“No,” Nancy said, “it’s not.”
• • •
Terry had already left for Mendocino, and Amy for school the next morning, when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Nancy said to George and Bess, who were still finishing their breakfasts.
She opened the front door to find Detective Brower and a uniformed officer standing outside. “Ms. Drew,” Detective Brower said, “I’m afraid I have to ask you to come with us. You’re wanted for questioning in the theft of a jade tiger.”
11
Kidnapped!
Nancy stood in the Kirklands’ hallway, staring at the detective in disbelief.
“Wait a minute,” said George, who had followed Nancy to the door. “Are you saying that Nancy is under arrest?”
“Not under arrest, no,” Detective Brower replied. “At least, not right now. But I’ll need Ms. Drew to come to the police station for questioning.”
“I’m going with you,” George told Nancy.
“And me,” added Bess, who’d joined them.
Detective Brower frowned at them. “You two will have to follow in your own vehicle,” he said brusquely. “Now, Ms. Drew, please come with us.”
Nancy got her jacket, wondering why the police wanted her for questioning. She knew she had nothing to do with the theft of the jade tiger. But what if Mr. Mai had somehow discovered that she and Joanne had secretly photographed his gallery? Was Joanne going to be brought in as well?
The ride to the station was short. Neither Detective Brower nor the uniformed officer spoke. Once inside the station Nancy was led to a small, windowless room. Detective Brower and the uniformed officer followed her inside. There was nothing in the room except a bare table and three chairs. Nancy and the two policemen sat down.
“Ms. Drew,” the detective began, “we’re going to ask you a few questions. You’ve heard that a very valuable jade statue was stolen from the Fe T’sui Gallery in Sausalito?”
“I saw it on the news last night,” Nancy answered calmly.
“But you saw the tiger itself yesterday morning.”
“Mr. Mai gave me a tour of his gallery,” Nancy replied, wondering exactly what Mr. Mai had told the police. If Mai had told them she was an art student and they found out she was lying, she’d definitely seem suspicious. Nancy wished her father were around. She had an awful feeling that she was going to need a lawyer.
“Mr. Mai said that was the second time you were in the gallery,” the detective went on. “The first time his talk with you ended when you suddenly sprinted through his back room. The second time you brought a friend and made an excuse to go into the back room. He said you were very taken with the tiger.”
For the hundredth time Nancy wished that Detective Brower were like most of the police she’d worked with. Then she could just explain that she was working on the case, conducting her own investigation. She could even tell Brower what she’d discovered so far. But she knew that if she tried to explain things to this man, it would only make matters worse than they already were.
“Detective Brower,” she said, “am I a suspect in the robbery?”
“You may be,” he replied. “You did, after all, show a definite interest in the stolen object.”
“Do you think I’d call attention to the statue if I wanted to steal it?” Nancy asked incredulously. “Why would I be that obvious? I couldn’t help noticing that carving. It was the most beautiful thing in the gallery. Anyone would notice it.”
Detective Brower did not look convinced.
“If I’m a suspect,” Nancy said, “then I want to talk to a lawyer.”
No sooner had she said this than there was a knock on the door, and a young woman wearing a pale gray suit stepped in. Detective Brower looked distinctly annoyed. “Sayers,” he growled, “what are you doing here?”
The young woman held out her hand to Nancy. “I’m Alison Sayers, an attorney. I just had a call from your father—he asked me to represent you.”
“How did he know?” Nancy asked in amazement.
“Never mind that,” Brower snapped.
“I’d like a few minutes alone with my client,” Alison Sayers told the police in a firm voice.
“And I know exactly what will happen next,” Detective Brower said. “Every time we ask a question, she’s going to take the fifth and refuse to answer.”
Alison Sayers smiled. “You don’t have any evidence against her, do you?”
“Not yet,” Brower answered. He sighed deeply, then he and the uniformed officer left the room. Nancy quickly filled Ms. Sayers in on what had happened.
“Well,” the lawyer said, “what we have to tell the police is that you didn’t steal the tiger or have anything to do with its theft. You won’t have to answer too many other questions right now.”
Nancy did exactly as Ms. Sayers advised, which didn’t make Detective Brower very happy. At last he said, “Let’s not waste any more time, Ms. Drew. You’re free to go on the condition that you remain in this area until you hear from us.”
“Fine,” Nancy said with relief.
She and Ms. Sayers walked out of the interview room to find Bess and George waiting anxiously. “Aha,” Nancy said. “I know how my father found out about this.”
“We called him from Terry’s house,” Bess explained. “The minute you left with Brower.”
“And he must have called me the minute he got off the phone with you,” Ms. Sayers added.
