149 The Clue Of The Gold Doubloons
Page 6
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
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.”