The Clue of the Gold Doubloons Read online

  breeze, the ship was quiet and peaceful.

  “I'll bet it was punks,” Andrew declared when Nancy

  told him what had happened. “The harbor is crawling

  with kids who have nothing better to do than trespass.

  We'll have to see if we can get that hatch door locked.”

  “Kids?” Daniel snorted. “No self-respecting kid is

  going to snoop around our cargo hold. I'll bet whoever

  it was was after the doubloons. It could be some tour

  guide who wants to hand them out as souvenirs. We're

  quite a tourist attraction, if you hadn't noticed.”

  Sitting upright, Andrew snapped his fingers. “Hey,

  that's not a bad idea. When it comes time to promote

  the film, we can use doubloons in the ads.”

  “Well, I just wanted to let you know.” Nancy could

  tell the twins weren't too worried. “I put the box of

  doubloons in the women's dressing room for

  safekeeping.”

  “Thanks,” Andrew said, then continued discussing

  with his brother ways to promote the film.

  “They didn't seem concerned,” George said as they

  left the quarterdeck.

  “That's for sure. And right now, I'm too sticky and

  tired to think about the snooper, either.” Nancy

  brushed a limp strand of hair off her forehead. “Just

  lead me to the hotel and point me to the shower!”

  “I'll have two of everything,” George declared an

  hour later as she read the hotel menu. “I'm as hungry

  as, well, as a pirate!”

  Nancy laughed. “Me, too. And everything looks

  good. Maryland's famous for its crab cakes, so I think

  that's what I'm going to order.”

  Both girls had showered and changed into

  lightweight slacks and short-sleeved shirts. Nancy had

  brought a jacket and George a sweater since they

  hoped to explore the Inner Harbor after dinner.

  “The grilled salmon sounds heavenly,” George said

  as she studied her menu. “With a shrimp cocktail

  appetizer.”

  “Shrimp sounds good to me, too.” Closing her menu,

  Nancy glanced around. She noticed the restaurant had

  a nautical theme. Framed photographs of the harbor

  area before it had been renovated and famous sailing

  ships dotted the walls.

  The dining room was full, Nancy noticed, but she

  didn't see anyone from the cast and crew. “I guess no

  one else is staying at the hotel except Selena,” she said

  to George. “And she probably orders room service.”

  “Orders is right,” George said with a chuckle.

  “You'll be just as haughty when you're a famous

  actress,” Nancy teased.

  “A famous actress?” someone said.

  Nancy glanced up. Their waiter stood by her elbow,

  looking expectantly at George. He was cute, with sandy

  blond hair. He looked to be about their age, Nancy

  guessed, though she knew he had to be at least twenty-

  one to work in the hotel restaurant.

  “Can I get your autograph?” the waiter asked

  George, a hint of laughter in his sky-blue eyes.

  George giggled. “Sure. Though unless you're a fan of

  educational TV, I doubt you'll ever catch my big

  debut.”

  The waiter snapped his fingers. “Robbers of the

  High Seas, right?”

  George stared at him in surprise. “Right. How'd you

  guess?”

  He smiled and shrugged. Nancy liked his open,

  friendly grin. “When Selena Ramirez checked in,

  everybody started talking about the film. Plus, I took

  filmmaking courses in college, so I was naturally

  curious. But hey”—his expression turned serious—“I'm

  here to take your order. You guys look starved.”

  After they ordered and he left, George leaned across

  the table. “He's cute.”

  “Oh, really?” Nancy replied as if she hadn't noticed.

  Minutes later, when he brought their salads and

  rolls, he introduced himself. “I'm Scott Harlow,” he

  said. “I'm waiting tables to earn money for graduate

  school.”

  Nancy and George introduced themselves, then

  George asked, “Have you lived in Baltimore a long

  time?”

  “All my life. So if you need a tour guide, I'm at your

  service.” He gave a mock bow. Then, leaning closer, he

  added, “So, is Selena Ramirez as gorgeous in person as

  she is in her films? Not that I'm a fan of hers.” He

  gestured to another waiter. “John is dying to meet her.”

  “Once he does, he'll run for his life,” George said

  under her breath. Nancy burst out laughing. When

  Scott gave her a puzzled look, she said, “Selena is

  temperamental. I doubt she'd give John the time of

  day. But maybe we can get him an autograph for you.”

  “Great!” Scott beamed. “Anything else I can get

  you?” When they both said no, he went over to another

  table.

  “I'll bet he wants the autograph for himself,” George

  whispered.

  “Maybe not. It's funny, though—working with

  Selena, I forget she's a fairly well-known actress.”

  “That's because you're too busy trying to forget her,”

  George said.

  For the next fifteen minutes, the two ate ravenously.

  When Nancy was finished with her salad, she pulled a

  brochure from her fanny pack. George was buttering a

  hot roll.

  “What should we see tonight?” Nancy asked. “The

  aquarium and science center will probably be closed by

  the time we finish dinner.”

  Just then Scott came up, a round tray balanced on

  one hand. “I overheard you talking about what to do.

  May I suggest a nighttime cruise,” he said, taking a

  dinner plate off the tray. The tray tipped, and Nancy

  gasped as the dishes slid sideways heading right for her

  lap.

  “Whoa!” Just in time, Scott leveled the tray. “Sorry.”

  He glanced nervously back at the closed door of the

  kitchen as if worried someone had seen him. “I wasn't

  paying attention,” he explained, giving Nancy an

  apologetic grin.

  “One order of salmon,” he said, setting George's

  plate in front of her. It hit her drink glass with a clink.

  When the glass threatened to tip, George grabbed it,

  righting it just in time.

  “Crab cakes, right?” He came around to Nancy's

  side.

  “Yes.” She grabbed onto her own glass. “A night

  cruise sounds cool.”

  “Oh, it is cool,” Scott agreed enthusiastically. “The

  city lights reflecting in the harbor water are

  spectacular.”

  George speared a bite of salmon. “Sounds good to

  me. When does the boat leave?”

  “Nine o'clock. The Baltimore Lady is docked right in

  front of the hotel, so you'll have plenty of time. Is there

  anything else I can get you?”

  “No thanks,” Nancy said.

  “I'll be back in a bit to make sure everything's okay.”

  When he bustled off, George giggled. “A little

  overeager, don't you think?”

&n
bsp; “Maybe he gets a kickback from any tourist he steers

  to the cruise.” Nancy took a bite of the crab cake.

  “Umm. Heavenly.”

  Half an hour later, they finished eating, and Scott

  brought them their check. “I get off in fifteen

  minutes,” he told them. “Maybe I'll join you on the

  tour boat.”

  “That would be fun,” Nancy said, meaning it. In

  between waiting on customers, he'd told them a lot of

  interesting facts about Baltimore.

  After they paid their check, Nancy and George went

  into the lobby and out the front doors. The harbor and

  all its attractions were right across the street. Nancy

  could see the Baltimore Lady from the front of the

  hotel.

  Fifteen minutes later, Nancy and George had

  bought tickets and were boarding the cruise ship. It

  was crowded with groups and couples.

  “I don't see Scott,” Nancy said, glancing around at

  the other passengers.

  “Do I detect disappointment?” George teased as

  they made their way to an upper deck. Nancy leaned

  over the railing. The water of the harbor shimmered

  like black glass. As Scott had promised, the lights of the

  buildings were reflected clearly in it.

  “Nancy! George!” someone called a few minutes

  later. Nancy turned to see Scott weaving through the

  crowd. He'd taken off his waiter's jacket and had put

  on a crewneck sweater. “Glad I made it.”

  “Is the dinner shift already over?” Nancy asked.

  Scott grimaced. “I've been waiting tables since

  lunch. I only filled in tonight because one of the

  waitresses was sick. The big dinner rush was over, so

  the manager let me leave early.”

  “Good. You can be our unofficial tour guide,”

  George said. A loud blast from the ship's horn made

  Nancy turn back around. Slowly, the Baltimore Lady

  pulled away from the wharf.

  For the next half hour, Scott, Nancy, and George

  enjoyed the cruise. A band played on the enclosed

  middle deck. A bar served soft drinks on the open top

  deck. The three spent most of their time hanging over

  the railing, watching the sights and discussing

  filmmaking and pirates.

  When they returned to the wharf area, Scott said

  goodnight. “I've got to work dinner shift tomorrow, so

  maybe I'll see you then.”

  After Nancy and George said goodbye, they headed

  for the elevator. Their room was on the third floor.

  Nancy was exhausted. “I thought the sea air was

  supposed to be invigorating,” she said, stifling a yawn.

  “That must be an old pirate's tale,” George said.

  When they reached their room, the girls quickly

  changed into their pajamas and crawled into bed. They

  were both asleep by ten.

  Loud voices woke Nancy up. She blinked her eyes,

  trying to figure out where the voices were coming

  from. Sitting up, she oriented herself to the dark hotel

  room.

  She glanced toward the door. Several people were

  chattering in the hall. Nancy checked the digital clock

  on the table between the two beds. Two in the

  morning. Must be late-night partygoers, she decided.

  Lying back down, she pulled the covers to her chin

  and shut her eyes. Several people hurried down the

  hall, their feet thumping on the carpet. Then the voices

  grew louder.

  Holding her breath, Nancy listened closely. The

  voices sounded worried and urgent. Then Nancy heard

  the unmistakable squawk of a walkie-talkie.

  Her eyes snapped open. Those were definitely not

  late-night partiers. Climbing from bed, she tiptoed to

  the door and listened.

  “Lab techs will be right here,” someone was saying.

  “Officer Kelsey, you need to get statements from

  everyone on the hall.”

  “Can't this wait until morning?” a shrill voice

  protested. “I can't have you waking our guests in the

  middle of the night.”

  Like your shouting isn't going to wake us up first,

  Nancy thought.

  “No, it can't wait,” the first voice answered firmly.

  “The sooner we find our burglar, the sooner we can

  return the stolen goods to your guests.”

  Burglar! Nancy's eyes widened.

  “Nancy!” George hissed from her bed. “What's going

  on?”

  “Sounds like some of the rooms on our hall were

  burglarized,” Nancy explained, flicking on the

  bathroom light. “The police are out there. I'm getting

  dressed to go see what's going on.”

  “Wait for me!” George exclaimed as she leaped out

  of bed.

  Nancy pulled on a shirt and jeans, then opened the

  door and went into the hall. The bright lights

  momentarily blinded her, and she stood for a second to

  get her bearings.

  Several police officers were standing in the hall.

  Nancy counted three doors wide open with yellow

  crime tape stretched across each door. In front of one

  door, a tall man in a sport coat was talking to the hotel

  concierge, who was wringing his hands worriedly.

  “Find your guests other rooms for the night,” the

  man was saying. “But first, they'll need to inventory

  their things and tell us exactly what was taken. As soon

  as the lab techs are finished, they can have their other

  suitcases.”

  The concierge threw up his hands in dismay. “This

  has never before happened at the Harborside,” he said.

  “Our guests will not be pleased.”

  The concierge was turning to go when he caught

  sight of Nancy. “See? You have awakened a guest

  already!”

  He hurried over to Nancy. “Miss, I apologize for the

  inconvenience. Please, we will get you a room on

  another hall.”

  “No, that's okay, really,” Nancy said.

  “We're used to robbery and mayhem,” George

  added as she came out of the room to stand beside

  Nancy. She'd hurriedly dressed, too, slipping on a

  sweatshirt and jeans.

  The concierge gave them a puzzled look, then

  bustled to intercept another guest. Walking down the

  hall, Nancy peered into the first taped-off room. A

  suitcase had been emptied onto the floor. Pillows,

  clothes, and shoes were strewn around.

  “What a mess,” George said. “The robbers must

  have been in a hurry.”

  “They were probably hunting for cash and jewelry,”

  Nancy told George. “Though they missed some,” she

  added, catching sight of something gold and glittery on

  the bed. When she looked closer, she realized with a

  jolt what it was—a gold doubloon, exactly like the ones

  from the ship!

  4. Suspicion Onboard

  What was a gold doubloon doing in the hotel room?

  Nancy wondered. Did it belong to the guests in that

  room? Had the thieves dropped it?

  “Excuse me.”

  Startled, Nancy whirled, and found herself face-to-

  face with the tall man in the sport c
oat.

  “I'm Detective Jackson Weller from the Robbery

  Unit of the Baltimore Police Department,” he said to

  Nancy and George. “What room are you ladies staying

  in?” he asked as he took a pad and pen from his coat

  pocket.

  “Room thirty-four,” Nancy said. “How many rooms

  were burglarized?”

  “Three. Did either of you hear anything unusual?”

  George and Nancy shook their heads. “We were

  sound asleep until voices woke us,” Nancy added.

  “What time did you go to your room?”

  “About ten,” George replied. “We took the nine

  o'clock cruise on the Baltimore Lady. It was over about

  nine forty-five. It took us about fifteen minutes to get

  back to the room. Yup. Ten.” George nodded

  emphatically. “And we didn't see anyone else in the

  hall or hear any strange noises. Right, Nancy?”

  “Right,” Nancy said.

  Detective Weller cocked one brow. “You two seem

  awfully sure of your every movement,” he said

  suspiciously.

  Nancy suppressed a grin. “That's because I'm a

  detective. George has helped me with a lot of cases, so

  we know the drill.” She held out her hand. “Nancy

  Drew from River Heights. This is my friend, George

  Fayne.”

  Ignoring Nancy's hand, Weller wrote down their

  names, muttering, “Must be a detective convention at

  the hotel or something.”

  Nancy could tell he wasn't convinced they were

  telling the truth. Her gaze flicked to the gold doubloon

  on the bed. Since it was in plain sight, the police must

  have noticed it. Sooner or later, they were sure to trace

  it to the Swift Adventure, she concluded.

  “You heard or saw nothing unusual,” Weller

  persisted.

  “No,” Nancy told him. “We were tired. When we

  came up in the elevator to our floor, there was no one

  else around. So, what was stolen?” she asked curiously.

  “We can't give out that kind of information.” Putting

  his hand firmly on her elbow, he steered her toward

  the door. “Thank you very much, Ms. Drew and Ms.

  Fayne. If you think of anything else, please call me at

  this number.” He handed Nancy a card, then headed

  toward the concierge, who was talking to a couple

  wearing bathrobes.

  “He's not very friendly,” George commented when

  they went into their rooms. “And he sure looked at us

  suspiciously.”

  “I can't blame him,” Nancy said. “This isn't River