The Mystery of the 99 Steps (12 page)

“This must be how the prowler got in,” she concluded. “He tried various keys before he found the right one, and almost jammed the tumblers.”

“He’s just a common burglar then,” George declared. “He probably stole things from the house.”

By this time the police and the Bardots had reached the first floor.

George blurted out, “Nancy discovered how the intruder got in!” She explained about the lock, then added, “The intruder put Fifi to sleep so she wouldn’t bark and awaken anyone. Then, to keep the Bardots from notifying the police right away if they found the dog unconscious, he carried her to the tower.”

The two officers stared at the girls unbelievingly. Finally both grinned at Nancy and one said, “I must admit you do have a good detective instinct, Mademoiselle Drew, and your friend here too. Perhaps you three girls can give us some more help.”

This time Bess spoke up. “Yes, we can. I believe Monsieur and Madame Bardot will probably find some things missing.”

At once Monsieur Bardot went to the desk in his den. He yanked open the top drawer, then said, “Well, at least the burglar wasn’t after money. The bills I had here in an envelope are intact.”

Meanwhile, Madame Bardot had hurried upstairs to her room. In a moment the others heard her cry out, “They’re gone!”

The policemen rushed up the stairway, followed by the girls and Monsieur Bardot. They crowded into the bedroom.

“All my gold jewelry!” Madame Bardot gasped. “Some of it was very old and valuable—family heirlooms!”

This second shock was too much for Madame Bardot. She dropped into an armchair and began to weep. Her husband went to comfort her.

“There, there, dear, do not let this upset you,” he said. “Fifi is going to be all right, and you rarely wear the old jewelry, anyway.”

His wife dried her eyes. By the time the police asked for a description of the missing pieces, she had regained her composure enough to give them a list.

Nancy asked if any other jewelry had been taken, and Madame Bardot shook her head. This set Nancy to thinking. The intruder must have been after gold only! She inquired if there was anything else in the house made of the precious metal.

“Some demitasse spoons in the buffet,” Madame Bardot replied, “and a lovely collection of baby cups.”

She rushed downstairs to the buffet and opened the top drawer. “The spoons are gone!” Pulling the drawer out farther, the Frenchwoman cried out, “The baby cups too—all of them! I had one that once belonged to a queen. It is priceless!”

The Bardots opened every drawer and closet in the house to examine the contents. Nothing else had been taken. The police made no comment, but took notes.

Nancy herself was wondering if the intruder had a mania for gold. Suddenly she thought of the Green Lion, and Monsieur Neuf-Louis Aubert!

“Is he the housebreaker?” she asked herself.

Nancy was tempted to tell the police her suspicions about the man but decided that without any evidence she had better not. Instead, Nancy decided to consult her father about her theory.

After the police had left, she put in a call to Mr. Drew and fortunately reached him at once. He listened closely to Nancy’s account of her adventures and agreed with her that Louis Aubert was indeed a likely suspect for the chateau thefts. “He must have known Madame Bardot owned objects of pure gold. I hope they can be recovered,” the lawyer said.

Nancy mentioned the strange letters which Monsieur Aubert the teacher had received in error. She asked her father if he thought the elusive Louis Aubert, assuming he was a chemist, wanted the gold to use in an experiment.

“Very probable,” Mr. Drew answered.

Nancy’s father said he had news of his own. He had learned that Monsieur Leblanc had recently purchased a lot of uncut diamonds. “The reason is not clear,” Mr. Drew added. “It would not be feasible for him to have such a large quantity of stones cut for jewelry, and diamonds are certainly of no commercial value to him—they’re not used in his factory work as sharp drilling tools.”

Mr. Drew went on to say that Leblanc had served notice his factory was closing down in a month. “Of course his employees are in a dither.”

“That’s dreadful!” said Nancy. “Dad, what are you going to do?”

Mr. Drew sighed. “I don’t seem to be making much headway, but I have invited Monsieur Leblanc to luncheon today. I hope to find out something without his becoming suspicious.”

“Please let me know what happens,” Nancy requested, “and I’ll keep you posted. I wish you luck, Dad. Good-by.”

A short time later the Bardots and their guests sat down to luncheon. Suddenly Madame Bardot said, “In all the excitement I completely forgot! A letter came from Marie and Monique. They have some news of special interest to you, Nancy. Incidentally, everyone at your home is fine, and our daughters are having a wonderful time. I’ll get the letter.”

Madame Bardot arose and went to the living room. Presently she returned and handed the envelope to Nancy.

“Shall I read it aloud?” Nancy asked.

“Please do,” Monsieur Bardot said.

The message for Nancy was near the end of the long letter. It said that the night police guard presently in charge of Claude Aubert understood French. The day before the sisters’ letter was written he had heard the prisoner mumble in his sleep, “Hillside—woods—ruins—go Chamb—”

“Whatever does that mean?” George spoke up.

“It is only a guess on my part,” said Monsieur Bardot, “but I think the “Chamb” could be Chambord. That is one of the loveliest chateaux in the Loire valley.”

“I certainly will investigate,” Nancy said eagerly. She recalled the reference in Mrs. Blair’s diary to the haunted ruins of a Chateau Loire. Perhaps the girls would have a chance to go there, also. Nancy now asked if there were any special stairs at Chambord.

Monsieur Bardot smiled. “If you are asking me about 99 steps, I cannot tell you. There is a double spiral staircase which is architecturally famous, and for that type, unusually wide and ornate.”

As soon as the meal was over, Nancy suggested she and the cousins visit Chambord. Bess and George were enthusiastic and eager to go. In case of an unexpected overnight stay, the three took along suitcases.

They climbed into the rented automobile and Nancy headed down the driveway. As she neared the street, Nancy noticed a car approaching and pressed the foot brake. To her dismay, it did not work. Her car moved on!

Quickly Nancy leaned over and pulled on the hand brake. This would not hold either! With a sinking heart she realized there was no way to stop her car. It rolled onto the road directly into the path of the oncoming vehicle!

 

 

 

THE three girls sat petrified. There was nothing Nancy could do to avoid a collision. The other car was too close!

But with a loud screech of brakes its driver swerved sharply and managed to avoid a collision by barely an inch. Nancy’s car coasted across the road and stopped against an embankment. The shaken girls murmured a prayer of thanksgiving.

The man at the wheel of the other vehicle had stopped and now backed up. “Are you
crazy?”
he yelled at Nancy, his face red with anger. Then he went into a tirade in such rapid French that the girls could catch only part of what he was saying. They understood enough to learn he had had a dreadful scare also. “I ought to have you arrested!” he shouted.

Nancy started to apologize but did not get a chance to finish. The irate driver put his car into gear and sped off down the road.

Nancy turned shakily to the cousins. “Do you realize how lucky we were?” she said.

“Sure do,” George replied fervently. “What went wrong anyhow?”

Nancy told her that neither of the brakes would work. “I’d better move and not block the road.” She steered slowly back into the driveway and stopped by rolling against the sloping edge.

The Bardots had seen the narrow escape from a window and now came rushing out. “Thank goodness you are all right!” cried Madame Bardot. “What happened?”

Nancy told them quickly and at once Monsieur Bardot said, “Did you have any trouble with the car this morning?”

“None at all. It worked wonderfully.” She frowned. “I’m sure someone tampered with the brakes.”

“But when?” Bess asked.

“Probably during our search in the house,” Nancy replied. “I also think the person who did it was trying to keep me from investigating some ruin near Chambord, perhaps even the Chateau Loire.”

“Whom do you suspect? Louis Aubert?” George put in.

“Yes,” Nancy answered. “He probably came back here after the police left and eavesdropped on our conversation. When he heard what his brother had mumbled in his sleep and learned our plans, Louis decided he had better do something quick to stop us.”

“He must be a good mechanic to know how to damage brakes,” Bess commented.

Nancy reminded her that the man was supposed to be a scientist. If so, he probably had a technical knowledge of machinery. “A simple thing like letting air out of our car’s tires wouldn’t have delayed us long enough, so he chose something more important.”

Monsieur Bardot hurried indoors to telephone a service station. He returned with disappointing news. “They can send a man to pick up the car, but they cannot have it ready until tomorrow. If they tell me there was sabotage, I will report it to the police.”

Nancy smiled wanly. She did not say how bad she felt at having to give up the trip. Apparently the Bardots sensed this.

“You must take our automobile,” their host offered.

“Oh, thanks, but I couldn’t,” Nancy said. “You might need it.”

Madame Bardot smiled, saying they had many friends close by who would help them out in an emergency. “I think you girls are on the verge of making an important discovery,” she added. “We want you to go to Chambord. Perhaps you will solve the mystery of my sister’s strange dream.”

Nancy finally agreed. The baggage was transferred to the Bardots’ car, and once more the girls set off. Their recent harrowing experience was almost forgotten as the three gazed enchanted at the countryside on the way to Chateau Chambord. Due to a late spring, poppies still grew in profusion along the roadway and fields were dotted with marguerites and buttercups.

When they reached the town of Chambord, the girls soon realized why the main sightseeing attraction was the chateau. Nancy parked near it and the trio alighted, exclaiming in admiration and awe.

The castle-like building stood in the center of a park and was approached by a long walk. The main part of the building was three stories high and there were many towers. A pinnacle in the middle, shaped like a gigantic lantern, stood as high again as the chateau itself.

On either side of its main entrance, and at each corner of the vast front of the chateau, was a huge rounded tower that rose well above the roof.

“I can’t wait to see the interior!” Bess exclaimed.

But at the entrance, a guard told them, “Sorry, mesdemoiselles. The last tour of the day is just ending.”

Nancy glanced at her wrist watch. It was later than she had realized. Nevertheless, smiling beguilingly, she said, “Please, until the tour group gets back here, couldn’t we look around just a little?”

The guard softened. “I cannot let you go by yourselves,” he said, “but I will show you a few things.”

He let them in, locked the door, and led them straight ahead. When the girls saw the double spiral staircase of stone they gasped in wonder. The guard said with pride that the design was a unique one.

“You have to see it to believe it,” said Bess. “What period does it belong to?”

“The Renaissance. This staircase, and in fact the entire chateau, is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture. It was built by King Frances I. He was fond of hunting, and the woods here at that time were full of deer and wild boar. The monarch also loved art and brought it to a high degree of perfection in France.”

The group climbed to the second floor and he showed them several rooms. The girls agreed with their guide—the decor, although ornate, was in excellent taste.

The man grinned. “You might be glad not to see everything here—this chateau has 440 rooms, 13 large staircases, and stall for 1200 horses.”

Bess exclaimed, “Think of all the servants and gardeners and grooms King Frances I must have had to take care of his home!”

The guide laughed. “You are right, mademoiselle. But in those days, a king was a king, and he had to have an extensive retinue!”

Regretfully the girls followed him back to the first floor. At the entrance Nancy thanked the man for the “special” tour, then asked if there were any ruins on the property.

“No,” he answered. “You can see this place is very well kept. There are, however, a couple of ruins in the town—and, of course, some are scattered around the countryside.”

The girls decided to walk through the streets of Chambord. They had not gone far before Bess complained, “I have the strangest feeling we’re being watched. It makes me nervous.”

Nancy had paid little attention. She was too busy absorbing the atmosphere of the chateau town. But presently she became aware that two young boys had come from one of the houses across the street and seemed to be trailing the girls. Whispering to her friends, Nancy suddenly did an about-face. Bess and George did the same, and the three girls started in the opposite direction. The two boys stopped, and after a momentary conference, they also turned and once more kept pace with the girls.

“I’ll bet they’re purse snatchers,” Bess said fearfully. “Hold on to your bags.”

Nancy did so, but her mind was suddenly running in another direction. Hunting for the ruins to which Claude Aubert had referred was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The young detective decided to concentrate first on learning if there were a chemist in the neighborhood. If so, he might be Louis Aubert!