Carolyn Keene_Nancy Drew Mysteries 050 Read Online Free PDF Page A

suspicious at the university museum or at the Thurstons’? And tell Oscar about the land mine.”
    “I certainly will,” Kammy agreed and gave a quick smile.
    The two girls walked to Nancy’s car, then said good-by. As Nancy pulled away she decided that the explosion should be reported to the police, and drove directly to Harper headquarters. Nancy had heard River Heights Chief McGinnis speak of the head of the Harper department, Chief Pepper, as being a good friend.
    Fortunately he was at his desk and she introduced herself. He arose and shook hands heartily.
    “I’m certainly glad to meet you,” he said. “McGinnis has told me so much about your expert detective work that I have the greatest admiration for you.”
    Nancy blushed. “I’m afraid Chief McGinnis has exaggerated.”
    The chief smiled at her warmly. “Miss Drew, suppose you tell me why you came to see me.”
    Nancy told him about the explosion in the Thurston field. “I believe the land mine was planted by the same stranger who cut a hole in one of the large bird cages.”
    Chief Pepper frowned. “This is very serious,” he commented. “Will you please tell your story again into this tape recorder?”
    Nancy repeated it, giving every detail she could remember, including the fact that the stranger had asked Kammy for directions to River Heights.
    “Someone stole a wryneck from the university museum here,” she went on, “and it was left on our lawn in River Heights.”
    “What do you think was the reason?” the chief asked her.
    “My father and I are convinced that one or more persons are trying to jinx us as well as the Thurstons, probably because my father is helping Mr. Thurston on a case against the High Rise Construction Company, which wants to destroy the zoo and aviary. I also believe someone knows about Mrs. Thurston’s superstitious nature and is hoping she will talk her husband into selling the farm.”
    As Nancy stopped dictating, the chief remarked, “That would be a great loss to the town of Harper.”
    After he had alerted his men to investigate the area where the land mine had been planted, Nancy said to him, “It’s possible someone connected with the High Rise company buried it.”
    The chief looked startled and picked up a copy of the local paper. “Here’s a picture of the officers of the company on a picnic.”
    The photograph was excellent. “And here are the workers. Suppose you study them and see if the man you saw is shown here.”
    Chief Pepper handed the newspaper to Nancy. “If you don’t find the right one among those pictures, look through our books of photographs of lawbreakers arrested here. Some of them have been released. The books are on that shelf along the wall.” He indicated them.
    The police chief left his desk and Nancy set to work. The owner of the High Rise Construction Company was Ramsey Wright. He was not the suspect.
    Nancy studied his face. “He doesn’t look too pleasant,” she thought, “but is he a criminal?”
    The other High Rise officers looked even less like suspects. Nancy carefully looked at the pictures of the workmen. Not only was none of them the suspect, but all looked far more congenial than the company’s executive. Nancy put the newspaper back on the chief’s desk.
    She walked over to the wall and read the classifications on the various volumes containing the photographs of prisoners arrested in Harper. Finally she chose a recent one marked:
    Wanted Ex-convicts
First arrest in Harper.
Later prison sentences in other locations.
    “I guess this is as good a place as any to start,” Nancy thought.
    Seating herself at a side table, she opened the book and carefully scrutinized each face. After turning the many pages, the young detective had almost concluded that the suspect she hoped to capture was not in this volume, when a thought came to her.
    “There’s one face that seems slightly familiar,” she said to herself and looked at it again.
    The man was heavy-set