Nancy’s next call was to Bess. It had been she who had learned of the disappearance of Nancy and George from the circus. Bess had summoned Mr. Drew, who had gone at once to question Kroon. The ringmaster had told the lawyer he had discharged Nancy because she was not a regular member of the circus. He had assumed that Nancy, of course, had gone home.
“Kroon is a slick individual. There’s no doubt about it,” Mr. Drew pointed out. “But I don’t think he’ll suspect, even iŁ he learns you were here for a while, that you have gone to New York.”
Mr. Drew drove his daughter to the airport and waved good-by as she boarded the plane. Nancy settled herself comfortably and soon fell asleep from exhaustion. By the time she reached New York, Nancy was refreshed and ready to continue work on the case.
Her father had given her a letter of introduction from Police Chief McGinnis in River Heights to Captain Smith of the New York Police Department, who had been assigned to the Tristam Booking Agency investigation.
Nancy toyed with the idea of going at once to call on the police captain. But she knew her aunt would be waiting, since Nancy’s father had said he was telephoning to her from the airport. Nancy took a taxi to Eloise Drew’s apartment and soon the two were embracing each other.
“How good it is to see you!” Miss Drew exclaimed.
“You’re an old dear to let me barge in like this.” Nancy laughed. “Aunt Eloise, you look simply wonderful. A new hair-do?”
Miss Drew smiled. “Yes. Do you like it?”
“It’s stunning. And, Aunt Eloise, how in the world did you get that picture of me?”
Nancy’s eyes were focused on a large photograph of herself on a table. She was in her circus costume, standing on a horse.
Miss Drew laughed. “I asked a photographer at the circus to take it when I was there,” she said. “It came out very well, don’t you think?”
When Nancy asked for a copy of the photograph, her aunt said she was saving it as a surprise for Mr. Drew’s Christmas present.
“Your father is so hard to buy for,” she said. “I’m sure there’s nothing he’d love better than a remembrance of his daughter appearing in the circus—especially since she was helping out other people.”
While they ate supper, the conversation turned to the mystery. Aunt Eloise begged her niece to be careful and not undertake any sleuthing alone. Nancy promised.
“First thing tomorrow morning I’m going down to talk to Police Captain Smith,” she said. “I wonder what he found out about Lola Flanders. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she really were Lolita’s mother?”
Aunt Eloise was not so sure of this. Perhaps the woman had changed a great deal during a period of ten years. It seemed very strange that she had not been in touch with her daughter.
“At least Lolita knows nothing about this,” Nancy replied. “If it seems best not to tell her about Lola, I shall keep it a secret.”
The situation bothered Nancy. She tossed restlessly in bed for nearly an hour after turning out the light. But finally she dropped off to sleep. Directly after breakfast, however, she set off for Captain Smith’s headquarters.
She presented the letter of introduction to the sergeant on duty and he took it to the captain. In a moment the sergeant returned, inviting Nancy to follow him. He showed her into the office, then closed the door and left.
“I’m glad to meet you, Miss Drew,” the officer said, smiling. “Chief McGinnis and I were buddies in the Army some years ago. He tells me that you’re quite a detective.”
Nancy blushed slightly and admitted that she had solved some cases. Then she turned the conversation from herself and asked:
“Have you found Lola Flanders?”
“We don’t know yet,” Captain Smith told her. “We’re still checking.”
He went on to say that one of their detectives had called at the Tristam Booking Agency. He had been able to learn little from either the owner or his secretary.
“They’re cagey people,” the officer said. “They told our detective that they never discuss their clients’ private affairs.”