The Silent Suspect Read online

  “The firecrackers!” Nancy cried. “I know who set the fire! And I know how!”

  13

  Racing Toward Danger

  Lisa, Richard, and Ned were staring at Nancy as though she’d gone crazy. “I just figured it out!” she said. “It’s so obvious, once you look at it the right way.”

  “What’s obvious, Nancy?” asked Ned. “Who are you talking about?”

  “The one person none of us ever suspected,” Nancy said with a sigh. “Christopher Toomey.”

  “Toomey!” Ned looked astonished. “But that’s—”

  “Christopher couldn’t have set the fire,” Lisa said, frowning. “He was at our house when the first fire started, and with Dad for the second one. Besides, he’s practically one of the family.”

  Nancy smiled wryly. “I know. That’s why I put everything together only this minute. You see, I forgot one of the most important things about being a detective.”

  “What’s that?” asked Richard.

  “That sometimes you have to look in the most obvious places,” Nancy replied.

  Lisa shook her head slowly. “But what about his alibi?”

  “Well, he was very clever,” Nancy replied. “But it was all a trick.”

  “So how did you figure it out?” asked Richard.

  Nancy smiled. “Well, two things tipped me off. For one thing, Toomey is wearing makeup today.”

  Ned stared at her in disbelief.

  “Uh-huh.” Nancy showed Lisa and Richard the piece of paper on which Toomey had written directions to Chinatown. She pointed to the tan streaks.

  “I’m not wearing foundation,” she explained, “and this was a clean piece of paper from Toomey’s notepad. Obviously, Toomey was the one wearing the makeup. I scratched someone’s face when I was attacked last night.”

  Nancy motioned across the street. “And then I saw those firecrackers. They provided the other clue I needed. You see, they had extra-long fuses—long strings, like the one I found with Lisa’s bracelet at the construction site. Toomey must have set the fire with a timer attached to an explosive. That device gave him all the time he needed to plant his bomb and get away from Franklin Place. He could have set today’s fire that way, too. He was probably hoping to frame Laurel and scare her half to death at the same time.”

  “You mean it was all set up in advance?” Ned asked.

  “That’s right,” Nancy answered. “The night of the first fire, Toomey must have set the timer, then left to pick us up at the airport. Then he drove us back to the Franklins’ house for dinner. About the time we finished dinner, the timer went off and the explosives blew up, starting a huge fire. No one suspected Toomey because he was with us the whole time. We were his alibi.”

  “But anyone could have used the same device,” Ned objected. “Like Laurel, for instance.”

  “That’s true. But remember that night in the study, when Laurel discovered the mistakes she’d made in the calculations? I offered her a handkerchief. The string I’d picked up on the site fell out of my pocket. I remember now that Toomey stared at it. He must have panicked because he knew what it was.”

  “And he was afraid you’d figure out that the string was an explosive’s fuse,” Ned said. “And then you’d realize that the arsonist didn’t have to be at Franklin Place to set the fire.”

  “Exactly,” Nancy said. “Toomey broke into Lisa’s room that night, looking for the string, but he couldn’t find it. I thought it was Lisa who was walking around the room. He came back the next night but still couldn’t find the string. That’s when he got angry and went after me.”

  “I still can’t believe it,” said Lisa. “Christopher!”

  “I’ve got to hand it to you, Nan,” Ned said, shaking his head. “You’re one smart detective. You figured it all out from a piece of string.”

  “Yes, but it took me a long time,” Nancy said.

  “So Christopher must have been happy when everyone suspected me, right?” asked Lisa. “And after the fire under the trailer, people would think Laurel was guilty.”

  “Probably,” said Nancy. “I’m sure he thought no one would ever suspect him.”

  Lisa shuddered. “What a terrible story. Wait till my father hears this.”

  “There’s more,” Nancy told her. “But right now we’d better get to Richard’s car. I just realized something else—we’ve got to get to Fisherman’s Wharf fast. Laurel may be in danger.”

  “But why?” asked Lisa in horror.

  “There’s no time to explain now,” Nancy said gravely. “We’ve spent way too much time talking here already. I’ll tell you guys everything on the way to Fisherman’s Wharf, okay?”

  Richard led them quickly to his beat-up old car, and they all piled in. But the streets were a snarled mess of traffic.

  “We’ll never get anywhere at this rate,” Lisa said anxiously.

  “I’ll try another route.” Richard swung the wheel and turned down a narrow side street. The traffic was somewhat thinner there, but they still couldn’t move as fast as Nancy would have liked.

  Lisa turned around in the front seat. “Nancy, I still don’t understand why you think Laurel is in trouble.”

  Nancy took a deep breath. “This is the way I see it,” she began slowly. “Toomey has worked for your father for many years. For so long, in fact, that everyone takes him for granted. He’s spent a lot of time with the family, run errands, and worked at the firm. When Laurel began working for your father, it would have been logical to expect that she’d start doing more of the clerical stuff and the errands. But instead, she started straight on architectural work. Toomey must have been jealous.”

  Lisa nodded. “I can definitely see that.”

  “He put up a good front, though,” Nancy said. “He sure had me fooled for a while.”

  “But Laurel is so much younger and so much less experienced as an architect,” said Ned. “She’s only starting out. How could Toomey be that jealous?”

  “She was catching up,” Nancy pointed out. “Your uncle kept talking about Laurel and Lisa working for him. He rarely even mentioned Toomey. It must have embarrassed Toomey to be picking up people at airports while someone who was a lot younger was working so closely with his boss.”

  The light turned green, and Richard zoomed the car forward. Lisa looked thoughtful. “We all treated him pretty badly, didn’t we? I didn’t even realize it.”

  “And things must have gotten worse when you went to work for your father,” Nancy continued. “He kept talking about how proud he was of you. He even announced that you’d be his partner someday. And that was the job Toomey had always wanted. He was so furious that he decided to get even with everyone—by destroying the family’s most important project.”

  “Franklin Place,” Lisa murmured.

  “He must be nuts!” Ned said.

  “I think you’re right,” said Nancy with a shiver. “I wish I’d seen earlier that Toomey was the only person who had a real motive for revenge. Once Franklin Place was destroyed, he probably would have run off—except that you quit your job, Lisa. He must have been delighted—and even more delighted when Laurel’s mistakes were discovered. He may have thought she’d quit, too, or even get fired. And with both of you gone, he would have a shot at running the firm after all.”

  “But Dad would never fire Laurel,” Lisa said. “She made a terrible mistake, but she’s only a beginner. Toomey should have spotted the mistake.”

  “That’s true,” Nancy agreed. “But either way, Toomey must have thought the mistake gave him his big chance to impress your father. He went right to work redoing the calculations to prove he could do the job.”

  “He is crazy,” Ned muttered. “You know, Nan, he did sound kind of creepy in the trailer today. Remember how he said there wouldn’t be any more mistakes? There was something weird in his voice.”

  “I thought so, too,” Nancy agreed. “He seemed different somehow. It sort of jarred me—and once I saw the makeup and the
firecrackers, everything fell into place.”

  “But why do you think Laurel is in danger now?” asked Richard.

  “I hope I’m wrong,” said Nancy worriedly. “But I don’t think so. Toomey doesn’t think you’re a threat anymore, Lisa, now that you’ve quit. But he gave me and Ned the wrong directions to Chinatown. He wanted us to get there late. That may mean he’s trying to beat us to Fisherman’s Wharf. He wants to find Laurel before we do. I think he’ll do anything at this point to get her out of his way.”

  Lisa gasped. “Then Laurel really is in danger! Oh, Nancy, we’ve got to help her!”

  Just then Richard pulled into a parking spot. “We’re here,” he announced in a relieved voice. “Finally!”

  Through the window Nancy saw dozens of boats bobbing in the harbor at long piers. Modern fishing boats were anchored next to huge sight-seeing cruisers. Nancy could see why Fisherman’s Wharf was a popular tourist area. People were streaming in and out of shops and restaurants and museums and crowding the streets near the waterfront. Some were flying kites and balloons; others were watching street performances.

  But right now all Nancy could think about was how hard it would be to track Laurel down in the crowd.

  Lisa was evidently having the same thought. “How will we ever find Laurel with all the people around?” she wailed as they piled out of the car.

  “Where does she usually go?” Nancy asked.

  “I’m not really sure.” Lisa frowned. “We used to come here a lot together, but I haven’t been back for years. She used to like the wax museum and the ship—”

  “That ship?” Nancy turned and pointed to the old-fashioned square-rigger behind them. It loomed over the dock area, its tall masts soaring above their heads.

  “That’s the one,” Lisa replied. “It’s huge inside.”

  “Are we supposed to be looking for Laurel or Toomey?” asked Richard.

  “We’ve got to look for both of them,” Nancy answered. She turned to Lisa. “What was Laurel wearing today?”

  “A green knit dress with a turtleneck,” Lisa replied. “Kind of a blue-green.”

  “And Toomey was wearing a brown suit with a light blue shirt,” Ned put in. “He might have taken off the jacket, though.”

  “Okay,” said Nancy. “Now, if anyone spots Toomey, don’t do anything foolish. He may be really desperate.”

  “What should we do if we see him, then?” Lisa asked.

  “Just follow him,” Nancy replied. “But try not to let him see you. Okay. Is everyone ready to start?”

  Richard looked a little nervous.

  “Not much could happen out in the open like this,” Nancy assured him. “Let’s split up. Lisa and Richard, you check the wax museum and the shops along the boardwalk. We’ll meet back here in fifteen minutes.”

  Richard frowned. “What happens if we find Laurel?”

  “Bring her back here and stay with her,” Nancy answered. “Whatever you do, don’t leave her alone. Not even for a minute.”

  Lisa and Richard nodded and hurried away.

  “Maybe I should check the piers in the other direction,” Ned suggested. “Laurel may be just strolling along, listening to the musicians or something. Where will you be?”

  Nancy nodded. “I’ll take the old ship,” she told him.

  “Well, good luck,” said Ned, taking off down the pier.

  “Good luck!” Nancy called after him.

  Then she headed for the gangplank that led up to the old square-rigger.

  Nancy bought a ticket, and the ticket taker waved her on irritably. “Tour’s already started,” he barked. “Go on, go on!”

  Nancy hurried up to the wooden deck. It was littered with piles of old fishing nets, barrels, and boxes.

  The tour guide was standing in front of a small group about twenty feet away. Nancy glanced around. Where should she start? On her right, she noticed a covered hatch that led into the ship.

  She hurried down the narrow wooden steps and turned into the first room she found. Three tourists looked up curiously as Nancy burst in. “Where’s the fire?” one of them asked.

  “Sorry,” said Nancy, rushing out of the room again.

  Then up ahead Nancy saw a man wearing a blue shirt and brown pants disappear around the corner. Even in the dim light Nancy recognized Christopher Toomey instantly.

  She darted toward him just as a group of middle-aged women emerged from a room ahead of her. Chattering and laughing, they moved slowly down the narrow hallway. By the time Nancy had threaded her way through them, Toomey was nowhere to be seen.

  Nancy raced back up the stairs. Was Toomey on deck? For an instant she couldn’t see anything at all. The sudden bright sunlight was hurting her eyes.

  Then toward the rear of the ship Nancy spotted a flash of blue-green.

  “Laurel!” she called urgently. “Wait!”

  But as Nancy sprang forward, she caught her foot in a coil of fishing net. Down she went, face first, onto the deck.

  Instantly, she pushed herself back onto her feet. Her knees stung terribly from the fall, but she couldn’t think about that now. She gazed anxiously around the deck, but there was no sign of the blue-green dress.

  Nancy groaned inwardly. How was she going to warn Laurel? She glanced at her watch and saw that the fifteen minutes had passed. Well, she couldn’t go back to the others now. Not when she was this close. Besides—

  Suddenly heavy footsteps sounded behind her. Before Nancy could move, a strong arm had grabbed her from behind.

  Then a deep voice growled, “I’ve got you now, Nancy Drew!”

  14

  Overboard!

  Before she could draw a breath to scream, Nancy felt herself being hoisted roughly toward the ship’s railing. Then she was dangling above the cold waters of the bay.

  Nancy heard someone yelling in alarm. We’ve been spotted! she thought with relief. But the hands never relaxed their hold.

  “Thought you could stop me, didn’t you?” Toomey’s evil chuckle rang in her ear.

  Then he hurled Nancy toward the water as easily as if she’d been a piece of driftwood.

  Nancy felt an icy smack as she hit the water and plunged downward. She furiously clawed her way back up. Then she was bobbing, gasping, on the surface of the water. High above her, a voice shouted, “Girl overboard!”

  There was another splash as something hit the water near Nancy.

  It was the bottom of a rope ladder. Someone was scrambling down it toward her. Nancy swam quickly to the side of the ship just as the person climbing down dropped to the bottom of the ladder. In another second Nancy had grabbed his outstretched hand.

  She pushed the dripping hair out of her eyes. “Richard!”

  “Well, it was my fault you fell down Coit Tower,” Richard said with a grin. “I owed you a rescue. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Nancy said through chattering teeth. “Just a little cold.”

  In fact, her fingers were so numb already that she had a hard time holding on to Richard. The deck of the ship seemed miles away. Sheets of water were pouring from her clothes, and her jeans and sweatshirt—heavy with water—were sticking to her. Nancy was racked with shivers. Suddenly her arms felt too weak to pull her up onto the ladder.

  “You can do it,” Richard urged. “One more try.”

  Somehow Nancy managed to haul herself up the first rung of the ladder. Then Richard reached down, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her up beside him.

  “You go first,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  It took all Nancy’s strength to pull herself up the rope. Slowly she climbed, rung by rung, until finally she reached the ship’s railing. Then Ned’s strong arms were lifting her to the deck. Someone else ran up with a warm blanket, and Ned draped it around her.

  “Th-th-thanks,” Nancy stuttered. “And thanks to you, Richard, for the rescue.” She looked around at the crowd of curious onlookers. “I’m okay,” she said with a weak g
rin. “Thanks, everyone.”

  Then Nancy saw Lisa right behind Ned. And standing next to Lisa, her arm through her sister’s, was—

  “Laurel!” Nancy cried. “Where d-did you come from?”

  “She was up on deck when we got here,” said Lisa.

  “That’s right.” Laurel nodded. “I was about to leave the ship when I heard that someone had fallen overboard. I ran to the railing, like everyone else. Lisa, Richard, and Ned were right behind me.

  “Did they tell you what was going on?” asked Nancy.

  “They sure did.” Now Laurel shivered, too. “It’s horrible, Nancy. I had no idea Christopher was involved in all of this. I had no idea how he felt about me, either.”

  “No one did,” said Lisa soberly. She gave her sister a quick hug.

  “Lisa, Richard, and I went back to the square when our fifteen minutes were up,” Ned told her. “None of us had found Laurel. We waited another few minutes for you, Nancy. When you still didn’t show up, I started to get worried. I thought you might be having trouble searching the whole ship. So we came to help.”

  Nancy gave them all a grateful look. “I’m awfully glad you came after me.”

  Then she paused to stare at the crowd on deck. The circle of onlookers around her had pretty much dispersed, but there were still dozens of people on the boat. “Where is Toomey now, anyway?” she asked.

  “Gone,” Ned said disgustedly. “He was running from the ship when we got here. I know I should have chased after him, but then I heard someone yelling ‘Girl overboard.’ ”

  “We didn’t know who was in trouble—you or Laurel,” Richard chimed in. “So we all raced up here. And, well, you know the rest.”

  “Thank goodness you did race up here,” said Nancy. “And thank goodness Toomey didn’t have time to get to Laurel.”

  Laurel took Nancy’s hand and squeezed it.

  “Thank you, Nancy. I still can’t believe everything these guys told me. I really owe you a lot.”

  Ned was shaking his head. “I can’t believe Toomey got away.”

  “Don’t worry about that now, Ned,” Nancy told him. “Lisa and Laurel are safe. That’s what really matters.”