The Baby-Sitter Burglaries Read online

  David turned and crossed his right wrist across his left. George tied them together, stepping back as David turned around. He moved his hands briefly behind his back, then held up both hands, free of the rope.

  David laughed at their expressions. He showed them how, when he’d turned his back, he had drawn one end of the rope through his fingers, creating a loop. Then he concealed the loop in his fist when he placed his right wrist over his left to be tied. Even after both hands were tied together, he could release enough slack to escape from the ropes.

  “Hello, ladies!” Diego said, coming in from the back room. “What do you think of my shop?” he asked.

  “It’s fascinating,” Nancy said.

  The bell on the shop door rang. A man walked in and greeted Diego. His reddish brown hair was cut short and he wore a well-fitting navy blue suit.

  “Hello, Ian,” Diego said. He introduced the girls to Ian MacDonald, who was the owner of a magic supply shop in Hancock, to the south of River Heights. “What can I do for you?” Diego asked him.

  “Well, I think I mixed up two of my orders,” Mr. MacDonald said, “and may have given you the wrong bag of magic coins. Would you mind showing it to me? I’ll exchange it for a new one.”

  “You know I’ve already given away some of the coins at my shows,” Diego replied, “so it’s not a new bag. I’ll get it.” Diego went into the back room.

  Nancy walked up to a cabinet with panels that looked like the one David had disappeared from. She stepped inside and felt along the back with her fingers. There didn’t seem to be a hollow place at the back in which to hide.

  She was still examining the inside of the cabinet when she heard Diego rush back into the room. “I’ve been robbed!” he shouted.

  6

  Caught in the Act

  Nancy stepped out of the cabinet to see Diego pulling anxiously at his gray mustache. His voice was shaking. “The trunk where I keep the coins, and some props—it’s empty!”

  “Which props?” David asked, his hand on Diego’s shoulder. “Maybe I moved them. I opened the storage trunk in here, but—”

  “No, no,” Diego said, shaking his head vigorously. “These were antique props from my grandfather’s day. You wouldn’t have needed them for anything. One is a small enchanted mirror, and the other is a crystal clock. The coins aren’t valuable, of course, but the props are priceless.”

  Bess looked at Diego, her blue eyes wide. “Maybe the crooks who hit those houses in River Estates have decided to start robbing stores,” she said.

  “Diego doesn’t have a Secure system,” David said. He looked hopeful. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the burgled houses had Secure systems. The police have me pegged as a thief because of my connection with Secure. Maybe this will convince them I might be innocent.”

  “You’d better check the cash register,” George suggested. “If someone robbed the place, they’d take what’s in the cash register, too, wouldn’t they?”

  “Are you sure they took all the coins you bought?” Mr. MacDonald asked Diego.

  Diego nodded his head sadly as he opened the cash register. “I had to lock up the coins because my grandson kept taking them—I was afraid he’d lose them.” He checked the register drawer. “There’s nothing missing. But, then, who took—”

  “Wait!” Nancy said firmly. “Let’s make sure there’s actually been a robbery. Can you show me the trunk?”

  Diego led the way into the back room. Boxes were stacked on metal shelves along three walls. Along the wall by the door were four wooden trunks with brass locks. “I keep my most valuable equipment in these trunks,” Diego said.

  Nancy knelt by a trunk that had its lid open. She examined the old-fashioned lock and the front of the trunk. She looked up at Diego. “There are a few scratches around the lock, but nothing looks pried open. It must have been opened with a key,” she said.

  “Impossible,” Diego said. “I keep the keys on my belt. See?” He held up a chain with brass keys dangling from it.

  Bess knelt next to Nancy. “Look—there are scratches on this trunk, too.” She turned to the third trunk. “And this one.”

  “Someone’s been trying to open these trunks,” Nancy said. “Do you always have the keys on you, Diego? Even at home with Juanita and Carlos?”

  “Carlos!” David hit his forehead with his hand. “I saw Carlos playing with some keys last night when he and Juanita stopped by. He left here with a bulging backpack. I thought it was full of his toys,” he said.

  Diego hurried to the phone and called Juanita. Moments later his booming laugh rang out through the shop. He hung up the phone. “I wasn’t robbed after all! That wily little grandson of mine had the mirror and the clock on a shelf in his room,” he said.

  “But how did he get into the trunk?” George asked.

  Diego laughed again. “He said he found the keys, and you know—he’s right. I took them off my belt last night and left them on the kitchen table while I tried on costumes for the magic act. He must have picked them up and then returned them when Juanita brought him home. She didn’t find the coins, but the props are what’s valuable. I can always get more coins, right, Ian?”

  Mr. MacDonald cleared his throat. “Yes, of course,” he said. “I’ll check with you later. I’d better get back to my store.” He smiled and left.

  Nancy, George, and Bess chatted with Diego for a few minutes, then said goodbye.

  As she followed Nancy and George out of the shop, Bess stared at the glowing green skull. “This place is a little creepy,” she said.

  They climbed into the Mustang, and Nancy drove them to River Estates. They were late for the meeting at Reese Gardner’s house, which was scheduled to start at noon. Late or not, Nancy didn’t want to miss the opportunity to talk to the owners of the two other burgled houses, the Bairds and the Mowrers.

  Mr. Gardner’s house had dark brown siding and a decorative glass window in the front door. He looked surprised to see the young women when he answered the door. “Look, I’m busy—” he began.

  “Mrs. Larsen invited us,” Nancy interrupted, craning her head to see past him into the foyer. “Oh—there she is! Hello, Mrs. Larsen—sorry we’re late.”

  Frowning, Mr. Gardner held open the door. Mrs. Larsen came up and introduced Nancy and her friends to Mr. Gardner. He led them through the front hall, then into a living room furnished with leather couches and folding chairs. People were milling about, talking to one another. Officer Brody was near the fireplace, looking over the crowd. The meeting hadn’t started yet, it seemed. Nancy asked Bess to find and interview the Mowrers. George volunteered to talk to other people about burglaries in case they knew something of interest.

  Nancy walked up to Mr. Gardner, who was at the refreshment table. “I’d like to know what you think about the burglaries,” she said.

  “I’ve already talked to the police about it,” he said.

  “Do you happen to have a Secure Monitoring system, too?” she asked him.

  He shrugged. “Almost everyone in River Estates has a Secure system—they’re the best in town.” He rearranged some silverware on the table.

  Deciding to be more direct, Nancy tried again. “Mrs. Larsen told me she gave you her security code when you fed her cat. I was wondering if this was a common practice among neighbors. Have you given your code to anyone?”

  “I must tell you I resent your prying,” Mr. Gardner said angrily. “I’m sure the police can handle this investigation without help from amateurs.”

  “I’m only trying to help,” Nancy said.

  Mr. Gardner didn’t respond. He turned away and clapped his hands. “People, take your seats. Time to begin.”

  Nancy found a seat and looked around. She’d hoped to see the Kileys, but Mrs. Larsen had told her they were at a family reunion and wouldn’t be back until the next day.

  Officer Brody went to the front of the room, and began to speak. “There’s a great deal ordinary citizens can do to prot
ect their property,” he said. “One way is to set up a block watch. Neighbors take turns watching each other’s houses for suspicious vehicles in the vicinity, among other things.” He spoke for another ten minutes, then asked for questions. Nancy held up her hand. He frowned and called on someone else. Nancy gave a mental shrug. Officer Brody had better get used to seeing her—she was going to solve this case.

  Most of the residents were eager to begin a block watch and asked a lot of questions, which Officer Brody answered patiently. Nancy listened carefully and was able to learn many of the residents’ names.

  At last the discussion ended. Nancy got up and walked over to the Bairds and introduced herself. Mrs. Baird was a slim woman with red hair pulled back in a French braid. “Do you know how the thieves got into your house?” Nancy asked.

  “Yes, through our upstairs bedroom window,” Mrs. Baird said. “It was such a shock to come home to a burglary. But they didn’t touch my jewelry.”

  “The thieves stole only a few items, including our VCR,” Mr. Baird added. His dark blond hair was cut short. “Our daughter, Amy, is certain she’s missing some things, too. But you know how kids’ rooms are.” He shook his head. “But they took my coin collection.”

  “Was it valuable?” Nancy asked.

  He shrugged. “Sometimes the value of a coin depends on how many collectors want it to complete a collection,” he explained. “Only a few of my coins were worth over five hundred dollars.”

  Mr. Baird grimaced. “But I was especially sorry to lose my Liberty coins,” he said. “My 1921 Walking Liberty and Mercury coins were part of a Lady Liberty collection I’m trying to build.”

  Mr. Baird sighed and put his arm around Mrs. Baird. “I was planning to buy one of the most beautiful Liberty coins ever produced,” he added. “It’s a 1911 twenty-dollar gold piece designed by the Irish-American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Lady Liberty is portrayed in a flowing gown with a lot of detail.”

  “It sounds beautiful. I hope the police locate your collection,” Nancy said. “Excuse me. I have to find my friends.”

  Nancy motioned to Bess and George, and they came over to talk to her. George had spoken to several residents and Officer Brody. The residents were baffled and alarmed, and the police had no leads on the stolen items.

  Bess was beaming. “I found out a lot. The Mowrer robbery sounds a lot like the Larsen robbery,” she said. “An upstairs window was pried open, but the thieves ignored the expensive jewelry in the bedroom. They went downstairs and ransacked the kids’ rooms, then took just a TV set and a laptop computer.”

  “Some toys are also missing,” Bess continued, “and Mrs. Mowrer said their daughter is missing a coin she had in her room. There were dog tracks, too, just like at the Larsens’. Don’t you think the same thief must be robbing all these houses?”

  “Sounds like it,” Nancy said. “Were the Mowrers’ upstairs windows unwired, too?”

  Bess nodded. “But the motion detectors were on, and Secure Monitoring Company said that nothing was wrong with their system.”

  George shook her head. “So we have a thief who enters through upstairs windows and can defeat a top-of-the-line security system. But instead of stealing obvious expensive items, he ransacks kids’ rooms, takes toys and TVs, and brings his dog along?”

  Nancy sighed. “Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Well, we know that Juanita doesn’t own a dog and David probably doesn’t, either.”

  As Nancy noticed Reese Gardner going into the kitchen, she wondered, Why had he been spying on David’s truck? Was he the one who cut the Kileys’ fence to get a quick way into and out of the backyard—maybe for a future burglary? He had known the security code at the Larsen house, making him a suspect. He was definitely worth checking on, she decided.

  Nancy turned back to Bess and George. “See if you can distract Mr. Gardner while I check out the basement, okay?” she asked. “I think the door is in the hall. I want to see if he has any heavy-duty wire cutters.”

  George and Bess headed for the kitchen. The basement door was in the hall, as Nancy had suspected. She opened it quietly and went down the stairs, closing it behind her. She searched among the tools on Mr. Gardner’s workbench. No wire cutters.

  Nancy looked up and noticed security system wires. She followed the wires through the basement and saw wired window bars like the ones in the Larsen house. The systems seemed identical.

  She stepped back, looking up to find the transmitter. Then she froze. She’d heard a sound behind her, like someone breathing. Then a hand gripped her shoulder—hard.

  Nancy gasped and whirled around. Reese Gardner was glaring at her, his face red and furious. “What are you doing in my basement, Nancy Drew?”

  7

  Alarming Circumstances

  Nancy looked into Reese Gardner’s angry green eyes. “Um . . . I thought I saw Mr. Baird come down here,” she said. She looked around innocently. “But I guess he didn’t.”

  Nancy dodged around Mr. Gardner and headed for the stairs. He followed her up. Nancy could feel his eyes boring into her back.

  Upstairs, people were leaving. Bess came up to Nancy and whispered, “Sorry, but Mr. Gardner escaped from the kitchen. Did he catch you in the basement?”

  Nancy grinned. “He sure did. But it doesn’t matter. I didn’t find anything,” Nancy said. “Let’s get George and go to Juanita’s to fill her in about the meeting.”

  Nancy drove to Juanita’s house and parked the car. Mrs. Mendenhall was in her driveway, loading a boxy black item into the trunk of her car. Nancy remembered Mrs. Mendenhall’s call to the police about David and her conversation with her lawyer.

  “Follow me,” Nancy whispered to Bess and George. They went over to Mrs. Mendenhall’s car, then stopped short. Mrs. Mendenhall was bent over, trying to fit a portable TV in the trunk next to two VCRs and a laptop computer. Nancy remembered the stolen goods she’d heard about at the meeting. Could Mrs. Mendenhall be the burglar? She worked nights—so did burglars—and she had a dog. Could she be trying to frame Juanita and David to divert suspicion from herself?

  George leaned over Nancy’s shoulder. Bess craned her neck to see past George. Mrs. Mendenhall straightened up and stared at the trio, a hostile look on her face.

  “Oh, a laptop computer,” George said. “My dad has one just like that.”

  Mrs. Mendenhall slammed the trunk shut. “Isn’t that nice,” she snapped. Mrs. Mendenhall cocked her head at Nancy. “Hasn’t the great detective solved the burglaries in the ritzy neighborhood yet?”

  “Not yet,” Nancy said, “but we just came from a block watch meeting at Mr. Gardner’s house. Maybe future burglaries can be prevented.”

  Mrs. Mendenhall chuckled. “At Gardner’s house—that’s a laugh,” she said. “He’s the one with a criminal record.”

  “What do you mean?” Nancy asked quickly.

  “It’s not my business,” Mrs. Mendenhall said, getting into her car. “But I read the papers. That’s why his wife divorced him.” She started the car and drove off.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” George asked.

  “Do you think Mr. Gardner really has a criminal record?” Bess asked as they walked up Juanita’s driveway.

  “I don’t know,” Nancy said. “Would you and Bess try to find out tomorrow? Check the newspapers at the library.”

  “Do you think that stuff in Mrs. Mendenhall’s trunk was stolen?” Bess asked.

  “It could have been,” Nancy replied. “Mrs. Mendenhall has now become a suspect. Why else would she try to blame Juanita and David?”

  They reached the porch and George asked, “Isn’t that guy talking to Carlos the one we met in the magic shop this morning?”

  As they came up the steps Ian MacDonald smiled. “Uh . . . Nancy, Bess, and George—right?” he asked. “I was hoping Carlos could tell me where Diego was.”

  Carlos grabbed Nancy’s hand. “Come see my treasure!” Like a puppy on a leash, he pulled her around to the
backyard. He dropped her hand, then crawled under a bush. He dragged out a bag and opened it, and a mass of gold coins spilled onto the ground.

  Nancy bent down and picked up a coin. Magic Coin was written on it in small letters. So David had been right, Nancy thought. Carlos had taken the bag of coins along with the mirror and clock.

  Mr. MacDonald knelt down next to Carlos. “Let me help you pick those up, Carlos,” he said. “That’s quite a treasure you have there.”

  “No! They’re mine!” Carlos said. He threw himself down on top of the coins, covering them. Mr. MacDonald looked annoyed.

  “Carlos!” Juanita came out of the back door. “I saw you. Why did you take those coins again? Grandfather needs them for the magic show.” She pulled Carlos to his feet, then scooped up the coins and put them into the bag.

  “Here”—Juanita dug her hand into the bag—“you can keep one, okay?”

  Carlos took the coin. “Can I have one more?” he asked.

  Juanita shook her head and turned to Ian MacDonald. “Hello, Mr. MacDonald. If you’re looking for my grandfather, he’s still at the Magic Shop.”

  “Thanks, I’ll check there,” he said, dusting the grass off his knees. He walked toward the front of the house, and almost collided with David, who was coming around the corner. They greeted each other, then David waved at Juanita and walked up to her.

  “Hi, David,” Juanita said. “Here are the coins. If you drive me to the shop, Carlos can return them.” She turned to Nancy. “So, how did the block watch meeting go?” she asked. “Did you find out anything that might help clear David and me?”

  “I’m sorry, Juanita,” Nancy said. “All the burglaries followed the same pattern; the thief must have had some inside knowledge of the security systems.” She looked at David.

  David narrowed his eyes. “You mean me! I know how the systems work—right?”