Double Disappearance

NANCY and Ned were whisked by elevator to the third floor of the TV station. Anxiously they asked for the violinist. Daniel Brownell, the manager, came to speak to them.

“I’m very sorry we could not keep Thomas Smith here, ” he said regretfully. “We tried our best, but he insisted upon leaving.”

“You told him it was very important? ” Nancy asked, her heart sinking.

Mr. Brownell nodded. “The only way we could have kept him was by force. Naturally we couldn’t do that. He left about forty-five minutes ago.”

“I must see him, ” Nancy told the man. “Can you tell me where he went? ”

“Sorry, I haven’t the slightest idea. And I’m afraid he won’t be back.”

“Why? ” Ned asked.

“Smith said he didn’t want to meet anyone. Acted strangely, as if he were afraid of somebody.”

Nancy briefly explained to the manager that it was of great importance to the violinist that she contact him. “Surely you have his home address? ” she asked.

“Well, it’s most unusual for us to give out such information.”

“My father, Carson Drew, will vouch for me, ” Nancy pleaded. “Our finding Mr. Smith may mean a great deal to his future happiness.”

Either Mr. Brownell had heard of Carson Drew or Nancy’s sincerity convinced him of her desire to help Smith. He stepped into an office and returned a moment later. In his hand was a slip of paper with Thomas Smith’s address. Nancy and Ned thanked him and drove direct to the place. It was a rooming house in a poor section of the city.

“I have a feeling he won’t be here, ” Nancy predicted as they climbed the steps.

Her hunch that Romano had fled was correct. They learned from the superintendent that the man known as Thomas Smith had taken all his belongings and departed hastily.

“He just left? ” Nancy questioned the landlady.

“Not ten minutes ago.”

“Did he say where he was going? ”

“No. I asked him if he wanted his fan mail forwarded and he answered, ‘The only mail I want can never come.’ Then he jumped into an Acme taxi and drove off.”

Nancy and Ned walked to the car. The couple realized that they had to return the rented motorboat and were using a borrowed automobile. Ned felt it would be best to abandon a further search for the time being.

“We’d better go back to the Wyatts’, ” he said.

Reluctantly Nancy nodded assent. She felt frustrated, coming so close to finding Romano, only to fail.

“He may have gone to one of the nearby gypsy camps, ” she said. “I’ll come back here tomorrow and see if I can pick up his trail.”

“You never give up, do you? ” Ned asked, patting her shoulder. “That’s one of the things I like about you, Nancy.”

It was late before the young couple reached River Heights. Nancy slept soundly but was up early the next morning, eager to get on the trail of Romano Pepito. She thought of calling Mrs. Struthers to tell her the latest developments but decided against it.

“No use disappointing them if nothing comes of my hunt, ” she told Hannah Gruen.

“You’re not going alone? ” the housekeeper asked, worried.

“Not if Bess and George will go with me.”

After breakfast she phoned the girls to ask if they would accompany her to Aiken.

“Sure, ” George said, and Bess echoed the sentiment.

By noon they were in the small city of Aiken, ready to take up the search for the missing violinist.

“First, let’s go to the Acme Taxi Company and see what we can find out, ” Nancy suggested. “It was one of their men who drove Romano from his rooming house.”

“I hope he’ll remember where he took his passenger, ” George said, as they parked the car in front of the Acme office.

Nancy found the manager and asked if he would mind answering a few questions.

“It’s okay with me, ” he said genially.

“Did any of your drivers mention calling for a man with a violin at a rooming house on the west side of town last night? ”

“Might have been Gus Frankey. He answered a call from over there. Say, did Gus report in this morning? ” he asked, turning to an assistant at a nearby desk.

“Didn’t show up, ” the other replied. “We’ve phoned his house six times. Wife’s wild—says he didn’t come home last night.”

“Did he turn in his cab? ”

“No.”

“He must have taken his passenger on a long trip.” The manager turned again to Nancy. “Gus probably is the driver you want to see.”

“While we’re waiting for him, we may as well find a place to eat, ” Bess insisted impatiently. “I’m starved! ”

As the girls walked down the street, looking for a restaurant, Nancy suddenly stopped.

“One of Mrs. Struthers’ stolen dolls! ” she exclaimed, pointing toward the window of an attractive shop.