The Black Widow Read online

  Chapter

  One

  LOOK OUT! YOU’RE going to kill that guy!”

  Nancy Drew braced her long legs against the limousine’s floor, gripping the edge of the leather seat. Her blue eyes widened as the limo careered wildly down a narrow street in Buenos Aires, Argentina, narrowly missing a well-dressed elderly pedestrian. She could hear his shouts fading rapidly behind them an instant later.

  The chauffeur turned around in his seat and smiled broadly at Nancy. “Have no fear, senorita!” he said, waving both hands for emphasis. The limousine swerved, almost mowing down a group of black-clad nuns.

  “Be careful! Cuidado!” shouted Nancy’s father, Carson Drew. The driver nodded and twisted the wheel sharply to the right. They turned a corner on two wheels, and Carson Drew sank back into his seat, mopping his brow.

  The Drews were on their way from the airport to Mirabella Pier in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Carson’s old friend Captain John Brant had invited them down for a few days on the cruise liner he now commanded. He’d arranged for a driver, so the Drews could ride to the harbor in style, but Nancy wasn’t sure they’d get there at all.

  The driver abruptly slammed on the brakes. “Plaza de Mayo. Tráfico. Is very bad,” he grumbled, gesturing at the sudden snarl of traffic outside. The car began to move forward again at a slow crawl. Nancy relaxed and looked out the tinted window.

  An enormous stone cathedral loomed against the brilliant sky. Businessmen in pinstriped suits and elegant afternoon shoppers thronged the square, brushing shoulders with vendors in multicolored cotton ponchos. The summer sun shimmered on the paving stones, drenching faces with reflected light.

  Nancy sighed happily. “This is more like it,” she said. “Now I can’t wait to get on with our vacation and meet Captain Brant,” Nancy said. “Although I guess he won’t have much time to socialize. I mean, the Emerald Queen is the fleet’s flagship, right?”

  “That’s right,” Carson replied. “But if I know John, he’ll find time for us.” He shook his head in wonder. “We haven’t seen each other since before you were born—that makes it at least eighteen years. After John went into the Merchant Marines and my practice got going, we never seemed to be in the same place at the same time. But we have always kept in touch.”

  “He had a fabulous idea for a reunion,” Nancy said. “I’m ready for sunshine and ocean breezes.”

  She pushed her reddish gold hair back from her face. “Can I take another look at our route?”

  Carson pulled out the glossy cruise brochure and handed it to his daughter. “Perfect,” Nancy murmured as she reread the itinerary. “A few days at sea, a couple of stops, and then we end up in Rio de Janeiro, just in time for Carnival.”

  “Mmmm. It does sound good,” her father agreed.

  “I’ve heard Carnival is even wilder than Mardi Gras in New Orleans,” Nancy said. “Ned is looking forward to the costume parties. I don’t think he’s ever outgrown Halloween!” Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s longtime boyfriend, was planning to meet the Drews in Rio for the week of Carnival. Nancy could hardly wait. Romantic Rio with the guy she loved—what could be better?

  The limo began to pull into the pierside parking area. Nancy leaned forward. Ahead, the huge luxury liners lay in their berths. “Which one do you think is the Emerald Queen?” she asked her father.

  Carson Drew shot an amused glance at his daughter. “Some detective,” he said, teasing her. “I’d say it’s got to be that one there—the one with all the emerald green streamers.”

  “This detective is on vacation, remember?” Nancy protested, but then had to laugh at herself.

  As they got out of the limo, a warm, moist, salty breeze ruffled Nancy’s hair. A large, cheerful-looking man in a crisp white uniform came striding toward them. His red face and twinkling eyes stood out in contrast to Carson’s grave, distinguished features. And while Carson’s hair had silvered with the years, this man’s thatch of close-cropped dark curls seemed untouched by time. He seized Carson’s hand and shook it vigorously.

  “Carson!” he exclaimed. “I can’t believe I finally got you down here!”

  “John, you old seadog! You look exactly the same. You’ve added a few bars to your uniform, I notice.”

  “Yes, and a few inches around the middle, too—must be the great food I’ve heard about on these cruise liners.” The captain turned to Nancy and took her hands in his beefy ones. “And you must be Nancy. Did you know that your father mailed me a cigar when you were born?”

  Nancy laughed. “Dad always does things with flair,” she said.

  “Carson tells me you’ve become something of a celebrity. You’re a detective, if I’m not mistaken. Very impressive. Carson has every reason to be proud of you.”

  “Thanks.” Nancy blushed, a little embarrassed by Captain Brant’s praise. She was glad when they arrived at the gangplank, where an attractive dark-haired woman of about thirty-five was climbing out of a white limo. Two porters had already begun to load her luggage onto a trolley. The captain gestured in her direction.

  “There’s my other special guest,” he said with a warm smile for the woman. “Nina da Silva, I’d like you to meet my old friend Carson Drew and his daughter, Nancy. Nina’s late husband, Hector, was a colleague of mine,” he explained to the Drews.

  As Nancy shook hands with Nina da Silva, she took in the woman’s elegant black linen suit, accented by a beautiful emerald necklace in an antique setting. She also noticed the tiny vertical lines of worry between Nina’s long-lashed dark eyes—and the tight set of her slim shoulders.

  A porter let one of her suitcases slip off the trolley, and she jumped visibly as it crashed to the dock.

  “Be careful with that,” she snapped irritably. Nancy was surprised at the woman’s reaction. Nina da Silva seemed tense and preoccupied. I wonder why? Nancy thought and then smiled at herself. Come on, Drew, she scolded mentally. This is a vacation—don’t forget!

  The porters moved up the gangplank with the luggage trolleys, the Drews, Captain Brant, and Nina da Silva following. “I hope this cruise won’t be too tame for you, Nancy,” the captain said. “After all, the biggest mystery on this ship is what the chef puts in his secret soufflé.” He turned back to Nina. “Nancy here is a private eye,” he explained. “And Carson’s a famous criminal lawyer. Quite a family, eh?”

  Nancy grinned. Captain Brant’s enthusiasm was infectious.

  Nina’s eyes widened. “Really! How interesting,” she said. She turned to look closely at Nancy. “That must be fascinating work.”

  She lurched suddenly, her foot slipping on the gangplank. Carson quickly grabbed her elbow to steady her. “Careful, or we’ll have a ‘man’ overboard before we even sail!” he cautioned.

  Nancy noticed the concern in her father’s voice and the way his hand lingered on Nina’s arm, even after she was safely on deck. Their eyes met and held as Nina smiled her thanks. Nancy was surprised to feel a tiny stab of envy.

  “Let’s see now,” Captain Brant said, consulting a computer printout handed to him just then. “You’re all on the Opal Deck. Nina, you and Carson are practically next-door neighbors. Nancy, you’re just around the corner and down the alleyway—that’s the hall, to you landlubbers.

  “The Opal’s the best deck on the ship. It’s up high enough so you get a wonderful view, but it’s still far enough below the Emerald Deck so you won’t get any of the noise.”

  “This ship is huge!” Nancy said, looking around. “It’s like a gigantic hotel—only it floats. How many decks are there?”

  “Eight,” replied the captain proudly. “The Emerald Deck is on top—that’s the glassed-in one with the formal dining room and the Emerald Ballroom. Most of the passengers’ cabins and the athletic fac
ilities are on the next three. Then there’s the Amethyst Deck, where there are a few more cabins and also officers’ quarters.

  “The main deck, just below the Amethyst, is sort of like a hotel lobby, with a florist, a gift shop, and a few other shops. All lifeboats and crew quarters are on the two lower decks. There’ll be a tour and a lifeboat drill before dinner, so you can see for yourselves.”

  “Sounds impressive! But right now I could use a shower and a change of clothes,” Nancy said. She looked down at her bulky sweater and black jeans. “It’s still winter in the northern hemisphere, you know.”

  “Yes, it’s been a long trip,” her father put in.

  “Fine, fine. Julio here will show you to your cabins,” the captain replied. He looked at his watch. “The tours are staggered—yours starts at five-thirty. That gives you forty-five minutes to get tropical.”

  “Tall order, Captain,” Carson said, grinning at his friend.

  Brant clapped Carson on the shoulder, returning the grin. “KP duty if you’re not wearing an aloha shirt next time I see you, Drew,” he threatened. Nancy giggled.

  “I’d like you all to join me for dinner this evening,” the captain said. He strode away, and the three passengers followed the porter up to the Opal Deck.

  Nancy’s cabin was large and luxurious. A thick cream-colored carpet covered the floor, and the bed was hidden under an apricot satin quilt and mounds of matching pillows. Nancy threw her winter coat over a chair and looked around appreciatively. This is traveling in style! she thought.

  She caught sight of a brown paper package that lay on the dressing table, next to a crystal vase full of white roses. The typed label said, “To Ms. Nancy Drew, detective. From her fans in River Heights.”

  Nancy tore open the package and began to laugh. She pulled out a black bikini. Bess Marvin and George Fayne, her two best friends, were at it again! Last week they had helped Nancy shop for a cruise wardrobe. Blond, flirtatious Bess had tried to convince Nancy to buy the almost nonexistent bikini. Nancy smiled now, remembering.

  “Oh, come on, Nan, it looks fantastic on you! If only it looked that way on me,” Bess had said wistfully. “Come on, buy it!”

  “Are you kidding, Bess?” said George. “I seriously doubt Nan’s dad would approve.”

  “George does have a point,” Nancy said to Bess.

  “Oh, well,” Bess said. “You’d probably get a sunburned stomach, anyway.” But there had been an unmistakable gleam in her blue eyes as she put the suit back on the rack.

  Well, now we’ll see how open-minded Dad is, Nancy thought as she started to unpack a strapless silk sheath dress. Its deep blue color set off her eyes dramatically. Definitely sizzling, Nancy thought as she took it out of its wrapping.

  As Nancy hung the gown in her closet, she heard a slight rustling noise behind her. Turning, she saw a white envelope lying on the carpet in front of the door. “I know that wasn’t there earlier,” she said aloud.

  She ran to the door, threw it open, and looked up and down the hall. No one.

  She picked up the envelope and tore it open. As she pulled out a piece of folded paper, a smaller scrap fluttered to the floor.

  Nancy unfolded the first piece of paper. It was a crude drawing of a red-eyed spider, with a red hourglass on its belly. A black widow spider.

  At the ends of its eight hairy legs were faint penciled marks. Nancy squinted at them. They were actually tiny letters. They seemed to be chosen at random: A, W, N, P, I, Y, N, and F, if she read clockwise. Nancy repeated the letters to herself.

  She picked up the scrap of paper from the carpet. It was a scrawled note. It said:

  The black widow is the key.

  Time is running out!

  Is this for real? Nancy wondered. Or are Bess and George trying to spice up my vacation with this old-fashioned code stuff? But how could they pull a stunt like this, long-distance?

  Let’s see what Dad makes of this, she decided. He’s great at puzzles.

  Nancy locked her door and started toward her father’s cabin. As she turned the corner, she saw him down the hall, knocking at a door.

  I’ll bet that’s Mrs. da Silva’s cabin, Nancy thought. Am I going to be a fifth wheel right now? She stopped walking, suddenly unsure of herself.

  At that moment a scream ripped through the air. Nancy sprinted forward. Carson Drew flung open Mrs. da Silva’s door, and Nancy ran in right behind him.

  Nina da Silva lay on the floor. She was very pale. Carson fell to his knees beside her. She didn’t stir as he took her wrist and felt for a pulse.

  Nancy’s eyes flew to the dresser. Something was moving there.

  She stepped closer. On the dresser was a fancy box of chocolates with the lid half off. As she watched, the cover shifted even more and slid onto the dresser top.

  A slender black thread looped itself over the side of the box. Then another. A round black body appeared, with a splash of red.

  It was a black widow spider!

  Chapter

  Two

  DAD—LOOK!”

  As Nancy peered into the box, her skin crawled. It was a nightmare come true. The box was seething with spiders, dozens of them climbing sluggishly over one another. Behind her, Carson drew in a sharp breath.

  She scanned the room quickly, spotting the porthole just to the left of the dressing table. Edging past the box, she yanked open the porthole latch. Then she ran to the bathroom and grabbed the thickest towel.

  “Nancy! What are you doing?” Carson started toward her, but Nancy stopped him.

  “They’ll be all over the cabin if I don’t get rid of them,” she said grimly. “This towel should protect me in case they’re feeling hungry.”

  She closed her eyes for a second, gathering her courage. Then, gritting her teeth, she scooped up the box, spiders and all, and hurled it into the ocean.

  “Ugh! What a relief,” Nancy said. She rubbed her hands on the legs of her black jeans, trying to erase the creepy feeling. Then she turned to her father, who was kneeling once again beside the motionless figure of Nina da Silva.

  “Let’s get her up onto the bed,” Carson said anxiously. “She’s out cold, but I don’t think she’s hurt. There are no bites on her hands or face. I doubt she’ll want to wake up lying on the floor, though.”

  Nancy and Carson lifted Mrs. da Silva and gently maneuvered her onto the bed.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Nancy?” asked Carson worriedly.

  “Yes,” replied Nancy. “A little shaky, but unbitten.” She went into the bathroom and got a glass of water. Carson took it from her and sprinkled some on Nina da Silva’s forehead.

  Nancy bit her lip thoughtfully. “Dad, I wonder if this spider thing is a coincidence or something else,” she said. “I was just coming to show you a note someone put under my door.”

  Her father took the note and drawing. “Looks like some prankster’s idea of a joke,” he commented.

  Nancy shook her head doubtfully. “I don’t know. Those spiders were no joke. All Mrs. da Silva had to do was reach for a chocolate, and—” She shuddered at the thought.

  Nina da Silva sighed just then, and her eyelids fluttered open. Carson leaned forward. “How are you feeling?”

  The woman smiled weakly. “I’ve felt better.”

  “Did any of the spiders bite you?” Carson asked intently.

  “The spiders? No—” Nina’s eyes darkened at the memory. Then she seemed to snap out of it and struggled to a sitting position.

  “Mrs. da Silva,” Nancy said carefully, “do you have any idea where that box came from? Or who might have sent it?”

  Nina da Silva shook her head. “It must have been a practical joke of some kind. When a woman travels alone in this country she attracts attention.”

  “However, I think it is best forgotten. There’s really no point in troubling Captain Brant about such a trifle, unpleasant though it might be. Don’t you agree?” She got shakily to her feet. “I believe we have an obli
gation to be present at the drill in a few minutes. And I still have some unpacking to do. Thank you again for your trouble.”

  Nancy and her father knew a dismissal when they heard it, however politely it was put.

  They turned to leave. “Well,” Carson Drew said with a puzzled shake of his head, “I guess we’ll get moving, if you’re sure you’re all right.”

  Nancy looked at her watch. It was five-fifteen. “Oh, no! I haven’t even taken a shower yet! See you on deck,” she called as she dashed back to her cabin.

  She showered with lightning speed, threw on a white cotton sundress and new sandals, and hurried to the fore end of the deck, dabbing on lip gloss as she ran. She was still moving at top speed when she rounded a corner and collided head-on with another moving body.

  “Oh, excuse me—I’m really sorry,” Nancy gasped. She tried to stifle a guilty giggle.

  The girl she had bumped into didn’t think it was funny at all. She was about Nancy’s height, an ash blonde in a tight jumpsuit. She was pretty in an artificial way.

  She glared at Nancy, her blue eyes sharp as daggers. “Listen, honey, maybe you need to go back to charm school and learn to look where you’re going,” she spat out and flounced off toward the waiting tour group.

  “Hey,” Nancy called after her. “It wasn’t all my fault!” The blond girl didn’t look back. Nancy shrugged and joined her father.

  “Where’s Mrs. da Silva?” she asked him.

  Carson shook his head. “I don’t see her. She did say she’d be here.”

  “Yes.” Nancy’s eyes narrowed in thought. She was beginning to wonder about the mysterious Mrs. da Silva.

  A midshipman led the tour, taking the passengers to the lower decks to see the lifeboat berths. “Luckily, we’ve never had to use these, but it’s essential that you all know how,” he instructed.

  While he was demonstrating the pulley system, Nancy looked around at the passengers and crew. There were the usual groupings of elderly people, but mostly the crowd seemed like a young and very good-looking one. She wished Bess and George were there.