Read Online The Whispering Statue by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Tags: Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Detective and Mystery Stories, Mystery Fiction, Women Detectives, Swindlers and Swindling, Girls & Women, Adventure and Adventurers, Adventure stories, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Mystery and detective stories, Drew; Nancy (Fictitious Character), Art Thieves, Yacht Clubs, Adventures and Adventures, Mothers and Sons, Art Objects - Reproduction, Fraud, Art Objects, Statues
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know.”
“Yes, thank you. Shall I get in touch with Mrs. Merriam or will you?”
The manager said he would do it. “Perhaps by the time you get back here, I’ll have some news for you.”
There were many customers during the morning at the art and bookshop and Nancy was kept very busy. At one point the thought went through her mind, “Mr. Basswood has a wonderful business. He doesn’t have to be dishonest. Why should he do anything underhanded?”
Mr. Basswood did little of the selling. He remained in his office, always keeping the door locked. Each time Nancy went to see him, she knocked and he unlocked it. He never let her inside and did not open the door far enough for her to get even a peek at the interior.
“He’s certainly secretive and peculiar,” she decided.
After she had made her tenth sale of the morning, he gave her a smile and said, “Miss Lynbrook, you are doing a very good job.”
Whenever she appeared at the office, he would give her change from his pocket. She was surprised that he carried such a large amount of cash. As Nancy was mulling this over near the book department, she saw a couple come in.
“Oh!” she thought in dismay. “They’re Mr. and Mrs. Thompson from River Heights and they know me well!”
While she was debating where she might hide, Mr. Thompson signed the register for the two of them. Nancy decided that she just had time to hurry to the powder room and hide there until the couple left.
But her hopes were dashed when Mrs. Thompson turned in that direction. Her husband came the other way toward Nancy.
Desperate, she jumped behind a life-sized bronze statue of a sailor. As the man moved, she tiptoed around it. All this time she kept one eye out for Mrs. Thompson. Minutes later the woman came into the room and walked toward her husband.
Nancy wondered what to do. She could not hide from both of them! Could she depend on her disguise not to be recognized? In a panic she turned her back on the couple.
“Oh, miss, will you help us?” Mr. Thompson called out.
Instead of replying, Nancy quickly pulled a pad and pencil from her pocket and wrote:
I’m here incognito. Please don’t identify me and put this note in your pocket.
She planned to take the Thompsons into her confidence and hoped they would not unwittingly reveal who she was. Surreptitiously Nancy put her hand backward around the side of the statue and the note was taken. There was silence for a couple of moments.
Feeling it was safe now to face the Thompsons, Nancy walked toward them. She held back the two sides of the long hair which partially covered her face. Recognizing her, Mr. Thompson gave the pretty detective a big wink and his wife smiled broadly. They did not call her by name.
Mr. Thompson said he wanted to look over the rare books. His wife was interested in purchasing a statuette.
A few minutes later when neither the owner nor his assistant was around, Mr. Thompson whispered to Nancy, “Are you on another mystery adventure?”
“Yes. Someday I’ll tell you all about it.”
She sold the Thompsons two books and a statuette, wrote the sales check, and took the money to Mr. Basswood’s office. She knocked on the door but there was no answer.
“He must have gone out,” she decided. “I wonder where Mr. Atkin is.”
The assistant was not in sight. Since he always stood near the front door when anyone was in the shop, Nancy was puzzled.
She called his name but there was no answer. Nancy walked into the rear room but he was not in it.
“I must leave this money some place!” she thought.
Once more Nancy knocked on the office door. When there was still no response, she tried the knob. To her surprise the door was unlocked.
She opened it wide and walked in. Then she gasped.
Mr. Atkin was slumped over a desk!
CHAPTER XI
Telltale Letter
NANCY was horrified to see that Mr. Atkin was motionless in his chair. The upper part of his body was face down on the desk. She rushed in and
“Yes, thank you. Shall I get in touch with Mrs. Merriam or will you?”
The manager said he would do it. “Perhaps by the time you get back here, I’ll have some news for you.”
There were many customers during the morning at the art and bookshop and Nancy was kept very busy. At one point the thought went through her mind, “Mr. Basswood has a wonderful business. He doesn’t have to be dishonest. Why should he do anything underhanded?”
Mr. Basswood did little of the selling. He remained in his office, always keeping the door locked. Each time Nancy went to see him, she knocked and he unlocked it. He never let her inside and did not open the door far enough for her to get even a peek at the interior.
“He’s certainly secretive and peculiar,” she decided.
After she had made her tenth sale of the morning, he gave her a smile and said, “Miss Lynbrook, you are doing a very good job.”
Whenever she appeared at the office, he would give her change from his pocket. She was surprised that he carried such a large amount of cash. As Nancy was mulling this over near the book department, she saw a couple come in.
“Oh!” she thought in dismay. “They’re Mr. and Mrs. Thompson from River Heights and they know me well!”
While she was debating where she might hide, Mr. Thompson signed the register for the two of them. Nancy decided that she just had time to hurry to the powder room and hide there until the couple left.
But her hopes were dashed when Mrs. Thompson turned in that direction. Her husband came the other way toward Nancy.
Desperate, she jumped behind a life-sized bronze statue of a sailor. As the man moved, she tiptoed around it. All this time she kept one eye out for Mrs. Thompson. Minutes later the woman came into the room and walked toward her husband.
Nancy wondered what to do. She could not hide from both of them! Could she depend on her disguise not to be recognized? In a panic she turned her back on the couple.
“Oh, miss, will you help us?” Mr. Thompson called out.
Instead of replying, Nancy quickly pulled a pad and pencil from her pocket and wrote:
I’m here incognito. Please don’t identify me and put this note in your pocket.
She planned to take the Thompsons into her confidence and hoped they would not unwittingly reveal who she was. Surreptitiously Nancy put her hand backward around the side of the statue and the note was taken. There was silence for a couple of moments.
Feeling it was safe now to face the Thompsons, Nancy walked toward them. She held back the two sides of the long hair which partially covered her face. Recognizing her, Mr. Thompson gave the pretty detective a big wink and his wife smiled broadly. They did not call her by name.
Mr. Thompson said he wanted to look over the rare books. His wife was interested in purchasing a statuette.
A few minutes later when neither the owner nor his assistant was around, Mr. Thompson whispered to Nancy, “Are you on another mystery adventure?”
“Yes. Someday I’ll tell you all about it.”
She sold the Thompsons two books and a statuette, wrote the sales check, and took the money to Mr. Basswood’s office. She knocked on the door but there was no answer.
“He must have gone out,” she decided. “I wonder where Mr. Atkin is.”
The assistant was not in sight. Since he always stood near the front door when anyone was in the shop, Nancy was puzzled.
She called his name but there was no answer. Nancy walked into the rear room but he was not in it.
“I must leave this money some place!” she thought.
Once more Nancy knocked on the office door. When there was still no response, she tried the knob. To her surprise the door was unlocked.
She opened it wide and walked in. Then she gasped.
Mr. Atkin was slumped over a desk!
CHAPTER XI
Telltale Letter
NANCY was horrified to see that Mr. Atkin was motionless in his chair. The upper part of his body was face down on the desk. She rushed in and
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