The Thirteenth Pearl

by Carolyn G. Keene

  Nancy and her father were delighted with this idea. They had an early supper, then drove to the huge theater. When they took their seats, the Drews were amazed that many people were eating or walking down the aisles, even though the first play had already begun. To Nancy this seemed very rude.

  Mr. Mise read her thoughts. “These plays are very old,” he said, “and from childhood on people get to know them. Many Japanese can recite them almost line for line, so by eating or walking around, they really do not miss any part of the play with its exquisite poetic lines.”

  “Why are men in women’s parts?” Nancy inquired.

  “This goes back to the seventeenth century when the government forbade female actors and dancers on stage. The men, as you can see, are heavily made-up and whitened to resemble women.”

  “And they speak in falsetto voices,” Nancy added, then turned her attention to the play again.

  She noticed that when a husband and wife returned to their home, the man walked up to the door, took his sandals off with the toes heading toward the door, and walked in. His wife paused, turned around, and removed her shoes, leaving them pointing outward.

  Nancy did not mention this until they were on their way home. Then she asked what it meant.

  Mrs. Mise told her that in ancient Japanese custom, the man was the sole owner of his house. Everyone else was a guest, even his wife. For this reason, she had to point her sandals outward, which was the proper position to leave.

  The Drews’ evening had been most enjoyable. Before going to bed, Mrs. Mise offered their American friends tea. She appeared a few minutes later with a large tray. On it were the necessary utensils: a pot of steaming hot water, pottery tea bowls, a tea container, and a bamboo whisk and dipper. There was also a plate of delicious little bean and sugar cakes.

  “Tea was brought to Japan from China in the eighth century,” explained Mrs. Mise while she spooned the green powder into the bowls. “It was found to have consoling, calming, and soothing powers, and the masters of the Zen religion made a ritual out of its drinking.”

  She spooned in just enough water to cover the bottom of the bowls. Then she whirled the wisk between her hands to make the mixture frothy before handing the bowls to the Drews.

  “This is the manner in which tea is prepared during the tea ceremony,” Mrs. Mise went on. “Everyone sits on the floor on the backs of his heels, with toes crossed and knees together, and all bow low each time before eating or drinking. The hostess has carefully learned the skills of the ceremony in the form sanctified by a great tea master, and her movements are very precise.”

  They drank the thick, opaque liquid.

  “This is good,” Nancy said, “but it is slightly bitter.”

  Mrs. Mise smiled. “The tea ceremony involves deep, true friendship. It is said that love of all humanity is in the tea, not in coffee or any other drink, only in Japanese green tea.”

  “It is also guaranteed to help you sleep, in case you have any trouble,” Mr. Mise added.

  But Nancy had no problem falling asleep. She had had a full and exciting day. She did not know how long she had been in bed when she heard her name called softly.

  At first the girl was too sleepy to pay attention, but after “Nancy, Nancy, Nancy!” was repeated several times, she became wide awake.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  There was no answer to her question, but the speaker demanded, “Have the prisoner released from jail and go home!”

  CHAPTER X

  Night Scare

  WITH the threat ringing in her ears, Nancy jumped out of bed. The voice had come from outside, so she ran to the window and was just in time to see a man reaching the bottom of a tree. Evidently he had climbed it in order to call into Nancy’s room.

  She ordered him to stop, but knew it was useless. Quickly she grabbed her flashlight and pointed it toward the intruder. By now he was rushing toward some bushes. The light revealed that he was short, had thick, shiny black hair and wore a gray suit!

  This was the description Mrs. Rooney had given of the man whom she had seen running from Mr. Moto’s store! Could he be Benny Caputti?

  Nancy concluded that the incident should be reported to the police, and that a guard should be posted at the house if the Drews were to remain there.

  She put on her robe and slippers and went to her father’s room. When he was fully awake, Nancy told him what had happened. He was greatly disturbed, realizing that the man who had climbed the tree might have entered Nancy’s room and harmed her!

  “I like your idea of a guard,” he told his daughter. “In the morning we’ll talk it over with the Mises. Actually, I’m embarrassed staying here and putting them through all this trouble. We should offer to move at once.”

  Mr. Drew went to the telephone and called police headquarters. He reported that a man had been roaming around the Mise property who matched Caputti’s description. The officer on duty promised to look out for the suspect.

  Nancy finally went back to bed but found it hard to sleep, even though she had closed her window and pulled down the bamboo shade. Finally she dozed off and dreamed about climbing up and down trees after Benny the Slippery One Caputti, but never catching him. She slept later than usual, but no one disturbed the weary detective. When Nancy finally came to breakfast, her father and the Mises were already eating.

  Nancy bowed low, which seemed to please her hosts, and said good morning. Mr. Drew had already told the Mises what had happened the evening before. “I mentioned, Nancy, that you and I felt we should leave and not put our kind friends to any more trouble. They wouldn’t listen to my proposition. I guess I’m losing my ability to sell an idea.”

  “That is not the reason!” Mrs. Mise objected. “We are very interested in the case and want to do all we can to help you solve it. That is why we insist you remain here.”

  Mr. Mise changed the subject by showing the Drews the morning paper. For the benefit of his guests, he had thoughtfully bought an English edition. He pointed to a headline which read:Daring Robbery in Jewelry Store

  Only One Valuable Piece Stolen!

  The article said that the theft was most unusual. Although the shop had a burglar alarm system, it had not been set off, and the police were at a loss to explain why. Also, they were puzzled by the fact that the only article taken was a necklace containing 25 pearls. The center pearl was very large and on each side of it were 12 smaller ones.

  “That sounds like Mrs. Rossmeyer’s!” Nancy exclaimed.

  “It does, indeed,” Mr. Drew agreed. “What do you think happened?”

  “Benny the Slippery One comes to mind,” she replied. “I don’t know how he got his nickname, but it could mean that he knows how to turn off burglar alarms and slip in and out of jewelry stores unnoticed.”

  “You are talking about the same man who climbed the tree last night and called into your room?” Mrs. Mise asked.

  “Yes.”

  “But how could he do two things at the same time?”

  “Does the article mention what time the robbery took place, Nancy?” Mr. Drew asked.

  “It could have been any time after closing yesterday. When the store’s custodian arrived at five-thirty this morning, he discovered that the alarm had been turned off. Thinking this strange, he called the owner of the shop. The man came immediately and discovered that the valuable necklace was missing. He phoned the police and they, in turn, gave the item to the newspaper just before it went to press.”

  “So Benny had plenty of time for the burglary, either before or after he climbed the tree,” Nancy said. “I certainly wish I could find out if that necklace was Mrs. Rossmeyer’s.”

  “Possibly World Wide Gems sold it to that jewelry store,” Mr. Drew added, “and then Benny or someone working for him went to get it back.”

  “To make more money by reselling it!” Mrs. Mise added. “What a racket!”

  Just then the telephone rang. Hannah Gruen was calling and said that Mr. Dr
ew should phone his office as soon as it was open. “Meanwhile, I’ll talk to Nancy,” she added.

  The young sleuth was delighted with what Hannah had to tell her. Ned Nickerson, Burt Eddleton, and Dave Evans were coming to River Heights to visit Nancy, George, and Bess. They wanted to know how soon Nancy would be home.

  “I told them I thought in about a week,” Hannah remarked.

  “I’ll certainly be there by then,” Nancy agreed. “Dad and I hope to wind up the mystery soon.” She told Hannah what happened since the Drews had arrived in Japan.

  When she came to the part about Caputti climbing the tree and calling into her room, the motherly housekeeper gasped. “Oh, Nancy dear, please watch your step!” she begged.

  “Don’t worry, Hannah,” Nancy replied. “I’m doing my best. This is a very puzzling case.”

  After good-by’s had been said, Nancy wondered what to do next. An idea came to her. She said to her father, “Let’s go outdoors and see if we can find any clues to the man who was here last night.”

  The two excused themselves and walked into the garden. Near the bushes through which the suspect had gone were footprints!

  “These are strange,” Nancy said. “It’s not a complete impression, just the ball of the foot. We can’t deduce much from this, but let’s see where the prints lead.”

  “The fugitive must have been running very fast because only the forward part of the foot is showing,” Mr. Drew commented. “He was literally on his toes. Nancy, what can you tell from these prints?”

  “That the man is short. He takes short steps but doesn’t leap. I’d say he’s an excellent runner. This may be another reason for his nickname, Benny the Slippery One, if he, indeed, was the intruder.”

  The Drews followed the shoe prints until they ended in the street, where it was impossible to trace them any further.

  Nancy and her father returned to where they had started their search and examined the area between the bushes and the tree. Here the ground was firmer and no prints were visible. The Drews looked carefully at the bark of the tree, thinking its roughness might have snagged something from the man’s clothing.

  Soon Nancy detected a few thin, wooly, gray threads. “Dad! These could be from Benny’s suit!” she exclaimed.

  “You’re right,” Mr. Drew replied after examining the evidence closely. “I’m sure the police would like to see them.”

  Carefully Nancy deposited the find in her pocketbook. “I wonder why he has such a liking for gray suits,” she mused, then began to search around the tree.

  A few seconds later, the girl sleuth cried out, “Oh, Dad, I’ve found another good clue!”

  CHAPTER XI

  A Detective Assists

  MR. DREW hurried over to see what Nancy had discovered. She had picked up something from the ground directly under the tree.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  She held out her hand. In it lay a United States 25-cent piece. “I’m sure that man who climbed the tree dropped this. It implies that he’s from our country!”

  “You’re right,” her father agreed.

  “Well, we have a fair description of him. He’s not very tall, has black hair, wears a gray suit of lightweight wool, and is probably an American. Do you think that’s enough for the police to go on?”

  “It’s a bit sketchy, but it sounds like Benny the Slippery One,” her father replied.

  When they returned to the house to report their clue, they noticed a man walking up the driveway toward them. They waited for him. He was Japanese but spoke perfect English. He introduced himself as Mr. Natsuke and explained that his name meant ornamental button. “My ancestors made them and thus received the family name.”

  Nancy’s eyes twinkled. “If I should forget your name, you won’t mind if I call you Mr. Button?”

  Mr. Natsuke grinned and said that he was the private detective who had come to watch the Mise house during the daytime. Later he would be relieved by a nightshift man. He carried a radio, over which he could receive messages from headquarters.

  Nancy asked him if he could also talk to the chief. “Yes, indeed,” Mr. Natsuke replied. “Have you a message for him?”

  “Yes, I do,” Nancy replied and showed him the American quarter and the shreds of cloth she had discovered in the tree.

  “We have already told the chief what the suspect looks like, and I’m sure he would be interested in this bit of evidence from his clothes.”

  The detective promised to call headquarters at once and take the threads with him when he returned there in the evening.

  Nancy and her father thanked him and went into the house. Mrs. Mise was waiting to give them an invitation. “My husband and I are going to a wedding this afternoon. The parents of the bride have graciously invited you to come. I think you would be interested in watching a Japanese wedding.”

  The Drews were happy to accept and asked what they should wear.

  Mrs. Mise said that she would lend Nancy a pretty kimono and flowers for her hair. Mr. Drew had brought a white summer suit with him, which would be appropriate.

  Nancy turned to her father. “We will have to get the bride and groom a presento,” she said, and asked if he could go with her to a store where silver pieces were sold.

  Mr. Drew nodded, even though Mrs. Mise declared this was not necessary. The Drews insisted, however, so she directed them to a shop within walking distance. Before Nancy and her father left, Mrs. Mise announced that she had a hairdresser’s appointment in an hour.

  “I believe you would find it interesting to come along,” she said to Nancy. “The beauty salon is in the basement of a hotel, and they specialize in getting brides ready for their weddings.”

  “Perhaps I can get my hair shampooed and set,” the girl said. “Then I won’t feel that I’m being too inquisitive when I watch a bride prepare.”

  Mrs. Mise offered to make an appointment for her and asked the Drews to please be back within an hour.

  When Nancy and her father reached the shop, she could not refrain from talking to the manager about the strange jewel theft the night before.

  “It was most unfortunate,” he commented. “We think we have very tight security, but then, one never knows.”

  The Drews purchased a filigreed silver basket for the bride. The saleswoman told them such baskets were used by Japanese families to hold tea biscuits and little cakes with fruit. Nancy suggested to her father that they send a bud vase to the bride’s parents. Both matters were taken care of, and the saleswoman promised that the gifts would be delivered before the wedding.

  Nancy and her father reached home just in time for her to go with Mrs. Mise to the beauty parlor. On the way, the young sleuth kept looking out the rear window. She was sure that a car was following close behind!

  “I don’t want to frighten you, Mrs. Mise,” she said, “but I think the man in back of us might try to harm us. Could you suddenly turn and lose him?”

  Mrs. Mise was startled. Then she smiled. “I am not what you call a racing driver, but I think I can get rid of the man.”

  At the next comer, she made a quick left turn through a yellow light. By the time her pursuer reached the intersection, the signal had changed to red, and traffic prevented him from following. Mrs. Mise made a few more turns to throw off the man completely.

  “Good for you!” Nancy said. “You might take up auto racing.”

  Mrs. Mise smiled merrily. When they reached the hotel in which the hairdresser was located, a uniformed attendant took the car, and Mrs. Mise and Nancy walked into the lobby. They rode an elevator to the beauty salon in the basement. Mrs. Mise announced herself and introduced Nancy. Both were shown to chairs. Nancy noticed that near her a bride was being prepared for her wedding. The young detective marveled at the process.

  First, the girl’s hair was tied on top of her head in a little knot. She wore a low-cut, sleeveless gown, and the operator rubbed cold cream all over her face, neck, shoulders, back and arms. After a
few minutes, the cream was wiped off and white powder was dubbed generously over it with a puff. The same operation was repeated after a little while, and Nancy assumed that the process would continue until the bride-to-be had flesh the color of snow. The American girl was particularly interested in the fact that the back of the bride’s neck received special attention.

  Mrs. Mise, whose hair had been washed already, reached over and said, “Japanese consider the back of the neck and upper shoulders to be more beautiful than the front of the neck and the chest. That is why it must be pure white.”

  Nancy nodded. Just then her own attendant arrived and shampooed her hair. Nancy’s hair was already combed before the process of whitening the bride was finished.

  As the beautician set Nancy’s hair in loose pin curls, a dainty batiste slip was pulled cautiously over the bride’s head and shoulders. Then she was told to lean back so that her eyebrows could be dyed coal black.

  While Nancy was left alone under the dryer, she could give the bride her undivided attention. The operator put pink lipstick on the Japanese girl in three applications. After each one, she brushed it daintily so that the lips finally became like a perfect rosebud. Nancy had to admit that while the girl looked very artificial, she was startlingly beautiful.

  After the make-up had been completed, the operator brought in the exquisite bridal kimono and adjusted it properly. At that moment a messenger arrived with a large box containing the wig and hair ornaments. It was gently lifted out and set over the bride’s hair.

  The headgear was a combination wig and hat that had no crown. A white band went completely around it, and fastened to the band were many combs and pins containing danglers of all sorts.

  Once more Mrs. Mise leaned over and explained to Nancy that these were symbols. “They indicate a long, happy life, lovely children, and enough money to be comfortable. The white cloth is called a tsuno-hakushi. Translated, that means a horn-concealer. It serves as insurance to the future husband that his bride will try not to show any horns of jealousy.”