“It was strange,” Mrs. Fenimore replied. “Mrs.
Hooper never talked about moving. A truck
drove up with Mr. Hooper and another man and
they loaded up all the furniture. Then Mrs.
Hooper and Teddy left in a taxi with their lug-
gage.”
Mrs. Fenimore went on to say that Teddy had
been boasting to Joan lately.
“He said his father was a smart man-he knew
how to make money without working for it. Oh,
how the talk frightened me!”
“I’ve never seen Mr. Hooper,” Nancy said.
“Can you describe him?”
“Cobb Hooper is a tall, thin man, sullen-faced,
and unkempt in appearance.”
“Did you say Cobb?” Nancy was startled by the
name.
“Yes.”
Nancy did not show her excitement as she
recognized the name of the suspicious man she
had overheard in the cloister at Heath Castle! She
asked Mrs. Fenimore if she knew anything about
Teddy and his family.
“I never knew when that boy was telling the
truth,” the woman replied. “But he told Joan he
knew where there was a hidden treasure.”
Nancy’s mind was whirling as pieces of evi-
dence seemed to fall into place. “Mrs. Fenimore,”
she asked, “did Joan ever talk to the Hoopers
about Juliana and the property she was to in-
herit?”
“Dear me, yes! The child told everybody.”
“And Teddy repeated it to his parents?”
“I don’t know. He told Joan he went to the
castle himself. But she was to keep it a secret.”
“When did Teddy tell your daughter this?”
“Oh, some time ago.”
There was nothing more of importance that
Mrs. Fenimore could remember. After learning
that the family was not in need of food or any-
thing else, Nancy and her father got up to leave.
Nancy remarked that they were on their way to
interview a woman who might have information
about Juliana.
“Oh, I hope she does!” Mrs. Fenimore said.
As soon as the Drews were in the car, Nancy
told her father of her suspicion regarding Cobb
Hooper.
“I thought Cobb was a last name,” she com-
mented. “It never occurred to me that Biggs’
companion might be Teddy’s father. The man I
overheard in the cloister didn’t act very paternally
toward the boy.”
“Maybe it’s only a coincidence.”
“Possibly. But Cobb is not a common name.
Shouldn’t we talk to the police again?”
Mr. Drew glanced at his watch. “All right. But
we haven’t much time if we’re to get to Hampton
tonight.”
At headquarters the sergeant on duty consulted
the files and informed the Drews that Cobb
Hooper had a prison record.
“Have you a mug shot of him?” Carson Drew
asked.
“Sure.”
The photograph was brought out. With only
one glance Nancy knew that he was the same man
she had seen in the castle garden.
“Cobb Hooper was one of the men who was
hacking at the stone walls,” she revealed. “He also
rammed me with his boat.”
“I’ll try to get a warrant for his arrest,” the of-
ficer said.
Nancy and her father thanked him and left for
Hampton. They arrived at ten o’clock, and the
next morning waited in the motel lobby to meet
Emily Foster. She was fifteen minutes late.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it on time,” she
said as she rushed in breathlessly. “You are Mr.
and Miss Drew, aren’t you?”
As the two nodded she went on, “The nurse
who was to relieve me was late.”
Nancy and her father liked Miss Foster at once.
She was in her early forties, brisk and efficient,
with a friendly smile.
After some polite conversation, she came right
to the point. “Mr. Drew, you said over the tele-
phone that you wanted to ask me about a former
patient of mine. I’ll be glad to help you if I can.”
“The information we are seeking concerns
Juliana Johnson,” Mr. Drew began, “but I be-
lieve she gave the name Julia Flower at the hos-
pital. She was injured in a hit-and-run accident.”
He showed Emily Foster Juliana’s photograph.
“Yes, I knew her as Miss Flower,” the nurse
said.
“Tell us about her,” Mr. Drew urged. “What-
ever you can remember.”
“Well, I had a hunch right away that Miss