Chapter 2

“If I ever meet up with that guy again, I’ll knee him right where he lives,” George exclaimed. Nancy had just finished relating the conversation she had with her father the previous evening. They were discussing it over coffee at a nearby diner.

“But you don’t know where he lives,” Bess objected. “Do you?”

“I most certainly do,” George replied.

“Well fine then,” said Bess. “We’ll just go there and when he leaves we’ll follow him. He’ll lead us straight to Brianna.”

“That’s not what I meant you--”

“Let’s just concentrate on finding Brianna, okay?” Nancy said. “I have an appointment with the police chief this morning. Let’s meet for lunch at noon at my place. I asked Mrs. Gruen to set places for both of you before I left the house.” Hannah Gruen, the Drew family’s housekeeper, was a terrific cook and her friends never turned down a chance to enjoy an always delicious meal prepared by her.

Nancy’s meeting with the River Heights police chief didn’t produce much in the way of results. No one had been issued a ticket for a license plate violation in a long while and the violator was known to be a local merchant. Nancy’s description of the man who met Brianna Colby didn’t ring any bells with the chief.

“Your father’s right, Nancy,” the chief said. “We don’t have anything to investigate at the moment. You don’t have this young lady’s home address so you can’t contact her parents unless they’re listed in the telephone book which I doubt.”

“I’ve already checked that angle,” said Nancy. “You’re right.”

“I’ll ask the city police department to inform us if a missing persons report is filed for Brianna Colby but it could take weeks before her parents become worried if they don’t hear from her.”

“I appreciate the effort, Chief,” Nancy replied. “I’m just afraid we don’t have the luxury of time. I think Brianna Colby is in real danger now.” The guardian of law and order in River Heights nodded his head in agreement. He knew Nancy Drew wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions or panic unnecessarily. Despite her youth, Nancy had already been of inestimable assistance to the River Heights Police Department. (See the “Mystery of the Vegetarian Cannibal”.)

Nancy got home just before noon. With her usual Prussian efficiency, Hannah Gruen had everything under control and was ready to serve lunch. “Where’s Bess?” said Nancy when she opened the front door to admit George.

“She said she had a couple of errands to run,” George replied. “I’m sure she’ll be along soon. My cousin has yet to miss a meal when it’s been prepared by Mrs. Gruen.” However Bess was indeed late and the two young women had just about decided to eat without her when she finally arrived.

“It’s so nice of you to join us,” said George.

“I’m sorry but it couldn’t be helped,” Bess replied with a pleasant smile.

“Never mind,” said Nancy. “Let’s eat.”

The girls settled down to a delicious repast prepared by the inestimable Mrs. Gruen and talked in generalities but as the meal neared its end the topic of the whereabouts of Brianna Colby was once again on their minds.

“What’s our next move?” said George.

“I honestly don’t have a clue,” Nancy admitted.

“Well, I still think we should just follow him,” said Bess. “He’s sure to lead us back to Brianna eventually.”

“That’s brilliant thinking, Bess,” said George. “Do you happen to know where this fellow is right now?”

“No, I don’t,” Bess replied, “but I happen to know where he’ll be at four o’clock this afternoon.”

“Where? When?” Nancy almost shouted. “How did you find out about this?” Nancy and George stared in amazement at Bess who quite liked being the center of attention for a change.

“He’ll be at the train station at four o’clock this afternoon,” said Bess. “I was on my way to the druggist because I had a hankering for a candy bar. This big car pulled up in front of the train station. The same man who picked up Brianna got out of the car and opened the door for this Oriental-looking woman. She was Chinese or Japanese or something like that and very elegantly dressed.”

“It wasn’t the same car?” said Nancy.

“It was a different car,” Bess replied, “almost like a limousine, but it was the same driver. I’m sure of it. He got back into his car and left right away so I followed the woman inside. She caught the train into the city about five minutes later.

“Anyway, I sort of flirted with the ticket clerk and--”

“You did what,” exclaimed George. “That guy has to be a thousand years old.”

“Hush and let her finish,” said Nancy.

“ ... and I commented how beautiful that Oriental woman was and he said she takes regular trips into the city and usually returns on the four o’clock train.”

“That’s great detective work, Bess,” said Nancy.

“Thanks!”

“I guess your sweet tooth came in pretty handy,” said George. “Congratulations, cousin!”

“That reminds me,” said Bess. “I didn’t get a chance to buy my candy bar.”

“I guess I know where I’m going to be at four o’clock this afternoon,” said the girl detective.

“I’m the one who found him,” said Bess. “I’m going to be there too.”

“Well, I’m not going to sitting around twiddling my thumbs while you two have all the fun,” said George. “I’m coming along. Maybe I’ll get a chance to kick that guy where he lives.”

“I knew I could count on you both,” said Nancy.

“That’s the car pulling up to the train station now,” said Bess as she finished her candy bar. Nancy Drew and her two friends were sitting in Nancy’s blue roadster across the street from the train station.

“That’s him all right,” said Nancy as she watched the man enter the front door of the depot. “It’s almost four o’clock too.” Not more than five minutes after the train dropped off its passengers Nancy observed their man accompany the Oriental woman to the car and open the door for her. He was very deferential to the woman and she was obviously his superior. This was in marked contrast to the way he treated Brianna who had to carry her own suitcase.

Not far out of River Heights farmland and open country dominated the landscape. Many of the country roads had yet to be paved so it was rather easy to stay well back and follow the trail of dust kicked up by the large automobile.

“They’ve either turned off the road or they’ve stopped,” said Nancy.

“How can you tell?” said Bess.

“I don’t see their dust trail any more.”

“Should we pull over?” said George. Nancy shook her head.

“I don’t think we have any choice but to continue on.” So far following the car had been easy. Perhaps it had been too easy. Sure enough, Nancy took a bend and found her car not more than two car lengths behind the one they were pursuing. The man and the woman were standing together and the man waved to them. The road was too narrow at that point to pass them and also too difficult to turn around.

“Is there a problem?” Nancy called. The Oriental woman approached Nancy’s side of the car.