Nancy showed him the threatening note. He seemed so concerned that Nancy almost forgave him his attitude toward Bess.

“Wow. This is turning into a pretty hairy
situation,” Ted said. “I hope you can find out who's responsible, Nancy.”

Before Nancy could respond, Ted turned to Bess. “So, about those desserts—” he began.

“Well, we were just talking, but if it's really important . . .” Bess glanced at Nancy and George.

“Go ahead, Bess,” Nancy said, trying to sound as if she didn't mind. “We can finish talking tomorrow.”

“Thanks, guys. What can I say? He just can't be without me for a minute,” Bess said, giggling.

Nancy and George said good night.

“I'm not sure what it is about that guy I don't like,” George said after the door had closed on Bess and Ted.

“He sure doesn't want Bess to spend time with us. Then again, maybe we're just jealous because he might take Bess away from us.”

• • •

“Can you believe that Bess got up and left for the restaurant before seven in the morning?” George asked the following morning as she and Nancy jogged along the beach. “I'm in shock!”

“I know what you mean. Bess isn't exactly the early-bird type,” Nancy agreed with a laugh “If she's willing to get up at this hour, she must really love her job!”

Nancy and George had gotten up early to go running. When they passed by Mrs. Menendez in
the lobby, Ted's mother had told them that Bess had already gone to the cafe.

“Well, at least Bess promised to finish early so we can get in some sightseeing this afternoon,” Nancy said, lengthening her stride to keep up with George. She tucked a flyaway strand of reddish blond hair beneath her headband and breathed in the moist, salty ocean air.

The day was bright and clear. A brisk breeze blew in from the ocean, sending waves beating against the dark rocks that rose along the shoreline.

“Anyway, you and I will be busy meeting Joanna Burton this morning,” George said. “I'm totally psyched!”

Nancy grinned at her friend. “Me, too. Who wouldn't be excited to meet a movie star?”

The girls finished their run, then showered and dressed. Nancy wanted to look official for her meeting with the actress, so she put on a lavender suit with a wrap skirt and a top in a complementary shade.

After breakfast Nancy and George headed out and got in their rental car. Following the directions Mrs. Menendez had given them, they headed for Seventeen-Mile Drive.

“There's the entrance,” George said a few minutes later.

Up ahead Nancy saw a wooden gate house. As she pulled to a halt in front of it, a security guard stepped out and smiled.

“Good morning, ladies,” he greeted them. “There's a fee to enter the drive.”

After Nancy had paid him, the guard handed Nancy a receipt and a brochure with a map showing all the sights of interest. Nancy handed the brochure to George.

“Hmm. It says here that Joanna Burton's house is about a mile and a half down the drive,” George said, consulting the pamphlet. “It has a black iron gate.”

Nancy nodded. “I'm glad we got the map. Otherwise we might not have found the right house.”

Nancy drove into a wooded area. The houses were large and built much farther apart than the ones in town. Nancy couldn't sightsee, though, because it took all her attention to negotiate the narrow, curved road.

“Whoa! Look at that!” George exclaimed as they emerged from the wooded area.

Nancy slowed the car and pulled into an overlook just ahead. When she finally checked out the view, she was stunned.

A panoramic ocean scene stretched before them. The rocky beach was far below, at the foot of a long, sandy hill. Beyond the sand the blue waters were dotted with sailboats and windsurfers.

“That's Monterey Bay,” George informed Nancy, referring to the map in her lap.

“I feel as if we got our money's worth just
looking at the scenery,” Nancy said. “But we'd better go. It's almost ten.”

Putting the car in drive, Nancy pulled back on to the road. They continued to travel with the ocean to their right; sometimes they were at sea level, sometimes on a ridge high up.

“Joanna Burton's house can't be much farther,” Nancy said, slowing as they approached a curve.

She was just easing into the turn when a white pickup truck came roaring around the curve from the opposite direction. It was halfway in Nancy's lane, heading straight at the girls' car!

“Nancy, look out!” George cried. Her face was white as she grabbed the dashboard.