(#16) The Clue of the Tapping Heels (2 page)

Mrs. Bealing handed Nancy the key to the side door. “Open it carefully,” she warned, “so none of the cats can get out.”

They all went inside. At once several red Persians leaped outside to the wire enclosure.

“They’re really not unfriendly,” Miss Carter explained, “just wary of strangers.” She began to count her pets.

There was silence for a couple of minutes, then she announced, “Five of them have been stolen!”

“How dreadful!” Nancy exclaimed. “Miss Carter, does that count include the kitten we found on the road?”

“No, that makes one more. Let me see the kitten again.”

Mrs. Bealing handed it over. The little Persian was still sound asleep and to everyone’s horror did not respond to its mistress’s cajoling to wake up.

“This kitten acts as if it has been drugged,” Miss Carter said. “Nancy, what do you think?”

Although Nancy had demonstrated her powers as an amateur detective upon many occasions, she had never been asked so soon after accepting a case for an explanation to yet another mystery. Nevertheless, she hazarded a guess.

“Perhaps the thief who took the five larger cats tried to take the kitten also and drugged them all. The man must have dropped this little fellow.”

“Then that means the thief wasn’t here very long ago,” Miss Carter remarked. “Otherwise the kitten would have gone farther away.” The others agreed.

Nancy offered to telephone the police and within ten minutes Detective Keely arrived. He and the girls looked for clues to the thief but found none.

“That kitten does act as if it has been drugged,” the officer said. “Suppose I take it along and have a veterinarian examine the little fellow.”

After Keely had gone, Miss Carter was taken into the house and Mrs. Bealing started preparations for supper. While waiting, Miss Carter told the girls a little about Persian cats.

“In this country most of the so-called Persians are a crossbreed of Persian and Angora. However, the cats resemble their Persian ancestors more than they do the Angora. You probably noticed that my cats have short, compact bodies and a ruff around their necks.”

Bess nodded and giggled. “And I love their little round heads, stubby noses, small ears and bushy tails.”

During supper Miss Carter said she was worried that the thief might return for more of her cats.

“Suppose I sleep in the garage,” George offered. “I don’t mind a bit, and nothing would please me more than to catch that thief!”

Bess spoke up. “I’m not going to let you stay out there alone. If you sleep in the garage, I will too.“

“Five cats have been stolen!” Miss Carter announced

“You won’t mind if I don’t join you?” Nancy asked. “I’d better stay in the house and try to catch the tapper.”

“Good idea,” said George. Later she and Bess carried cots and bedding to the garage and the two girls took up their vigil. Miss Carter had already been put to bed. Mrs. Bealing had said good night to the others and gone to her room.

Nancy remained on the first floor. She was too excited to sleep and wondered if the tapper would make a visit to the house that night.

“I think I’ll stay right here in the living room and listen for a while,” she decided.

One by one Nancy put out the lights, turned off the TV, and curled up in a big chair to wait. Half an hour went by. Nancy finally became drowsy. She was about ready to give up her watch when she suddenly was aroused by tapping sounds. They seemed to be coming from directly beneath her feet!

Nancy’s pulse started to race. Was the mysterious tapper in the basement?

CHAPTER II

Animal Uproar

NANCY sat tense, her mind in a quandary. Should she investigate the basement at once?

“I’d better not go alone,” Nancy thought. She was tempted to awaken Mrs. Bealing to accompany her but decided against disturbing her.

Nancy had noticed that the tapping sounds were uneven. It occurred to her that possibly they were a code. She could not translate any of the tapping sounds into words, but on a hunch she stood up, crossed to a bare spot on the floor, and in Morse code tapped out:

“Who are you?”

There was no answer. Nancy waited two minutes before moving. There was not a sound from the basement. Had the tapper left?

Nancy dashed from window to window and looked to see if anyone were hurrying from Miss Carter’s. Nobody was in sight.

“That tapper must be in the house still,” she concluded.

Although certain that the door from the kitchen to the basement was locked, Nancy went to make doubly sure. The bolt was in place.

She returned to her listening post and sat in the chair for another hour. There was no recurrence of the tapping, so finally Nancy decided to go to bed.

“Tomorrow morning Bess and George and I can investigate the basement thoroughly.”

She was just dozing off when a shriek from outdoors awakened her. Nancy rushed to the window of her room, which was in the back of the house. All the lights in the garage were on and she could hear excited voices.

Wondering what had happened, Nancy grabbed her robe and slippers and hurried into the hall. By this time the disturbance had started a couple of dogs in the neighborhood barking.

The din had awakened both Miss Carter and Mrs. Bealing. The nurse rushed into the hall, demanding to know what was going on.

“I don’t know,” Nancy said as she dashed past the woman and down the back stairs. Mrs. Bealing followed her.

When Nancy opened the outside kitchen door, she saw a man running across the back yard of the house next door. It was too dark to distinguish his features, but he seemed to be rather short and stocky.

Nancy raced after him. By the time she reached the neighbor’s driveway onto which he had turned, he was out of sight. The young sleuth went all the way to the street but saw no one. Not a car was parked nor was one leaving the area. Nancy turned back.

“I wonder if he could have been the mysterious tapper at Miss Carter‘s,” she thought. “I wish I’d had a better look at him.”

When Nancy reached the garage, Bess and George were telling Mrs. Bealing what had happened.

“I didn’t dream it,” Bess was saying excitedly. “That side door to the garage was locked but I heard it squeak. When I looked that way, it was being pushed open.”

George took up the story. “I was asleep, but when Bess shrieked, I woke up and turned on the light. I saw the door opening. But slowly it closed and the lock snapped shut.”

How had the intruder managed to open it? Had he jimmied the lock? Nancy wondered. A quick glance revealed it had not been tampered with. She concluded that the stranger must have used a skeleton key!

“Did you see anyone?” Nancy asked.

Bess and George shook their heads, and George said, “There was such a commotion among the cats, we didn’t have a chance to hunt for whoever tried to get in here.”

“I think maybe I saw him,” Nancy told her and explained. “Since I lost track of him so soon, he must have scooted around some other houses and disappeared.”

The animal uproar continued. Two dogs came bounding into the Carter yard and yelped at the cats in the wire enclosure. The Persians in turn arched their backs and hissed at the tormentors.

“Get out of here!” George shouted at the dogs.

One of them slunk away but the other became defiant. He clawed at the wire cage, and when George rushed outside and tried to yank him away by his collar, he turned and would have sunk his teeth into her arm if she had not pulled it away in time.

Meanwhile, Nancy had found the garden hose. She turned it on and aimed the stream of water at the angry dog. For a few seconds he caught the water in his mouth as if playing with it, then gave up the fight and ran off.

The excited cats refused to settle down. Some had scooted up the sides of the enclosure and were clinging to it. Others had dashed into the garage and hidden under any available object.

Mrs. Bealing was wringing her hands. “I don’t think we’ll ever get these animals quieted down,” she said. “Perhaps I should bring Miss Carter out here.”

“That’s a good idea,” Bess agreed. “I’ll help you.”

As soon as Miss Carter arrived she began to call each Persian by name.

“Don’t be so naughty, Abatha,” she said to one.

The ball of fluff clinging to the top of the cage disengaged itself and climbed toward her.

“Come down here, Rosemond,” she told another, and it obeyed instantly. The girls were amused by the names and amazed that the woman had such good control over the cats.

“She just loves them,” Bess whispered to Nancy. “I should think she’d hate to sell any of her darlings.”

At that moment they heard a shout from the house next door. A second-floor window was raised and a man stuck his head out.

“What are you trying to do?” he thundered. “Miss Carter, don’t you know people around here want to sleep? I’m not going to put up with those cats of yours any longer! I’ve stood them for six months.”

“I’m dreadfully sorry about what happened,” Miss Carter called to him. “It wasn’t the cats’ fault. Someone tried to break into the garage and that upset them.”

“What’s that got to do with the dogs?” the man shouted.

“I’m sure it won’t happen again, Mr. Bunce,” Miss Carter assured him.

“That’s a lot of talk!” the man exclaimed. “You’re not going to get away with this. I’ve told you before to get rid of the cats.”

Miss Carter looked worried. She said to Nancy, “This is the first disturbance we’ve had.”

The conversation, which was too low for Mr. Bunce to hear, seemed to anger the man. “What are you conniving now?” he cried angrily. “Whatever it is, it won’t do you any good!”

Bess stared at the man in disgust. “What a creep he is!” she whispered.

Mr. Bunce continued his tirade. “I’ll tell you, Miss Carter, what I’m going to do—inform the authorities these cats are a nuisance and a menace, and I’ll see to it that you get rid of them at once!” He slammed the window shut.

Miss Carter had turned ash white. In a tremulous voice she said, “I love my cats and selling them brings me a nice livelihood, which I need. Mr. Bunce will ruin my business!”

Another thought occurred to Nancy. If Miss Carter should decide to move away, the mystery of the stolen cats and the tapper might never be solved. She was determined to clear up both mysteries so this could not happen.

CHAPTER III

Actor’s Surprise

ALTHOUGH Bess was a bit fearful she agreed to spend the rest of the night in the garage with George.

“It’s very comfortable here,” she admitted, “and cooler than inside the house.”

Mrs. Bealing made lemonade for the group, then they all went back to bed. At breakfast time Miss Carter insisted upon coming downstairs to the table.

Nancy said to her, “Do you think Mr. Bunce really intends to make trouble?”

Miss Carter shook her head. “He’s hot-tempered but I’m sure his bark is worse than his bite. Let’s forget him and concentrate on finding the tapper in this house.”

“I’m afraid,” said Nancy, “that I can’t play detective tonight. I must go home for a rehearsal. And there’s another one tomorrow night.”

“Oh dear!” Mrs. Bealing spoke up. “Bess and George, do you have to go, too?”

“Well, n-o-o-o,” Bess said after a pause, “but I hate to stay here without Nancy. I’m not much of a sleuth ”

Miss Carter patted the girl’s hand. “You were the one who saved my cats last night,” she reminded Bess. “If you hadn’t awakened, I might have lost several more of my prize Persians.”

Flattery had its effect and Bess consented to stay if George would.

“I’m game,” her cousin said.

Mrs. Bealing heaved a sigh. “I feel much better now. Thank you.”

Miss Carter expressed interest in Nancy’s rehearsal. “Is this for a concert or a play?”

“A play. I take the part of a dancer. I don’t have many lines, but I do have three tap numbers.”

Miss Carter leaned forward across the table. “Nancy, I’m terrifically interested. I used to be an actress myself.” She looked off into space. “I loved it and felt sad when I had to retire.”

Bess asked what plays Miss Carter had been in.

The actress named several and added, “My greatest role was in
The Dancer and the Fool.
I played the part of the dancer. You know, I believe that with a few changes that play could be modernized and produced right now.”

She asked Nancy, “Have you ever thought seriously of going on the stage? You’d be perfect in the role I played.”

Nancy laughed. Before she had a chance to answer, Bess said, “Nancy wouldn’t give up her detective work for anything. Now and then she does other things, like this play, but she spends most of her time solving mysteries.”

Miss Carter smiled. As she was about to make a comment, the telephone rang. Mrs. Bealing answered and said that the police wanted to speak to her patient. The actress was wheeled to the hall and picked up the phone.

She listened for a few minutes, then said, “Oh, the poor thing! That was wicked! ... Yes, I’ll send somebody to pick up the kitten. And how are we going to find the person who did this?” She went on to tell about the attempted intrusion the night before.