160 The Clue On The Crystal Dove Read online

“Time to get going,” the sheriff said. “I've got to get

  this guy locked up. It's late.”

  “No, wait, please,” Nancy said, putting down her

  towel. “Would you mind if we ask him a few questions

  first?”

  The sheriff shrugged. “Fine by me,” he said.

  Facing Alden, who looked forlorn and bedraggled in

  his wet clothes, Nancy said, “I assume you took the

  papers that were in Julius's secret panel on the train,

  right?”

  Alden's eyes flickered with surprise. “You knew

  about those letters? I discovered the truth about

  Julius's collection by reading them. A little while before

  I met you girls on the train, I found the secret panel by

  accident. I read Julius's letters, and—I was horrified.”

  He glanced pitifully around the room. “I was so

  disappointed,” he went on. “I'd always respected Julius

  so much. He was a role model and then—this

  happened.”

  “What else did the letters say?” Nancy asked.

  “In one of them, Julius admitted to paying two art

  experts to claim that the glass birds had been made by

  him,” Alden replied. “In another letter, he admits that

  he paid off Gustav. Then Julius banned all other glass

  experts from the house to protect his secret.”

  “I feel bad for you, Alden,” Violet said, shaking her

  head. “You must have been shocked to discover that

  Julius was not the man we'd thought he was. More than

  anyone in our family, you looked up to him. But how

  could you stoop so low as to attack people? That

  dishonors our family more than anything Julius ever

  did.”

  Alden looked at her, his eyes filled with despair.

  “I'm sorry, Aunt Violet. I know I was wrong. But I had

  to protect Julius's memory at all costs. I knew that

  sooner or later his lie would be discovered if the

  collection became public.”

  “So you wrote all those threatening notes,” Nancy

  prompted, crossing her arms, “and you made the

  chandelier fall, and you attacked Mr. Schoonover and

  stole the crystal bird.”

  “Yes,” Alden said. “I had to hide the dove because of

  the olive pattern. Any expert would have known that

  Gustav had made it. It's in a desk drawer in my loft, by

  the way.”

  “Why did you have to kidnap Walter and make him

  break up with Dell?” Bess asked. “What you did to

  them was awful.”

  “I did that so Dell would stay in the house and our

  collection would remain private,” Alden replied. “I told

  Walter that I would harm Dell if he didn't break up

  with her. He never realized who I was because I

  knocked him unconscious on a deserted path in my

  neighborhood. Earlier that day I'd overheard him on

  the phone, making an appointment to visit a colleague

  who lives near me. I waylaid Walter near my building,

  and once we got into my loft, I blindfolded him.”

  Bess shook her head, looking thoroughly disgusted.

  “That morning I overheard Nancy offer to investi-

  gate the case,” Alden went on. “Dell didn't realize that

  I was in the house, but I was hiding in a closet with the

  crystal dove in my briefcase. I couldn't close the door

  all the way. I had to wait for the foyer to empty out

  before I left.”

  “I assume you pushed Nancy off the bridge?”

  George asked.

  Alden nodded. “Nancy was too good a detective. I

  knew she'd find out about me sooner or later.”

  “You were pushed off a bridge, Nancy?” Aunt Eloise

  asked, horrified. “Why didn't you tell me any of this?”

  Nancy smiled. “I didn't want to worry you, Aunt

  Eloise.” To Alden she said, “What about the carriage

  horse? Did you do something to spook him so I'd fall

  and get trampled?”

  “I had a little spur in my pocket,” Alden explained,

  “and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to injure you.

  But I rescued you guys at the last moment when I

  realized that Bess might get hurt, too.”

  Bess rolled her eyes. Nancy added, “And I guess you

  tripped the circuit breakers on the train.”

  “When I first read Julius's letters, Aunt Violet was

  asleep in one of his armchairs,” Alden said. “She

  started to wake up, and I put them back because I

  didn't want her to see me take them. I didn't even want

  her to see the secret panel because she'd be curious to

  know what was in it. But I couldn't get her to leave the

  coach. I tripped the breakers so she wouldn't see me

  swipe the letters. But the lights came back on before I

  could finish the job, and I had to come back that night

  when everyone was asleep.”

  “You see, my dear,” Violet said, winking at Nancy, “I

  really was sleepwalking. I could tell that you didn't

  believe me at the time.”

  “What a gorgeous day!” Bess exclaimed. She and

  Nancy were standing by the lake in front of Aunt

  Eloise's cabin the following afternoon. The three girls

  were taking turns waterskiing, and it was George's turn

  now.

  “A great day for relaxing after finishing up a case,”

  Nancy added.

  “It's hard to believe that Alden would commit those

  crimes just to protect Julius's reputation,” Bess

  commented, shaking her head.

  George waterskied toward shore as Aunt Eloise cut

  the engine of the motorboat she had borrowed. “Your

  turn now, Bess!” George yelled as she waded toward

  them.

  An old Cadillac with fins pulled into the driveway. A

  moment later Dell and Walter climbed out and waved

  to Aunt Eloise and the girls, who were walking toward

  them from the lake.

  “What a wonderful surprise!” Aunt Eloise said,

  throwing her arms around Dell and Walter. Stepping

  back, she looked at them fondly and added, “When I

  called you last night to give you the news about Alden,

  you didn't give me any idea that you were coming here

  today.”

  “Well, we have an even better surprise for you,”

  Walter said, beaming. “Guess what? We're reengaged!”

  “That's awesome!” George exclaimed.

  “I knew things would work out for you guys,” Nancy

  said, smiling. “Congratulations.”

  “It was destiny,” Bess pronounced, her blue eyes

  sparkling.

  Everyone gathered on the porch, where a pitcher of

  iced tea was waiting. After Eloise had poured a glass

  for everyone, Dell explained, “Walter and I flew up

  here this morning to surprise you with the news. We're

  staying at Fern Hill for a few days with Violet. That's

  her car,” she added, pointing at the Cadillac.

  “How is Violet doing?” Nancy asked. “I hope she

  wasn't too upset by everything that happened last

  night.”

  “She's a real trooper,” Dell said. “I talked to her and

  other Van Hoogstraten relatives, and everyone's sad to

  learn that Julius was so di
shonest. We decided to sell

  his mansion and all the furniture, which I'm kind of

  relieved about. The house had become a burden. Now

  I can finally lead a normal life. By the way, the bird

  collection is going to a museum, with Gustav named as

  the artist.”

  “I hope you'll keep Fern Hill,” Aunt Eloise said. “It's

  such a fixture around here.”

  “My relatives and I have decided to fix it up so we

  can take turns enjoying it,” Dell told her.

  “What about Richard Schoonover?” Nancy asked.

  “Does he know what happened?”

  “I called Richard this morning to let him know that

  Gustav has finally been recognized as the true artist of

  the birds,” Dell said. She looked gratefully at Nancy

  and added, “And I'd like to recognize you, Nancy

  Drew, as the true artist of mystery solving. Thank you

  so much for all your brilliant work. Without you,

  Walter and I wouldn't be together.”

  Walter and Dell grinned affectionately at each

  other, while Aunt Eloise raised her iced tea glass in a

  toast and said, “To Gustav, the true artist of the birds.

  And to Nancy, the true artist of mystery solving. Three

  cheers.”