Read Online The Mystery of the Fire Dragon by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B

them by the road after dark, it’s going beyond all sense!”
    “It certainly is,” the woman agreed.
    Bess smiled wanly. She said nothing—unwittingly the elderly couple had supplied her with an explanation that satisfied them.
    The man helped Bess into the rear seat of his sedan, and inquired where she would like to be dropped. “At your sorority house?” he asked.
    “I think not,” said Bess. “I’d like to go home. Are you going into New York City?”
    “Yes, we are,” the man replied. “I’ll be glad to take you home.”
    “You are most kind, but just drop me anywhere in the city.”
    The couple, however, insisted upon driving Bess to her home. Finally she directed them to the apartment house where Aunt Eloise lived. In Bess’s purse was a small bottle of a lovely French perfume she had purchased that day. As she opened the door to step from the car, she handed the package to the woman.
    “Please take this and enjoy it. You have no idea how grateful I am to you.” She hurried across the sidewalk before the woman could comment.
    When Bess rang the outer doorbell and announced she was home, she could hear shrieks of delight from the apartment. The inner door clicked open and she hurried to the elevator. Aunt Eloise and the other girls hugged her joyfully, demanding to know where she had been.
    “I’m not supposed to tell you,” Bess said. Now that her great fright was over, she could not help teasing the others.
    “If you don’t,” threatened her cousin George, “we won’t tell you what we found out this afternoon.”
    Bess made a face, then told her story. The others were aghast and Aunt Eloise insisted that despite the warning of Bess’s captors, they should tell Captain Gray the whole story.
    “I suppose he’ll want me to look through the rogues’ gallery to see if I can find that woman.” Bess sighed wearily. “Well, please ask him to make it tomorrow. I’m starving and I certainly will be glad to tumble into my bed.”
    As Aunt Eloise went to telephone the police captain, Nancy and George hurried to the kitchen. They prepared an appetizing meal for Bess and sat down with her while she ate. Then she went directly to bed and the others soon followed.
    At breakfast the next morning the whole subject was discussed again. As Bess suspected, Captain Gray had requested her to come to headquarters and try to pick out the woman in the rogues’ gallery. George offered to go with her.
    “Maybe I can spot the red-haired man,” she said. The two girls left after the meal was finished.
    As Nancy helped her aunt get ready for school, she said, “I’d like to try a little sleuthing from a different angle. I am more and more convinced that Stromberg’s Bookshop is a front for an underhanded scheme. Could you ask some friend of yours to go there and find out if Mr. Stromberg has a new clerk?”
    “I could ask my friend Mrs. Becker.”
    “I’d like her to do something else, too,” said Nancy. “Do you think she would ask Mr. Stromberg to come to her home and look at some foreign books she’ll say she wants to sell? I’ll get the volumes for her.”
    “Certainly,” said Aunt Eloise. “I’ll call her right now.” She smiled. “I suppose while he’s gone, you’ll go to the shop to look around again.” Her niece nodded.
    Miss Drew dialed the number. Then, since it was getting late, she introduced her niece to Mrs. Becker and told the two to continue the conversation. Nancy waved good-by to her aunt, then explained her request to Mrs. Becker.
    “To avoid suspicion that I’m involved in this plan,” Nancy said, “I’ll have the books delivered to your home instead of bringing them myself.”
    Mrs. Becker promised that as soon as the books arrived, she would look them over carefully so that she would know the contents. “Then I’ll go to Stromberg’s Bookshop and talk to the owner. If he agrees to come to my apartment, I’ll let you know what time it will be.”
    Nancy thanked her,