As she entered the hallway of the inn, she saw him go into the dining room. Nancy was about to follow when from a half-closed telephone booth she recognized a familiar voice.
“Everything’s going as planned,” Michael said in a mocking tone. “Yes, I’m with Nancy Drew now. How’s my dear grandma? Ha! Ha!”
Nancy moved closer, but she heard no more. Michael lowered his voice, and a moment later came from the booth.
“Now what was the significance of that conversation?” the bewildered girl asked herself. “Michael couldn’t have been talking to Anna. He’s up to something!”
With no suspicion that he was being observed, Michael started to return to the dining room. Quickly Nancy walked up to him.
“Wouldn’t you like to join some of us in the garden?” she asked sweetly.
The young man looked surprised but accepted the invitation. Nancy suggested he wait for her by a little pool. He went outside just as Ned returned with Helen and Jim.
“How would you like to expose an impostor?” Nancy whispered.
“What!” said the three in unison.
“Anything you say,” Jim agreed.
“I’m convinced that the man known as Michael Alexandra is not a prince,” Nancy whispered tensely.
“What do you want us to do?” asked Jim.
“How are you at kidnapping?”
“Expert.” Ned grinned.
“It must be a neat, noiseless job. We’ll all walk down to the pool, where Michael is waiting. When I give the signal, overpower him and I’ll tell you what to do.”
“Leave it to us!” Ned replied.
The young people wandered into the garden. They paused at the pool, forming a circle about the unsuspecting Michael. Then, at a signal from Nancy, Jim and Ned closed in from the rear.
Before the captive could make a sound, they had covered his mouth. Lifting him bodily they carried him behind some bushes and put him down. No one would be apt to notice them in that spot, but there was enough light from a nearby lamp for them to see. Nancy spoke up quickly.
“If you don’t yell for help, we’ll allow you to talk,” she told him.
Ned removed his hand from the young man’s mouth.
“What’s the idea?” Michael demanded. “You can’t treat me like this! I’m a prince-”
“How can you prove it?” Nancy demanded. “With the letter and photograph. You took them to Grandmother yourself!”
“I gave her certain proofs-yes. But how do I know where you obtained them? They may have belonged to another person.”
“That’s a lie,” Michael mumbled, struggling hard to break away from Ned and Jim.
Nancy resumed coolly, “I know that you have been robbing Mrs. Alexandra.”
“You can’t prove a thing! You’re bluffing! Grandmother is satisfied that I am the lost prince.”
“If you’re the missing Michael, you can prove your identity right now,” Nancy retorted.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he protested savagely.
“You will in a moment.” Nancy smiled as she turned to Ned and Jim. “Boys,” she said, “please remove this man’s shoes and socks.”
“What’s the big idea?” Michael protested furiously. “You can’t take off my shoes!”
“Oh, can’t we?” mocked Jim. “Just watch us!” While their captive struggled and fought, he and Ned stripped off the shoes and socks.
“I wish we had a flashlight,” Nancy commented.
“Here’s one in the prince’s pocket,” Ned said sarcastically. He handed it to her.
To the surprise of the young people Nancy flashed the light directly on the soles of Michael’s bare feet.
“You are an impostor!” Nancy exclaimed
“Just as I thought!” she exclaimed. “You are not Mrs. Alexandra’s long-lost grandson! You are an impostor!”
“That’s not true,” the young man whined. “Why are you looking at my feet?”
“If you actually were Michael Alexandra, you would know the answer without asking!”
“You’re just trying to cheat me out of my inheritance.”
Nancy was stern as she faced the captive. “You’ll never obtain another penny from Mrs. Alexandra! Your little game has ended.”
Michael stared sullenly at the group.
“Okay, I’ll admit I’m not Michael Alexandra.”
“Where did you obtain your so-called credentials?” Nancy asked sharply. “I mean the letter and picture and toy?”
“Found ’em on a train seat coming into River Heights.”
“Then the real Prince Michael may be somewhere near here!” Nancy exclaimed. She asked the impostor, “Where is he?”
CHAPTER XVIII
“I DON’T know who the guy is, or where he went,” the man insisted sullenly.
“Did you see him?” Nancy persisted. “What did he look like?”
Michael shrugged. “Don’t remember.”
“What’s your real name?” Nancy asked.
Michael did not reply. Suspecting that the police would be summoned, he sat down on the ground, waiting for a chance to escape.
Nancy went into the inn and telephoned headquarters. Then she spoke to the others at the table, asking two of the young men to locate Michael’s companion. He could not be found anywhere, and Nancy assumed he had learned about what was going on and had left. A police car soon arrived and took away the prisoner.
“Let’s go inside,” Helen said. “Then you can tell us, Nancy, how you found out about the mark that will identify the lost prince.”
“I’ll tell you about it later,” the young detective replied. “In this public place someone might overhear me.”
Nancy followed the others toward the inn. After going a short distance she paused.
“Something else wrong?” Ned inquired.
“I can’t help being worried about Mrs. Alexandra and Anna,” she confessed, frowning.
“With the impostor in the hands of the police,” Ned answered, “they should be safe.”
“That’s the point, Ned. The prisoner is a clever thief, and he may have accomplices.”
“But his pals wouldn’t be likely to make trouble for Mrs. Alexandra without a go-ahead from him.”
“I’m not so sure of that. He’s the one we know so he’d have to establish an alibi. Ned, I heard him talking on the phone a while ago.”
“What did he say?”
“ ‘Everything’s fine. I’m with Nancy Drew now. How’s my dear grandma?’ He asked that mockingly, almost as if he knew she might be in trouble.”
“Do you think any of his pals are at the Alexandra house tonight?”
“That’s just what I’m afraid of, Ned. When I learned what the clue in the jewel box was, I advised Mrs. Alexandra not to give Michael any more jewels or art objects to sell. If she acted on my suggestion, then he probably realized his little game was nearing an end.”
“And figured he had to clean up fast,” Ned stated.
Nancy nodded in reply. “He may have arranged for his pals to rob the house tonight. I overheard Michael tell Anna he probably wouldn’t be home. When I asked him if he’d be there tomorrow, he seemed uncertain at first.”
“I see what you mean about establishing an alibi!” Ned exclaimed. “Say, his pals may be robbing Mrs. Alexandra at this very minute!”
“Let’s go to her house!”
“I’ll ask Jim to come with us,” Ned said.
Jim was more than willing to accompany the couple, and Katherine insisted upon going along. They found an empty taxi parked near the inn.
“Take us to the ferry right away!” Ned urged the driver.
“If we miss the next boat, there won’t be another along for half an hour,” Jim added, glancing at his watch.
Ten minutes later the taxi arrived at the dock. An instant before the gates were lowered, the cab was driven aboard. The ride across the river took its usual time, but to Nancy it seemed hours before the boat docked.
“Now to 47 Downey Street!” she urged the driver as the taxi rolled off the ramp.