Nancy. “Ned, do you still want to be my bodyguard?”
“Nancy. You mean in Istanbul?”
“Yes. Could you go in two days?”
“Wow! Let me get my breath. You mean it?” Upon hearing it was a bona fide trip, he laughed. “You bet I’ll go. Wouldn’t miss it for anything. I sold a big enough policy today to pay all my expenses.”
“Good for you,” said Nancy.
Bess was the next one to come to the phone and tried several places to find Dave. She finally left word at his home for him to call her at Nancy’s.
George had no better luck locating Burt. It was not until the following morning that both boys phoned Nancy’s house and heard of the exciting trip. Shortly before ten o’lock they called back to say they would be able to accompany the group.
“Sounds cool,” said Dave. “I think I’ll pretend to be a sultan and you girls are some of my slaves! ”
Nancy laughed and replied, “You just try it and I’ll cover your whole head with my Turkish veil!”
Quickly Nancy dialed Mr. Simpson’s travel agency to confirm the number of plane reservations, then she hurried off in her car to meet Aisha. The two girls spent a very pleasant hour together, and Aisha said she would arrange for the whole group to have good accommodations in Istanbul. “I will cable my parents as soon as I get home.” As the Turkish girl was about to step out of the convertible she impulsively gave Nancy a tight squeeze. “You’re the most wonderful detective in the world,” she said. Nancy smiled and kissed her new friend, then she drove off.
“I think I’ll stop at Mr. Anthony’s tailor shop and see if Haw-Haw is there. Maybe I can get him to answer a few questions. I’m sure that funny old fellow knows more than he’s telling!”
Fortunately he was there, perched as usual on a bench in the corner of the shop. As soon as he saw Nancy, Haw-Haw began to laugh on a crescendo note that resembled a shriek. It sent chills up and down the girl’s spine.
Finally he stopped laughing and said, “You keep coming back here, miss. You think that mannequin’s a-hidin’ somewhere around this place?”
“Maybe. If you see her, let me know,” Nancy replied. Then she walked over to the man and looked straight at him. On a sudden hunch she asked, “What I want to know is, who is the man you’re giving information to about me?”
For once Haw-Haw did not laugh. His eyes shifted nervously. The young detective was sure that she had hit upon the truth!
Finally he said, “How’d you find out? I didn’t think it would hurt.”
Nancy was thrilled that he had fallen into her trap! Still looking stern, she said, “It matters a great deal. Now tell me, who is he?”
The wizened old man wilted. He looked all around, then whispered, “He’s a cousin of Tunay Arik. Pretty near his double, I’d say. He’s from Istybull.”
Haw-Haw’s lighter side returned. He gave a low chuckle. “All this time you thought Tunay Arik was the burglar when really it was his cousin.”
“They’ve got an interesting grapevine,” Nancy said to herself. “Tunay told his cousin about our encounter at the carpet factory. The cousin in turn told Haw-Haw.”
Realizing the old man knew even more than she had suspected, Nancy asked him why Arik’s cousin wanted the rug.
“He found out Farouk sent the rug to your father and thought that valuable jewels were sewn into it. He went right over to your house and tried to steal it.”
Nancy was elated with the information. She said, “When the burglar found out there weren’t any jewels in the rug, he became furious. He left me a scimitar as a souvenir. Do you know why?”
Haw-Haw’s jaw sagged and his eyes bulged. He was the very picture of a terrified man. Finally he spoke, “I’ll show you something,” he said.
He put one hand inside his coat. Suddenly it occurred to Nancy that he might be reaching for a weapon!
CHAPTER XVI
Important Confession
HAW-HAW pulled a scimitar from his inside coat
“Nancy. You mean in Istanbul?”
“Yes. Could you go in two days?”
“Wow! Let me get my breath. You mean it?” Upon hearing it was a bona fide trip, he laughed. “You bet I’ll go. Wouldn’t miss it for anything. I sold a big enough policy today to pay all my expenses.”
“Good for you,” said Nancy.
Bess was the next one to come to the phone and tried several places to find Dave. She finally left word at his home for him to call her at Nancy’s.
George had no better luck locating Burt. It was not until the following morning that both boys phoned Nancy’s house and heard of the exciting trip. Shortly before ten o’lock they called back to say they would be able to accompany the group.
“Sounds cool,” said Dave. “I think I’ll pretend to be a sultan and you girls are some of my slaves! ”
Nancy laughed and replied, “You just try it and I’ll cover your whole head with my Turkish veil!”
Quickly Nancy dialed Mr. Simpson’s travel agency to confirm the number of plane reservations, then she hurried off in her car to meet Aisha. The two girls spent a very pleasant hour together, and Aisha said she would arrange for the whole group to have good accommodations in Istanbul. “I will cable my parents as soon as I get home.” As the Turkish girl was about to step out of the convertible she impulsively gave Nancy a tight squeeze. “You’re the most wonderful detective in the world,” she said. Nancy smiled and kissed her new friend, then she drove off.
“I think I’ll stop at Mr. Anthony’s tailor shop and see if Haw-Haw is there. Maybe I can get him to answer a few questions. I’m sure that funny old fellow knows more than he’s telling!”
Fortunately he was there, perched as usual on a bench in the corner of the shop. As soon as he saw Nancy, Haw-Haw began to laugh on a crescendo note that resembled a shriek. It sent chills up and down the girl’s spine.
Finally he stopped laughing and said, “You keep coming back here, miss. You think that mannequin’s a-hidin’ somewhere around this place?”
“Maybe. If you see her, let me know,” Nancy replied. Then she walked over to the man and looked straight at him. On a sudden hunch she asked, “What I want to know is, who is the man you’re giving information to about me?”
For once Haw-Haw did not laugh. His eyes shifted nervously. The young detective was sure that she had hit upon the truth!
Finally he said, “How’d you find out? I didn’t think it would hurt.”
Nancy was thrilled that he had fallen into her trap! Still looking stern, she said, “It matters a great deal. Now tell me, who is he?”
The wizened old man wilted. He looked all around, then whispered, “He’s a cousin of Tunay Arik. Pretty near his double, I’d say. He’s from Istybull.”
Haw-Haw’s lighter side returned. He gave a low chuckle. “All this time you thought Tunay Arik was the burglar when really it was his cousin.”
“They’ve got an interesting grapevine,” Nancy said to herself. “Tunay told his cousin about our encounter at the carpet factory. The cousin in turn told Haw-Haw.”
Realizing the old man knew even more than she had suspected, Nancy asked him why Arik’s cousin wanted the rug.
“He found out Farouk sent the rug to your father and thought that valuable jewels were sewn into it. He went right over to your house and tried to steal it.”
Nancy was elated with the information. She said, “When the burglar found out there weren’t any jewels in the rug, he became furious. He left me a scimitar as a souvenir. Do you know why?”
Haw-Haw’s jaw sagged and his eyes bulged. He was the very picture of a terrified man. Finally he spoke, “I’ll show you something,” he said.
He put one hand inside his coat. Suddenly it occurred to Nancy that he might be reaching for a weapon!
CHAPTER XVI
Important Confession
HAW-HAW pulled a scimitar from his inside coat
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