"That's possible," Nancy replied. "Anyway, since Dad wants us to go ahead, let's get our seat numbers."
The girls did, then went to the lounge and settled on three seats away from other waiting passengers to discuss what they would do when they reached Key Biscayne.
George said, "Perhaps we should disguise ourselves with wigs and quick-tanning lotions. Bess could become a brunette, I could be a blond, and Nancy a gray-haired old lady."
"Thanks." Nancy laughed. "It would be fun, but the suspects on Crocodile Island have never seen us before. What good would a disguise be?"
After a few moments' thought, Bess spoke up, "You're right, they haven't seen us. But they evidently know who we are. Do you think it would be safer if we changed our names? We could use pseudonyms when necessary."
"What names do you suggest?" George asked.
Nancy smiled. "Suppose I call myself Anne, and Bess can be Elizabeth, and George—"
Quickly George interrupted her. "Not Georgia!" she exclaimed.
Bess laughed. Georgia was her cousin's real name, but she would never allow anyone to call her by it.
"I'll be Jackie," George declared.
The girls discussed a last name and finally decided on Boonton, which was Mrs. Marvin's maiden name.
Nancy looked at her watch. "I'll have time to phone Dad and tell him our new names. He can inform Mr. Gonzales."
When she returned, George said, "Okay, Anne. Our section of seats has been called to board. Let's go!"
Bess grinned. "Oh, Jackie, dear," she said, "You have such brilliant ideas!"
The girls entered the giant airliner in a happy mood, and sat down side by side. During the flight they teased one another, using their assumed names. They passed part of the time reading magazines and eating a delicious lunch.
In the middle of the afternoon they arrived in Miami and went to the baggage-claim area. As they retrieved their suitcases, a young man walked up to them.
"Pardon me," he said, "but are you the girls who are visiting the Cosgroves?"
"That's right," George said. "And you?"
"My name is Steven, They sent me to drive you to their house. We'll get a porter and have him bring your bags."
Steven led them to a beautiful gold-colored car.
"Does this belong to the Cosgroves?" Nancy asked.
"No, it's mine," he said and opened the doors for them.
"It's yummy," Bess remarked and plopped into the cream-colored, velvety back seat. George climbed in next to her, while Nancy rode in front with Steven.
On the way the girls admired the sprawling, large homes and the glistening bay. Steven, who was not very talkative, answered their questions merely with a yes or no, so after a while they gave up including him in their conversation.
He drove over the causeway and through Key Biscayne. At last they came to an area of beautiful homes that occupied large pieces of property. Steven turned into a long driveway and approached an elegant mansion. He stopped at the front door and offered to carry the bags up to the girls' rooms.
Nancy rang the bell. The door was opened by a middle-aged couple.
"You must be Nancy Drew," the woman said. She was cordial but did not smile. "And these are your friends, Bess and George."
Nancy nodded and asked, "And you are Mr. and Mrs. Cosgrove?"
"Yes," the man replied. He did not smile either, and the girls felt uncomfortable at the cool welcome.
The couple silently escorted them to the second floor and showed each visitor to a large and expensively furnished bedroom. Steven followed with their luggage.
Nancy walked to the picture window at the far end of her room to gaze down into the beautiful garden. Bess and George also looked out their windows. None of them had noticed that their hosts had silently closed the doors to the hall.
When the three friends tried to get together before joining the Cosgroves downstairs, they found that they had been locked in!
CHAPTER IIIEscape
Although Nancy felt a tight knot of alarm in the pit of her stomach, her mind was racing. Obviously she and her friends had been kidnapped, and what made it worse was that the three girls were locked in separate rooms! No chance to plan an escape!
Before the young sleuth could decide what to do, she heard Bess cry out, "Anne, Jackie, where are you?"
"Locked in, just like you," George's voice came faintly.
"This is awful!" Bess wailed. "What'll we do?"
"Don't panic," Nancy advised. "That won't get us anywhere."
The girls realized that if they tried to discuss a plan of action through the walls, their captors would hear them and foil any attempted escape. Each one had to fend for herself!
While Bess and George began a minute examination of their prisons, Nancy looked through the keyhole. The key was gone, but she was sure the lock on this bedroom door was a common type.
"That's a break," she thought and opened her purse.
She took out a bobby pin and a nail file. First she inserted the file into the keyhole and held it tight. Next she pushed in the bobby pin. By manipulating first one, then the other, she finally managed to get the door open.
Silently Nancy stepped into the hallway and listened. She heard the front door slam, and tip toed to a window just in time to see the sham Cosgroves get into a green sedan and roar out of the driveway.
Obviously Steven had left too, because his fancy gold-colored car was nowhere in sight. All was quiet, and Nancy was inclined to think they were alone in the house. But she could not be sure.
Quickly she went to Bess's door and started to work with, her makeshift tools. Bess heard the noise. "Nancy? George?" she called.
"Shhh!" Nancy whispered. "I'm trying to get you out."
Within minutes she had released the lock and entered the room.
"You're a doll, Nancy Drew," Bess cried out, hugging her friend in relief. "Have you any idea where we are? This is a pretty grand-looking place. I can't imagine that the kind of people who live here would imprison us in their own house!"
"I can't either," Nancy replied. "I have a strong hunch that our captors borrowed this place. By the way, I saw those people leave. But they could come back any minute. Let's work on George's door!"
The girls quickly went to their friend's room and again Nancy inserted her nail file into the lock. There was no sound from inside the room. Had something happened to George? Finally the bolt snapped and Bess pushed the door open. The room was empty!
"George!" Nancy called out softly. There was no reply.
"Oh, dear," Bess said. "Maybe those people took her out of here!"
"I doubt it," Nancy reasoned. "We would have heard the commotion. Besides, we spoke to her just a few minutes ago." She walked to the window, and a big grin spread over her face.
"Bess, come here!" she said, pointing to a large maple tree directly in front of her. A long branch extended almost to the window. Climbing down the last two feet of the trunk was George!
"Hi!" Nancy called softly.
George looked up and chuckled. "I'm an escapee!"
Nancy smiled as Bess reached her side and heaved a sigh of relief. George continued her descent. "Bess, do you want to come down the way I did? Or use the stairs? And how did you two get loose?" she queried.
Bess made a face, then smiled. "Nancy h a great lock picker."
"Shh!" Nancy warned. "We don't know for sure that everyone's gone. Somebody could have been left to guard us!"
"So what do we do next?" Bess asked.
"I think you and I can risk tiptoeing through the house," Nancy replied, "Quick! Grab your bag. I'll get George's and mine. We'll meet her outside."
She motioned to the girl below to wait for them and the two quickly got their luggage. They hurried down the stairs, trying to move as noiselessly as possible. They opened the front door and slipped outside. George was waiting for them.
"I don't think we should take the road," Nancy said. "The kidnappers could come back. Let's walk through the backyard and see if we can get help at one of those houses in the distance."