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Cagey Calls






 

As George finished her statement with a deep bow, Nancy shook her head. “I thought of masquerading as the duchessa, but that could be just as dangerous as showing up as Nancy Drew, ” she said.

“So maybe you ought to pick a disguise somewhere in between, ” Bess suggested.

“Precisely, ” Nancy went on. “Dark hair, different style, a few lines on the face, and—”

“Voila! You’re thirty years older! ” Her friend giggled. “Brilliant, my dear detective! ”

“I don’t know how brilliant it is, but I hope it helps me past the guards if there are any; and even if that phone call from the duchessa was on the up-and-up, I’m sure she won’t mind my little charade.”

“You know, I’m beginning to think you’d be safer with a football captain at your side than with me! ” George exclaimed.

“We all ought to go along, ” Bess said. “There’s greater safety in numbers.”

“I don’t agree, ” Nancy said. “I’m sure two can investigate more efficiently and secretively than six. I’ll call Ned to see what he says.”

The boy concurred fully with his friend’s plan. “Just don’t disguise yourself before we have dinner, ” Ned said in a teasing voice.

“Don’t worry. I won’t change one strand of hair until afterwards.”

 

When the group was all together, though, Ned’s bantering tone faded. “Maybe we ought to go armed with the local police force, ” he told Nancy.

“We can’t, ” she said, keeping her voice barely above a whisper. “The duchessa would have a fit if she thought I had told you all about Filippo’s kidnapping—never mind the police! ” “But what if the same thing happened to her? ” Burt supported Ned.

“I still can’t take the risk of telling the police anything, ” Nancy said. “She made me promise."

“Okay, okay, ” Dave acknowledged, “but you shouldn’t refuse a back-up team—”

“In case you both get stuck for some reason, ” Bess joined in.

“I’m hoping we won’t, but if we do, I’d feel better knowing the rest of you are safe on Venetian soil and can send reinforcements, if need be.”

“That’s a good point, ” Dave admitted. “But how will we know what you’ve found or didn’t find? ”

“And how will we know you’re all right? ” George asked.

“There are phones everywhere at the factory, ” Nancy pointed out. “We’ll call you the minute we arrive.”

“But the switchboard probably shuts down after hours, ” Bess retorted.

“Then.. Nancy laughed, snapping her fingers. “I’ll send a seagull with a message! ”

Although her lighthearted response did not bring a smile to anyone’s face, Ned was finally convinced that they should proceed as planned. The others would be certain to alert the police if they didn’t hear from the couple by morning.

“Besides, ” Nancy said, “what if something turns up while we’re gone that requires the attention of four skilled detectives? ”

The question, however, went unanswered as they left the restaurant. Ned and Nancy made arrangements to meet at the dock from where they had taken the boat to Murano.

“See you in an hour, ” the boy said, as they left in separate directions.

But when Nancy and the girls reached their hotel room again, she was unprepared for the message waiting for her.

“It’s from Andreoli, ” the girl told her friends. “He is going to call me at eight-thirty.”

“Aren’t you supposed to meet Ned then? ” George responded.

“Yes, but it’s only a five-minute walk to the square, ” Nancy replied. “Besides, Andreoli doesn’t speak much English so I’m sure I won’t be on the phone long.”

She stuck her head out the window, glancing toward the empty gondola station, then drew the curtains and disappeared into the bathroom carrying the disguise kit. When she emerged a while later, the girls were duly impressed by the remarkable transformation that had occurred.

“Well? ” Nancy asked, smoothing her hair. “What do you think? ”

“If I didn’t know better, ” George said, “I’d say you were a middle-aged dowager! ” Bess crowed.

Nancy’s usually soft reddish-blond hair was now quite brown and pressed back into an elegant knot. Her face had also been powdered to look wan and, using an eyebrow pencil, she had created lines under her eyes and across her forehead.

“Who’s Ned going as? Father Time? ” Bess quipped.

“I don’t look that ancient, do I? ” Nancy asked, chuckling. “Maybe George will lend him her gondolier’s hat.”

“Why not? ” the girl said. “Just make sure you don’t get caught, that’s all. I want my hat back! ”

Before Nancy had the opportunity to comment, however, Andreoli’s call interrupted unexpectedly early. To Nancy’s astonishment, he suddenly seemed to have acquired greater fluency in English.

“Miss Drew, ” he began, “I have heard from the duchessa. She told me to tell you she has found her nephew. There is no more for you to do.”

As the words rang in her ears, Nancy caught herself questioning the identity of the caller. The voice was familiar and at first she believed it belonged to Andreoli; but when she finally put down the receiver, having only said a brief good-bye, she gaped at her friends.

“What’s the matter? ” George asked, watching Nancy’s pallid face turn crimson.

“That was Erminio Scarpa! ” she announced.

“Huh? ” Bess replied in utter amazement.

“I’m positive, ” Nancy said. “He called himself Andreoli, but his English was too good.”

“Oh, Nancy, ” Bess said, her anxiety blossoming again, “please don’t go to Murano! ”

“I have to. Suppose the duchessa is being held a prisoner there? ”

“In her own factory? ” George asked.

Without defending the point further, the young detective took off her robe and put on the blouse and skirt she had chosen for the occasion.

“How about wearing this too? ” Bess said, offering Nancy her evening shawl.

“Oh, that’s perfect, ” the girl said. She checked her watch. “It’s eight-thirty. I wonder if the message we received really was from Andreoli or Scarpa? ”

“Why don’t you wait five more minutes just to be sure? ” Bess suggested.

“Okay.”

But no other call came, and Nancy finally left her companions. When she was gone, they confessed to a mutual feeling of uneasiness. Should they abide by Nancy’s request and not follow her, or ignore the young detective’s instructions entirely? ”

“Let’s discuss it with Burt and Dave, ” Bess suggested. “I don’t trust myself to make this sort of decision, do you? ”

“No, ma’am, ” her cousin replied. “Besides, what if we do something against Nancy’s wishes and it backfires? ”

Bess breathed heavily, whistling a sigh. “We’re really on the spot, aren’t we? ”

 






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