The Mystery of the 99 Steps Read Online Free Page A
Author: Carolyn G. Keene
Furthermore, Detective Panzer and Detective Keely had neither returned nor phoned a report.
“We assume they’re still tailing their man,” the desk sergeant added.
Nancy hung up, her mind in a turmoil. How had Claude Aubert escaped? Where would he show up next?
“I’ll bet,” she thought, “that it will be right here. I’m glad the burglar alarm is on.”
After a pre-bedtime snack, Mrs. Gruen and the girls went upstairs. Nancy, who had some final packing to do, was the last one to retire. Some time later she was awakened abruptly by a loud ringing.
The burglar alarm had gone off!
Instantly the young detective was out of bed and pulling on her robe and slippers. She dashed to a window and leaned out, hoping to spot the intruder. Seeing no one, Nancy sped to her father’s room in the front of the house and peered below.
“Oh, they’ve caught him!” she exulted.
In the rays of a flashlight, the two plainclothesmen were holding a tall, long-faced man. Aubert? Just then Mrs. Gruen, Marie, and Monique rushed in.
Nancy cried out, “The detectives got the burglar! Hurry! Let’s go down!”
She quickly led the way, turning on lights as she went, and flung open the front door. The detectives marched their prisoner, now limping, into the hall. Claude Aubert!
“Hello, Miss Drew,” said Detective Keely. “We saw your lights go on and thought you’d like to know we got this fellow.”
“Bud here and I had a wild chase,” Panzer told Nancy. “We got clues to Aubert from people all over town who saw him, but we missed him every time. We figured he might come here, so Bud and I hid near your house and waited. We let him try to jimmy the window, then nabbed him red-handed.”
Nancy expressed the theory that the fugitive had eluded them at the school by running in front of the stage curtains, jumping from the platform, and mingling with the crowd leaving the auditorium. The policemen agreed. “That’s why we all missed him,” said Detective Keely.
The prisoner was prodded into the living room. His black eyes glared malevolently at the three girls. The man’s lips moved but no intelligible sounds came through them. A quick search of his pockets by Keely revealed no passport or other identification.
As soon as Mrs. Gruen and the girls were seated, Detective Panzer ordered, “Okay, Aubert. Talk! Tell everything from the beginning. Why and how did you sneak into this country and under what name?”
Silence.
Nancy spoke to the detectives. “I haven’t introduced my friends from France—Marie and Monique Bardot. Perhaps they can act as interpreters.”
“Good idea,” Detective Keely agreed.
Marie was spokesman. She relayed questions from Nancy and the police to the prisoner about the threatening letters to Mrs. Blair and the Drews; the helicopter ride; the faked illness in front of Nancy’s car, and his inconsistent limping. No answers from Aubert.
Finally Detective Panzer said, “We’ll go now. A night in jail may loosen this man’s tongue. He’ll learn he can’t run around threatening people.”
After the men had left, Mrs. Gruen said, “We should all be thankful that awful man is in custody. Nancy—you, Bess, and George can go to France with nothing to worry about.”
Nancy merely smiled. She was not so sure! The group exchanged good nights again and retired. Soon Nancy began to dream. She kept chasing after a man who carried a large sign reading:
BEWARE M. NEUF
Then a great crowd of people in old-fashioned costumes came swarming from the ruins of a chateau. They carried large bells which they were ringing lustily.
Suddenly the dream ended. Nancy was wide awake. Bells, bells! Then she realized what was happening. The burglar alarm had gone off again!
CHAPTER V
Prowler Without Footprints
WHEN Nancy reached the top of the stairway Mrs. Gruen was there. Marie and Monique appeared a few seconds later. The group hurried down and flooded the first floor with light and turned
“We assume they’re still tailing their man,” the desk sergeant added.
Nancy hung up, her mind in a turmoil. How had Claude Aubert escaped? Where would he show up next?
“I’ll bet,” she thought, “that it will be right here. I’m glad the burglar alarm is on.”
After a pre-bedtime snack, Mrs. Gruen and the girls went upstairs. Nancy, who had some final packing to do, was the last one to retire. Some time later she was awakened abruptly by a loud ringing.
The burglar alarm had gone off!
Instantly the young detective was out of bed and pulling on her robe and slippers. She dashed to a window and leaned out, hoping to spot the intruder. Seeing no one, Nancy sped to her father’s room in the front of the house and peered below.
“Oh, they’ve caught him!” she exulted.
In the rays of a flashlight, the two plainclothesmen were holding a tall, long-faced man. Aubert? Just then Mrs. Gruen, Marie, and Monique rushed in.
Nancy cried out, “The detectives got the burglar! Hurry! Let’s go down!”
She quickly led the way, turning on lights as she went, and flung open the front door. The detectives marched their prisoner, now limping, into the hall. Claude Aubert!
“Hello, Miss Drew,” said Detective Keely. “We saw your lights go on and thought you’d like to know we got this fellow.”
“Bud here and I had a wild chase,” Panzer told Nancy. “We got clues to Aubert from people all over town who saw him, but we missed him every time. We figured he might come here, so Bud and I hid near your house and waited. We let him try to jimmy the window, then nabbed him red-handed.”
Nancy expressed the theory that the fugitive had eluded them at the school by running in front of the stage curtains, jumping from the platform, and mingling with the crowd leaving the auditorium. The policemen agreed. “That’s why we all missed him,” said Detective Keely.
The prisoner was prodded into the living room. His black eyes glared malevolently at the three girls. The man’s lips moved but no intelligible sounds came through them. A quick search of his pockets by Keely revealed no passport or other identification.
As soon as Mrs. Gruen and the girls were seated, Detective Panzer ordered, “Okay, Aubert. Talk! Tell everything from the beginning. Why and how did you sneak into this country and under what name?”
Silence.
Nancy spoke to the detectives. “I haven’t introduced my friends from France—Marie and Monique Bardot. Perhaps they can act as interpreters.”
“Good idea,” Detective Keely agreed.
Marie was spokesman. She relayed questions from Nancy and the police to the prisoner about the threatening letters to Mrs. Blair and the Drews; the helicopter ride; the faked illness in front of Nancy’s car, and his inconsistent limping. No answers from Aubert.
Finally Detective Panzer said, “We’ll go now. A night in jail may loosen this man’s tongue. He’ll learn he can’t run around threatening people.”
After the men had left, Mrs. Gruen said, “We should all be thankful that awful man is in custody. Nancy—you, Bess, and George can go to France with nothing to worry about.”
Nancy merely smiled. She was not so sure! The group exchanged good nights again and retired. Soon Nancy began to dream. She kept chasing after a man who carried a large sign reading:
BEWARE M. NEUF
Then a great crowd of people in old-fashioned costumes came swarming from the ruins of a chateau. They carried large bells which they were ringing lustily.
Suddenly the dream ended. Nancy was wide awake. Bells, bells! Then she realized what was happening. The burglar alarm had gone off again!
CHAPTER V
Prowler Without Footprints
WHEN Nancy reached the top of the stairway Mrs. Gruen was there. Marie and Monique appeared a few seconds later. The group hurried down and flooded the first floor with light and turned
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