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Legal Threats






 

Using all of her strength, Nancy wrestled with the steering wheel as it jerked and twisted first in one direction, then in the other. All the while on her wild ride down the hillside, she was trying to stop the car by pushing on the brake pedal. Finally, when she thought she could do no more, she was able to bring the car to a halt, still upright and in one piece.

Considerably shaken and weak, Nancy leaned her head on the steering wheel while the storm raged on.

" Whew! " she said as she pulled herself together, opened the door, and stepped out into the rain.

" I guess the thing to do is to walk back up to the road and down to the next public phone, '' she muttered to herself as she climbed up the hillside, rain streaming over her from head to feet.

Walking as fast as she could against the storm, she reached the shelter of the phone booth and called one of the 24-hour towing service numbers provided by the company that insured her car. Nancy explained her predicament and asked if she could be dropped off at her house while the car was being towed to Bill's Garage, where the Drews were old customers.

" Sure, no problem, " the service man said cheerfully, " if you don't mind riding up in the cab with me."

Twenty minutes later, Nancy walked into her house, drenched to the skin. The rest of the household was asleep, and Nancy, after disposing of her wet clothes, dried her hair and left a note for her father explaining what had happened to her car. Then she fell into bed exhausted.

She was so tired that she slept later than usual the next morning. By the time she showered and dressed, it was after 9: 30 A.M.

Going downstairs, she found a place set for her at the kitchen table and a note from Hannah saying she had gone to the supermarket. Carson Drew had long since left for the office, so Nancy sat down to a lonely breakfast.

On the way to the refrigerator for milk and orange juice, Nancy switched on a small TV set that Hannah kept on the kitchen counter.

" May as well listen to the news, " she said as she settled down at the table and spooned some strawberries onto her cereal.

" And now for some local news items, " the announcer's voice boomed out. " Here in River Heights, artists and other participants in the local art scene were shocked by the revelation that the prize-winning painting in a recent art contest was a copy of a picture owned by the River Heights Museum. The discovery that artist Lee Talbot had copied his subject matter from the work of another painter was made by the famous teenage detective, Nancy Drew. Talbot could not be reached for …"

Nancy, very upset, switched off the TV set and went into the living room to look at the copy of the Morning Record, which had been brought in earlier from the porch by Carson Drew. Hastily checking through the paper, Nancy found the story of the copied painting on page 3. But this report made no mention of her part in the affair.

Puzzled, Nancy went into the hall to the telephone and quickly dialed the newspaper office. She asked to speak to reporter Peter Worden.

" Hello, Nancy, " he said when she reached him. " You read my story in the Morning Record, right? "

" Yes, I did, Peter. Thank you for not mentioning my name.

" I always try to grant the request of beautiful girls, " the reporter answered flirtatiously.

Nancy laughed. " Even though you didn't publish it, did you mention my name to anyone in connection with the story? "

" Absolutely not, " he said in a more serious voice. " Why do you ask? "

" I was just listening to the morning news on television, " Nancy replied. " The broadcast named me as the one who discovered that Lee Talbot's painting was a copy."

" Well, I'll be! " Peter Worden exclaimed. " Nancy, I don't know what to say. I swear I didn't violate your confidence. I told nobody." He declared this so earnestly and sounded so distressed that Nancy could not help but believe him.

" It's certainly a puzzle, " she said in a troubled voice, " and it leaves me in a very unpleasant position. Still, there's no use fretting over it—what's done is done. I suppose sooner or later we'll find out how my name was brought into it."

" I'll check around and see what I can find out, Nancy, " Worden said unhappily. " Meanwhile, if I can help in any way, please call on me."

Thanking him, Nancy returned to her unfinished breakfast in the kitchen. But the sight of the soggy cereal in the bowl drove away what little appetite she had left. Just then, the telephone rang and Nancy went to answer it.

" Miss Nancy Drew, please. Emily Owsler calling."

" This is Nancy speaking, Miss Owsler. How are you? "

" Oh—I'm just fine, dear." The maid paused as if to choose her next words, then went on. " I've just thought of something of Miss Duval's that might help you, something I was given as a keepsake. Perhaps you would like to look at it? "

Nancy's mood brightened. " Yes, indeed, Miss Owsler. Er, what is it? "

" An old photograph album. I thought by looking at the pictures in it, you might come across a clue of some sort, " the elderly woman said hopefully.

" Why, that's an excellent idea! Thanks ever so much for letting me know."

Nancy arranged to visit Miss Owsler. She had no sooner hung up and turned away than the telephone shrilled again.

" I'd like to speak to Nancy Drew, " snarled an angry voice.

" I'm Nancy Drew. Who is this? "

" This, Miss Drew, is Lee Talbot. You have publicly and falsely accused me of stealing, of plagiarism. I am therefore suing you for libel and defamation of character. You'll hear from my lawyer! " he threatened.

A look of dismay flickered over Nancy's face during this stormy speech. But she replied calmly enough, " Then please have your attorney contact my father, Carson Drew. He will act as my counsel."

Lee Talbot's response was to slam down the receiver, breaking the connection.

As Nancy turned from the phone, Hannah Gruen, the Drews' housekeeper, bustled in the door with two bags of groceries.

On seeing Nancy's expression, Hannah asked, " Has anything happened, dear? You look very upset and unhappy." She gave the girl a quick hug after setting down her load from the supermarket.

" Oh, Hannah, I've had a rather unpleasant morning. Could you take time out and drive me to Bill's Garage so I can pick up my car? I'll tell you all my troubles on the way."

They reached the garage in the Drews' station wagon just as Nancy finished relating the morning's events, ending with a description of Lee Talbot's threatening telephone call.

" My goodness, no wonder you looked so upset, dear! " a worried Hannah exclaimed as

Nancy got out of the car. " But don't let it get you down. I'm sure your father will know how to deal with that fellow. In the meantime, take care of yourself."

'I’ll try, Hannah. Good-bye and thanks for the lift.

Rick, the garage mechanic, was just closing the hood of Nancy's car. " All set, Miss Drew, " he smiled, then added more soberly, " I think you ought to be more careful where you park your car, hereafter.

" Oh? Why? "

" Some joker cut the power steering hose. All the fluid leaked out."

" So that's why I had so much trouble turning the wheel! " Nancy frowned reflectively. " At first I didn't notice anything wrong. But I suppose the fluid leaked out gradually as I drove along."

" Right. Also, another odd thing, we had a call this morning. Fellow wanting to know if we had picked up Nancy Drew's car."

As Nancy's eyes widened, Rick said. " Maybe you ought to report it to the police."

" You're right, I will, " the girl sleuth promised. She paid the repair bill and drove off.

Nancy decided to check with the curator at the art museum to try to find out how her name got into the news report about Lee Talbot's painting. But when she saw him in his office later that morning, he was unable to shed any light on the matter.

" No one talked to me about Lee Talbot or his painting, Nancy, " Mr. Gregory said regretfully. " I'm sorry I can't help."

Seeing her disappointed look, however, he went on, hoping to cheer her up.

" But we have located that missing picture you were asking about—the one donated by the Duval family when the museum first opened! "

 






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