Double Crossing Read online

  "Esteban?" Joe said. "I don't know why I didn't recognize his name before. I know him. He owes money to everyone but the captain. Which would give him a good motive for robbery. I know just where he hangs out too."

  "Want to see if Miss Hallock recognizes him?" Frank asked.

  "It's worth a try," Joe said. "I'll meet you at her cabin—soon. Oh, and bring the captain."

  Joe took the elevator down to the lowest working level of the ship to look for Esteban Ruiz. He was right. Esteban was in one of the food lockers in the kitchen, listening to the radio and making himself a sandwich.

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  "Esteban—just the person I was looking for," Joe said.

  "But how is it you found me?" asked Esteban. He sat down on the stool and stretched out his legs.

  "The captain wants to see you right away," Joe said, taking a bite out of one half of Esteban's sandwich.

  "Can he come here?" Esteban asked jokingly, grabbing his sandwich back. "First time I sat down all night."

  "Sorry, but you know the captain."

  "I just hope the boss didn't complain about me." Esteban quickly finished his sandwich and followed Joe up the companionway.

  "Where are you taking me?" Esteban asked. "This isn't the way to the bridge."

  "The captain's on the Empress level," Joe said.

  The busboy looked confused, and Joe just shrugged. "I don't know what it's about," he said casually.

  At Miss Hallock's cabin Joe knocked, and Captain Helgesen answered the door.

  "Sir? You want to see me?" Esteban asked. He craned his neck, trying to see who else was inside the room.

  "Esteban, would you come inside so we can talk to you, please?" Captain Helgesen said, stepping back.

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  "What's the deal?" Esteban said, crossing into the room.

  Suddenly Lillian Hallock pushed past the captain to look more carefully at Esteban's face. "I know you!" she said, pointing at him with an unsteady hand. "You're the one!"

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  i

  know you!" Lillian Hallock repeated. "You were fired from the Miami Tennis Club—for stealing!"

  The busboy jumped back into the hall and bumped into Joe, who was about to enter the room.

  "Esteban and Joe, come in and close the door," said Captain Helgesen. As always, his voice was commanding.

  "Captain—I want you to know—" Lillian Hallock began hysterically.

  "Now, just calm down, Miss Hallock. We'll get to the bottom of this," the captain replied soothingly.

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  "What's going on?" Esteban asked.

  Captain Helgesen pointed to a chair for Esteban and then sat beside the older women, who were seated on the bed opposite Esteban. "Someone broke into this cabin tonight," he said, watching Esteban's face closely.

  "Huh-uh. It wasn't me," said Esteban, shaking his head. "I don't care what she's been saying." He pointed right at Miss Hallock.

  "Okay," Captain Helgesen said. "Then tell us where you were tonight between ten and ten-thirty?"

  "Between ten and ten-thirty—let's see. I know. I was on the Princess Deck, having a smoke. And I know what you're going to say next. Did anyone see me? No. No one ever sees me unless something's been stolen."

  The captain leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "This isn't a joking matter, believe me," he said. "Were you issued a passkey?"

  "No. I'm just a busboy. I don't go into the rooms," Esteban said.

  The captain started to say something else, but Faith Whitman interrupted. "Lillian dear," she said, "are you absolutely certain that this is the young man who was fired from the club?"

  "Well—" Miss Hallock said, drawing the word out.

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  "Oh, what's the difference?" Esteban said, jumping to his feet. "We poor people all steal, don't we?"

  He slammed the palm of his hand against the wall and then whirled around to face everyone. "Okay, I did work at their tennis club last year, clearing away half-eaten plates of expensive food. And I did get fired for stealing. But I never stole anything. Never!"

  "For heaven's sake. All this shouting," Miss Hallock said. "If you'd let me finish my sentence, I was about to say how sorry I was that you were fired."

  "What?" Esteban asked,

  "You see, the robberies continued even after you were fired," she said. "We knew you were innocent, but we couldn't find you. The club members wanted to apologize."

  "Apologize?" Esteban said. He threw back his head again and laughed as if he hadn't heard right. "They just invent that word or something? Never heard anyone say it in English."

  "Let's get back to tonight," Captain Helgesen said. "We don't want to make any mistakes."

  "Captain, may I ask a question?" said Nancy. She, Frank, and George had quietly slipped into the room during the interrogation.

  "Esteban, how long would it take you to get

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  from the Princess Deck to the room where the costumes are stored for the masquerade party?"

  Esteban looked at her blankly. "How should I know?" he answered. "I don't even know where that room is. What's that got to do with anything?"

  "I think that's all we need to know right now," the captain said, interrupting. "Esteban, I can't prove that you broke into this cabin, and I'm certainly not going to put you through another false accusation."

  "What does that mean?" Esteban asked.

  "For now," Captain Helgesen said, "it means I'm sorry we brought you here. Go back to your job, keep out of trouble, and don't tell anyone anything about what happened here tonight. That's an order."

  Esteban left without saying a word. But he let his eyes do the talking; he glared at everyone in the room as he walked out.

  "Well?" the captain asked the detectives.

  "He says he was somewhere else, he doesn't have a passkey, and he says he doesn't know where the costumes are stored," Frank said.

  "So he's not our man?" asked the captain.

  "He could be lying, of course," said Joe. "But I don't think so. I'll continue to keep an eye on him in the dining room."

  "I still don't know why everyone is fussing

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  so," said Miss Whitman. "Nothing was stolen."

  "This is very difficult," Miss Hallock said.

  "Ladies," Captain Helgesen said, "you've been very patient." He walked to the door and held it while Nancy, George, Frank, and Joe filed out. "Good night, ladies," said the captain. "I suggest that you keep your door locked when you're in here. And I hope this won't spoil your cruise."

  In the hallway Captain Helgesen said to the four friends, "I'll be on the bridge and then I'm turning in." Then he turned and walked away.

  "Doesn't he ever say what he's feeling?" George asked.

  "His uniforms may wrinkle, but he never does," Frank said. "That's what makes him a captain."

  "Our dad has known him for years," Joe said. Then he looked at his watch. "Whew. It's late. We'd better get some sleep so we can be up to meet our spies."

  "Do you think we should tell the captain about this CIA thing yet?" Nancy asked.

  "No, not yet," Frank said. "There's nothing he can do to help. And there's nowhere for these agents—or whatever they are—to go, except overboard. They can't get away. That's why I think this case is going to be a snap."

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  "Yeah," Joe agreed, putting his hands in his pockets. "All we have to do is show up at six this morning and grab these jerks."

  "Okay," Nancy said. "Let's meet at five-thirty on the Princess Deck. That should give us enough time to prepare."

  After that they said their good nights and went to their cabins.

  As they got ready for bed, George told Nancy all about her dances with David—in great detail. Finally George fell asleep, a smile on her lips, but Nancy was too keyed up to sleep. S
he lay in bed in the dark, trying to understand what was really going on.

  What would make a young girl—probably someone close to Nancy's own age—hate her country enough to betray it? Would somebody who was already well-off do something so horrible just for the money? Nancy doubted it somehow. With those troubling thoughts she finally drifted off to sleep.

  The sun was just coming up when Nancy, George, and the Hardys met at five-thirty on the Princess Deck. Frank had a telephoto lens on his camera. Joe had two blueberry muffins in a bag and coffee in a thermos. Nancy had a worried look on her face.

  "Hi, guys," Joe said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses. Then he did a double take at

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  George. She was wearing a shiny orange leotard and turquoise tights. "Hey, a little too subtle, George. You ought to wear something bright, you know? So our suspects will be sure to notice you."

  "Very funny, Joe. I have to teach an aerobics class this morning," George explained with a laugh.

  The four of them looked around. So far, they were the only ones on deck. But that should change at any minute.

  "Let's do it," Frank said in a serious tone.

  The outdoor decks at the back of the ship were tiered, like a wedding cake—the Princess Deck was the bottom tier. There were two long walkways on either side of the ship, leading to the Princess recreation area. And there were two companionways, or stairways. One was for crew only—to be used by stewards and bus-boys.

  The other companionway was a public one, and it connected the Princess Deck to the Palace Deck right above it.

  That meant there were four different ways for people to enter and leave the area that Frank, Joe, Nancy, and George were keeping under surveillance.

  After a brief discussion, the four friends took up positions that made the most sense. Frank went up to the Palace level—one of the

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  middle tiers on the cake. From there he had a good view down to the Princess Deck. As he gazed out at the sea, he saw a single gray shark fin cutting lazily through the water.

  Joe stationed himself near the public stairway, hiding behind two large stacks of crates which were filled with sports equipment.

  Nancy and George stood together out of sight down on the other stairway, which had a chain across it. The sign on the chain said Crew Only. Nancy and George could see up to the open sports area of the deck. They could also see Joe hiding behind the crates.

  Then it was just a matter of waiting—and that didn't take long.

  At five forty-five a woman in her thirties came down the public stairs. She passed Joe in his hiding place and briskly walked out onto the deck.

  George poked Nancy. "It must be Pipeline," she said in a whisper. "She's right on time."

  "She's early," Nancy corrected her friend.

  Nancy felt her stomach tighten. Was this the woman whose voice she had heard the night before? Or was it someone else? Nancy had been expecting one of the five CIA kids. This was a new person—someone Nancy had never seen before.

  The woman was tanned and blond and wore an oversize white T-shirt over gray sweat

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  pants. Around her neck on a red cord she had a runner's watch, which she kept checking. She paced impatiently at the railing, looking out to sea for a few minutes. Then she found a deck chair and sat down.

  "She's definitely waiting for someone," Nancy whispered. "We're halfway there."

  Less than a minute later a man came onto the deck, rounding the corner from the other side of the ship. He was wearing the white uniform of the S.S. Duchess.

  This was it. The rendezvous. Pipeline and the crew member Nancy had overheard!

  "Who is he?" Nancy whispered to George. "Do you know him?"

  "It's Pete Porter, the ship's first mate," George whispered back.

  Pete Porter was a round-faced man, middle-aged, with ruddy cheeks and silver hair. He wasn't remotely Spanish-looking. Would he have a Spanish accent? He walked to the rail, smoking a pipe, and flipped a coin into the water.

  Was that a signal? Nancy and George waited and watched, but the woman didn't move.

  Finally Pete Porter strolled across the deck toward the young woman. He was looking right at the stairway where Nancy and George were hiding. As he passed the young woman,

  Double Crossing

  he tipped his hat, and she asked him for the time. Then she quickly checked her watch again. The first mate walked past her.

  "What's going on?" George asked.

  "He's not the right guy," Nancy whispered.

  At six o'clock exactly a young man came up the portside stairway carrying a gym bag. He was in his twenties and had straight jet black hair. Nancy thought he might be from Central or South America. When he saw the woman sitting in the middle of the deck, he looked as if he wanted to turn around and leave. Instead, he slowly tied his shoe and walked to the rail. He was short, and his Bermuda shorts made him look even shorter.

  "Uh-oh," George said, poking Nancy suddenly. "We've lost Frank."

  Nancy looked up and saw Frank shaking hands with a strong-looking, robust man of about fifty. The man's light blue summer suit was expensive and hand-tailored, and the polished walking stick he carried was hand-carved.

  "Not now, Frank," Nancy said softly to herself. "The other spy will be here any second!"

  But Frank was trapped.

  Up on the Palace Deck the man was introducing himself to Frank in a voice that was as

  A Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  firm as his handshake. "Mr. Bresson! My name is Baron Gustav von Hoffman," he said. "Most people just call me Gus."

  He spoke with an accent that didn't sound exactly German but seemed to be a combination of several dialects. His manner was correct and polite.

  "I've been admiring your camera since yesterday. If you wouldn't mind telling me, what film are you shooting?"

  Frank swallowed. The last thing he needed was to get into a long discussion with a camera buff.

  "Uh, I use different film for different situations," Frank said. He tried to sound aloof so the guy would get the message and leave him alone.

  "May I see the camera?" the baron asked.

  Out of the corner of his eye Frank caught a glimpse of George's bright orange leotard and wondered if anyone else might be able to see her too.

  "Sorry," Frank told Baron von Hoffman. "I'm watching for whales. I have to be ready to shoot if one surfaces." He held his camera to his eye and pretended to scan the water.

  Just then a handsome, muscular man bolted up the public stairs and onto the Princess Deck. He ran straight to the woman with the

  Double Crossing

  runner's watch. He pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in a warm embrace. They kissed for so long, they could have been mistaken for a statue.

  Nancy and George were watching the marathon kiss.

  "What's that?" George asked. "A new official spy greeting?"

  Nancy shook her head. "I think we can forget about her. I honestly believe Pipeline is a lot younger and the people I overheard last night haven't shown up yet."

  George and Nancy looked at their watches at the same time. It was 6:15 a.m.

  "Hey! Look. There's someone new!" George said.

  He was a lean young man with spiky black hair and an unshaven, unfriendly face. He had on an extra-large white dress shirt tucked into black jeans, and heavy black boots. Every move he made was full of arrogance. He threw himself into one of the deck chairs as if he dared it to break.

  "That's one of David's friends. His name is Demetrios. His father works in the Greek embassy, and according to David, he's got a real chip on his shoulder," George said.

  "Oh, no," exclaimed Nancy. "He's found Joe's hiding place."

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  Demetrios had bolted out of his chair and was walking straight to the area where Joe was hiding.
<
br />   Demetrios pushed the storage boxes aside and glared at Joe. "What are you doing? Why are you hiding back there?"

  "Me? Hiding? I was just standing here enjoying the view," said Joe.

  But Demetrios wouldn't back down. He jerked Joe forward by his shirt. "I don't like people spying on me," Demetrios said. "Who are you working for?"

  Joe wriggled out of Demetrios's grasp, and the two stood looking at each other as if they might explode. "Look, I don't know who you are," Joe said, "but I'll bet you were voted most likely to get bruised."

  "You haven't answered my questions," Demetrios said, stepping closer to Joe.

  Joe took a deep breath and then said with a cool smile, "I wasn't spying on you, so just keep your hands off me, okay?"

  Joe started to walk away, but Demetrios sprang at him from behind. The force of the impact carried both of them straight toward the railing. Joe tried to stop his momentum, but the ocean was rough just then. The boat dipped in the same direction that they were moving.

  Suddenly Demetrios, realizing just how

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  close they were to the railing, let go of Joe. Freed of the extra weight on his back, Joe lurched forward and hit the railing.

  "Look out!" Frank shouted from the deck above.

  But his warning came too late. Joe was tumbling headfirst over the rail—and into the shark-infested waters below!

  Chapter Five

  H,

  .elp!"

  "Man overboard!"

  "Somebody help!"

  The morning quiet was shattered by screams. Nancy, who had come out of her hiding place when the fight began, watched Joe fall into the water. She darted a quick glance at Demetrios standing next to her. His hands appeared to be welded to the rail, his jaw clamped tightly shut. She couldn't read his expression perfectly, but she thought he looked terrified.

  George had run as fast as she could to the nearest deck telephone to call the bridge.

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