Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene Page B

grove. You can construct a packing house fairly quickly, but you can’t make an orange tree grow overnight!”
    All this time Tina had been buzzing around, setting the table and going up and down the hall. Nancy suspected that the woman was not missing a word of the conversation.
    Presently the Drews and their friends sat down to luncheon. Mrs. Billington asked, “Nancy, what time are the boys arriving?”
    “We’re to meet them at the airport at four o’clock,” she replied. “By the way, we’re not officially starting the house party until tomorrow. We girls thought it would be nice to give Ned a chance to visit with his parents before we all move in there. And Mrs. Nickerson agreed.”
    Soon afterward the girls began their long drive to the Melbourne airport. The plane was on time. Ned was the first of the boys to alight. Seeing Nancy, he rushed up to her.
    “How’s my little sleuth?” he asked, kissing her.
    “I’m fine and have a million things to tell you.”
    Bess and George had found Dave and Burt. On the way to the Nickersons’ the boys plied the girls with questions.
    “We’re going to start you working on the mystery Monday,” Nancy told them. “At noontime we’re to station ourselves at the Real Eight Treasure Museum and see if we can spot a few criminals.”
    “You mean it?” Dave asked.
    Nancy explained her plan and the boys were eager to help.
    Ned remarked, “Thinking up that coded message was pretty clever, Nancy.”
    “I only hope it works,” she answered.
    The boys were dropped off at the Nickerson home. They said they would come over to see the girls after dinner. “Is there some place we could all go and have fun?” Burt asked.
    “I have an idea,” said Nancy. “The Billingtons have a neat motorboat. Why don’t we make use of it?”
    “Good idea,” Dave remarked. “I’ll bring my guitar.”
    The three boys arrived at eight o’clock. Nearly an hour was spent talking with Mr. Drew and the Billingtons. Since the Resardos were out, the mystery could be discussed freely.
    “It sounds complicated to me,” Dave remarked. “I’d like to have some time free from mystery. May we borrow your boat?” Mr. Billington nodded.
    “I’ll get the Starbeam’s key,” Nancy said. She had noticed it on top of the TV set.
    The young people excused themselves and walked down to the dock. Nancy turned on the boathouse lights, then she and her friends climbed into the motorboat.
    “Which way?” asked Ned, who had taken the wheel.
    Nancy suggested that he turn right and cruise around a while, then come back and go past the Webster property.
    Half an hour later they pulled up to the Webster dock. “The house!” Bess exclaimed. “It’s all lighted up!”
    Everyone was puzzled. Had Mr. Drew stopped in? Or was an intruder there?
    “We’d better investigate,” Nancy said quickly. “Ned, let’s tie up at the dock.”
    He pulled alongside and the group scrambled out. While the boys secured the boat, the girls ran ahead. They had not gone far into the small orange grove when the lights in the house were extinguished one by one. When the visitors reached the back door, the place was in total darkness.
    “Watch to see who comes out,” Nancy called to Bess and George. She herself ran around to the front entrance. No one emerged from the house. By this time the boys had caught up.
    “Do you suppose someone’s hiding in there?” Bess asked Dave.
    “Could be,” he replied.
    Nancy turned to Ned, who had found her. “Will you go back and use the phone in the boat? See if Dad is there and whether he has been here.”
    Ned hurried off. The others continued to watch the house, but nobody appeared.
    Finally Ned returned. “Your father hasn’t been here, Nancy,” he reported. “But Mr. Drew said he’ll be right over.”
    In a short time the lawyer arrived with Mr. Billington. “Did you bring the Websters’ house key, Dad?” Nancy asked.
    “No. None of us knew where you had hidden