Vampire Cave

Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew Special Edition

Ghost Stories: Volume Two

Copyright © 1985 by Simon & Schuster, Inc./Wanderer Hardcover Editions

Cover design by Michaelis/Carpelis Design

Cover illustration by Hector Garrido

Illustrated by Paul Frame

Nancy Drew and her friends Bess and George, confront the most bewildering and terrifying mysteries ever! And their lives have never been in graver danger...

· Nancy must join a coven of witches, risking her life at the hands of devil worshippers to help a desperate friend...

· The girls are trapped in a secret passageway in a cave terrorized by a vicious vampire...

· Bess is pushed into an open grave by a ghost guarding a secret treasure...

Will Nancy be able to save herself and her friends from these, and other unearthly terrors? Determined to find the truth, the young detectives struggle to foil the treacherous schemes of very real and ruthless criminals, but they must first unravel a supernatural string of clues that set their spine stinging and blood running cold...

Foreword

Dear Fans,

When I thought about creating a collection of ghost stories, I knew that Nancy Drew would face her most intriguing challenge yet as a young detective. You see, Nancy does not believe in ghosts; but the many unexplained happenings in each mystery almost lead her to think otherwise.

Well, I won’t spoil the fun by telling you about Nancy’s amazing discoveries. You’ll have to read the stories to find out what they are!

Carolyn Keene

Vampire Cave

A light, pearly mist was descending over the Allegheny Mountains as darkness fell. Nancy Drew looked out the living room window of the inn at which she and her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne were staying. It was perched on the side of a hill, and she strained her eyes to spot the entrance to Craggy Cave.

'The mountains are beautiful, but they look spooky in this light, " she observed.

''Wait till you get inside the cave, " said tall, athletic George, who had suggested the girls stop off at the inn to go exploring. " It'll have underground streams, crystal caverns, and it's haunted by ghosts, according to Jenny."

" Ah, yes, it sure is, " Jenny Shipton confirmed. She was the owner of the inn, an old, bent woman, but remarkably spry on her feet.

" Tell us about it! " Nancy said.

Bess Marvin, who was George's cousin, shivered. *'I don't know if I want to hear this, " she declared, shaking her fluffy blond hair.

*'Oh, I do! " George said eagerly. Contrary to Bess, she was a tomboy and not afraid of anything.

'There's more in Craggy Cave than ghosts, " Jenny warned. " If you want to go spelunking, go somewhere else. Not there! "

" Oh, come on, " Nancy said. " It can't be that bad." She glanced at the old woman and noticed, to her surprise, that Jenny actually looked scared.

" The cave is full of bats, " the innkeeper went on.

" Bats! " Bess cried, horrified. " That does it. I'm not going."

Jenny nodded her gray head. " Yes, bats. And worse than that. Long time ago, when folks was feudin' something awful around here in the hills, a man on the run hid in Craggy Cave. Never been heard of since. They say he was bitten by a bat and turned into a vampire! "

" You don't really believe that, Jenny, do you? " Nancy asked.

The old woman did not answer. " When the drums beat in Craggy Cave, " she continued, " the vampire is on the prowl." Her voice was low and hoarse. " He attacks people! "

" But there's no such thing as a vampire! " Nancy protested.

" Don't tell me! " Jenny exclaimed. " I've seen him. His hair is black as coal, his face is white like the snow. He has evil black eyes that bore into your soul, and long white fangs that he sinks into anyone who comes his way! "

Bess stuck her fingers into her ears. " I don't want to listen to this. Now I won't be able to sleep all night! "

Jenny looked at Nancy. " He wears black from head to toe, " she whispered. " But his cloak is lined in red. Don't go near him. Don't go near Craggy Cave! "

" I think we should talk about this in the morning, " George said. " I'm sure in the daylight things will look different."

Nancy agreed. " It's time we went to bed, " she announced. " We have a busy day ahead."

As she spoke, a booming noise reverberated through the mountains. The effect on Jenny Shipton was startling. " It's the vampire! " she cried, shaking with fright.

" No, it's not, " Nancy assured her gently. " It's just a thunderclap." As if to confirm her words, rain suddenly began to beat loudly on the roof.

The girls said goodnight to their hostess and went into their room. Bess spent a restless night. She tossed and turned.

" It was awful, " she told her friends at breakfast. " I dreamed I was being chased by a vampire. And he looked just like Dracula! "

Yet, in the sparkling light of the morning, Jenny's tale of the vampire seemed less eerie and George began to plan the expedition.

" Let's not forget how easy it is to get lost in a cave, " she reminded her companions. " Caves are like mazes, with tunnels going off in all directions."

" You're right, " Nancy agreed. " And there are deep sink holes. If you fall into one of those, and there's no one to help you out, you've had it! "

Bess looked unhappy. " I know the spelunking trip was one of the reasons we came here, " she spoke up. *'But do we have to go through with it? "

" Where's your sense of adventure, Bess? " Nancy teased. " Remember, Mr. Evans said there's some real exploring to do, especially in Craggy Cave."

Bess remained unconvinced. " There are other caverns in the area. Why don't we pick one of them? I don't want to see where the vampire lives."

" What vampire? " George grinned. " Now, before we do anything, we'll have to buy the necessary 'spelunk junk.' "

Bess groaned.

" We need nylon rope, " George went on, " hard hats with flashlights built in, batteries, regular flashlights and—" she winked at Nancy—" survival rations for Bess." She knew she could usually mollify her cousin with the mention of food, which Bess was extremely fond of.

" You can buy all that stuff in Morton Bluff, " Jenny Shipton said, pouring herself another cup of coffee. " Young fellow by the name of Ron Parker runs a store in town. He sells sports equipment and gift items. He's also my nearest neighbor. If I can catch him on the phone, maybe he'll give you a ride into town."

She made the call, and ten minutes later Ron Parker, a tall, blond young man in his late twenties, rolled up in his dusty old jeep. When they set out for Morton Bluff, the girls queried him about Craggy Cave.

Ron laughed when Bess mentioned the vampire. " Old wives' tales, " he commented. " Nothing to them."

" Jenny Shipton claims she's seen the vampire, " Bess insisted.

Ron made a face. " She's seeing things in her imagination, as she often does, living up there by herself near Craggy Cave. When are you planning to explore the place? "

" This afternoon, " George said. " First we'd like to visit Evans Mansion."

" It's not open to visitors, " Ron said. " The owner is in Europe."

" We know, " Nancy told him. " But Mr. Evans is a friend of my father's and he said we can get the key from the bank president and see his paintings."

Ebenezer Evans, who was a millionaire, had one of the best private collections of primitive paintings, and the girls were very interested in seeing them.

Ron Parker looked surprised. " You really think they'll let you in? " he asked.

" Sure, " Nancy replied. " We're to pick the key up from Mr. Knox. He's expecting us this morning. Can you drop us off there? Later we'll come to your store and get our spelunk junk."

Ron smiled. " I'll be glad to. Matter of fact, I'll drive you to the mansion. I haven't seen the paintings, either, and I'd like to come with you. My partner Jim is at the store, so I can take some time off."

Soon the group arrived at the bank and spoke to a clerk named Henry Smith. He was a small, wizened man with an air of perpetual worry. He announced the visitors to Mr. Knox over the intercom, then ushered them into the banker's private office.

Mr. Knox stood up and extended his hand. " I'm glad to meet you girls. Hi, Ron. Have you been elected as the Drew party's special tour guide? "

Ron grinned. " I gave them a lift into town. Do you mind if I go along to see the mansion? I haven't been inside myself yet."

" No, go right ahead, " Mr. Knox said. " Mr. Smith will come along, too, and turn off the alarm. We know we can trust you people. When you're through, just lock the door. That automatically reactivates the security system. Then you can bring the key back."

The girls thanked the bank president and the group walked outside. Mr. Smith squeezed into the back seat of the jeep with George and Bess. " I'll walk back from the mansion, " he said. " It's not far."

Soon the jeep rolled through the impressive gate of the Evans Mansion, which lay on the outskirts of the small town toward Craggy Cave. Ron parked and everyone climbed out. Mr. Smith unlocked the heavy oak door, then deactivated the alarm. He handed the key to Nancy. " Enjoy yourselves, " he said. " Mr. Evans has a real treasure here for art lovers. Take your time."

" Thanks, " Nancy said and waved good-bye. She went inside, followed by Ron and her friends. Their footsteps echoed eerily on the marble floor of the huge entrance hall.

" It's beautiful! " Bess breathed as they walked into the ornate living room. She admired the antique furniture as well as the rare paintings.

Now and then, the girls noticed an empty spot on the walls. " Mr. Evans must have sold several of his pictures, " Nancy said.

George nodded. " I wonder if there are any others in the study, " she said and went off to look while Bess and Nancy examined a heavy, carved table, whose top was inlaid with different kinds of wood, forming an intricate design.

Ron trailed after George into the study. She stood before the painting of a woman in a garden, which hung over the fireplace, and admired the striking colors. When she finally turned, her eyes caught a folded piece of paper on the floor. She picked it up and looked at it.

" What is it? " Ron asked curiously, glancing over her shoulder.

‘'A handwritten list of paintings, " George replied. " Mr. Evans must have made this."

Her gaze was drawn to another picture and she walked over to it, absentmindedly putting the crumpled list into her pocket. " Look at this beautiful portrait! " she exclaimed. " The eyes of that woman are absolutely haunting! "

" They are, " Ron agreed. " Well, I'd better be going now. I want to make sure that Jim's minding the store. See you girls later. I'll give you a ride to the cave, if you want."

" That'll be great, " George said. Then she turned to the portrait once more. Soon she heard the noise of the jeep's engine, as it rattled down the driveway.

Nancy and Bess were studying a fine collection of old swords displayed in the hall, when George strolled into the next room, a huge library. She examined the paintings there. Then she went to a door which she thought would lead to an adjoining room. An ornate key was in the lock, but she did not have to turn it to open the door.

George chuckled. She was looking into a large, empty closet! She was about to close the door again when she heard a footstep behind her. She started to move her head when a pair of hands struck her sharply in the back. She plunged into the closet, bumping her head on the rear wall!

The door slammed shut behind her. George picked herself up, anger welling up inside her. She tried the door, but it was locked. Loudly she yelled for her companions. They didn't hear her.

This is crazy, George thought. Someone else is in the house with us. But who? Ron's gone, I heard his car drive away. Did he leave the front door open by any chance?

She banged her fists on the door. " Nancy! Bess! " she shouted.

There was no response.

Nancy and Bess had gone to the second floor and were exploring the beautifully decorated bedrooms. Finally they had seen enough.

" Time to go, " Nancy decided. " Let's get on with our next project."

" Where's George? " Bess wondered. " She hasn't been with us for quite a while."

" That's right, " Nancy said. " Do you think she left with Ron? "

" I doubt it, " Bess said. " She would have told us."

" Let's look for her, " Nancy suggested. " I'll search all the rooms up here, you go check downstairs."

Bess went to the first floor and made her way through the house. After a while, a faint rhythmic pounding reached her ears from the direction of the library.

She ran back to the bottom of the stairs. " Nancy! " she cried out. " Come down here! "

A moment later, both girls hurried to the source of the noise. They found the closet door and turned the knob. It would not budge.

" George, are you in there? " Nancy cried.

" Yes. Please open up."

" Wait a minute. There's no key." Nancy pulled her miniature detective kit out of her purse and removed several small tools. She picked at the lock until she felt it turn. A second later she opened the door and George stumbled out.

" Boy, am I glad to see you! " she gasped. " Someone must be in the house with us, " she added with a shudder. " Do you think we should go looking for him? "

Nancy shook her head. " This place is huge, and he probably knows all the hiding places. We'd better hurry back to Mr. Knox and tell him what happened."

Bess nodded vigorously. " Yes, let's get out of here fast, or that creep'll catch all of us! "

The girls ran to the door and Nancy pulled out the key Mr. Smith had given her. " This will activate the alarm, " she said. " Unless the intruder knows the system, he'll be in trouble when he tries to leave."

George was already running down the steps. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow on the roof of the mansion. She looked up and saw a large block of plaster come loose from a cornice.

It hurtled directly at her!

Instinctively, George jumped out of the way. The heavy plaster hit the ground with terrific force and broke into many pieces.

" Somebody's on the roof! " George cried out.

At the same moment, the girls heard footsteps heading across the roof toward the back. Without a word, they ran to the rear of the house. A wing jutted out in front of them and they had to go around it. When they finally reached the back, they saw a tall ash right next to the house. A man was shinnying down the tree, covered by the dense foliage. A moment later he dove into the bushes.

The girls chased him, but soon lost his trail as he disappeared into the woods of the huge estate.

''One thing's for sure, " Nancy panted. " He knows his way around here, inside and outside the house."

George nodded grimly. " He must have gone upstairs by another stairway when you and Bess were coming down. Then he climbed out a window into the tree before we put the alarm back on."

" But why would he want to harm you? " Bess asked her cousin worriedly.

" I have no idea." George looked puzzled.

" First he pushed you into the closet, then he tried to finish you off with that block of plaster, " Nancy said. " It doesn't make sense."

'Perhaps he picked me because I was in the right spot for him, " George reasoned. " Any one of us might have served his purpose. Apparently, he wanted to chase us away from this place."

Bess nodded. " Let's tell Mr. Knox, and the police, too."

The girls walked back to the bank. Just before they reached the building, they saw Mr. Smith in front of them. He seemed in a hurry and ducked through the door.

'That's strange, " George said. " He should have been back long before now."

" Maybe he was, but went out again on an errand, " Bess suggested.

Nancy nodded. " It's possible. But he acted rather strangely, as if he didn't want anyone to see him. We should keep an eye on this man."

" Shall we tell Mr. Knox about him? " George wanted to know.

" No, " Nancy decided. " We have no proof that Mr. Smith did anything wrong. But we'll report everything that happened at the mansion."

The banker was shocked when he heard the girls' story and called the police right away. " They must search the place thoroughly, " he added. " Mr. Evans would be furious if a burglar got into his house and stole his priceless possessions. Now, you better be careful; and if you run into anything unusual, call me at once."

" We will, " Nancy promised.

Fifteen minutes later, the trio reached Ron Parker's store. It was large and crammed with all kinds of sports equipment, gift items, and party goods, including Halloween costumes. Jim showed them things they would need for spelunking. They amused themselves by trying on hard hats, each choosing a different color, as they waited for Ron, who was serving a customer in the gift department.

When he had finished and the girls had made their purchases, they all climbed into his jeep. Nancy and Bess slid into the back while George sat next to Ron.

He drove through the small town and into the hills. On the way, he asked the girls if they had enjoyed their visit to the Evans Mansion. When he heard about the incidents, he was shocked.

" George, whoever did that was purposely trying to harm you! " he exploded. " He should be in jail! I hope the police find out who he is."

Ron was so agitated that he almost missed a turn. He yanked the wheel sharply to the left at the last moment, and the jeep shot over the rocky road. The sudden move caused the door on the passenger side to fly open. Carried by the car's momentum, George pitched out of her seat!

Nancy lunged forward and managed to grasp her friend's shirt in the nick of time. With a grunt, she pulled George back into the jeep.

Ron jammed on the brakes. When the car had stopped, he jumped out and examined the door.

" Someone tampered with the catch! " he fumed. " I wonder if it was the same man who was after you girls at the mansion! "

" Possibly, " Nancy said. " But how did he know we'd be driving with you? "

" He must have seen us come into town together this morning, " Ron reasoned. " So he figured I'd give you a ride home, too."

" We'd better make sure he isn't following us! " George spoke up. " I wouldn't want to encounter him in the cave."

Ron looked in the rearview mirror. " I don't see anyone, " he said. " But I'll do a little fancy driving anyway, just to be sure."

He made several quick turns, backtracking in the process, and did not head for Craggy Cave until he was convinced no one was behind them.

" When you get into Crystal Cavern, " he advised the girls, " you'll come to a place where there are three tunnels close together. Follow the one on the left, and you'll find a second opening. Not many people know about it, but just in case you have a problem, you'll know there's another way out."

" Thanks, " Bess said. " I'm not even sure I want to go in! "

George chuckled. " After what happened to me at the Evans Mansion, Craggy Cave will be an easy trip."

Ron pulled up in front of the cavern entrance and the girls climbed out of the jeep. Nancy carried their neatly coiled rope on her shoulder, while George toted the flashlights. Bess had a supply of food in a plastic bag, and each of the three wore a brightly colored hard hat.

Ron waved and drove off. The young detectives entered the cave. The huge crystal cavern was wired for lights, and they gasped in admiration whey they stepped into the underground wonderland of towering limestone stalagmites, the crags that gave the cave its name. Above them was a dense ceiling of stalactites that dropped like pendants from a vast chandelier.

''Stalagmites and stalactites, " Bess mused. " It's hard to remember which is which."

" 'G' is on the ground, 'c' is on the ceiling, " Nancy informed her.

The threesome left the lighted cavern and struck off down the tunnel on the left that Ron had told them about.

As darkness enveloped them, they switched on the lights of their hard hats. The tunnel grew smaller and smaller, and soon it became nothing but a crawl space.

" Oh, no! " Bess muttered. **Ron didn't warn us about this."

Cautiously, Nancy eased herself through the low gap in the rock. " It's okay, " she said after a minute. " We're coming into another cave."

George was right behind her. Bess followed bravely, but suddenly her plump form became wedged in the crawl space. " Help me, I'm stuck! " she squealed.

" Don't worry, we'll get you out, " George shouted. She turned around and instructed her cousin to stretch out and inch along. At the same time, she grasped Bess's hand and pulled her through.

" I hope we don't have to go back that way, " Bess complained when she got to her feet.

The girls could hear water running in the darkness ahead. Nancy beamed her flashlight in that direction and saw an underground stream cutting through the cave.

" I wonder what's on the other side, " she said and walked up to the stream. It seemed quite shallow and she stepped right into it. However, the water was deeper than she had anticipated, and the treacherous current caught her off balance. She fell headlong into the swiftly running stream! Her flashlight was torn from her hand and she was swept away, helplessly bobbing in the middle of the stream.

" George! " Bess cried in a trembling voice. " Do you hear that water roaring over a cliff? There's an underground waterfall ahead. If we don't do something, Nancy will drown! "

The cousins rushed along the edge of the stream. Soon they felt the spray coming from the fall. George played her flashlight along the ground. She saw a rock, or crag, jutting out at the edge of the stream just before it emptied into a boiling cauldron.

" Hold onto me, Bess! " she cried, crawling onto the rock. " It will help steady me."

With Bess tugging on her jeans, she reached out and grabbed Nancy's hand, yanking her friend out of the water just as she was about to disappear into the cauldron.

Nancy was shivering with cold as she collapsed on the cavern floor. " Thanks, girls, " she panted. " You just saved my life! "

" Let's get out of this place, " Bess urged. " It's too dangerous."

Nancy nodded. " But only long enough for me to change my clothes! "

" I see a tunnel on this side of the stream, " George said. " Maybe it leads to the exit Ron told us about. If it does, it'll be quicker than retracing our steps."

" If only it weren't so dark, " Bess complained as they pressed on. " We can't really see what kind of passage we're in. I'd rather—"

She stopped short and gasped. ''Did you hear that? " she whispered.

George and Nancy stood still and listened. From up ahead came a whirring sound that seemed to be growing in intensity.

" It's a drum! " Bess cried. " Jenny Shipton mentioned it when she told us about the vampire! "

The girls stared at one another in the dim light of their headgear, uncertain what to do.

" Let's go on, " Nancy decided finally. " We have to find the exit. Besides, we know vampires don't exist, don't we? "

" I'm not sure, " Bess murmured, but bravely followed her friend.

A few steps farther on, they entered yet another cavern. The strange whirring came from above, and George beamed her flashlight to the ceiling.

The girls shrieked! Hundreds of bats were flying from the roof of the cave, to which they had been clinging, in a solid mass, like an army. The whirring sound was caused by their wings, echoing from the walls of the underground structure.

The bats headed into a large tunnel opposite the girls.

" That's good, " Nancy said in relief. " They're flying out to feed. That means there has to be an exit at the end of this tunnel."

" It's a good thing they didn't come our way, " George said. " We'd have been in real danger! "

Bess moaned at the mere thought. The girls waited until the bats had vanished, then started down the tunnel. George was in the lead, with Nancy and Bess right behind her. Suddenly Bess tripped and fell. Nancy turned around to help her friend up.

" Are you okay? " she asked.

Bess nodded. " Yes. Just don't go so fast."

Nancy took her by the hand. George was quite a distance ahead of them by now. Suddenly a rock bounced off a ledge on the side of the tunnel and landed with a thud right in front of her. Startled, she beamed her flashlight upwards.

Then she let out a piercing scream!

On the ledge, hovered a weird creature. It had black hair, black eyes, a face as white as snow, and long white fangs protruding from its mouth! Wrapped in a long, black cape with red lining, it stood silently, watching the girl.

Before the petrified detective could make another move, the vampire suddenly shot forward. With a loud grunt and outstretched arms it swooped down in a great leap, the sides of its cape spread out like two huge, red wings. It seized George by the wrist and dragged her off through the tunnel.

The girl screamed and struggled while Nancy and Bess dashed to catch up. " Help! " George cried. " Help me! He—"

Suddenly the sound was cut off.

" George, where are you? " Nancy yelled.

There was no answer.

Nancy and Bess ran around the next bend, playing their flashlights ahead of them.

" Listen! " Nancy whispered.

By straining their ears, the two could hear the faint echo of George's voice ahead of them. They rushed forward. Suddenly Nancy stopped short and grabbed Bess's arm.

'There's a sinkhole! " she cried.

A vast opening in the floor of the cave yawned in front of them. Another step and they would have fallen over the edge!

George's voice rose eerily from its depth. Peering down, Nancy and Bess saw her clinging desperately to a piece of rock jutting out from the side of the hole. The outcropping had broken her fall to the bottom, which was too far down for anyone to see!

Quickly, Nancy lowered her rope. George grabbed it, and with combined effort, Bess and Nancy pulled her out.

'The vampire threw me in! " the girl gasped as she lay exhausted on the ground, recovering her breath. " Then he ran off around the side of the hole. It was horrible. Those fangs and those huge red wings! Why did he come after me like that? "

" We'll find out, " Nancy declared grimly, hugging her friend. " We all know he wasn't a real vampire. Now, let's get to that exit. I see light at the end of the tunnel. We can't be far."

" Be careful, " Bess warned. " Maybe he's waiting for us outside."

The girls were silent and scared as they cautiously made their way to the opening. However, no one was there. The sun shone down warmly on them, and birds could be heard singing in the trees.

Quickly, they ran to Jenny Shipton's inn. The old woman stared at Nancy when they arrived. " We're wet as a fish! " she said. 'Took a dunking, did ye? "

" I fell into a stream in Craggy Cave, " Nancy explained.

Jenny's eyebrows shot up. " So you did go there after all! "

George nodded. " And we saw the vampire."

Jenny gave her a sharp look. " I warned ye, " was all she said.

When George took off her dirty jeans, she suddenly remembered the piece of paper she had picked up at the Evans Mansion. She pulled it out of her pocket.

" That's strange! " she said. " It's torn. And it wasn't before. 1 had the whole thing, now I only have a little piece of it! "

" What was it? " Nancy asked curiously.

" A list of paintings Mr. Evans must have made. I found it by the fireplace in the study. I showed it to Ron, but he didn't know what it was for, either."

Nancy studied the scrap of paper. 'Henry Rousseau — that were the only words on it.

She shrugged and gave it back to George. " Hold onto this, " she advised. " It may be a clue."

She put on a dry pair of shoes. " Let's go back to Mr. Knox and tell him what happened, " she suggested.

A half hour later, the young detectives approached the bank. Nancy saw Ron Parker pull up and go inside. She stopped suddenly, her forehead creased in a frown.

" I have an idea, " she said. " You two go into the bank. Get Ron into Mr. Knox's office and tell them what happened. I'll join you in about fifteen minutes. Don't let anyone leave until I get there, okay? "

Bess and George nodded. They knew better than to ask questions when they saw that look on Nancy's face. A moment later they entered the bank and walked up to Henry Smith's desk. He led them into the president's office, then went to get Ron Parker. When they were all assembled, George and Bess took turns explaining what had happened to them in Craggy Cave.

George acted out the scene where the vampire had swooped down from the ledge and grabbed her, and Bess shivered all over again when she remembered the danger they had been in.

'This is incredible! " Mr. Knox cried out. ''Where's Nancy? "

" She'll be here shortly, " George said. " She said for all of us to wait for her."

Ron was outraged. " I can't imagine why anyone would do something like that! " he stormed. " You girls shouldn't even walk around the street without a police escort! "

As he was speaking, the door opened slightly. A vampire face peered around its edge!

The banker and his clerk gasped, and the two girls retreated behind Mr. Knox's desk, shrieking. Just then the unsavory creature stuck its thumb under its chin and, with a jerk, pulled off the mask.

" Nancy! " George cried out.

Ron had turned pale. He began to move toward the door, but the police chief, who was right behind Nancy, stopped him from leaving the room.

" I had a little trouble getting the mask from Jim, "

Nancy said. " I told him Ron had asked me to bring it over here. He found it in Ron's desk."

Mr. Knox stared at the girl. " Nancy, I'm not sure I like this masquerade. You scared us half to death! "

" I figured out the game Ron has been playing, " the girl went on. 'Tarts I can only guess, but I suppose the police will find out whether I'm right or not."

" I don't know what you're talking about! " Ron protested. " I haven't been playing any game..."

" No. It was more than that, " Nancy agreed. " You almost killed George! "

" That's preposterous! " Ron cried out. " What possible reason could I have for doing that? "

" She found the list of paintings you made and lost in the Evans Mansion. You probably dropped it when you stole the pictures that account for the bare spots on the walls! "

Mr. Knox stared at Ron, who laughed derisively. " That's ridiculous, " the shopkeeper said. " I couldn't get into that place, and neither could anyone else. The alarm system is foolproof."

" That's true, " Nancy said. " But you found a secret passage from Craggy Cave to the mansion. It ended at the fireplace in the study, didn't it? When you had access to the house, you made a list of all the paintings, then contacted dealers who would buy certain ones."

She paused a moment, then continued. " Once you had your order, you went in and stole the pictures. But you dropped the list by mistake on your way out. When George picked it up, you were afraid she'd show it to someone who would recognize your handwriting. So you went after her."

" That's why you pushed me into the closet! " George spoke up.

" Nonsense, " Ron said. " I left before that happened."

" But you went back after parking your car down the road, " Henry Smith spoke up.

All eyes turned to him.

" I stayed a while to see what you were up to, but finally I had to leave or Mr. Knox would have wondered where I was, " the clerk went on.

" You didn't manage to get the list out of my pocket when you pushed me, " George took up the story again, " so you loosened the plaster on the roof when we left. You figured it would hit me and you could come to my aid, retrieving the list in the process of helping me."

" And when that didn't work, " Bess put in, " you made that sudden turn in the road. You knew the door on the passenger side wasn't locked properly. If George fell out, you'd have another chance to get close to her and reach into her pocket."

" It's a fascinating story, but pure fabrication, " Ron said coolly.

Nancy was undaunted by his comment. " You dropped us off at the cave and told us where to go so you could play vampire, " she went on. " You managed to get George and throw her into the sink hole. At that point, you retrieved the list, but it tore. She still has enough of it to prove that it was in your handwriting! "

Ron's jaw sagged, as George pulled out the piece of paper and handed it to Mr. Knox.

" We have samples of Ron's writing here at the bank, " he said. " It'll be easy enough to compare this with them."

Ron collapsed into the nearest chair. He knew he had lost. Bess turned to him. " I have one question, " she said. " You must have been playing vampire before this. Jenny Shipton swears she saw a creature that looked exactly like you."

Ron shrugged. " I may as well tell you, " he said. " My uncle told me just before he died that there was an access route to the mansion from Craggy Cave. I spent hours and hours looking for it. When people appeared, I scared them away with my vampire act. I couldn't risk being seen there time and again. Soon no one came around, until you showed up."

" Why did you accompany us to the mansion? " Bess went on.

" I was afraid you might tell Mr. Knox about the missing paintings, " Ron confessed. " When I heard you guess that Mr. Evans had sold them, my mind was put at ease, and I figured I'd be able to continue my racket until Evans came back from Europe."

" Well, it's all over now, " Mr. Knox said. " You'll go to jail not only for theft, but for assault, too."

" And Craggy Cave will once again become the tourist attraction it used to be, " Mr. Smith smiled.

" I bet there's one person in town who'll be disappointed! " George said.

" Who's that? " Mr. Knox asked, looking surprised.

" Jenny Shipton. She won't like to hear that the vampire she believed in was her neighbor! "