The Clue Of The Velvet Mask Part 29

So tightly had her wrist bonds been tied, she realized that she could never unfasten them without aid. The ropes about her ankles were somewhat looser, but it was impossible to reach them.

"I'll wiggle around and perhaps I'll find something to help me get them off," Nancy thought eagerly. "But where is Bess?"

As she rolled and twisted on the floor, Nancy brushed against an object with a sharp edge. It seemed to be a loose metal band around a large box.

At once Nancy raised her bound feet and began to saw her bonds across the metal. It was hard work. Repeatedly she abandoned the task as fatigue overcame her. But after each rest period she tried again.

Finally she succeeded. The frayed ankle cords broke. Her feet were free!

Nancy scrambled up, and though she still could not see because of the blindfold, she groped backward with her tied hands until she found the sharp piece of metal. Another five minutes and both hands were free. She jerked off the blindfold and removed the gag.

"What a relief!" she gasped.

The unlighted prison was apparently window-less. Nancy was conscious of crates and boxes piled about her. Where was she?

Not knowing whether there was a guard nearby, Nancy did not dare call out Bess's name. She would have to find Bess by feeling her way around.

As she started her search, Nancy's forehead touched a string from an overhead, swinging light bulb. She switched it on.

The brightness revealed that she had been left captive in the s.h.i.+pping room of Taylor's Department Store. After a hunt in the aisles between the crates, she found Bess.

Quickly Nancy freed her friend and helped her to stand up. Bess found it difficult to walk because her legs had become numb.

"Where are we?" she asked in a whisper, her voice quavering with fright.

"In the receiving-and-marking room of Taylor's store."

"Let's get out!" Bess urged.

She hobbled to a heavy metal door at the far end of the room. It was locked!

"I was afraid of that," Nancy muttered. "Now-"

She quickly switched off the light, aware of voices on the other side of the heavy door.

Nancy tiptoed over and the girls pressed their ears against it and listened.

A man was talking, bragging about the ease with which the two girls had been captured. He reported that they were neatly tied up and ready for their second ride in another half hour.

"If we hadn't caught that Drew girl she might have interfered with us tonight. And n.o.body's goin' to stop me from takin' a big haul out of old man Taylor's store! Once we get the silver and the furs, we'll pick up those girls and beat it. And you are to come back here in ten minutes to be sure everything's okay."

Nancy's pulse began to pound. So the Velvet Gang was going to rob Taylor's Department Store! She must stop them! But how?

"Let's scream for help," Bess whispered.

"No, Bess! That would only bring them in here to tie us up again. Maybe there's a telephone in this place."

The girls waited until they thought their captors had left, then turned on the light. Though they found a desk, there was no telephone on it.

"Now what'll we do?" Bess asked.

"Let's examine the walls for some sort of exit," Nancy suggested. "There may be a chute to shove boxes through. I want to find out what these cartons contain. This big carton looks exactly like one I saw at the Blue Iris Inn!"

"How would it get here?"

"Snecker uses a Taylor truck, don't forget. Furthermore, he's in charge of this room."

"But why would he bring the cartons here, Nancy? It doesn't make sense."

Nancy tore open the top of the box. The first item she lifted out was another miniature which had been stolen from the Hendricks.

As Bess examined the walls for a means of escape, Nancy went on with her task. Underneath some shredded tissue she found other things which she knew had been taken from her friend's home.

"I've found the loot!" Nancy excitedly told Bess, who had now reached the third wall without locating a door or chute.

"Wonderful! But that doesn't get us out of here."

Bess examined the fourth wall. No better luck. Nancy had opened two more cartons. Both contained stolen goods.

"But these boxes are all marked with the Taylor store name!" Bess said.

"To fool anyone who became curious. The thieves packed the stolen goods at the inn. Then Snecker or some of his helpers would bring them here. Snecker marked the cartons as damaged merchandise to be returned to the original s.h.i.+pper."

"The s.h.i.+ppers are in the gang?"

"No. They're innocent. The boxes never reached them. You'll notice they are addressed to only two factories, both in distant cities. One of the gang must work in each factory. He takes the loot out and sells it to a p.a.w.nbroker or some other fence."

"All of these boxes and crates are being s.h.i.+pped by the thieves?" Bess gasped.

"Oh no. They couldn't get by with that. I think most of the boxes are incoming merchandise. See, here's one marked Sweaters."

"And here's another stamped Porcelain," Bess added. "That big one is marked Toys."

Curious to learn if the box actually contained toys, Nancy ripped open the top.

"Toys all right," she conceded. "Games, an atom bomb set, a chemical set and-say! This gives me an idea!"

"What?" Bess demanded eagerly.

"Maybe we'll get out pf here yet!"

"Oh, I hope so. But how, Nancy?"

"This chemical set! See, one package is marked Smoke! By mixing the chemicals, we can make it appear that there's a fire here when one of the men returns."

"And maybe start a real one!" Bess worried.

"No danger of that, Bess. Listen at the door while I whip up a 'fire.' Maybe someone's out there now."