Read Online Perfect Plot by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B

Bill, and Vanessa, Nancy and George went to their room to tally up all the accounts.
    â€œThere aren’t any apparent inconsistencies,” Nancy said, rifling through her notes. “At least, nobody contradicted anybody else about the times they were together. But we’re not much further along. Everybody’s covered for some of the crucial period—from twelve to five—but nobody’s covered for all of it.”
    â€œExcept for Bill Denton,” George said, sitting on the end of her bed. “Remember? He was on the phone in his room from noon until one, when Coining walked him to his car. Then he left for Chicago and didn’t return until about five.”
    â€œWe don’t know he was on the phone for that hour,” Nancy said. “I remember the name of the guy he was supposedly talking to. Leo Mallet, in Chicago. Let’s see if we can track him down and check out Bill’s story.”
    There was a cordless phone on the night table between the two beds. Taking the handset to the table near the window, Nancy started calling. After a half hour’s work, she turned off the phone and set it down.
    â€œSo much for that,” she reported. “Leo Mallet is a mystery writer, a client of Bill’s. He just confirmed that they were on the phone together from noon until about one. Bill told him he was going to drive into the city, partly because he couldn’t think straight with all the construction noise outside his window. Mallet said that during some of the call, the noise was so bad that hecould barely hear Bill. Bill showed up at Mallet’s apartment later in the afternoon. By the way, Mallet confirmed that Bill’s agency is not in good financial shape.”
    â€œHe probably spent all his profits on that fancy sports car,” George joked. “What about the phone company?”
    Nancy shrugged. “I asked the operator to check for time and charges. There was a call to Mallet’s number yesterday at eleven fifty-eight. It lasted sixty-two minutes. What do you want to bet that Bill was planning to let the foundation pay for it?”
    George laughed, then quickly she became somber again. “So, we’re back where we started,” she said. “You and I weren’t here. Neither was Vanessa or Erika as far as we know, and Bill was gone. That leaves Patrick, Kate, Julian, and Professor Coining. Any of them could have sneaked into the study and stolen the figurines.”
    â€œIf he or she knew how to get into the safe,” Nancy pointed out. “That’s no problem for Kate, she knows the combination. She could have been waiting to take the figurines until there were suspects around. But who else?”
    â€œWhat about Erika?” George suggested.
    Nancy nodded thoughtfully. “She did tell me she spent time here when Dorothea was alive. What if she sneaked onto the grounds before the time she said she got here? She could have used asecret passage to get into the house and take the jeweled figures. All she’d need was the combination to the safe.”
    George shook her head. “We’re not getting anywhere, Nan. Why don’t you call Chief McGinnis, and ask him to see if any of these people has a criminal record? You never know—one of them might be a safecracker!”
    â€œCan’t hurt to try.” Nancy picked up the phone again and punched in the River Heights Police Department number. It took her a while to convince Chief McGinnis that it was urgent, but he finally agreed. Nancy sat with the handset on her lap, tapping her fingers on the table, until he came back on the line.
    â€œThanks, Chief,” she said a few moments later.
    â€œWell?” George asked. “Does one of the guests have a criminal record?”
    Nancy nodded excitedly. “One of them served time in prison a few years ago as part of a burglary gang. And guess what his special talent was—cracking