Captive Witness Read Online Free PDF

oppression of human rights in his native land. The film was entered in a very important film festival to be held in Vienna during the coming week.
    “This morning,” Carson Drew said, “Kessler received a call from the festival authorities. His film has been stolen. Unless he can recover it by Wednesday morning, the world will not see or hear his story.”
    “But why can’t he get another print made from the negative and rush that to Vienna?” the girl detective asked.
    “He thought of that, of course,” her father said. “Unfortunately somebody on the other side thought of it, too. Kessler made the mistake of leaving his negative at a laboratory for printing. He should have stayed with it to protect it. But he didn’t, and an hour later the laboratory burned to the ground. The negative was destroyed. The stolen film, if it still exists, is the only copy of Kurt Kessler’s Captive Witness.”
    Nancy whistled. “But if government enemies stole it,” she said, “don’t you think they destroyed it right away or at least took it out of Austria? After all, that fire in the lab was probably a case of arson.”
    “Right,” Mr. Drew said.
    “So we’re probably on a wild-goose chase,” Nancy said, somewhat crestfallen.
    “No, I don’t think so. I have reason to believe that Kessler’s enemies will take good care of the film because they want to trade it for something even more valuable to them.”
    “But what?”
    “That,” the lawyer said, “is what my beautiful, talented daughter is going to have to figure out.”
    “I appreciate the compliment, Dad, but what I need are some solid leads.”
    Carson Drew sighed. “Well, I wish I had some. The best I can offer is one contact. His name is Richard Ernst and he’s the official at the film festival who can tell you the details about the theft. Contact him at the festival office. That’s about all I can tell you. Oh, except for one thing. Be careful and watch out for two enemy operatives. One is tall, heavy-featured, with blond hair and blue eyes. The other is shorter, wiry. He has a bad complexion. Pitted skin.”
    Nancy almost dropped the phone. “Oh, Dad, say no more. I think I know the fun-loving pair personally.”
    “You do!”
    “Yes. I wish I could explain on the phone but—” Nancy stopped. “Dad! Dad, did you hear that? It sounded as if someone were tapping this line.”
    There was a long pause and then her father’s voice came through. “That’s not possible on this end, Nancy. Remember we had our phone system constructed to make taps impossible? And at great expense, I might add.” There was another pause. “Nancy, be careful. If there is a tap, it’s on your end.”
    A chill ran up the girl’s spine. She wondered how it could have been done so quickly. No one knew she was calling from a public phone booth. Then she remembered how the hotel clerk had specifically beckoned her to the desk and told her about the pay phone. It had been a setup!
    “Dad,” she said. “Dad?” There was no answer. She jiggled the hook. “Dad, can you hear me? Dad?” After a few seconds, she gave up and tried to dial again but the line was completely dead now.
    As she hung up, something banged and scraped violently across the top of the phone booth and the light went out. Suddenly, Nancy found herself alone on the almost completely darkened street as the figure of a tall man moved slowly, purposefully, toward her.

5
    An Unpleasant Invitation
    “Nancy Drew! What are you doing standing in a dark phone booth at this hour of the night?” The threatening, tall figure peered into the booth, and much to Nancy’s relief, she realized it was Dr. Bagley.
    “That’s a good question.” The young sleuth sighed. “I was talking to my dad back in River Heights. Then I thought I heard a tap on the line. But he reminded me that our house has special equipment to prevent tapping at his end, so it must’ve been on mine.
    “But look.” She pointed up at the line