“Look,” said Peter, “I know you think this sounds hard-hearted, but it’s just for another day or so. Can’t you give us that much time?”
Nancy studied Will Leonard’s manager closely.
Thornton was nervous, no doubt about it. He’d seemed nervous from the minute Nancy had seen him in the hotel lobby, and that was before she’d told him Sally was missing. That could mean he was the kidnapper. And if he was, of course he’d want to keep the press and the police away.
On the other hand, it was equally possible Thornton was nervous because his star client was missing and he really didn’t want any bad publicity.
In either case, it wouldn’t make much difference if they waited a little longer to alert the authorities. Nancy could still continue the investigation on her own. There might even be more danger to Will and Sally once the police got involved. The kidnapper might react violently and do something unpredictable.
Nancy decided to wait to tell the police. But she wasn’t about to let Thornton know that. Better to keep him off-balance.
“I’m sorry,” Nancy said, “but I think people should know what’s going on. And nothing you say or do can change my mind.”
Peter Thornton looked at her. Then, without another word, he got up and left the coffee shop.
After finishing their lunch and paying their bill, the girls went straight upstairs to the Grand Ballroom to buy what they needed for their costumes for the Dress-Up Ball.
• • •
At a few minutes before eight that evening, the girls crowded around the single bathroom mirror, putting the final touches to their costumes. George, since she was the tallest, and also because she had brought a long raincoat, had decided to go as Sherlock Holmes. The Grand Ballroom, with all its mystery souvenirs, had provided the rest: the famous double-brimmed hat, a pipe, and a magnifying glass.
Bess had chosen to be Fifi Spinelli, the glamorous detective from Eileen Braddock’s books, mostly because it was a great excuse to wear her most stylish clothes, high heels, and lots of jewelry.
Nancy was going as Miss Marple, the elderly lady detective from Agatha Christie’s mystery books. The costume was perfect for that night because Nancy could completely hide her identity. Her face was powdered white with black lines drawn on to make her look old, and her hair was tucked up under a white wig. A knitted shawl completed the outfit.
George laughed. “If only Ned could see you now.” She was talking about Nancy’s longtime steady boyfriend, Ned Nickerson.
“I hope Ned doesn’t mind going out with an older woman,” Bess teased.
“All right, you two. It’s eight o’clock,” Nancy said. “Let’s get downstairs to the Crystal Pavilion. I want to catch Matt Ziegler before the other fans do.”
The girls were among the first to arrive. A band was still setting up at the far end of the room. Waiters and waitresses in maroon uniforms were placing tiny hors d’oeuvres on silver trays.
A smiling, middle-aged man in a tuxedo stood just inside the door. His curly brown hair was beginning to gray, and he wore round, horn-rimmed glasses.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said. “I’m Matt Ziegler.”
“Mr. Ziegler, can we talk to you for a moment? In private?” Nancy said.
“Sure,” said Ziegler. He led the girls away from the doorway to a corner of the room. “Is anything wrong?”
“I’m afraid there is,” Nancy said. “Your two guest stars are missing.”
Ziegler raised his eyebrows. “Sally Belmont and Will Leonard?” he asked. “But Peter Thornton said they were visiting a children’s hospital.”
“I know what he said,” Nancy said. “But the truth is they’ve been missing since last night, and we think they’ve been kidnapped.” Nancy went on to describe the ransacked rooms, the threatening notes, and Eileen Braddock’s suspicious behavior.
“I’m not saying Braddock is definitely the kidnapper,” Nancy continued, “but someone who works on ‘Nightside’ said she wrote a script for the show and it was rejected. So we think maybe Braddock has kidnapped Sally and Will for revenge. She certainly seemed angry enough to do something like that.”
“I won’t argue with you about Eileen’s temper,” Ziegler said. “I’ve known her for years, and I know how emotional she can get.”
“How emotional?” Nancy asked. “Emotional enough to do something like this?”
“She’s done some pretty crazy things,” Ziegler admitted. “Like destroying manuscripts she’s not happy with the day they’re due at the publisher’s. But I can’t see her doing anything like this.”
“Let me ask you just one question,” Nancy said. “Does she wear blue contact lenses?”
“Why?” Ziegler asked in a puzzled voice.
“Because I found a blue contact lens in Sally Belmont’s bathroom after she disappeared. It wasn’t Sally’s, so I’m assuming it’s the kidnapper’s.”
“If there was a kidnapper,” Ziegler said. “It could just be a stunt to boost interest in ‘Nightside.’ ”
“That’s what everybody says!” Bess cried in exasperation. “Why won’t anybody believe the stars are really missing?”
“It is possible,” Ziegler said. “But it’s just as possible Sally and Will will turn up any minute. So don’t worry about it, okay?”
Nancy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. First Sherbinski thought the kidnapping was a setup, then Will Leonard, then Peter Thornton, and now Matt Ziegler. Never, in all the cases she’d solved, had so many people refused to believe a crime had been committed. That had to be more than a coincidence. Maybe Ziegler was in on this too! Nancy wondered how she’d be able to keep her eye on so many suspects.
“Look,” Ziegler said, “since you girls are so interested in mysteries, how’d you like to watch the filming of a really good mystery show. It’s much better than ‘Nightside.’ It’s called ‘Cop.’ ”
“Oh, I used to watch that all the time,” said Bess. “But now it’s on at the same time as ‘Nightside,’ so I don’t watch it anymore.”
“You and several million other people,” Ziegler said, sighing. “Its ratings have dropped way down, but it’s still a great show.”
“I still watch it sometimes,” said George. “I really like the star, Dan Redding.”
“What’s it about?” Nancy asked.
