Double Crossing

by Carolyn Keene

  "I'm betting that she's greedier than she is smart," Joe said.

  An hour later an old woman wearing a black satin evening gown and a ruby necklace started winning. At first it was gradual. Wendy was giving a little, taking back a little, giving a little more. But after a while Frank and Joe could see that the woman had built a wall of

  A Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  five-, ten-, and twenty-dollar chips in front of her.

  "Always an older person. They must sleep the soundest," Joe said. "Wendy probably knows her name by now."

  "Later she'll look at a passenger list to find out the cabin number," Frank said.

  Then the woman yawned and stood up. She was ready to turn in.

  Frank and Joe snapped into action. They flew downstairs and posted themselves in a hallway outside the casino to wait for the woman in the black satin dress.

  When she came, she was carrying her purse with both hands because it was heavy.

  "Excuse me," Frank said. "Could we talk to you for a moment . . . ?"

  A little later the elderly lady was sleeping peacefully in a different cabin, with her money tucked away in the safe. Meanwhile, back in her cabin, Frank Hardy was lying awake in her bed, with the lights out and the covers pulled up around him. Joe was ten feet away, hidden in the darkness behind a chair, ready to spring out when he had to.

  The bedside clock with its bright digital readout clicked off twelve-thirty, and then one o'clock. Frank and Joe waited in silence, just in case Rick or Wendy were listening outside the

  Double Crossing

  room. The rolling of the water and the dull drone of the ship's engine were hypnotic.

  A key in the door broke the spell. Slowly a crack of light from the hallway spread across the floor of the cabin as the door opened and a figure stepped in. As expected, the intruder was wearing a rubber vampire mask.

  Slowly and carefully the thief closed the door and waited a minute before moving toward the dresser and sliding the top drawer open.

  That's when Joe jumped out. 'Tag! You're it!" he shouted, tackling the intruder around the legs.

  The thief and Joe fell to the floor, grappling ferociously. Frank leapt to his brother's assistance, and between the two of them, they easily subdued the intruder. Then Frank flicked on the light and Joe ripped off the mask. Before them was Wendy Larson.

  "Rick should have poisoned your drink!" she hissed at Frank.

  "So Rick is in on this, eh?" Joe said. "Thanks for the confession. You know," he said as he turned to Frank, "I should always listen to my radar."

  "Come on, Wendy, we're going to visit Captain Helgesen. I think he'll be very interested in what happened here tonight," said Frank,

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  taking the blackjack dealer by the arm and pulling her to her feet.

  "Wait a minute," Wendy pleaded. "I can give the money back, honest I can—"

  "It's a little late for honesty," said Joe, opening the door.

  "But it was all Rick's idea! I was just helping him!" Wendy had a wild look in her eyes. "He made me do it!"

  Frank and Joe shot each other a look. They had heard this kind of self-serving talk on other cases. Wordlessly they made their way to the captain's bridge.

  "Here's one of your thieves," Joe said, walking into the captain's office. "Her partner is behind the bar in the casino."

  "I never wanted to steal from anybody!" Wendy cried. "You have to believe me! It was all Rick's idea."

  "It was all Wendy's idea," Rick protested when Pete Porter hauled him into the captain's office. "She was the dealer. She set the passengers up so that they'd win big, and then we took turns breaking into their cabins. I never wanted to go along with it, but she kept at me until I finally broke down—"

  The captain shook his head in disgust. "You two can consider yourselves under house arrest for the rest of this trip. The authorities will

  Double Crossing

  deal with you in Miami," the captain told them. "Now, get them out of my sight," he said to his first mate.

  After the thieves were taken away, Helge-sen's mood brightened. "Well, boys," he told the Hardy brothers, "I have to admit I had my doubts about your abilities during this trip, but I was all wrong. You've earned my complete respect and admiration. Let me thank both of you for a job well done!"

  "Thanks, Captain," said Frank. "But we're not finished yet."

  It was two in the morning by the time Frank and Joe headed for their cabins to get some rest.

  "Should we call Nancy and tell her we nailed the cabin thief?" Joe asked.

  "Why wake her?" Frank said. "She and George are probably asleep. We'll see them in the morning."

  Nancy glanced at the clock. It was past two a.m. She and George were seated at the foot of one of the beds in their cabin. Opposite them was Baron von Hoffman.

  "Baron—or should I call you Andrei?" Nancy asked.

  "Whatever makes you most comfortable," he replied.

  "I find your politeness entirely phony."

  A Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  "Now, now, Miss Drew, I would like you to pass your last hours on this earth with some dignity. But perhaps you would rather that I describe in rapturous detail how much pleasure it will give me to murder both of you attractive young American troublemakers. You choose."

  Chapter Nineteen

  s.

  'o, what shall it be?" asked Andrei Bessmer-kov, sitting calmly with his pistol in his lap. "Pleasant chatter and phony politeness, or the naked truth?"

  "Let's stick with the pleasant chatter," George said.

  That made Bessmerkov smile. "I've actually become quite fond of you two during our little adventure together. Not fond enough to spare your lives, however. The enemy is still the enemy, no matter how young or pretty she may be. But I must admit, I feel I know you both very well."

  With that, Bessmerkov stood up and re-

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  moved an electronic listening device from the shade of one of the lamps. "I've heard all and known all, everything from your plans to search Connor's room to your little crush on David. Very touching, Miss Fayne. Though, I assure you, that relationship has no future— none at all."

  George was so angry she almost charged him. "You're really a creep," she growled.

  "Now, I must also admit that I have not handled this perfectly," Bessmerkov went on, ignoring her, "but I've never confronted such a talented amateur as Miss Drew. I assure you, had I assessed your talents properly, I would have put not one, but a dozen scorpions in your bed, my dear."

  Nancy searched the spy's face with her blue eyes. He was obviously enjoying every moment of this little power game.

  "How did you get on to Pipeline and her secrets to sell?" Nancy asked.

  "Early on, early on. We intercepted the message Connor sent to that Central American embassy," Bessmerkov said, brushing lint off his sleeve. He checked his watch again. "We were curious to see the disks."

  "Are they really worth killing four people for?" she asked.

  "I assure you, I sleep very well at night.

  Double Crossing

  Now, would you please remove your shoes and put those on?"

  He pointed with his gun to their sneakers in the closet. George and Nancy were puzzled, but they did as they were told.

  "Please tie the right and left sneakers together," he added. "Not too tightly. No, no, double-knot them. That's right."

  "And where are the disks?" Nancy asked as she finished.

  "They're safe," he replied with a little laugh.

  "How did you kill Marcy?" Nancy asked. She hoped the longer she kept him talking, the longer she'd have to come up with a plan.

  "You'll see." He laughed.

  "And Julio?" Nancy asked.

  "I went to his room and drugged him with chloroform, just as I did you in Cozumel. When he was unconscious, I put him into his bathing suit and took him
for a midnight swim. He was quite alive when I threw him into the pool. Of course, I never expected you and your boyfriend to show up."

  "Frank's not my boyfriend," Nancy said.

  "Boyfriends are a thing of the past, anyway," Bessmerkov said with a shrug. "To finish the story," he continued, "after Julio saw the note from Connor on the crew's bulletin board, I knew it was time to act. I elimi-

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  nated Julio and then sent the note to Connor to meet me at the ruins. Regrettably the police got to him before I did. However, the day wasn't wasted, as I did have the opportunity to drug you and leave you behind."

  "Why waste a good outing?" George said dryly.

  "Exactly," he said. "I'd hoped it would keep you out of my way for the remainder of the cruise. Ah, well. What else are you dying to know?" he asked with a sickening smile.

  "You heard our plan to search Connor's cabin, and you beat me to it and stole the disks," Nancy said.

  "Correct," said Bessmerkov.

  "And you hit David," George added angrily.

  "Lightly," he said, demonstrating with his walking stick.

  "I'm sure your name will come up in the Nobel peace prize voting for showing such restraint," George said.

  "By the way," he said, "I would like my cuff link back. I couldn't ask for it before, but I want it now. It was given to me by my Sophie. It has great sentimental value for me."

  "How did you lose it?" Nancy said.

  "I'm not sure," he said, a little distracted as he looked at his watch a third time. "Where did you find it?"

  "On the Empress Deck," Nancy said, an-

  Double Crossing

  swering in a calm voice. Don't rock the boat, she told herself. Not yet.

  "Ah, yes, that was a mistake," Bessmerkov said. "I should have claimed it then, but I didn't. I was afraid it had been found somewhere incriminating—like in Marcy's cabin." He looked off into space for a moment. "The Empress Deck—yes. That would have been the first evening at sea, when I took a little stroll to acquaint myself with the ship."

  "Maybe you'd like to take a stroll now," Nancy said.

  "You are a charming girl," Bessmerkov said. "I'm sure many people will have wonderful memories of you. Where is my cuff link?"

  Nancy tried bluffing at first. "I don't have it," she said.

  "You'll save someone's life by telling me," he said seriously. "If you could find me in a photograph, so could someone else. I won't allow that."

  Nancy's bluff crumbled. She didn't want anyone else to die. But she wasn't ready to give up yet.

  Taking the cuff link from her pocket, she threw it at his feet. Then, when he bent down to pick it up, she rushed at him.

  But Bessmerkov was too fast for her. He twisted the handle of his walking stick and a shining steel blade shot out. "Its tip is poi-

  A Nancy Drew <§p Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  soned," he said angrily, slicing Nancy's sleeve but missing her skin. "I know you had to try that, and I respect you for it. But it's time to

  go."

  The three of them walked through the empty early-morning corridors of the ship. Walking wasn't really the right word—stumbling was more like it. With their sneakers tied together, the girls had no chance of escape.

  Nancy couldn't believe how thorough and calm Bessmerkov was. He had left nothing to chance. Every step they took had been researched to make certain they would not pass a single human being.

  But as they walked through darker halls, Nancy casually began plucking at the confetti that was still stuck in her hair and the folds of her gown. Every time Bessmerkov looked away, she put a few pieces away in the pockets of her gown.

  They walked down many flights into the depths of the ship far below the passenger areas, where only specialized crew people worked. When they were nearing the bottom of the stairs, Nancy lost her balance. She slipped and caught herself on her hands.

  "Keep walking," the spy said.

  They walked on catwalks and through dark holding areas until they reached the fore of the ship.

  Double Crossing

  "This lovely space is the anchor chain locker," Bessmerkov said when they had reached a heavy gray steel door. He pushed open the door. Inside, in a cavernous space, was a gigantic motorized winch, nearly one story high. Around it, glinting in the dim light of a single blue bulb, were coiled the enormous chains that were attached to the anchor.

  "Bessmerkov?" asked a voice in the darkness.

  "I have brought you two friends," Andrei said, pushing Nancy and George farther into the room. "They also have discovered who I am and must pay the penalty for that knowledge."

  He took a flashlight from his pocket and shined it on a figure tied up in the corner. The girl was pale, gaunt, and wretched-looking, with dark hollow circles under her eyes. But Nancy had seen her before.

  It was Marcy Durbanville! She was alive! But how? Nancy had heard of things like this happening. A drowned body is almost impossible to identify.

  "Nancy, take those ropes," Bessmerkov said, shining his light on thick coiled ropes lying along the wall. "Please tie George and Marcy to the anchor chain. I will tie you, and I will check all the ropes you tied before I leave you."

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  "Why don't you just shoot us and get it over with?'* Marcy shouted.

  "Because I've never done it this way before," Bessrnerkov said cheerfully. "Besides, it will be less traceable."

  He cocked his gun and held it to Nancy's head. With trembling hands she led Marcy to a section of the chain near the floor and began to tie her to it.

  "Who are you?" Marcy asked.

  "A friend of your friends," Nancy said. "I've been looking for you."

  "Marcy dear, tell them where you were when they were searching the ship," Bessrnerkov ordered, a smug look in his eye.

  "I was in his cabin. He drugged me and tied me up and put me in his bed," Marcy said. "He told the plumber I was his wife and that I was sick."

  "Clever, no?" Bessrnerkov laughed. "And the best part of it was when the body of an unidentified woman washed up at Cozumel. And to think, I actually had nothing to do with it!" He laughed uproariously.

  "Where's Connor? Is he okay?" Marcy asked.

  "He has a date with the CIA," George said.

  "I realty messed everything up." Marcy winced.

  "Now, now. You did exactly what you set

  Double Crossing

  out to do—you've embarrassed your father," Bessmerkov said.

  "I didn't mean to get him killed!" Marcy shouted.

  "I think bigger than you do," the spy said with a smile. "I've had a little more experience."

  Once he made certain all three girls were tied tightly, he pulled out his pipe and lit it. The unique aroma filled the room. His pipe lit, Bessmerkov turned off the flashlight and spoke to them in the faint red glow.

  "Ah, my first smoke in a week. What torture it has been to abstain. And speaking of torture, I am going to tell you the truth because the truth may be less painful than your imaginations.

  "When we reach Miami, the ship will drop anchor. When the chain is unrolled, the force of it will knock you unconscious. So you will not be awake when you slip beneath the water with the diving anchor. I regret that I will not be able to watch, but I look forward to seeing it on the news. Ladies—adieu."

  "You're scum, Bessmerkov!" Marcy yelled. "You're lower than scum."

  The three girls heard his footsteps and then the door slammed.

  Marcy cried hysterically.

  "Don't give up; we still have a chance to

  A Nancy Drew €p Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  make it," Nancy told her and George. "When I slipped on the stairs, I dropped a handful of confetti. Frank and Joe will find it, and they'll realize no crew person would drop it way down here."

  "You call that a chance?" Marcy moaned. "Come on, the odds are a million to one."

  "Maybe y
ou're right," said Nancy. "But they're the best odds we've got."

  Chapter Twenty

  F

  -I- RANK . . . FIND US . . . PLEASE.'

  Eyeing the dim outline of the door, Nancy willed him to appear—it was their only chance. She, George, and Marcy had been tied up for hours, and every wave had carried them nearer to Miami. Once the dock was in sight someone was going to switch on the motorized anchor, and it would be too late.

  "Marcy, how did this happen?" Nancy asked her blue eyes straining to see the other girl s face. "I know you met with Julio on the stairs, but what happened after that? How did you get here?"

  Marcy let out a half sigh, half sob. "After I

  A Nancy Drew &> Hardy Boys SuperMystery

  met with Julio, a man came to my room. He said his name was Baron von Hoffman and that he would give me a lot more money for the information than Julio could. I didn't know who he was—or how he knew about me and Julio—but I had this crazy feeling about him. I couldn't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, I was talking to Andrei Bessmerkov. See, my dad had talked about Bessmerkov since I was a little girl—he was the one who always got away.

  "Anyway, I told him no, and he gave me this cold, awful look. For some reason I just blurted out, 'You're Bessmerkov, aren't you?' I don't even know what made me say it. It was just a feeling I had.

  "That's when he got really nasty. He pulled out a revolver, and I think he would have killed me then and there, except he didn't know where the disks were. That's the one thing I did right, leaving the disks with Connor. He's great at hiding things.

  "Anyway," Marcy went on, "Bessmerkov made me go to his cabin. Then he chloroformed me. I think I must have been in there for a long time. I remember waking up and him coming at me with more chloroform. And I remember the plumber coming, and Bessmerkov giving me a shot of something. Then, one night he brought me here, and

  Double Crossing

  I've been—" Marcy could hardly continue. "I never meant for it to turn out like this. Never!"