025 Rich and Dangerous Read online

  “If he can make it look as if the sister and nephew are behind it, he can then declare his real identity and collect the inheritance. That’s why he tried to make Alison look guilty by planting the jewels in her drawer. He overheard Alison begging me to hide them for her, and when she ran off, he stuck a knife through a note she’d written, just to make her look even more suspicious.”

  Nancy sat down. “So there you have it, Detective Ritter. I’m sorry I didn’t share all my information with you in the beginning, but you must remember, you didn’t exactly trust me.”

  “No, I didn’t,” admitted Ritter. “My apologies, Miss Drew.” He went over to Pieter, the soiled shirt in his hands. “This ought to do it for you, Mr. van Druten—or should I say, Mr. Kale?”

  Pieter glared at Nancy. “It was a good plan, a perfect plan,” he growled. “And it would have worked, too.”

  “Yes, you’re right.” Carson nodded. “It would have worked, if your neighbor at the Plaza had been anyone else but Nancy Drew!”

  Chapter

  Seventeen

  WHAT A FANTASTIC show! I’ll never forget the music—and those costumes!” Nancy stepped out of the yellow taxi cab as Carson held out his hand to help her. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Nancy beamed. She and her dad had finally gotten their day together in New York City, and they were both feeling on top of the world.

  “It was fun, all right,” Carson agreed. “Good old Broadway, where everyone just bursts into song at the drop of a hat,” he mused, a little wistfully, Nancy thought. “Wasn’t it terrific the way they did that tap number?”

  “And when she did that number with the shadows behind her— Oh, what a show!” Nancy was still sailing. Maybe the next time she and Ned came to New York she could take him to the show too. It would be great to see it again.

  “Nancy! Mr. Drew! Wait up!”

  Turning around at the top of the Plaza steps, Nancy and Carson saw Bess and George flying toward them.

  “Hi, you guys!” Nancy called out in surprise.

  “Fancy meeting you here!” said Bess as she and George climbed up to Nancy and her father.

  “Coming to see us?” asked Nancy.

  “Actually,” answered George, “we’ve been invited to a little party on your floor. Jack Kale is having a few friends by.”

  “You’re invited, too. He told us. Both of you,” Bess added, walking through the polished brass and glass door that the doorman held open for them with a smile.

  “I’m afraid I have to make some calls before we leave,” Carson explained. “You’ll have to go without me.”

  “Well, I’m all packed, so why not?” said Nancy, pressing the elevator button.

  “Jack said he may come out and visit River Heights this fall!” Nancy could see the stars in George’s eyes.

  “Well, that’s terrific,” said Nancy. “A party sounds great! And here we are.” The elevator door opened on the top floor of the grand old hotel.

  “Have a good time, girls,” Carson replied. “Don’t forget, Nancy, we leave in an hour.”

  “No problem, Dad.” The girls waved goodbye to Carson at his door and walked to the Amberly suite.

  “I hope there’ll be some cute guys here. Maybe Jack has a couple of friends—” Bess fluttered her lashes and grinned.

  “Bess, you have a one-track mind.” Nancy laughed.

  “He’s just so adorable, you know?” George seemed to be talking out loud to herself as she knocked on the door of the Amberly suite.

  Bess and Nancy shot each other a look and laughed. “You think I have a one-track mind?” said Bess. “George seems to be operating on a single orbit herself these days—around Jack Kale.”

  And there he was at the door. “Hello! Let the party begin!” he said as he opened the door with a flourish. “Come in, ladies.”

  Sitting on the divan was Alison Kale. For the first time since Nancy had seen her, she actually looked relaxed. Not only that, she was wearing lipstick and an attractive dress that made her look almost pretty.

  “Hello, Nancy,” she said warmly. “Hello, girls.”

  “What’s the party for, Jack?” asked Nancy, a twinkle in her eye.

  Jack raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Isn’t it clear as crystal? This is a celebration, my friends. We’re inaugurating the long prison career of my dear long-lost fifth cousin, Pieter van Druten.”

  While Jack ran to get the girls some soda, they glanced around the suite. For the first time, it was filled with people, and there was actually a festive atmosphere about the place. Knots of well-dressed, handsome guys and great-looking girls mingled in cheerful groups all over the huge room.

  “Jack has a lot of friends,” whispered George in Nancy’s ear. “And they’re all so interesting, too. He introduced me to some of them the other night.”

  Nancy smiled. This was the way a suite at the Plaza was meant to feel, not creepy and ominous, the way it had been when she’d first seen it.

  “And here we are, ladies,” Jack announced, handing them their glasses. “To the future!” he said.

  “And what does the future hold for Jack Kale?” Nancy asked.

  “Nothing like the past, I can promise you that,” Jack said. “I’m the Devil no more— scout’s honor. I’m not going to steal, or even gamble, ever again. Now I have all the money I need.” His expression grew serious. “Thanks to you, Aunt Sarah,” he added, raising his glass to the ceiling.

  “And, yes, I’m going straight,” he added, his exuberant spirits returning. “I’ll have you know I even retrieved this little trinket from the pawnshop.” He drew the ruby ring from his jacket pocket.

  Looking at it, Bess nearly dropped. “Wow!” she cried. “Nancy, it’s everything you said it was. I can’t believe the size of that rock!”

  Cupping it in his palm, Jack walked over to his aunt and held it out to her. “Here, Aunt Alison,” he told her. “I know Sarah would want you to have it.”

  Nancy stole a rapid glance at George. Her eyelids were lowered, and she was staring at Jack with moonbeams in her eyes. “Uh, George,” warned Nancy, “better take it easy. The guy may not be a murderer, but he’s definitely not for you.”

  “Oh, no?” asked George, turning to her. “And why not?”

  “Just check it out,” replied Nancy, pursing her lips. As they spoke, Jack wandered over to one of the other young women and started flirting with her. In seconds, he had an arm around her and was gazing romantically into her eyes.

  “See what I mean?” said Nancy.

  George looked crestfallen. She heaved a deep sigh and put down her glass. “Oh well”—she sighed wistfully—“he was nice while he lasted.”

  Bess and Nancy burst out laughing. “Poor George!” cried Bess. “Don’t worry—money, looks, and charm aren’t everything!”

  “That’s right,” echoed Nancy, throwing her arm around her disappointed friend. “Of course, they don’t hurt, either—”

  George couldn’t help cracking a smile.

  “There’s the George Fayne we know and love,” cried Nancy happily. “And don’t worry—next time I set you up with a suave, handsome millionaire, I’ll make sure his blue blood is true blue!”

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Simon Pulse

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 1988 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  ISBN: 978-0-6717-0139-0 (pbk)

  ISBN: 978-1-4814-2397-7 (eBook)

  NANCY DREW and colophon are register
ed trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  THE NANCY DREW FILES is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen