(#16) The Clue of the Tapping Heels (14 page)

Nancy could not keep from laughing and Ned remarked, “Gus, I think you’ll have to change your mind on that one.”

“Did you ever steal any cats?” Nancy questioned.

“No. But I went to the cage once and looked at them.”

“When you had on your spiked shoes?”

“Yes.”

So the cat thief had not worn golf shoes, Nancy decided.

She asked Gus, “What did you do with all the papers in your secret room?”

“Took them to the house where I’m boarding. But not the diary. That’s gone—stolen.”

Nancy admitted she had removed it, but someone had taken it from her. She now asked another question.

“Were you responsible for trying to harm Ned and me on various occasions?”

Gus shook his head vigorously. “Tuesday I followed you in a car to see where you lived. But I lost the trail in a parking lot in River Heights. I thought it would be better if you stopped snooping around here. I overheard a lot while I was in the house, and decided to attack Ned so he’d make you stay away from here. I sent him a note and then tried to knock him out in the school corridor. That’s all I ever did.”

By this time the three had reached the second floor. Bess and Dave came running forward, astounded.

“You caught the tapper?” Bess cried out. “It was the one you suspected, Nancy!”

Gus replied, “Yes, I’m the one who was doing the tapping. I took off my shoes and used the heels. But sometimes I used a hammer.”

The group entered Miss Carter’s room. After she had been told what had occurred in the attic, Gus went on with his story.

“As I told you, my parents went on a long trip and left me with two guardians, a couple named Gardner. They were pretty cruel—locked me in the secret room which they made from a storage area. Years ago you could only open the panel from the outside. But I fixed that lately.

“At the time my guardians kept me there, they had an old man as kind of a guard whenever they went out. He used to fall asleep frequently and leave the panel open a little. Then I would sneak out and grab things which were my grandmother’s. For a while I hid them in the secret room. There’s a closet back of the bookcase, which moves. That’s where I hid myself sometimes and why I set the mousetrap so nobody could find out the way to swing open the bookcase.

“I also made openings in wooden panels around the house and in the ceiling of the basement to hide my things in. After four years I forgot where they were and tapped trying to find them. By the way, the kitchen door to the basement was never locked until you girls came here. You made it hard for me to get around.”

As Gus paused, Nancy asked Bess if she would go and get George and Burt. As soon as they arrived, the confession was resumed.

“Tell me,” said Nancy, “when you had a chance to roam around the house and secrete various objects, why didn’t you run away?”

Gus smiled. “I guess I was greedy. In any case I felt that what was rightfully mine I should hide while I could. I planned that as soon as I had found everything, I would gather them together and then go.”

Gus went on to say that the plan had been interrupted when his parents suddenly took him off to the Beverly. He had waited nearly four years to get away from there.

“When I finally did, I came here to Berryville expecting to find my parents. To my surprise they had sold the house and vanished. Do you know anything about them?” he asked.

There was silence for a few moments, then Miss Carter spoke up. “Your parents passed away some time ago. Their estate was left in charge of a man named W. F. Bunce.”

Gus lowered his eyes for a few moments as if in respect. “I’m sorry I was such a problem to them.” Then he added, “I never heard of W. F. Bunce.”

“By any chance did you knock out the man next door in the driveway Thursday night?”

Gus looked sheepish. “Yes, I did. I thought he might have seen me climbing down the wall. Besides, he was sneaking out of this house.”

“Sneaking out of here!” Nancy repeated.

She had wondered why Bunce had never reported the attack to the police. Was it because he had recognized Gus and didn’t dare go to the authorities ? Or was it because he had illegally entered Miss Carter’s house? It could even have been a contributing factor in his hasty exit from Berryville!

Nancy said to Gus, “We understand that your parents left a good bit of money in trust for you.”

“What!” Gus exclaimed.

“Mr. Bunce was both the executor and administrator. He was supposed to send money to the Beverly to cover your expenses there, the way your father had, but we understand he never did. Dr. Jones was unaware your parents had died.”

Nancy revealed all their suspicions about the couple who had been living next to Miss Carter and had moved out suddenly.

“Mr. Bunce had an automobile which was registered in your name.”

“Why, the old cheat!” Gus cried out. “I haven’t owned a car in years. I rent the ones I use now. Where can I find this man?”

Nancy smiled. “We’re looking for him ourselves. We suspect he may know something about the theft of several of Miss Carter’s valuable cats.”

Gus looked at the floor. “Which one of you was tapping to me in Morse code?”

“I was,” Nancy answered.

“It was very good.” Gus chuckled. “Did you understand what I tapped back?”

It was Nancy’s turn to grin. “You dared me to catch you. Well, I did!”

“I suppose,” said Gus, “that this is the end of the line for me. My tapping heels helped to catch me. It seemed like fun at the time. Now, no doubt, I’m wanted by the police for breaking in here and burglarizing this place.”

“I’m afraid so,” the young sleuth replied. “Also, the police will want to know about the car you rented to follow me to River Heights. It had stolen license plates.”

“I didn’t know that,” he declared.

At a nod from Nancy, Ned went to telephone headquarters.

Gus continued, “I think I’m all through running away.”

Nancy hoped so. Perhaps, with a steady income, which he could earn from his knowledge of Morse code, Gus would act more mature. If Bunce had not spent all the money in the estate, there might be a good portion left for the rightful heir.

In a short time Detective Keely arrived. He was pleased that the tapper had been caught. Gus went willingly with him and another police officer.

After they had gone, Burt said, “This sure was an exciting evening. But now I guess it will have to come to an end. How about it, fellows?”

Reluctantly Ned and Dave agreed. Emerson College was a good many miles away and all three boys had early-morning classes.

“Let us know about any new developments,” Ned requested. He chuckled as he added, “I sure enjoyed tackling Gus Woonton. Stopping a man on a football field is cool, but it can’t compare with getting the better of a housebreaker!”

Bess spoke up. “Would you do me a big favor and take me home? River Heights is on your way.”

“Sure thing,” he answered.

George said she would like to go too. “Bess and I can come back tomorrow morning and bring Mrs. Bealing. Nancy, would you mind terribly staying here alone?”

“Of course not, especially since our mystery tapper has been caught.”

Left alone with Miss Carter, Nancy brought a tray with hot cocoa and a few cookies for the actress and herself. While sipping their midnight beverage, the two talked about the mystery and hoped that Fred Bunce would be caught soon.

Presently Nancy kissed the actress good night and went to her own room. There was not a sound in the house nor outside, yet Nancy could not go to sleep. A sudden thought came to her. The secret trap door in the attic had not been closed.

“I’ll go up and shut it,” she said to herself.

Taking her flashlight, she went to the third floor. As Nancy neared the opened trap door, she became curious to know what lay below.

“Which part of the kitchen had the sealed-off stairway opened into?” she wondered. “Probably back of the cabinets.”

Although Nancy went all the way to the bottom, she found nothing unusual except a box of sandwiches which Gus apparently had left there.

She turned back and came up. Just as she reached the top, a man’s hand suddenly knocked her flashlight down and someone else clapped a hand over her mouth!

Nancy struggled, but was no match for her two strong opponents. She was bound and gagged, then made to slide down the steps. The trap door was closed and a heavy piece of furniture pulled across it.

CHAPTER XX

Amusing Confession

THE attack on Nancy had been so stealthy and unexpected she had not had a chance to see the faces of her assailants. She was sure there had been two men.

“Who could they have been?” she thought, puzzled. “Anyway, neither of them was Gus Woonton. So I have other enemies—possibly even Mr. Bunce!”

Suddenly a frightening idea came into her mind. Had the men harmed defenseless Miss Carter ?

“Oh, I hope not.” Nancy almost sobbed. “I must get out of this prison.”

Nancy worked at the gag in her mouth and the bonds around her wrists and ankles but could not budge them. She was about halfway down the stairway. By lying on her back, and using her elbows and feet to propel herself, she managed to inch her way up to the door.

“I’d better not try standing, I might lose my balance,” she decided.

Carefully Nancy switched herself around. Now, with her head pointed downward, she tapped her heels loudly on the attic door. She waited a minute, then tapped again. Silence.

“Oh, why did I let myself get into such a fix!” Nancy chided herself. “But I musn’t give up.”

The strong movement of her feet helped to loosen the bonds on them a bit. Hopefully she banged on the door again, but in vain.

“It’s no use,” she thought. “Even if Miss Carter wasn’t injured by those men, she couldn’t possibly get up here to help me. But when she finds I’m not in bed and hears the noise up here, maybe, just maybe, she’ll telephone the police or drag herself up the stairs by using the railing.”

Nancy continued to tap violently on the door. By this time she was nearly exhausted and had to rest a moment before doing anything more.

Then suddenly she heard voices. They were indistinct, but Nancy was sure they were not men’s. With all the strength she had left she tapped again furiously.

In a moment she heard running footsteps on the attic stairway.

A voice came to her distinctly. “I don’t see anyone,” Bess Marvin called.

Nancy’s heart leaped with relief. She hit the trap door again. Within seconds the heavy piece of furniture had been moved away. The trap door was lifted up. Five faces stared down at her in disbelief. Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave stood there.

Nancy was quickly lifted into the attic and the gag and bonds removed. Bess flung both arms around her friend, completely blocking off any affectionate hugs the others might have wished to give her.

George’s face showed anger. “Who did this to you?” she demanded.

“Two men came up behind me while I was investigating this stairway.”

“I’ll call the police,” Ned said, but Burt said, “You stay with Nancy. I’ll do it.”

Ned could see that Nancy was pretty shaken. He swooped her up and carried the exhausted girl to the second floor.

As they passed Miss Carter’s door the young people heard her call out, “What’s going on? Come in and tell me.”

Nancy was relieved that the woman had not been harmed. Bess opened the door and the actress gave a little scream.

“Oh, what has happened to Nancy?”

“I’ll be all right, really I will,” Nancy insisted.

Ned carried her to the couch and sat down beside her. Holding one of her hands, he said, “It would help if you could tell us the story, but if you don’t feel up to it, we can wait.”

“My mouth is dreadfully dry from that gag,” Nancy said. “I’d appreciate a glass of water.”

When she was ready to tell her story, the first thing she said was, “Did one of you have a hunch that I was in trouble?”

George replied, “Oh, you mean what brought us back here? Bess left her handbag.”

Bess smiled. “Thank goodness I did.”

Nancy said, “I suppose those two men aren’t in the house any longer, but it wouldn’t hurt to search.”

At once the three boys went off and made a complete investigation. Just as they were reporting to the others that the intruders were gone, the telephone rang. Ned answered it.

“Police headquarters calling,” a voice said. “Who is this?”

Ned identified himself and said he was a friend of Nancy Drew.

“This is Captain Healey,” the officer told him. “Fred Bunce is under arrest here with a pal of his. We caught them running out of Miss Carter’s driveway.

“I didn’t call you until we had a complete confession. Bunce talked William Woonton into making him sole executor and administrator of the estate. He has stolen a good deal of it, but declares there’s plenty left for Gus.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Ned. “Officer, if you can wait a moment, I think Nancy Drew should come to the phone and talk to you. She may have some questions.”

Quickly Ned went upstairs and relayed the message. Nancy picked up the extension in Miss Carter’s room and identified herself.

“I’m so happy you caught Bunce. Is his companion the person who stole the cats?”

“That’s right,” Captain Healey replied. “He’s the one you saw sneaking away across the Bunces’s yard. He disappeared into his friend’s house until the search for him was over.”

Healey also said that Bunce had kept a close watch on Gus even inside the house. In this way he had learned of the secret room and the diary, which he planned to steal, but Nancy had taken it before he had a chance. He had sent the cat thief to her house to get it. Bunce had also used this man to go to his home after the couple had left to pick up articles. Nancy, Bess, and George had nearly caught him.

“Bunce suspected that Gus was hunting for hidden treasures and planned to get the secrets out of you, Miss Drew. But the arrival of your boy friend upset that scheme.”

“How did he find Gus?” Nancy said.

“From things Gus’s parents said, Bunce figured that if Gus ever escaped from the Beverly he might come to his old home.”