Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk

by Carolyn G. Keene

  Nelda shook her head sadly. “No.”

  “Don’t you think we should call the captain?” George suggested. “Let’s ask him to come down immediately. These jewels have to be put into his safe before the trunk goes into the hold.”

  “You’re right,” Nancy agreed.

  George went into the adjoining cabin and dialed the captain’s number.

  “Yes?” he said.

  Quickly George explained that it was imperative for him to come down to his niece’s cabin at once.

  “Is she ill?” he asked, worried.

  “No, she’s fine,” George replied. “There’s another reason. I can’t tell you on the phone.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Captain Detweiler promised.

  The girls removed the piece with the precious stones from the trunk, but put the purple cover back in place.

  “It’s going to be a hard job putting this paper back over the velvet,” Bess remarked.

  Nancy nodded. “To tell you the truth,” she said, “I think it’s impossible.”

  “Suppose August opens the trunk and sees what we’ve done. He could say he made a mistake and it isn’t his,” Bess said.

  “He has to unlock it first,” George said. “And by doing that he proves it’s his because he has the keys!”

  “Good thinking,” Nancy agreed. “Let’s forget about the paper. As a matter of fact, let’s rip it all out, just to make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

  This was quickly done, but nothing more was found underneath the paper on the opposite side. The girls locked the trunk again and put it back into the wardrobe.

  At this moment there was a knock on the door of cabin one twenty-eight. Quickly they hurried into their room and walked up to the door together. If the person who had knocked was not the captain, they would be prepared!

  CHAPTER XIX

  A Tense Wait

  To the relief of Nancy and the other girls, the caller was Captain Detweiler. They showed him the new cache of jewelry and he looked grim.

  “In all my voyages back and forth across the ocean,” he said, “I have never encountered a mystery as outrageous as this one!”

  He found that the long velvet pad with the jewels sewed to it would not fit into his pocket. “I’ll have to carry this treasure some other way.”

  Nancy said, “How about asking Rod to bring one of your empty safe-deposit cases from the purser’s office?”

  “I’ll do that,” the captain replied.

  He went back to cabin one twenty-eight and called the assistant purser. Havelock said he would come down as quickly as possible and bring an empty case with him. He arrived a few minutes later and gazed at the new find with disbelief. Then he grinned and looked at Nancy.

  “I thought you were going to bed and get some sleep before two A.M. Here you are, still working on the mystery!”

  The girl detective smiled back. “I never would have forgiven myself if I hadn’t finished investigating the trunk and had later learned that we missed all these jewels!”

  The priceless piece of velvet with its contents was put into the small case, then Nancy brought out a brown beach towel to wrap around it.

  “This way no one will know what you’re carrying,” she reasoned, “in case you meet a passenger or a crew member on the way back.”

  “Good idea,” Rod Havelock said. “Besides, if the captain and I are attacked again, this case is a beautiful weapon for our defense. I wouldn’t like to be hit on the head with sharp metal this heavy!”

  After the two men had left, Nancy glanced at her watch. There was very little time left before two A.M., but she slept long enough to feel refreshed.

  Rod picked her up at the appointed time, and the two carried the trunk out into the corridor. No one was in sight, and Rod told her that the watchman was at the far end of the ship.

  Nancy whispered, “The trunk seems lighter than it did before.”

  “It is,” Rod said, “and for a good reason!”

  By the time Nancy and Rod had reached the hold, however, their arms were weary from their burden. Rod unlocked the door and they carried the trunk inside.

  “Am I glad that we’ve got it down here safely,” Nancy said with a sigh of relief.

  “So am I,” the assistant purser remarked. “Come on, let’s get back upstairs. You must go to bed. No one can get along with as little sleep as you’ve been getting lately.”

  He escorted her to her cabin, said good night, and told her not to worry about anything. Then he whispered, “I’ve enjoyed working with you. In my opinion you’re one of the cleverest sleuths in the world. I’ll miss playing detective with you, Nancy.”

  The girl smiled and whispered back, “If I ever travel on the Winschoten again, I’ll see if I can dig up a good mystery for you to solve with me.”

  She went into her cabin, undressed quickly, and fell asleep at once. She was awakened at seven o’clock by the other girls. They were whispering and giggling.

  “What’s so funny?” Nancy asked, rubbing her eyes.

  George replied, “I was just telling Bess and Nelda that I dreamed someone stole my shoes and left me wooden ones with turned-up toes instead.”

  Nancy chuckled and hurried to dress. Before the girls were ready to leave their cabin, the phone rang. Nancy picked it up. The caller was Al.

  “Do you girls feel all right after your swim last night?” he asked.

  “Oh just fine, Al. Thank you,” Nancy replied.

  “I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t jump into the water and save you,” the boy went on. “You girls are great divers and swimmers.”

  Nancy laughed. “Knowing how came in handy. Have you eaten yet?”

  “No,” Al replied. “Why don’t we all have a farewell breakfast together?”

  The girls accepted and in a few minutes went to the dining room, where they met the boys. When they had finished eating, they all said they hoped they could have a reunion some time.

  Then Nancy and her friends returned to their cabin. The phone rang again and Nancy answered the call.

  “Hello!” said a familiar voice.

  “Ned!” she almost shouted. “Oh, it’s wonderful to hear from you.”

  Ned told her that Burt Eddleton and Dave Evans, George’s and Bess’s friends, were with him. “We’re driving to New York to pick you up,” Ned said.

  “That’s great!” Nancy replied. “I’ll be glad to have a ride all the way home. But Ned, your car isn’t big enough for three extra passengers, a brass-bound trunk and several bags and suitcases!”

  Ned laughed. “My Dad recently bought a new station wagon, and we’re using that.”

  He went on to say that he and his companions would meet the girls as close to the entrance of the pier as visitors were allowed to come.

  Burt and Dave spoke to George and Bess, kidding them about taking a leisurely luxury cruise while the boys were working, then they all said good-by.

  At once Nancy and the other girls began to pack. There was silence for several minutes, but suddenly Nelda cried out.

  “What’s the matter?” Bess asked, startled by the exclamation.

  Nelda said that the bracelet she had been wearing the night she went overboard was missing. “I know I had it on when I went to the infirmary,” she said. “After that I don’t remember.”

  “Oh, dear, I hope you haven’t lost it,” Bess told her.

  “So do I. My dear grandmother gave it to me and I prized it highly because she’s no longer living.”

  George asked, “Was it terribly valuable?”

  “No,” Nelda replied, “but I loved it for sentimental reasons.”

  George suggested that Nelda call the infirmary and ask if the bracelet had been found there.

  Nelda did, but was told no one had come across it. Disappointed, she heaved a great sigh. “I guess it’s gone forever!”

  Just then there was a knock on the door. Nancy opened it to find Heinrich standing outside.

/>   “Did any of you lose a piece of jewelry?” he asked.

  “Yes, I did,” Nelda answered quickly. “A bracelet.”

  “What did it look like?” the steward inquired.

  “It was a string of tiny enamel flowers in various colors.”

  Heinrich put a hand into a side pocket and pulled out a bracelet. “Is this it?”

  “Oh, yes, it is!” Nelda replied, delighted. “Where did you find it?”

  Heinrich said that after he had tidied the various cabins, he was putting all the soiled linen into a bundle when the bracelet fell out.

  He smiled. “I figured it probably belonged to one of you.”

  Nelda thanked him and he hurried off. When she had closed the door, she said, “I’m ashamed to think that I was ever suspicious of Heinrich. I’m sure this proves his complete innocence of any involvement with the mystery trunk.”

  “You’re right,” George said, and Nancy and Bess agreed.

  Late that afternoon all the luggage except a small quantity, which the girls would carry, was put in the corridor to be picked up later and placed near the large opening of the ship that led directly to the pier.

  That evening the girls said good-by to all their new acquaintances on shipboard, and went to bed early. They wanted to be up with the sunrise, since Nancy and Nelda had decided they wanted to be the first passengers off the ship.

  “I think I won’t even bother with breakfast,” Nancy said when they woke the next morning. “Nelda, let’s eat some of last night’s fruit and the rest of the crackers in this box.”

  It did not take them long to finish the skimpy meal. Then they checked once more with Bess and George on where they would be standing.

  “Near the inside door leading to the gangplank,” George said. “When we see Otto August and his companion file out, we’re to fall right behind.”

  “Exactly,” said Nancy. “And give me a signal.”

  She and Nelda picked up their purses and hand luggage and left the cabin. Not many people were in the corridors yet, so the girls made good time to the exit where the gangplank would be set up. They had no trouble finding a place at the head of what could be a long line of debarking passengers.

  The Winschoten was already at the pier, but the exit door had not yet been opened. Through a window Nancy and Nelda could see baggage being taken from the hold out onto the dock.

  “There goes the N.D. trunk,” Nancy whispered.

  Finally the exit door to the gangplank was opened. A group of officers marched off the ship first and presented papers to authorities on the pier.

  Rod Havelock was among them. He paused for a fraction of a second and whispered to the girls, “Good luck!”

  To Nancy and Nelda it seemed as if their wait was interminable. At last, however, the signal was given for passengers to start debarking. Excited, the girls hurried down the gangplank and onto the pier. They were met by two men.

  One of them opened his coat and showed a card. He was from the FBI! “Are you Nancy Drew and Nelda Detweiler?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Nancy answered.

  “I’m Mr. Carson and this is my assistant. We want to question you about a theft!”

  CHAPTER XX

  The Trap

  NANCY and Nelda were nonplussed by the request of the FBI agents. “Wh-what do you mean?” Nelda asked. “Why do you want to question us?”

  “There is no charge and we’re not arresting you,” replied Mr. Carson. “But the Dutch police have informed us that they have reason to believe that you, Nelda Detweiler, smuggled a diamond bracelet into Holland and sold it there with the help of Nancy Drew!”

  “But that’s ridiculous,” Nancy put in. “Nelda and I didn’t even meet until we were aboard ship!”

  “Miss Detweiler,” the FBI man went on, ignoring Nancy’s outburst, “didn’t you get in trouble with a jewelry store in Johannesburg?”

  “I was falsely accused of stealing a diamond bracelet. But it was straightened out before I left,” Nelda was close to tears.

  Nancy put an arm around the distressed girl, and said to Mr. Carson, “This is a dreadful mistake, and I think I know who’s behind it!”

  “Suppose you tell me your side of the story,” Carson said.

  “Nelda and I met on board the Winschoten and shared a cabin with two other friends of mine,” Nancy began. “A trunk was delivered to us with the initials N.D. on it, but it belonged neither to Nelda nor me. Since it had no tags, the captain and we opened it, trying to find out which passenger it belonged to.”

  “And did you?”

  “No, there were no clues. But meanwhile we have a strong suspicion. Also, we found lots of gems and diamond jewelry hidden cleverly in concealed compartments of the trunk. They’re now in the captain’s safe.”

  The FBI men looked at each other. “Well, that’s interesting news,” Carson said. “I suppose the captain notified customs authorities here in New York?”

  “Yes, he did,” Nancy continued. “And the state department. There were stolen secret papers in the trunk too.”

  “What secret papers?”

  “Reports on a new diamond mine that was found in South Africa,” Nelda explained.

  The FBI man whistled. “You made quite a discovery! Go ahead with your story, please.”

  “There are two men on board,” Nancy went on, “who have been after the mystery trunk ever since we left Rotterdam. They did not claim it officially, probably because they were afraid. They used the finger alphabet to communicate with each other, obviously because they wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard. One is named Otto August, but I don’t know the name of the other man.”

  “Are they still aboard?” Carson’s assistant questioned.

  “Yes. My two friends who shared our cabin are watching them.”

  Nelda said, “It must have been Otto August or one of his confederates who tried to get Nancy and me in trouble with the FBI.”

  “Of course,” Nancy agreed. She told the agents about the man who saw Otto August off in Rotterdam and signaled to him in finger language to beware of Nancy Drew and NE.

  “He probably informed the Dutch government of this trumped-up charge to get us out of the way, so August could claim his trunk without interference from us.”

  “Of course he didn’t know that we had already found all the jewels and papers,” Nelda added.

  “I believe you’re telling the truth,” Mr. Carson said. “But you understand that we’ll have to stay with you until your story is proved.”

  “I don’t think you’ll have to wait long,” Nancy said. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you where the mystery trunk is.

  She led the men toward the unloading dock. After some searching, she found the strange trunk in the D section.

  “There it is,” she pointed. “And mine is over here. You see how much alike they are?”

  “You’re right,” Carson admitted.

  “August is coming down the gangplank,” Nelda said. “Bess and George are right behind him.”

  “I think he should not see you two girls until he has claimed his trunk,” Mr. Carson said. “We won’t be able to nab him without proof, and he might be afraid to go ahead if you’re here. Come on, let’s get behind that pillar over there. Quick!”

  He pulled the girls with him, and his assistant followed. From their hiding place they observed Otto August and his friend reach the end of the gangplank and glance around the pier. Then they walked directly to the D section.

  “This is my trunk,” August announced to the customs inspector, laying his hand on the unmarked piece.

  “Do you have a claim check?” the customs man asked.

  “Of course,” August said and produced the ticket.

  “But this trunk has no identification,” the man objected.

  “I have the key for it. Here, I’ll prove it to you.” August produced the key and unlocked the trunk.

  “Okay,” the man said. “What are you declaring?�
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  “Nothing. All I have in there are old costumes. I sometimes do amateur acting.”

  At this moment Nancy, Nelda, and the two FBI men walked up. Bess and George also arrived at the scene.

  “Good morning, Mr. August,” Nancy said.

  The suspect looked startled, but returned the greeting. Then he said to the customs official, “The initials on the trunk are my wife’s. It’s an old one and she never bothered to have them changed.”

  “Is she with you?”

  “No, I’m traveling alone.”

  “What is your name, sir?”

  “Otto August.”

  “Mr. August, would you please open your trunk?”

  The man produced the key again and did as he was told. When he threw back the lid he gasped. “Someone has been in here!” he screamed. “All the lining has been torn off!”

  “We know, Mr. August,” the customs man said evenly. “We also know what you had hidden in there. You’re under arrest for trying to smuggle diamonds and other jewels and stolen government papers into the United States!”

  August paled, and his friend, who had been standing behind him, tried to sneak away unobtrusively. But the customs officials arrested him as an accomplice and snapped handcuffs on both men before they had a chance to escape.

  “This is ridiculous,” August exploded. “If there were smugglers on board, you should have investigated them. I have nothing incriminating in my trunk, and you can’t pin this rap on me!”

  The customs official paid no attention to his outburst. He proceeded to remove the clothes from the trunk. First came a pair of overalls with paint spots on them. He was about to lay them aside, when something caught his attention. He reached into the pocket and pulled out a wig and a black curly beard.

  “Wait a minute!” Nelda cried out. She stared at the beard, then at Otto August. “Would you please put this disguise on the suspect?” she asked the customs man.

  He held the beard against August’s face while Nancy slipped the wig on his head. The infuriated prisoner tried to prevent them from doing it, but without success.

  “Now I recognize him!” Nelda exclaimed. “He’s the thief who stole the diamonds from the jewelry shop in Johannesburg. Oh, Nancy, all this time he was right on board the Winschoten with us!”