The Clue In The Crumbling Wall Part 16

"So that's what Hector has been up to!" Nancy said hotly. "He had the real Juliana kidnapped to be able to present this impostor!"

"It certainly seems that way," Mr. Drew agreed.

"If Daniel Hector can establish the impostor as the heiress, he will probably pay her well and then take over the estate."

"Let's hurry back to River Heights," Nancy suggested.

After hastening through lunch she and her father checked out of the motel, and soon were driving along the road toward home.

"I wonder where the abductor has hidden Juliana," Nancy said.

It was early afternoon when the Drews reached River Heights. The lawyer said he had to stop in his office for a couple of hours and that Nancy could use the car in the meantime.

"I think I'll go see Mrs. Fenimore and find out whether she has heard the news," Nancy decided as she got out of the car. She drove off and turned in the direction of the little house.

Joan and her mother were happy to see her.

They had not read the newspapers, however, and had not heard from Daniel Hector. When Nancy told them about the article, Mrs. Fenimore be- came excited.

"You mean my sister has really been found?

Oh, I just can't believe it! Where is she?"

"Mrs. Fenimore," Nancy said, "I don't want to disappoint you, but I believe that the woman Hector claims to have located is an impostor!"

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Fenimore looked bewildered.

Nancy told about the result of her investiga- tion and of her suspicion that the real Juliana had been kidnapped.

"But that's terrible," Mrs. Fenimore finally said. "It's an unscrupulous scheme to cheat my sister out of her inheritance, and who knows, she might be a prisoner of Hector's for years! We must tell the police!"

"I wish we could," Nancy said. "But so far I can't prove anything. Unless we find your sister in time. Hector may get away with his crooked scheme."

"But I can tell if the claimant is my sister, can't I?"

"I don't know whether your word against hers would be proof enough. Anyway, I think we should meet the dancer who claims to be Juliana."

Joan insisted upon coming along, and soon the three of them arrived at the Rivervicw Hotel.

"You mean Senora Fernandez?" the desk clerk replied when Nancy inquired for the woman.

"I'll see if she's receiving callers."

Mrs. Fenimore became more and more appre- hensive as they waited. Finally the clerk told them to go up to Room 320. They knocked and a voice said, "Come in!"

A beautiful woman was reclining on the bed, her back braced by several embroidered pillows.

She wore an exotic negligee which set off to ad- vantage her dark hair and creamy white skin.

"Vera! I am so glad to see you again!" she said and got up to embrace Mrs. Fenimore. "And this is Joan, isn't it?" She kissed the little girl lightly on the cheek.

Mrs. Fenimore was so confused that for a mo- ment she could not speak. Nancy broke the silence by giving her name.

"Miss Drew?" the dancer looked perplexed but only for an instant. "Yes, I believe Mr. Hector told me about you."

By now Mrs. Fenimore had relaxed. "Julie, why did you go away?"

"I-I eloped with my Mexican husband."

"But how could you desert Walter Heath?"

"I couldn't marry him, because I didn't love him. But I didn't want to hurt him either; that's why I disappeared."

"But now you've come back to claim his for- tune," Nancy put in. "By the way, what are your plans for the estate?"

"I'll sell it. Mr. Hector has a buyer for it al- ready."

"Then you won't stay in River Heights?" Mrs.

Fenimore asked.

"Of course not. I have my career and my home in Mexico."

Mrs. Fenimore looked at the woman calmly.

"Mr. Hector won't be able to sell the estate for you because you are not my sister 1"

The other woman blanched. "I may have changed in those ten years, but I can prove who I am!"

"How?" Nancy asked quickly.

"I have all necessary identification. And I also have this!" From beneath her pillow the dancer brought out a torn paper. Nancy instantly knew that it was the missing half of the note she had found at the Heath factory. She read the words:

day the sec- am hiding may make me Then I shall be of you. Love, Walt

Nancy did not have the other half of the note with her, but she knew its contents by heart. The complete message would read:

Dear C, Someday the sec- cret which I am hiding in a wall may make me famous. Then I shall be worthy of you. Love, Walt

The young sleuth concluded that Walter Heath had not sold the formula on which he had been working. Instead, he had hidden the dyes some- where in the old estate walls to keep them safe from men like Biggs.

"Do you have the other half of the note?"

Nancy asked Senora Fernandez.

"No, I lost it years ago."

"What does the C stand for?"

"Oh-Walt used to call me Carita. It was a nickname he gave me when we first met."

"You are not my sister!" Mrs. Fenimore cried out again. She could hardly control her anger.

"And this note proves nothing!"

Nancy took her arm. "Let's go now. And don't worry," she said as the three left.

Back on the street, Nancy said, "Daniel Hector did a good job. Senora Fernandez does resemble your sister, doesn't she?"

Mrs. Fenimore nodded. "So much so that at first I wasn't sure myself."

"I noticed the woman had rather large feet,"

Nancy said. "She must wear at least a size nine or ten shoe."

"And Juliana had extremely small feet," Mrs.

Fenimore remarked. "That should help prove Mrs. Fernandez is a phony."

"Yes. Please don't worry about it. Right now all I'm concerned about is finding your sister!"

Nancy dropped the Fenimores off at their house 154 THE CLUE IN THE CRUMBUNG WALL.

and drove home. On the way she pa.s.sed Bess's house and noticed that George's car stood in front.

"I'll stop to tell them the latest news about the case," Nancy decided.

Bess invited both girls to stay to dinner. Nancy accepted after calling Hannah Gruen.

"Your father won't be back until late, any- way," the housekeeper said.

By the time Nancy arrived home, it was dark.

As she pulled into the driveway, the young detec- tive noticed that there were no lights on in the house.

"That's funny," she thought, stopping. "When- ever Hannah goes out, she leaves a lamp on."

Nancy hurried to the front door. With a surge of alarm she found it standing slightly ajar. Cau- tiously she pushed it open but saw only the dark hallway.

"Hannah!" she called out, reaching for the hall switch.

Before she could turn on the lights, a powerful arm seized her and a hand was clapped over her mouth. At the same time the a.s.sailant yanked her into the hall and slammed the door shut!

CHAPTER XVIII.

Tower Trouble.

The man held Nancy in an iron grip, and though she struggled, she could not break away. Did she know him? He kept in back of her, so she could not see his face.

Frightening questions raced through her mind: Where was Hannah? Had the housekeeper been harmed!

"We're going to take you for a little ride now,"

her captor said in a whisper. "You're through meddling at Heath Castle!"

"Will you shut up!" a harsh voice put in. The second man tied a scarf over her eyes. "Let's get her out of here before her father comes home."

Suddenly Nancy had an idea of how to throw the men off guard. With a moan she slumped into her captor's arms and dropped her purse.

He exclaimed angrily, "She's fainted!"

"So what?" snapped the other. "We follow the orders. I'll get the car and bring it up the drive- way. You carry her out when I signal."

Her body limp, but her senses sharply alert, Nancy waited for her chance to escape. When the other man left, her captor released his grasp. In- stead of crumpling to the floor, Nancy pulled off the scarf and dashed up the stairs to her father's room.

The man gave a startled cry and ran after her.

But Nancy locked the door before he reached it.

"I'm calling the police!" she shouted, and raced to the telephone.

For a few moments the intruder pounded on the door wildly, and banged himself against it, then suddenly stopped. Nancy had just finished dialing when she heard him run downstairs and slam the front door.

Quickly she reported the incident to head- quarters, then went to look out the window. She saw the intruder round the end of the drive and flee into the darkness. Despite the thumping of her heart, she smiled grimly.

As Nancy hurried through the house she switched on the lights and called Hannah's name.