Mrs. Palmer Lashes Out!

After making his guests comfortable and having seen to it that they were served cooling drinks, Señ or Segovia outlined the details of his struggle against the stamp smugglers.

''As a representative of the government" he began, ''I was assigned to direct the investigation of the smuggling ring. But the crooks are so bold and contemptuous that they actually filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against me, charging me with libel and slander for statements I allegedly made in public."

''The reason for this, '' Nancy spoke up, " is probably to keep you busy with legal matters so you can't probe the gang's dealings."

" That's correct, " Señ or Segovia went on. " They charged me with interfering in what they claim is a perfectly legitimate operation. That's when I called in your father"

" As I began to gather evidence against the gang" Mr. Drew took up the story, " they became worried and kidnapped me."

" That was a bad mistake on their part, " Señ or Segovia said. " It made it very obvious that their claim of legitimacy is ridiculous. I'm convinced it only happened because Stroessner is in South America. But he's coming back tonight, and when he does, there'll be some fireworks in his outfit."

" Who's Stroessner? " Nancy questioned.

" Otto Stroessner is the big man who runs the entire rotten syndicate, " Mr. Drew put in. " He's a big bull of a man with a bald head and a monocle. But he has impeccable manners and is charming and gracious. The ladies who don't know him better think he's a romantic figure. Those who do know him realize that he is one of the top criminals in the world. He's a man who will stop at nothing."

" Yes, " Señ or Segovia agreed. " He's also a man who carefully calculates his every move. And he would never have approved your kidnapping, Carson. Someone else did that."

" McConnell, " the lawyer said. " They mentioned it."

" Who's McConnell? " Bess asked.

Señ or Segovia laughed. " This session is supposed to brief you on what's happening and we keep dropping names you don't know. Brian McConnell is Stroessner's second in command here in the States. Why, I don't know. He's not Stroessner's type of man at all. He's a hotheaded soldier of fortune who sells himself to the highest bidder. He's been a smuggler, a gun runner, a guerrilla leader. But he has no sense. He's all bravado and does foolhardy things, thinking it will please Stroessner, and it never does."

" Why does Stroessner put up with him? " Nancy asked.

" Because McConnell saved his life once. Stroessner was almost executed in one of the smaller Latin American countries after helping to organize a revolution. McConnell got him out of jail and flew him to the United States. So Stroessner is stuck with Mac."

" And McConnell pulled this kidnapping? " George asked.

" Yes. But I don't think we'll see him around too much longer. There's a limit to Stroessner's gratitude." Señ or Segovia went on to describe how Stroessner had built up a criminal empire and had directed the theft of many major stamp collections in the world. He had thrown the stamp market into absolute chaos, for not only had he begun to dispose of the stamps at extremely high prices, but word had leaked out that he was planning to counterfeit the most valuable of his stolen property.

" If the counterfeiting proves as good as the other schemes he has had, there is simply no doubt that the market will be destroyed, '' Señ or Segovia declared. " No one will know whether he's buying a real stamp or a phony one."

" The losses now are running toward the billion-dollar mark, " Mr. Drew said. " The latest stamp that was stolen was a heretofore unknown copy of the Penny Black, issued in the nineteenth century by what was then the British colony of Guiana."

" You mean, no one realized this stamp existed? " Nancy asked.

" That's right. The only known copy was in the hands of a wealthy collector. Then another one was found in an ordinary stamp album in Buenos Aires, stashed away in someone's attic for a long time. After its discovery, only a few days passed until the stamp was stolen by two armed men making their getaway in a helicopter. This, of course, was a great shock to all philatelists—as stamp collectors are called. We feel that Stroessner's gang was involved."

" Why has Stroessner made his headquarters in southern Florida? " Nancy asked.

Señ or Segovia spread his hands. " Since the very earliest days of the first Spanish explorers, Florida has been recognized as a paradise for smugglers. The long coastline, indented by bays and rivers and streams and with lots of islands and hundreds of square miles of swamps and wilderness, it's one of the toughest areas for customs and border patrol people to cover."

" Smugglers come in by sea, by land, under the sea, and by air, " Carson Drew added. " It's very difficult to catch them."

" What is Stroessner's so-called legitimate business? " Nancy inquired.

" He's a stamp dealer, " Señ or Segovia replied. " He has a very thorough knowledge of the trade, and contacts all over the world. He knows who owns what, and where the most valuable collections are. That's why we have to get him. We have to find him standing there with the evidence in his hands, so to speak. With a man as tricky and careful as Stroessner, that's very hard."

" There are two ways to do it, " Mr. Drew spoke up. " Either we catch him with the evidence, which is possible but extremely difficult to accomplish, or we capture one or two of his top men and use their testimony against him. We have to try both ways."

" What about the counterfeiting? " Nancy asked. " Why and how is he going to do that? "

" Well, " Señ or Segovia replied, " as to why he's doing it, the answer is, very quick money. He could duplicate, let's say, the fifty most valuable stamps in the world and make twenty of each. Then he could put them on sale in hundreds of cities all over the globe on the same day."

" Before the stamp collectors have time to check with one another and compare, " Nancy added.

" Exactly. By the time anyone knows that there's something wrong, he runs off with millions of dollars and thousands of collectors are cheated."

''Do you know whether he has started the counterfeiting already? " Nancy asked. Carson Drew smiled as he saw a familiar sparkle in her blue eyes. He knew it meant that she was hooked on a mystery.

" No, " Señ or Segovia replied. " We don't think he has started. We know the equipment has been moved into Florida. But he doesn't have a top man yet to do the work. We have police all over the world keeping tight checks on all leading counterfeiters who aren't in jail. The minute one of them disappears, it may mean he has started working for Stroessner. We must break up this ring before that happens."

''Where is the gang's headquarters? " Nancy asked.

" We don't know. We do know Stroessner is living in a fine house in Fort Lauderdale, telling the government that he's just a legitimate stamp dealer."

''That's right, " Mr. Drew added. " From time to time, he even has the nerve to wave to Señ or Segovia across a crowded restaurant table or to send a bottle of wine to the Segovia table with an insulting note attached."

Further questions from the girls brought them no additional information, so they finally decided to go to bed. As Nancy started up the stairs for her bedroom, she was interrupted by the maid carrying a telephone.

" For me? " Nancy asked, surprised.

The maid nodded, and the girl took the receiver hesitantly, glancing at Señ or Segovia, who put his finger to his lips as he waved to Mr. Drew and they went to pick up an extension.

" Hello, my foot! " came a strong but obviously aged female voice on the other end of the line. " What's going on, Nancy Drew? You've been in this city for quite a while and you haven't called me."

" Mrs. Palmer? " Nancy cried. ''Oh, I'm so sorry. I—"

" Sorry, my bumbershoot. When I hire a detective, I expect her to be on the job right away. This is an outrage! I don't believe Carson ever took a switch to you! "

" But my father was kidnapped, " Nancy blurted, knowing no other way to stop the tide of words coming over the phone.

" Kidnapped! It's bad enough you're late. If you can't keep your own father from being kidnapped, what kind of a detective are you? You're not too old to spank, you know. I'll expect you here at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Sharp."

" Seven o'clock! "

" Good night. Miss Drew. And bring your magnifying glass or whatever you detectives use. "

Nancy heard a click and she sank against the wall.

" Phew, " she exclaimed and looked at Señ or Segovia and her father, who came up to her after having listened to every word. " I think that I've just met my toughest client yet! ''

Mr. Drew chuckled. ''She's really a very nice lady, " he said. ''You'll like her once you get to know her."

" I hope so, " the girl murmured as she went off to bed.

Nancy slept soundly, without dreams or nightmares. Finally, she awoke to the sounds of laughter in the pool area beneath her windows.

She lay for a moment, stretching luxuriously under the lovely pink sheets. Voices drifted to her but she was still too sleepy to recognize them. Then, pulling her knees up she made the effort and got out of bed. She looked out the window and noticed the boys frolicking with Bess and George.

The boys! What were they doing here already? Nancy wondered. Then a terrible thought struck her. She looked at her watch.

" Ten o'clock! " she cried out loud. " And I was supposed to be at Mrs. Palmer's at seven! The maid forgot to wake me up! "