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Authors: Carolyn Keene
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his collection when they approached me with offers of information about the history of the Tundra.”
“They approached you?” Nancy began to see the first outlines of the pattern of what Alana was telling her.
“At the time, I just thought they were being helpful,” Alana admitted ruefully. “They did give me some information. I just didn’t realize they were getting as much information from me as they were supplying.”
“What kind of information?” Nancy asked. Alana’s expression grew sad. “It doesn’t matter. I finally realized what was happening and that’s when I talked to you the first time. At that moment, I thought you might be able to help; but it was already too late.”
“Too late for what?” Nancy frowned, not liking the turn of the conversation.
“An hour later I was kidnapped,” Alana answered simply.
11. Searching a Legend
“Kidnapped?” Nancy felt a chill at the similarity between Alana’s story and what had happened to her father.
“Lured from the house by a phone call, then I was knocked out. Anyway, one minute I was sitting in my car waiting to talk to someone about the Tundra, and the next minute I woke up in the hold of an old boat. I never saw anyone or heard anything. There were no portholes in the boat and the door was barred. There was food and water. I don’t even know how long I was locked in.”
“How terrible.” Nancy shivered. “How did you escape?”
“That’s where Ben comes in,” Alana said. The Eskimo smiled shyly. “I fish at dawn most days,” he said. “I’d noticed the old boat anchored near the island and I was curious. The fish weren’t biting, so I went closer for a look. I heard someone beating on the hull and screaming for help. It was Alana.”
“And you rescued her.” It wasn’t a question. Hope flooded through Nancy. If one kidnap victim had been placed in a boat, why not a second? “Where is this boat?” Nancy asked. “Whom does it belong to?”
Ben looked startled. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know where it is?”
He shook his head. “I went back to check it once Alana was safely hidden here with my friends, but it was gone.”
“They must have gone out to get me,” Alana said, smiling. “I’ll bet they were surprised to find the cabin empty.”
“Who are they?” Nancy asked.
“Cole and Borge,” Alana answered without hesitation.
“If you know, why haven’t you gone to the authorities?” Nancy demanded.
“I can’t do that to Uncle Clement,” Alana an-swered.
“What does he have to do with it?” Nancy asked.
“When I got here, the TV and the papers were full of details of the robbery,” Alana said.
“That’s when I knew what the kidnappers had demanded as the ransom for me—the Tundra.” Her smile was sad. “Uncle Clement gave it to them in exchange for my life.”
“Well, if that’s true, why can’t you go to the authorities? Once they know the whole story, your uncle won’t be blamed.”
“Without proof?” Alana asked. “Do you think they would believe me?”
“Well, Ben would tell them about finding you,” Nancy reminded her.
Alana considered, then shook her head. “I don’t think they would believe us,” she said. “And even if they do, do you think any collector would ever trust the Steele Gallery again? My uncle would be ruined and it would be all my fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault you were kidnapped,” Nancy protested. “Besides, none of this makes any sense, Alana. If those men were Franklin Cole’s partners, why didn’t they just buy the Tundra from his widow? Why would they steal it?”
“That’s the piece of the puzzle that Ben gave me,” Alana said. “Will you explain it to her?” Ben sighed. “The Tundra, beautiful as it is, has a value beyond itself. The legend is true. The secret that gives the location of the treasures my grandfather took from Seal Bay is concealed within that sculpture. That’s why those two were so anxious to have
“They approached you?” Nancy began to see the first outlines of the pattern of what Alana was telling her.
“At the time, I just thought they were being helpful,” Alana admitted ruefully. “They did give me some information. I just didn’t realize they were getting as much information from me as they were supplying.”
“What kind of information?” Nancy asked. Alana’s expression grew sad. “It doesn’t matter. I finally realized what was happening and that’s when I talked to you the first time. At that moment, I thought you might be able to help; but it was already too late.”
“Too late for what?” Nancy frowned, not liking the turn of the conversation.
“An hour later I was kidnapped,” Alana answered simply.
11. Searching a Legend
“Kidnapped?” Nancy felt a chill at the similarity between Alana’s story and what had happened to her father.
“Lured from the house by a phone call, then I was knocked out. Anyway, one minute I was sitting in my car waiting to talk to someone about the Tundra, and the next minute I woke up in the hold of an old boat. I never saw anyone or heard anything. There were no portholes in the boat and the door was barred. There was food and water. I don’t even know how long I was locked in.”
“How terrible.” Nancy shivered. “How did you escape?”
“That’s where Ben comes in,” Alana said. The Eskimo smiled shyly. “I fish at dawn most days,” he said. “I’d noticed the old boat anchored near the island and I was curious. The fish weren’t biting, so I went closer for a look. I heard someone beating on the hull and screaming for help. It was Alana.”
“And you rescued her.” It wasn’t a question. Hope flooded through Nancy. If one kidnap victim had been placed in a boat, why not a second? “Where is this boat?” Nancy asked. “Whom does it belong to?”
Ben looked startled. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know where it is?”
He shook his head. “I went back to check it once Alana was safely hidden here with my friends, but it was gone.”
“They must have gone out to get me,” Alana said, smiling. “I’ll bet they were surprised to find the cabin empty.”
“Who are they?” Nancy asked.
“Cole and Borge,” Alana answered without hesitation.
“If you know, why haven’t you gone to the authorities?” Nancy demanded.
“I can’t do that to Uncle Clement,” Alana an-swered.
“What does he have to do with it?” Nancy asked.
“When I got here, the TV and the papers were full of details of the robbery,” Alana said.
“That’s when I knew what the kidnappers had demanded as the ransom for me—the Tundra.” Her smile was sad. “Uncle Clement gave it to them in exchange for my life.”
“Well, if that’s true, why can’t you go to the authorities? Once they know the whole story, your uncle won’t be blamed.”
“Without proof?” Alana asked. “Do you think they would believe me?”
“Well, Ben would tell them about finding you,” Nancy reminded her.
Alana considered, then shook her head. “I don’t think they would believe us,” she said. “And even if they do, do you think any collector would ever trust the Steele Gallery again? My uncle would be ruined and it would be all my fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault you were kidnapped,” Nancy protested. “Besides, none of this makes any sense, Alana. If those men were Franklin Cole’s partners, why didn’t they just buy the Tundra from his widow? Why would they steal it?”
“That’s the piece of the puzzle that Ben gave me,” Alana said. “Will you explain it to her?” Ben sighed. “The Tundra, beautiful as it is, has a value beyond itself. The legend is true. The secret that gives the location of the treasures my grandfather took from Seal Bay is concealed within that sculpture. That’s why those two were so anxious to have
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