The Sealed Tray

WHEN Nancy reached Heinrich, she asked him who the man was. The steward looked a little frightened, but said his name was Mr. August.

“He was on the last trip of this ship. I was his steward.”

Nancy smiled. “How nice of him to come and talk to you! ” As she said this, she watched Heinrich’s face closely.

The steward showed no sign of guilt. He merely replied, “I bought some special candy for Mr. August in Holland and he just came to pay me for it.”

Nancy wondered if Heinrich was telling the truth. Was the man really Mr. August, and what cabin was he occupying? She decided to look at the passenger list, which had been delivered to each room.

Glancing at the A’s in the folder, she spotted a Mr. Otto August.

“He must be the one! ” she thought.

No cabin number was given, but the young detective decided to try to find it out anyway. She hurried to the purser’s office and asked Rod Havelock for August’s room number.

The assistant purser gave her a long look, then smiled. “I’m sorry, but it’s against the rules of the Winschoten to give out the cabin number of anyone aboard.”

Nancy looked crestfallen. “Oh, dear! It’s really important that I find out.” Now she would have to try some other way to glean the information.

Havelock glanced at her, then said, “I suggest that you follow me.”

Speaking to another man at the desk, he left his post came out through a side door, and walked up one of the corridors. Nancy followed, but instinct told her not to catch up to him. She was sure he had something in mind that would help her learn more about the mysterious Mr. Otto August.

In a few moments the assistant purser turned into another corridor, then went up a stairway. She followed a few yards behind. Rod did not slow his pace until they had gone two decks above. Then, once more, he entered a corridor and proceeded toward the middle of the ship. Suddenly he began to walk more slowly, and finally paused for a few seconds in front of cabin four twenty-five. Then he went on without turning to speak to her.

Nancy smiled. “This must be Otto August’s cabin! I wonder if he has a roommate. I’ll have to figure this out.”

For a moment she was tempted to try to locate the steward who serviced this cabin. Then she decided it would be best not to reveal that she had been there. “But I’ll work on this some more.”

She turned back, retraced her steps, and proceeded directly to where she had left her friends on the sports deck.

“What’s up? ” Bess asked her.

“I’ll tell you all about it later, ” Nancy promised.

Nelda said she was tired of the deck sports. “Let’s go swimming, ” she suggested.

The other girls agreed and went at once to their cabin. While they were changing into bathing suits, Nancy told them how she had found out about Otto August.

“He sat by himself and was practicing the sign language. I spoke to him. He’s not deaf. He said he was practicing the finger language in order to ‘talk’ to his father in New York. I also found out he’s staying in cabin four twenty-five.”

Nelda expressed her admiration for the girl detective’s astute sleuthing. “You amaze me, Nancy, ” she said.

The young detective smiled and said, “Don’t give me too much praise until I solve your mystery and the mystery of the brass-bound trunk.”

The girls went to the pool. A group of teen-age girls had gathered around four college boys. They waved to Nancy and her friends as they approached them.

A red-haired boy said to Nancy, “You certainly have been avoiding us lately! ”

Nancy laughed. “We don’t even know you! ”

“That’s no reason to avoid us, ” the boy went on. “My name is Al, and my friends here are Bruce, Chipper, and Tubby over there.” He pointed to a chubby boy with blond, curly hair.

The girls laughed and introduced themselves.

“We’re glad we finally met you, ” Al said with a grin. “And now that you know us, how about a race in the pool? ”

“You fellows against us? ” Bess asked. “That wouldn’t be fair.”

“Never accuse Al of being unfair, ” the cheerful redhead said. “We’ll make girl-boy teams, of course. I’ll take Nancy Drew as a partner. Okay with you, Nancy? ”

“Why not? ” Nancy could not help but like the friendly boy.

Dark-haired Bruce chose Bess, while Chipper teamed up with Nelda.

Tubby made a face. “As always, poor Tubby winds up without a girl, ” he said good-naturedly. “But I don’t mind. I’ll time you people. Al, give me your stop watch, will you please? ”

“Over there in my jacket pocket. Tub, you’re a good sport! ”

“Since the pool is small, how about four laps apiece? ” Chipper suggested.

“Okay, ” Al said. “Swim any style you want. Girls, you start. Ladies first, of course! ”

The three girls lined up and when Tubby gave the signal, they dived in. Nancy was off to a good start and led in the first two laps. Then Nelda put on an extra burst of speed and almost caught up to her by the time they finished their stretch. Bess lagged behind slightly. Now the boys dived in. All the girls at the pool cheered them on with excited screams.

“Come on, Al! Hurry up! ” Nancy called out.

Chipper went into a turn, which he executed beautifully, gaining some time. “Great, Chipper! ” Nelda cried. “We’ll make it yet! ”

“Better hurry, Chipper, ” a teen-age boy teased. “A kiss for the winner! ”

Chipper was swimming through the water so fast that he looked like a dark streak in the waves. Other people gathered and watched the meet.

One woman called out, “This is the most fun I’ve seen since I climbed aboard! ”

Chipper came in first, half a length before Al, and the rest gathered around him to congratulate him and Nelda for winning the competition. The swimmers were breathing heavily and sat down to rest.

Sara Jane Ramsey came over and joined Nancy. “You’re a marvelous swimmer, ” she said.

“Oh, thank you, ” Nancy replied.

Sara stared at Nancy’s swimsuit. “It’s a Lochinvar Special, isn’t it? ” she asked.

Before Nancy had a chance to answer Bess put in, “Yes, Nancy bought it in Switzerland.”

“Oh, ” said Sara Jane, “then you found your trunk? Lucky you! ”

“Yes, ” Nancy said. “It had been delivered to the hold instead of my cabin, but it was finally found.”

As she spoke, she happened to glance at a man standing nearby. Otto August!

She was sure he had overheard the conversation. “Well, ” Nancy thought, “that’s all right. Now he’ll think his trunk is in the hold instead of mine, so he won’t come into our cabin looking for it. At least I hope that’s what he’ll think! ”

She told her friends she was going to get out of her wet swimsuit. Bess and Nelda went with her. While changing, they discussed Sara Jane Ramsey and her inadvertent remark. She had advertised to those standing around that Nancy’s trunk was now in one twenty-eight.

Nancy said to the other girls, “Did you notice that older man standing nearby? Medium height, with a receding blond hairline? He’s Otto August! ”

Nelda looked frightened. “Do you think he’s connected with the jewel robbery in Johannesburg? ” she asked Nancy

The girl detective admitted that she suspected him strongly.

The telephone rang, and Nancy picked it up. George was calling from the infirmary.

“How do you feel? ” Nancy asked her. “Will you be out by tonight? ”

“Sure. I feel fine. But I need my mice.”

“What? ”

George laughed. “The mice I want to sew on my costume, Nancy. Will one of you please bring me the nightie and the mice? They’re already cut out. They’re in a plastic bag in my suitcase, together with thread and needle.”

“Sure, George, we’ll get them to you, ” Nancy said. She hung up.

The errand was completed and the afternoon seemed to pass quickly. At about five o’clock there was a tap on their door. George had arrived! She looked rested and healthy and declared she felt great. She showed them her nightie.

“Cute, ” said Bess. “But those mice look too real to suit me! ”

“Did anything exciting happen this afternoon? ” George asked.

Nancy related the events and George remarked in praise, “You don’t waste a minute, do you, Nancy? So you think Otto August is a suspect.”

The young sleuth nodded. Then she told George that after the evening festivities were over, they would open the mystery trunk.

“I hope we find a treasure inside, ” George said.

After dinner the four girls returned to one twenty-eight and put on their masquerade costumes. They entered the parade. George received the first prize in the women’s section. Her long, old-fashioned nightie with the mice on it brought laughter and applause.

The candle she was carrying flickered jauntily as she went up to receive her trophy. It was a tiny replica of the Winschoten, and contained some delightful perfume.

As soon as all the prizes had been given out, the band began to play a lively dance number. Rod Havelock, who had been watching closely, came up to claim Nancy and was only a second ahead of Al.

“I guess I’d better get my dances in early, ” the assistant purser teased. “I see I have a handsome rival.”

Nancy laughed as they glided off. “I’m glad you did, because I must ask you a question. We are planning to open the mystery trunk tonight after this party is over. Will you come and help us investigate it? ”

“You bet I will, ” Rod replied. “I can tell you now that the dancing will end at eleven o’clock sharp. Shall we say eleven-fifteen in your room? ”

“Perfect, ” Nancy agreed.

At this moment the music ended. Others came up to talk to the couple, and presently AI made his way toward Nancy. “May I have the next dance? ” he asked.

The whole evening was a joyful one for Nancy and her friends. They were claimed for every dance. Al asked the girl detective if she would accompany him to the lavish table of food that had been set up on the deck outside.

She went along and they found Bess, George, and Nelda there with Bruce, Chipper, and Tubby.

“Hey, have some of those delicious meatballs! ” Tubby recommended.

“Now, Tub, I thought you were staying away from all this fattening stuff? ” Chipper teased.

“Well, I had to try a little of each! ” Tubby defended himself.

When the music began to play again, Al asked Nancy to dance.

“Sure, I’d like to, ” she said.

“I’m glad you would, ” Al commented. “Next to football, dancing is my favorite pastime.”

At eleven o’clock when the band was playing the final number, the boys asked the girls to go to another part of the ship, where there would be dancing till after midnight.

“I’d better not, ” George said. “Remember, I just came out of the hospital and the doctor told me to take it easy.”

“Some other time, ” Nancy promised Al, who was disappointed. “Tonight we have to take care of George.”

The girls went to cabin one twenty-eight. A few minutes later Rod Havelock arrived. They locked the room on the inside, so no one could use a passkey to intrude.

“All set? ” Rod asked.

“We certainly are, ” Nancy replied and led the way to the adjoining room. She switched on the light, then realized that anyone passing by in the corridor could see a crack of light underneath the door.

She went to the bathroom, took a long Turkish towel, unfolded it, then rolled it lengthwise and laid it against the door on the floor.

“Now no one will suspect we’re in here, ” she whispered to the others. “Also, I suggest we speak in very low tones.”

“Right, ” Rod said. He unlocked the wardrobe and hauled out the mystery trunk. He set it in the middle of the floor and Nancy now used the key Lou, the locksmith, had made to open it. She swung back the lid and the girls took out the contents.

“I hope Mr. X doesn’t expect us to hang up his suits properly, ” Bess giggled, and she proceeded to pile the clothes on the bed.

“You know, these look as if they’re different sizes, ” George observed. “Those brown pants seem much shorter than the ones for that gray suit over there.”

“Maybe he supplies his whole gang with outfits, ” Rod suggested.

When the trunk was empty, Nancy tapped all sides of it. Then she tried the bottom, pressing hard on every inch. Suddenly she smiled. “I think this is a false bottom! ” she announced.

“This trunk has a false bottom! ” Nancy exclaimed.

“Really? ” George asked in a hoarse whisper. “Can you tell for sure? ”

“It sounds that way, ” Nancy replied and studied the flowered paper that lined the entire trunk.

“Bess, would you mind bringing me my Bash-light? ” she requested.

Bess hurried into one twenty-eight to get Nancy’s light from a drawer. She handed it to the young sleuth, who immediately beamed the flashlight on the flowered paper.

“There’s a well-disguised seam here, ” Nancy said, pointing. “Maybe I can get the paper off without ruining it.”

“How? ” George asked.

Nancy said, “Let’s try soaking it to see if we can loosen it.”

Bess asked, “Why bother? ”

Nelda answered, “We don’t want to alert the owner that we have tampered with his property, even though we suspect him.”

By this time, George had obtained a Turkish towel from the bathroom, soaked it, and brought it to Nancy. The plan worked and in a few minutes the girl detective was able to peel off the flowered paper from the bottom of the trunk.

The others crowded around to look at what was underneath. They stared in surprise.

“A wooden tray! ” Bess exclaimed. “With a lid! ”

“Which doesn’t open, ” Nancy said in disappointment, as she and Rod tried it unsuccessfully. Suddenly Nancy held up her hand. “Shh! ”

There was complete silence for a few seconds.

“What is it? ” George whispered.

“I thought I heard a noise outside. I don’t know whether it was here or at the door of cabin one twenty-eight! ”

“What shall we do? ” Bess asked.

“I think I’d better investigate, ” Rod decided. “You stay here and be very quiet.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I went out to look? ” Nancy said. “You could be right behind me and back me up in case of trouble.”

“Okay, ” Rod agreed, and the two tiptoed into cabin one twenty-eight through the connecting doors. Nancy opened the door and looked out into the corridor. There was no one in sight!

“I could have sworn I heard someone out here! ” Nancy said. “Whoever it was must have hurried off while we were discussing what to do! ”

“Well, let’s get back to the trunk, ” Rod sug gested. They locked the door again and joined the others, who had discovered a series of small holes across the top of the tray.

“They must be keyholes, ” Nancy suggested. “Now what are we going to do? ”

Nelda answered, “Why don’t we call my uncle? I’m sure he can help us.”

The others agreed and urged her to call the captain at once.

He answered immediately, but said he was in bed. His niece told him what Nancy had discovered in the mystery trunk.

“Amazing! ” he replied, “This should be investigated further. I’ll be right down! ”