During the trip back to Salty's dock, the clam digger and the girls kept their eyes open for the blue-and-white motorboat. But they did not see it.
"I'll be glad to take ye on a trip again," the amiable man offered when they reached River Heights.
Nancy thanked him. On the way home she was thoughtful, and could hardly wait for the moment when she could talk to her father. In his den after dinner she told about Daniel Hector's apparent connection with the explosion at the Heath button factory.
"But why would Hector want to damage property he's obligated to look after?" Mr. Drew asked. "It doesn't make sense."
"I'm sure there's a great deal more to the Heath case than Juliana's disappearance," Nancy declared. "The explosion today, for example. There may be something pretty sinister in back of it all."
"I agree with you," Mr. Drew said soberly. "Nancy, I know it's useless to ask you to give up trying to solve a mystery-"
"Oh, it is, Dad!"
"At least I can ask you to be careful. Remember, you're my one and only daughter."
"I'll keep it in mind," she said, hugging him affectionately. "Now, about the Heath affair. Isn't it possible that Hector has been investigating the property himself, hoping to discover the clue Walter Heath mentioned in his will?"
"You mean the one by which Juliana can identify herself beyond all doubt?"
"Yes, Dad. If a dishonest person stumbled upon that clue, it might be possible for him to have an impostor claim the fortune."
"That wouldn't be so easy, Nancy. A number of persons knew Juliana."
"But," Nancy countered, "if she has been through a terrible experience of some kind, she could have changed so much even her own sister wouldn't recognize her."
"True. I follow your reasoning. Nevertheless, any woman who put in a claim would have to satisfy the court that it was a just one."
Nancy glanced steadily at her father. "Do you think Mr. Hector has really tried to find Juliana? If he isn't honest-"
"Nancy, I don't like to think the man would be involved in anything underhanded. I don't approve of his methods in handling law cases, but there is no proof that he has actually done anything dishonest."
"But you admit," Nancy said, "that the Heath case looks suspicious?"
"Yes, I do, Nancy."
His daughter went on, "I've even thought that maybe Juliana is being held a prisoner somewhere."
Mr. Drew looked surprised. "In the castle?"
"Who knows?" Nancy replied. "Dad, I can't decide where to begin looking for her. The explosion today kind of changed my plans."
"In what way?"
"I heard that Walter Heath made scientific experiments at his estate. If Mr. Hector suspects there's a secret within those crumbling walls-"
Mr. Drew gazed at Nancy. "Young lady, you're leading up to something!" he declared with a twinkle in his eye. "Out with it!"
"I'm only trying to arouse your curiosity," Nancy confessed with a laugh. "Why not go to the factory with me? You may find a clue I overlooked. I need your help. Dad."
"Well, if you put it that way," her father said, "Actually, I haven't the time to spare, but I'll go to please you."
"Tomorrow morning then."
"So soon?"
"Dad, don't forget, I must solve this mystery in three weeks!"
CHAPTER VIIA Puzzling Message
Nancy and her father were up early the next morning. They hastily made breakfast before Hannah came downstairs, then drove to the lane Mr. Drew knew led to the damaged button factory. The road was in very bad condition, and there was no gate.
"I see why those men came by boat," said Mr. Drew, stopping the car some distance from the building. "We'll walk from here."
Nancy led the way through the dew-laden grass to the scene of the explosion. There was no sign of anyone near the factory.
"The explosion did a good job of destruction," the lawyer commented as the Drews cautiously entered the building.
"Here's where the wall caved in between George and me," Nancy explained.
"Looks as if it might have been dynamited," her father remarked. "Let's see if we can find any evidence."
For the next half hour father and daughter scrambled among the rubble. When they discovered nothing of importance in the corridor, they decided to investigate the large workroom at the rear. It was necessary to go outside and climb in through a window to reach the room, because the inside entrance was blocked.
"Oh, it's like a ghost town," Nancy said as she surveyed the rusted machinery covered with layers of dust. "To think that this once was a prosperous factory, Dad." She pointed. "What was this machine used for?"
"Cutting," her father explained. "The mollusk shell is placed inside. An operator moves a lever and down comes the circular steel saw. Presto! A little shell disk drops into the hopper. Another machine slices the disk into pieces of uniform thickness and there you have some pearl buttons!"
"How clever!" said Nancy.
"The buttons pass through still another machine which polishes them," Mr. Drew went on. "In the last operation thread holes are drilled through them."
"Dad! Look!" Nancy cried suddenly.
A scrap of torn paper was sticking from a comer of the rubble in the doorway. Near it, in a thick layer of dust, were several footprints.
Nancy picked up the paper which had part of a message on it. The writing was bold and read:
Dear C,
Some
cret which I
in a wall
famous
worthy
"Interesting," Mr. Drew commented, scanning the paper. "But I can't say that it makes much sense. The footprints might be a better clue."
He stooped to examine them. "Freshly made, no doubt," he said. "Perhaps the two men have visited here since the explosion."
"If so, it proves they're searching for something they think was hidden and could be found only by blasting it out."
"Not necessarily. The explosion could have been an accident, or was set off for some other purpose and may have nothing to do with Juliana's inheritance," Mr. Drew remarked.
Nancy was staring at the torn note. "I believe I've stumbled upon a worthwhile clue just the same. I'm sure the partially missing word is secret"
She pocketed the message and reluctantly left the factory with her father. At home, later on, Nancy spent more than an hour trying to figure out the missing words of the note. Who had written them? The paper appeared old, the ink slightly faded.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Walter Heath had written this," she told Hannah Gruen.
"I know how you might find out!" the housekeeper said.
"How?"
"Walter Heath was a member of the River Heights Historical Society before his death. I'm sure the society has specimens of his handwriting."