Тайна загадочной лестницы [with w_cat] - [8]

[195] "But Aunt Rosemary said all the windows on the first floor are kept locked," Helen objected.

[196] "No doubt," Nancy said. "But I think we should look for footprints just the same."

[197] The girls went from window to window, but there were no footprints beneath any. Finally Nancy stopped and looked thoughtfully at the ivy on the walls.

[198] "Do you think the thief climbed up to the second floor that way?" Helen asked her. "But there'd still be footprints on the ground."

[199] Nancy said that the thief could have carried a plank with him, laid it down, and stepped from the walk to the wall of the house. "Then he could have climbed up the ivy and down again, and gotten back to the walk without leaving any footprints."

[200] Once more Nancy went around the entire house, examining every bit of ivy which wound up from the foundation. Finally she said, "No, the thief didn't get into the house this way."

[201] "Well, he certainly didn't fly in," said Helen. "So how did he enter?"

Nancy laughed. "If I could tell you that I'd have the mystery half solved."

[202] She said that she would like to look around the grounds of Twin Elms. "It may give us a clue as to how the thief got into the house."

[203] As they strolled along, Nancy kept a sharp lookout but saw nothing suspicious. At last they came to a half-crumbled brick walk laid out in an interesting crisscross pattern.

[204] "Where does this walk lead?" Nancy asked.

[205] "Well, I guess originally it went over to Riverview Manor, the next property," Helen replied. "I'll show you that mansion later. The first owner was a brother of the man who built this place."

[206] Helen went on to say that Riverview Manor was a duplicate of Twin Elms mansion. The two brothers had been inseparable companions, but their sons who later lived there had had a violent quarrel and had become lifelong enemies.

[207] "Riverview Manor has been sold several times during the years but has been vacant for a long time."

[208] "You mean no one lives there now?" Nancy asked. As Helen nodded, she added with a laugh, "Then maybe that's the ghost's home!"

[209] "In that case he really must be a ghost," said Helen lightly. "There's not a piece of furniture in the house."

[210] The two girls returned to the Twin Elms mansion and reported their lack of success in picking up a clue to the intruder. Nancy, recalling that many Colonial houses had secret entrances and passageways, asked Miss Flora, "Do you know of any secret entrance to your home that the thief could use?"

[211] She said no, and explained that her husband had been a rather reticent person and had passed away when Rosemary was only a baby. "It's just possible he knew of a secret entrance, but did not want to worry me by telling me about it," Mrs. Turnbull said.

[212] Aunt Rosemary, sensing that her mother was becoming alarmed by the questions, suggested that they all have lunch. The two girls went with her to the kitchen and helped prepare a tasty meal of chicken salad, biscuits, and fruit gelatin.

[213] During the meal the conversation covered several subjects, but always came back to the topic of the mystery. They had just finished eating when suddenly Nancy sat straight up in her chair.

"What's the matter?" Helen asked her.

[214] Nancy was staring out the dining-room door toward the stairway in the hall. Then she turned to Miss Flora. "Did you leave a radio on in your bedroom?"

[215] "Why, no."

"Did you, Aunt Rosemary?"

[216] "No. Neither Mother nor I turned our radios on this morning. Why do—" She stopped speaking, for now all of them could distinctly hear music coming from the second floor.

[217] Helen and Nancy were out of their chairs instantly. They dashed into the hall and up the stairway. The music was coming from Miss Flora's room, and when the girls rushed in, they knew indeed that it was from her radio.

[218] Nancy went over to examine the set. It was an old one and did not have a clock attachment with an automatic control.

[219] "Someone came into this room and turned on the radio!" she stated.

[220] A look of alarm came over Helen's face, but she tried to shake off her nervousness and asked, "Nancy, do you think the radio could have been turned on by remote control? I've heard of such things."

[221] Nancy said she doubted this. "I'm afraid, Helen, that the thief has been in the house all the time. He and the ghost are one and the same person. Oh, I wish we had looked before in the cellar and the attic. Maybe it's not too late. Come on!"

[222] Helen, instead of moving from the room, stared at the fireplace. "Nancy," she said, "do you suppose someone is hiding up there?"

[223] Without hesitation she crossed the room, got down on her knees, and tried to look up the chimney. The damper was closed. Reaching her arm up, Helen pulled the handle to open it.

[224] The next moment she cried out, " Ugh!"

[225]    "Oh, Helen, you poor thing!" Nancy exclaimed, running to her friend's side.

[226] A shower of soot had come down, covering Helen's hair, face, shoulders, and arms.