149 The Clue Of The Gold Doubloons Read online

  he handed her the check.

  After paying the bill, Nancy started for her loom.

  But when she reached the elevator, she realized she

  was too keyed up to sleep. Besides, it was only nine

  o'clock. Maybe an ice cream cone and a walk would

  help her relax.

  She went into Harborplace, and for an hour browsed

  in a few of the boutiques and specialty stores housed in

  the two-story glass pavilion. On the way out, she

  bought a cone at one of the food booths, then went

  down to the wharf and sat on a brick wall near where a

  mariachi band was playing.

  A crowd had gathered. Some children danced to the

  lively music, swinging each other square-dance style,

  while their parents clapped. Nancy was enjoying the

  catchy rhythm when she saw Janie Simms striding

  purposefully along the wharf.

  Her hotel is in the opposite direction, Nancy

  thought, wondering where Janie was going in such a

  hurry. Any other time, she wouldn't have been so

  curious. But Janie had said she was going back to the

  hotel.

  A cold drip plopped on her wrist. Nancy quickly

  licked the ice cream dribbling down the sides of the

  cone. Standing, she started after Janie, stopping

  abruptly when she saw Karl Kidd.

  The big actor was walking in the same direction as

  Janie and was about twenty-five feet behind. Was he

  following her? Nancy wondered. Or were the two

  headed for the same destination?

  Determined to find out, Nancy threw the last of her

  cone in the trash, then jogged after them. A group of

  teenagers, boom boxes blaring, was headed toward the

  band.

  “Excuse me, excuse me,” Nancy called out, weaving

  through the throng. She was so intent on keeping Janie

  and Karl in sight that she ran smack into a baby

  stroller, nearly tipping it.

  “Oh!” Nancy righted the stroller, and the baby burst

  out crying. “Watch where you're going, young lady,”

  the woman pushing it scolded.

  “I'm so sorry!” Nancy said. When she finally got

  away, she'd lost Janie and Karl.

  Frustrated, she smacked her fist in her palm. She

  noted that they were headed toward Pier Three. Were

  they going to the ship? Should she go after them?

  The shrill blare of police sirens coming from the

  direction of the hotel cut into her thoughts. Could

  there have been another burglary? Nancy wondered.

  For an instant, Nancy didn't move, frozen with

  indecision. Finally the sirens won out, and she took off

  for the Harborside. Three police cars had pulled up in

  front.

  She jogged into the lobby, straight for the desk

  clerk. “What's going on?”

  “Nothing, miss,” the clerk said evasively.

  “Nothing?” Nancy repeated. “Three police cars are

  nothing?”

  The clerk glanced around, then leaned across the

  desk. “Robbery in the penthouse suite.”

  “Thanks.” Nancy dashed into the elevator and

  punched P. When the door opened at the top floor, she

  peered down the hallway.

  The hallway was elegantly decorated with cut-velvet

  wallpaper against a gold background. An antique table

  stood against one wall with a vase of fresh flowers on it.

  Beyond the end table, Nancy could see light spilling

  from an open doorway onto the Oriental runner.

  She stepped into the hall and headed for the open

  door. Immediately, a uniformed officer appeared and

  held up his hand to stop her.

  “I need to talk to Detective Weller,” Nancy

  explained, trying to see over the officer's shoulder.

  “This is official police business,” the officer said. “No

  bystanders allowed.”

  “That must mean the suite was robbed,” Nancy

  pressed. “Does it look like the same thief?”

  “The officer in charge will make a statement in a few

  minutes. You can watch it on tonight's news.” Taking

  her by the elbow, the police officer was steering her to

  the elevator when Nancy saw Weller step from the

  suite.

  “Detective Weller!” Nancy called.

  “Ms. Drew.” He came right over. “Just the person I

  need.”

  Nancy's brows shot up. “I am?”

  “Thank you, officer,” Weller said, guiding Nancy

  into the elevator. “Yes, I have something you'll want to

  see.” He punched the button, taking Nancy to the next

  floor down. When they stepped from the elevator,

  Nancy realized the floor held offices instead of guest

  rooms.

  “Right this way,” Weller said, opening a door and

  gesturing for her to go inside. A man sat in a swivel

  chair in front of a wall of TV screens. Nancy looked

  closer at the screens, realizing they showed different

  areas in the hotel.

  “This is Rolf de Jagger, chief of hotel security,”

  Weller said. “Play her the tape of the penthouse suite,

  Rolf.”

  Rolf stuck a tape into a video machine, then

  punched the play button. When a black-and-white

  picture flashed on one of the TV screens, Nancy

  recognized the hall outside the penthouse suite. The

  suite door was open, just as it had been when she was

  there.

  Suddenly, two figures burst from the open doorway

  and ran down the hall, disappearing from view.

  “Play it again for her, Rolf,” Weller said.

  But Nancy didn't need to see the tape again. She

  knew exactly who had charged from the suite: Anne

  Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham.

  7. Shaky Alibis

  The pair running down the hall were costumed just like

  George and Daniel had been at dress rehearsal earlier

  that afternoon.

  Only it can't be, Nancy thought angrily. There has to

  be some mistake.

  “So what do you think?” Detective Weller asked.

  Arms folded, he rocked back on his heels, a slightly

  smug expression on his face.

  Nancy gave him a cool look. “I think you're showing

  me this surveillance video for a reason, but I'm not

  sure what it is.”

  Weller dropped his arms. “Quit playing dumb, Ms.

  Drew. You know who these two pirates are. It'll be a

  lot easier for everybody if you just tell us now instead

  of making us spend all night interrogating everyone in

  the cast and crew all over again.”

  “I'm still curious why you let me see the video,”

  Nancy said.

  “I called Chief McGinnis. He says you're legitimate.

  I figured since you're a detective, you'd want to help us

  solve these burglaries.”

  Nancy thought about what he had said, then looked

  back at the monitor. “Could you freeze the tape on the

  fleeing thieves?” she asked de Jagger.

  When he did, Nancy studied the pirates in the hall.

  They were about the same size as Daniel and George.

  But Calico Jack had pulled his tricornered hat low on

  his forehead, and Anne Bonny had tied a bandanna
r />   around her mouth and jaw. There was no way Nancy

  could positively identify them.

  She shook her head. “I can't tell who they arc”

  Weller bent over so his face was close to hers. “You

  don't need to. Just tell us who plays these characters in

  that film you're making.”

  Nancy held her ground. “I could do that, but they

  didn't burglarize the suite.”

  “We don't want to arrest them,” Weller said

  patiently. “We want to talk to them. Besides, how do

  you know they didn't do it? Whoever burglarized the

  suite was as swift and cunning as a real pirate. This

  time they got in and out at ten, when the hotel was

  busy with people. The closest thing to a pirate around

  here is the actors on your ship.”

  Nancy took a deep breath. “I know it wasn't them

  because the pirate with the bandanna is Anne Bonny.

  My friend George plays Anne in the film, and I know

  for certain that the thief”—she tapped the TV

  monitor—“is not George.”

  Weller straightened, a pensive look on his face as he

  studied Nancy. “How can you be so certain?”

  “One reason is that she has an alibi for last night

  when the other rooms were burglarized. Me.”

  “You were asleep, Ms. Drew,” Weller reminded her.

  “The second reason is that my friend George would

  never break the law.”

  Without commenting, Weller turned back to the

  screen. “Who's the other pirate?”

  “Calico Jack Rackham. The actor who plays him is

  Daniel Wagner. He and his twin brother, Andrew, own

  Seeing Double Productions, the company producing

  the film.”

  “I remember him. Kind of pompous.”

  “George and Daniel were together tonight,” Nancy

  added. “They went to dinner and Fort McHenry. I'm

  sure they have tickets and check stubs to prove it.

  Besides, anyone could have swiped those costumes and

  posed as the pirates.”

  “Not anyone,” Weller said, escorting her back into

  the hall.

  Nancy realized what he meant. It had to be someone

  familiar with the ship. Someone from the cast and

  crew. Much to her dismay, all the evidence was

  pointing in that direction.

  “What was your friend wearing?” Weller asked.

  “Jeans, sandals, a vest,” Nancy said. “You know, like

  half the people walking around out there.”

  Flicking on his walkie-talkie, Weller radioed his

  officers, giving them a description of Daniel and

  George.

  “What next?” Nancy asked as the two headed for the

  elevator.

  Weller pressed the down button. “I'm going to the

  ship to find those costumes.”

  “Good, I'll go with you. I can help you find them

  faster.” The doors opened, and Nancy stepped into the

  elevator. Weller had a grim look on his face, but lie

  didn't say she couldn't go with him.

  An unmarked police car was sitting in the valet

  parking area in front of the hotel. Nancy slid into the

  passenger seat. Weller drove, his gaze intent on the

  busy roads. The car radio transmitted several messages

  but he ignored them.

  “We could have gotten there faster by walking,”

  Nancy said.

  Fifteen minutes later they were boarding the Swift

  Adventure. The ship was dark, lit only by several

  lanterns. Nancy noticed that all was quiet. Weller had

  stationed a uniformed officer at the end of the

  gangplank, giving her orders not to let anyone on or

  off.

  Nancy led Weller into steerage. The door into the

  Great Cabin was open, and she could hear voices.

  Striding past Nancy, Weller went straight to the cabin.

  Andrew and Harold were sitting at a small table,

  looking at a drawing of the deck of the ship. Nancy

  knew they used the drawing to help plan their camera

  setups.

  Weller announced himself with a brusque “Good

  evening, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Oates. Can you gentlemen

  tell me where you were all evening?”

  Looking up, Andrew stared at the detective, and

  Harold blinked in surprise.

  “What do you want to know that for?” Andrew

  asked. Nancy thought he sounded defensive.

  “Just answer the question, please.” Weller flipped

  open his pad.

  “I had dinner with Karl Kidd at about seven,”

  Harold said. “Then I went back to my room and

  watched a movie on TV until Andrew called me around

  ten-thirty.”

  “Where are you staying, and what's your room

  number?” Weller asked. After Harold gave him the

  information, Weller turned his attention to Andrew.

  Nancy thought the twin looked slightly flustered. “I

  was here all night working on changes, in the script,”

  he said.

  “Anyone with you?” Weller asked.

  “Not until Harold got here, around eleven.”

  That meant neither of them had alibis for the time

  of the robbery, Nancy realized.

  Weller thanked them. “I'll be talking with you later.

  May I take a look in your dressing room?”

  Andrew stood up. “What for? Are you still hunting

  for gold?”

  “Costumes this time. We had another robbery in the

  hotel.” Turning, he went down the passageway to the

  dressing room.

  Nancy went inside first, heading to the pegs on the

  wall. “George and Daniel keep their costumes right—”

  Her voice trailed off as she sorted through the various

  articles of clothing hanging from the pegs. George's

  shirt and trousers and Daniel's naval jacket were not

  among them.

  By then Andrew was standing in the passageway, his

  face red. “Will someone tell me what is going on? What

  does a robbery at the hotel have to do with our

  costumes?”

  Just then Weller's pager went off. “Excuse me,” he

  said, then quickly left.

  When he was gone, Nancy told Andrew everything.

  “Weller suspects someone working on the film,” she

  finished.

  Andrew's face went white. “They got the burglars on

  tape?” he exclaimed.

  That's an odd response, Nancy thought. She would

  have expected him to protest that there was no way

  someone from the ship was involved.

  “Yes,” Nancy said. “That means Detective Weller is

  going to turn this ship upside down until he finds some

  evidence pointing to who they are.”

  Andrew exhaled loudly, but his face was ex-

  pressionless. Nancy couldn't tell what he was thinking.

  If he was involved, he had to be seriously worried.

  “I'm going to check the other cabins for the

  costumes,” Nancy finally said. “If they're gone, it may

  mean our mysterious snooper took them. That might

  clear everybody from the ship.”

  “What mysterious snooper?” Andrew looked

  puzzled.

  Nancy reminded him about finding the shoe box of

  spilled doubloons.

  �
��Right.” Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder.

  Harold had come into the passageway. The two went

  back into the Great Cabin, talking. Nancy listened, but

  Andrew was only repeating her story about the theft.

  By the time Weller came back onboard, Nancy had

  searched every room that cast and crew had access to,

  including the cargo area. There was no sign of either

  costume.

  “I can't find the clothing anywhere,” she told Weller.

  “That doesn't mean they aren't stashed somewhere

  else—like the bow, where the tourist groups are still

  able to visit.”

  “Don't worry about it. The officers found your

  friend,” Weller said. “She's waiting for us in your

  room.”

  “Good, I'm sure she can clear this up once and for

  all,” Nancy said confidently.

  The two hurried back to the hotel. When Nancy

  went up to their room, George was sitting on the end

  of her bed, looking confused. A police officer stood

  outside the door. When George saw Nancy, she

  jumped up. “Am I glad to see you!”

  “Where's Daniel?” Nancy asked.

  “He went back to the ship,” George said.

  “What's he wearing?” Detective Weller asked as he

  took out his walkie-talkie.

  “Why do you want to—?” George began.

  “Ms. Fayne,” Weller cut in. “What was he wearing?”

  “Go ahead and tell him, George,” Nancy said, trying

  to sound reassuring.

  “Khaki shorts, sandals, and a Baltimore Is for Crabs'

  T-shirt.”

  “Kinslow, keep your eye out for the second suspect,

  Daniel Wagner.” Weller gave a description into his

  walkie-talkie.

  “Nancy, what is going on?” George asked. “The

  police officer was in the hotel lobby when I came back.

  He acted as if I'd committed a crime or something.”

  Nancy was opening her mouth to explain when

  Weller pulled out his pad. “Tell me everything you did,

  Ms. Fayne, from the time you left the hotel room this

  evening to the time you arrived and met the officer in

  the lobby.” He tapped the pad with his pen.

  George shot Nancy a puzzled look. “It's okay,”

  Nancy told her.

  “Well, I met Daniel in the lobby,” George said,

  sinking down on the bed. “We walked to Fort

  McHenry—”

  “Do you have the ticket stubs?” Nancy asked.

  George shook her head. “We were having such a

  good time talking and going over our lines, we decided

  not to go in.”