Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew by The Twin Dilemma Page A
Authors: The Twin Dilemma
Tags: Fiction, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Detective and Mystery Stories, Girls, Mystery Fiction, Twins, Siblings, Detectives, Missing Persons, Mystery and detective stories, Drew; Nancy (Fictitious Character), Teenage Girl Detectives, Girl Detectives, Theft, models, Fashion, Fashion Shows, Teenage Detectives, Stealing
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not before several drops had trailed onto her lap. “Excuse me a moment,” she said, popping up to go to a powder room, while Mr. Reese stared dishearteningly at the water mark on the precious skirt.
When Nancy emerged from the powder room, she did not return to the table right away. Instead, she wandered around until she finally saw Pete Grover and his companion again. Although their backs were to her, she could see their faces clearly in a panel of mirrors on the wall. The second man was Ted Henri, otherwise known as Chris Chavez! They were looking at their watches as if something were about to happen.
Nancy pulled as close as she could without being observed by either of them, and tried to overhear their conversation. The din of voices in the room, however, seemed louder than ever; and all she was able to catch was Gramercy Park and the number “11.” Did it refer to an address or to the time?
No further clarification came as the men were whisked onto the dance floor by two women friends. Nancy hurried back to the Reese table, but no one was there. She scanned the couples who were dancing but saw neither of her friends.
“Where are they?” Nancy murmured, wishing she could tell Bess and George what she had learned.
But they seemed to have disappeared, and in less than twenty minutes it would be eleven o‘clock, the hour when Nancy might find the solution to the puzzle. Instantly, she made her decision. She hurried to the check room to get her wrap and left a detailed message for the cousins, then darted out into the street and hailed a taxi.
The snow that had fallen earlier had melted entirely, leaving only a light dampness underfoot, which Nancy appreciated as she reached Gramercy Park. She asked the driver to let her out in front of a building several doors away from Number 11, and stepped toward an opposite canopy.
There, in the glow of a waning moon and a street lamp, she fixed her eyes on Number 11. She noticed a shadowy figure in the second-floor windows. It moved out of sight, emerging shortly in the doorway downstairs.
It was Rosalind, Mr. Reese’s stylist!
17
A Four-Handed Ruse
A cold wind penetrated Nancy’s cloak as she watched the woman in the doorway, who seemed to be waiting for someone. Then, as if in answer to the girl detective’s curiosity, a taxi pulled up to Number 11 and Mr. Belini, the owner of the fabric store, stepped out.
At the same time Nancy noticed a van parked down the street. Its lights flashed on and off and the vehicle crawled toward the building. But the dimness of the street lamps prevented her from seeing the driver and the person sitting next to him.
On a hunch Nancy pulled the collar of her cloak high around her neck and darted to a nearby corner, circling to the back of the van as Belini moved in and out of the doorway. Her heart thumping in panic, the girl dived into the shadow of the adjoining building to watch.
Rosalind seemed to have vanished, but Belini hurried to the vehicle’s rear doors. He opened one, revealing a rack of dresses covered in plastic. If only Nancy could get a closer look!
Belini poked his head deeper into the van, running through the dresses as if he were counting them. He shook his head and ran into the building once more, leaving the door ajar.
Nancy instantly raced forward, grabbing a plastic bag and pulling it into the light. As she had suspected, the gown inside was one that had been stolen the night of the benefit fashion show!
Before she could inspect the rest, however, the door opened again and she heard Belini’s voice. She leaped into the van, grateful that the engine was running and muffled any noise she made.
Belini walked over to the van, then stopped to talk to the driver. This gave Nancy enough time to hide behind the rack. To her relief, there was a partition between the front and rear of the small vehicle, so no one could see her unless the dresses were removed.
Yet she had little breathing space, and the garments
When Nancy emerged from the powder room, she did not return to the table right away. Instead, she wandered around until she finally saw Pete Grover and his companion again. Although their backs were to her, she could see their faces clearly in a panel of mirrors on the wall. The second man was Ted Henri, otherwise known as Chris Chavez! They were looking at their watches as if something were about to happen.
Nancy pulled as close as she could without being observed by either of them, and tried to overhear their conversation. The din of voices in the room, however, seemed louder than ever; and all she was able to catch was Gramercy Park and the number “11.” Did it refer to an address or to the time?
No further clarification came as the men were whisked onto the dance floor by two women friends. Nancy hurried back to the Reese table, but no one was there. She scanned the couples who were dancing but saw neither of her friends.
“Where are they?” Nancy murmured, wishing she could tell Bess and George what she had learned.
But they seemed to have disappeared, and in less than twenty minutes it would be eleven o‘clock, the hour when Nancy might find the solution to the puzzle. Instantly, she made her decision. She hurried to the check room to get her wrap and left a detailed message for the cousins, then darted out into the street and hailed a taxi.
The snow that had fallen earlier had melted entirely, leaving only a light dampness underfoot, which Nancy appreciated as she reached Gramercy Park. She asked the driver to let her out in front of a building several doors away from Number 11, and stepped toward an opposite canopy.
There, in the glow of a waning moon and a street lamp, she fixed her eyes on Number 11. She noticed a shadowy figure in the second-floor windows. It moved out of sight, emerging shortly in the doorway downstairs.
It was Rosalind, Mr. Reese’s stylist!
17
A Four-Handed Ruse
A cold wind penetrated Nancy’s cloak as she watched the woman in the doorway, who seemed to be waiting for someone. Then, as if in answer to the girl detective’s curiosity, a taxi pulled up to Number 11 and Mr. Belini, the owner of the fabric store, stepped out.
At the same time Nancy noticed a van parked down the street. Its lights flashed on and off and the vehicle crawled toward the building. But the dimness of the street lamps prevented her from seeing the driver and the person sitting next to him.
On a hunch Nancy pulled the collar of her cloak high around her neck and darted to a nearby corner, circling to the back of the van as Belini moved in and out of the doorway. Her heart thumping in panic, the girl dived into the shadow of the adjoining building to watch.
Rosalind seemed to have vanished, but Belini hurried to the vehicle’s rear doors. He opened one, revealing a rack of dresses covered in plastic. If only Nancy could get a closer look!
Belini poked his head deeper into the van, running through the dresses as if he were counting them. He shook his head and ran into the building once more, leaving the door ajar.
Nancy instantly raced forward, grabbing a plastic bag and pulling it into the light. As she had suspected, the gown inside was one that had been stolen the night of the benefit fashion show!
Before she could inspect the rest, however, the door opened again and she heard Belini’s voice. She leaped into the van, grateful that the engine was running and muffled any noise she made.
Belini walked over to the van, then stopped to talk to the driver. This gave Nancy enough time to hide behind the rack. To her relief, there was a partition between the front and rear of the small vehicle, so no one could see her unless the dresses were removed.
Yet she had little breathing space, and the garments
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