The Silent Suspect Read online

  “But Laurel said Lisa was a sound sleeper,” Ned reminded her.

  “Maybe she was pretending to be asleep,” Nancy said. “I think she was worried that warning Richard wouldn’t be enough. She wanted to make sure we wouldn’t talk to him. So she got up in the middle of the night, sneaked out to the garage, and poked a hole in the tire of her car. I’m sure she didn’t realize that these sharp curves and gravel would make our flat tire much more serious.”

  “What a crazy thing for her to do,” Ned said angrily. “She put our lives in danger!”

  “I’m sure she didn’t think of it that way,” Nancy pointed out. “Lisa was just trying to protect Richard.” Nancy frowned. “I wonder if she thinks he’s guilty of setting the fire.

  “Anyway, her plan worked. So far, at least,” Nancy continued. “We’ve definitely lost a lot of time. Chances are, we won’t be able to find Richard anyway. Lisa’s already warned him about us.”

  Ned grabbed Nancy’s hand and pulled her toward the car. “So what are we waiting for?” he said. “Let’s get moving.”

  • • •

  San Rafael University was set on a huge, rolling campus. As Nancy and Ned drove up to a visitors’ parking lot, they noticed a small building with a sign that read Information.

  Inside the building a slender young man of about twenty-five was sitting at a desk.

  “Hi,” he said in a friendly voice. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so.” Nancy smiled. “Do you have a student directory we can use? We’re looking for someone named Richard Bates.”

  “Sure thing. Lots of students are away, though. It’s semester break.”

  “We’re pretty sure Richard’s still here,” Nancy said.

  The young man pulled a thick book out of one of his desk drawers and began flipping through the pages. “Bates. A senior, right?” he asked.

  “He lives off campus,” said Nancy. “Do you have his address?”

  “I’m sorry, but we don’t list off-campus addresses,” the young man told her. “His phone’s unlisted, too.”

  Nancy sighed. “Well, thanks, anyway.” Then she turned to Ned. “I feel as though we’re on a wild goose chase,” she said.

  Ned grinned. “Don’t give up yet. If this place is anything like Emerson, we should have some luck.” Emerson was Ned’s college.

  “Can you tell us where to find the student union?” he asked the guard.

  “Sure.” The young man gave them directions. “It’s about a five-minute walk,” he said.

  The campus was a lovely setting, with rolling green lawns and a view of the mountains in the distance. Most of the old brick buildings were shaded by big trees.

  “This is beautiful,” Nancy said as they walked. “I’m really starting to fall in love with California. Don’t worry, though,” she added teasingly. “I’ll be sure to visit River Heights once in a while.”

  The student union was a sprawling modern building. It had been built around an open courtyard that was filled with round patio tables. Colorful striped umbrellas shielded the tables from the sun. Nancy could tell that the courtyard was a popular spot on campus. Even during vacation it was filled with students coming and going. The air was buzzing with conversation.

  Nancy and Ned headed toward a table where three students—two girls and a boy—were sitting.

  “Mind if we sit here?” Nancy asked. She nodded at the two empty seats next to one of the girls, who had long blond hair and a friendly smile.

  “Not at all,” the blond girl answered. She pushed her things aside to make room for them.

  “We’re from out of town,” Nancy said as she and Ned sat down. “I was thinking of going to school here. Actually, we came here so I could look someone up and talk to him about it.”

  “Who is he?” the blond girl asked with interest.

  “He’s a senior named Richard Bates. Do you know him?”

  All three students shook their heads. “We’re just freshmen, though,” said the blond girl. “We don’t know that many upperclassmen. Let’s ask someone else.”

  She craned her neck, looking around, then waved at a boy and girl across the courtyard who looked a couple of years older. “That’s my dorm counselor, Sue Evans, and her boyfriend,” she told Nancy. “They might know your friend.”

  When the couple approached their table, the blond girl quickly explained that Nancy and Ned were visiting the campus. “They’re looking for a senior named Richard Bates,” she said. “Do either of you know him?”

  Sue Evans, a perky-looking brunette, nodded. “Isn’t he the guy who goes out with Lisa Franklin?”

  “We know Lisa,” Nancy explained. “Lisa was the one who suggested that I talk to Richard.”

  Sue nodded. “Well, he’s kind of shy. Except for going around with Lisa, he keeps pretty much to himself. I think he lives off campus, too. But I’ll tell you where you might find him. Try Perry Hall. That’s the architecture building. Richard hangs out there a lot, even on vacations.” Quickly she gave them directions to Perry Hall.

  “Thanks so much,” said Nancy as she and Ned got up to leave. “Oh! By the way, how will I recognize Richard? I’ve never seen him before.”

  Sue laughed. “That’s easy. He’s medium height, on the stocky side. He has brown hair and brown eyes.”

  Ned laughed. “Sounds like a lot of guys.”

  “Yes, but there is one thing different about Richard. He wears all black. All the time.”

  “Hey, wait a minute!” Sue’s boyfriend said suddenly. “Isn’t that Richard over there?”

  He pointed across the courtyard. Nancy saw a boy dressed in a black turtleneck and black jeans. He was walking toward the tables, balancing a stack of books and a tray.

  Before Nancy could say anything, Sue’s boyfriend had called, “Hey, Bates! Here’s someone looking for you!” He pointed at Nancy.

  Richard Bates froze in his tracks. Suddenly he hurled his tray aside and dashed out of the courtyard.

  “Wait!” Nancy called. “I have to talk to you!”

  But Richard Bates was already out of sight.

  7

  Danger at the Tower

  “We’ve got to stop him!” Nancy shouted.

  Ned and Nancy raced out of the courtyard after Richard Bates. “Hey! Clean up those fries!” Nancy heard someone calling after them. But the most important thing to think about now was catching Richard.

  Unfortunately, there was no sign of him anywhere. A few curious students stared at Nancy and Ned as they slowed, panting, to a stop. But the boy in black seemed to have vanished completely.

  “We’ve lost him,” said Ned in disgust.

  Nancy sighed. “Lisa must have told him what we look like.”

  “Well, what now?” Ned asked.

  “I’m not sure,” said Nancy with a frown. “Let’s try Perry Hall anyway. Maybe we’ll find out something so this trip won’t be a total loss.”

  After asking directions, Nancy and Ned located the architecture building. It was made of poured concrete with irregularly placed windows and a row of skylights in the roof. Nancy tried the main door; it was unlocked. She and Ned stepped inside and found themselves in a long tiled hall.

  “Looks deserted,” said Ned.

  They walked down the hall, peeking into empty lecture rooms and studios through the windows in their locked doors. The tables in the studios were covered with blueprints and sketches.

  At the end of the hall Nancy turned to face Ned. “I guess this is a bust,” she said disappointedly. “There’s no one here who—”

  Suddenly she heard a door behind her opening. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” someone asked fiercely.

  Nancy whirled around. A dark-haired man stood in a studio doorway, glaring at her and Ned. He was in his fifties and had glasses pushed up onto his forehead. His shirt-sleeves were rolled up, and his hands looked grimy, as if he had been drawing with charcoal.

  “We’re looking for someone,” she told the man
. “His name is Richard Bates. Do you know him, by any chance?”

  Instantly, the man’s glare was replaced by a look of surprise. His eyes lit up behind his glasses.

  “Bates! Why, he’s my prize pupil!” he exclaimed. “You’re in luck. He should be back any minute. He just stepped out to grab a bite to eat.”

  Somehow Nancy doubted Richard would return to Perry Hall now.

  The man stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m Ed Strong,” he said. “Professor of architecture. Any friend of Bates’s is a friend of mine. He’s a dedicated boy, you know, with a very promising future.”

  As Nancy introduced herself and Ned, she found herself thinking that Richard’s future wouldn’t be too promising if he had anything to do with the arson at Franklin Place. She didn’t even know for sure if Richard was a suspect, she reminded herself.

  “Come on into my studio and wait for him, if you like,” Professor Strong invited them.

  “Thank you,” Nancy replied with a smile. “That would be great.”

  Professor Strong’s studio was filled with large worktables. The one closest to the door was completely covered with a cardboard model. It looked to Nancy like a village of the future—a series of small houses linked by overhead walkways. In the center was a large structure that looked like some kind of recreation area.

  “This is a nice model,” she commented, touching one of the cardboard buildings gently. “I like the way it would give people privacy and a sense of community at the same time.”

  Professor Strong smiled approvingly. “It’s an exciting project, isn’t it?” he asked. “Bates and Franklin did this. Really promising students, both of them.”

  “Lisa Franklin?” Nancy asked. “I didn’t know she and Richard were doing a project together.”

  The professor nodded. “They’re doing some of the best work I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “Lisa’s ideas are brilliant. It’s really too bad—” He broke off.

  “What’s too bad?” Nancy asked.

  “Talent going to waste,” the professor answered with a shrug. “Lisa will never actually get to build anything like this. Her father likes tamer stuff, and she’ll be working for him.” He shook his head sadly.

  The image of Lisa’s bedroom floated into Nancy’s mind. Lisa’s carefully impersonal bedroom, where there wasn’t a single touch of character—nothing as original as the cardboard model in this studio.

  Lisa must hide this side of her life from her father, Nancy thought. Maybe she knows he’d disapprove, so she doesn’t even let him see her designs. Over time, that kind of concealment would build up into a lot of pressure.

  But was it enough pressure to make someone commit arson?

  Nancy realized that Professor Strong and Ned were eyeing her curiously. “Speaking of Lisa Franklin,” she said, “have you heard about what happened to Franklin Place?”

  “I certainly have. I read about it in this morning’s paper. The police suspect arson, as I recall.” He sighed. “It would be a shame if any scandal came near Lisa. As I said, she’s a talented girl.”

  “Professor Strong,” Nancy said, “I have a question that could be very important. Do you know where Richard Bates was last night?”

  The professor hesitated. “Well, now,” he said slowly. “I don’t see why I should tell you anything.”

  “Now, look—” Ned burst out indignantly. But Nancy laid a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Ned,” she said. “He has a right to ask.” She turned back to Professor Strong.

  “I’m a private detective. And Ned is Lisa’s cousin,” she explained. “The two of us are here to try to help Lisa—and Richard. Unfortunately, some people think Lisa may have had something to do with the fire at Franklin Place. A few people also suspect Richard.”

  After a moment Professor Strong nodded slowly. “I guess it wouldn’t do any harm to answer your question,” he said. “Well, Richard was here yesterday, working on this project. I do know he got one phone call sometime after four o’clock.”

  “That’s about when Lisa would have called him to pick her up at the office,” Nancy said thoughtfully.

  The professor shrugged. “I don’t know who it was. But after the call, Richard left the studio for a couple of hours. He came back around six-thirty.”

  So there were two hours not entirely accounted for, Nancy thought. That was plenty of time to set a fire and get back to San Rafael before the blaze really got going.

  “Richard came back and put in three more hours of work,” the professor went on. “And he was just as calm and collected as before he left. There’s no way I’d believe he was out causing trouble.”

  “No one’s trying to pin any blame on Richard,” said Nancy quietly. “But I guess we’ve taken up enough of your time. We won’t wait around for him any longer. Thank you very much, Professor Strong.”

  She was aware of the man’s doubtful stare as she and Ned left the studio.

  “It looks even worse for Lisa and Richard now,” Ned said grimly as they walked out of Perry Hall.

  “I’m afraid so,” said Nancy. “Believe me, Ned, I want to prove that your cousin is innocent. But at this point I can’t promise that’s what’s going to happen.”

  She checked her watch quickly. “You know, I think we should find a pay phone and call the Franklins,” she said. “They may be wondering what’s keeping us.”

  There was a telephone a few feet down the path from the architecture building. When Nancy dialed the Franklins’ number, Laurel picked up on the first ring.

  “Nancy!” she said in surprise. “Did you make it to San Rafael okay?”

  Now, why would she ask me that? Nancy wondered. “Yes, we’re fine,” she said carefully. “It took us a little longer to get here than we expected, though. What’s happening at the house?”

  “Oh, Nancy!” Laurel wailed. “The police just left—and it was awful! They asked us all kinds of questions, and they kept pestering Lisa. It looks bad, Nancy. It really does. I think Lisa’s in a lot of trouble.”

  “What did you tell the police?” Nancy asked.

  “Nothing they didn’t already know.” Nancy thought Laurel sounded a little defensive. “The night watchman had already told them he thought Lisa had done it. And they asked us whether Lisa had ever made any kind of threats.” Laurel’s voice rose. “We had to tell the truth, didn’t we?”

  “It’s always best to tell the police the truth,” Nancy answered calmly. But were Lisa’s threats the truth Laurel wanted the police to know? she wondered. “Could I speak to Lisa?” she asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Laurel said. Now there was an unmistakable tone of anger in her voice. “After the police left, she went upstairs and locked herself in her room. She wouldn’t tell them why she went to the site. She said only that she’d been upset about work, that she took a drive and ended up at Franklin Place. Then, she said, she looked around a bit and came home. The police didn’t really go for that explanation, of course.”

  Nancy sighed as she hung up the phone. “I hate to say this, Ned, but Laurel sounds like a real goody-goody sometimes. I can see why Lisa doesn’t want to tell her anything.”

  Nancy filled him in on what Laurel had said.

  Ned shook his head ruefully. “Sounds bad,” he said. Suddenly Ned gave Nancy a quick hug. “Look, Nan. You’re exhausted, and so am I,” he said. “It’s been a rough two days. I say it’s time for us to take a break. Let’s pretend we’re tourists and do some sight-seeing. Okay?”

  “That sounds great,” said Nancy wistfully. “But don’t you think we should get back to the Franklins’? We should at least tell Lisa about what happened to her car.”

  “She’s sulking in her room,” Ned pointed out. “Come on, Nancy. You’ve earned a break.”

  Nancy smiled. “You’re a persuasive guy, Nickerson. Okay, I’ll take a break. For the rest of the afternoon let’s just have a nice, quiet time together.”

  • • •

  The view from Coit
Tower was spectacular. Nancy and Ned were high atop Telegraph Hill. It seemed as though all of San Francisco lay at their feet.

  “This was really worth it,” Nancy said. She gazed out at the view and took Ned’s hand. “Let’s stop at the gift shop before we climb the tower,” she suggested. “I’d like to get some postcards.”

  The gift shop was on the bottom floor of the tower, and a good-size crowd was already packed inside. “On second thought, maybe we should come back later,” said Nancy. “I don’t want to spend the whole afternoon waiting in line.”

  “We can take the elevator,” said Ned. An elevator in the gift shop led to the observation room on the top floor.

  “No, let’s walk,” said Nancy. “It’s only two hundred and ten feet,” she added with a grin.

  Ten minutes later they reached the top of the narrow spiral staircase.

  It was a perfect, sunny day. The sky overhead was a clear, crisp blue with tiny wisps of cloud. Far below, the blue was reflected in the harbor, whose surface was dotted with ships.

  The top floor was crowded with families and tour groups. Nancy and Ned threaded their way through the people until they reached the edge of the roof. There a number of viewing machines had been set up. Nancy took out some change, slipped the coins into one of the machines, and swung the machine around.

  “This is wonderful,” she murmured, her eyes glued to the view. “Hey, look, Ned! I think I can see Franklin Place—or what’s left of it.”

  Ned tapped her shoulder. “I thought we agreed. No detective business this afternoon, okay?”

  He grabbed the viewer and swung it in the opposite direction.

  Laughing, Nancy started to reach for the viewer again. Then she spotted someone across the observation deck from them and gasped.

  “Nan, what’s wrong?” asked Ned.