The Secret of the Golden Pavillion by Carolyn G. Keene Read Free Book Online Page A

call Dad and find out out how he is.”
    While the others waited, she went to a telephone booth and put in a person-to-person call to Mr. Drew at the River Heights General Hospital. Presently she was told by the operator that Mr. Drew was not there, so she gave the number of his club. A few moments later her father answered.
    “Good to hear from you, Nancy,” he said cheerfully. “I know you’re going to ask me why I’m not in the hospital. Well, the truth is, the doctor has discharged me. I’m feeling fine. He won’t let me start the trip for a couple of days, though. I promised to stay right here and rest.”
    Nancy laughed. “I know you, Dad. You’ll rest by staying on the telephone talking to clients or writing briefs.”
    “Well, you wouldn’t want me to die of lonesomeness without you, would you?” Mr. Drew teased. Then he became serious. “Nancy, I have some good news for you. That scrap of tweed cloth you found in my office proved to be a valuable clue. The police have nabbed the hoodlum who attacked me.”
    “Oh, how wonderfull” Nancy exclaimed. “Who was he?”
    “The man belongs to the same gang of hoodlums as the ladder snatcher, who is under arrest. This fellow was also hired by O’Keefe to cause trouble.”
    Nancy asked her father if there was any report on O‘Keefe himself. “Yes. The man who knocked me out corroborated the other fellow’s story. O’Keefe has skipped town. This second prisoner says he has left the U. S. mainland.”
    “For the Hawaiian Islands?” Nancy asked.
    “No one knows. He did not divulge his destination,” the lawyer replied. “The hoodlum said that O‘Keefe was a collector of old jewelry and other small antique pieces. Apparently he ‘collects’ them without paying for them.” Mr. Drew laughed softly. “O’Keefe told the hoodlum that he had a special market for the pieces, but he didn’t say what it was.”
    Father and daughter chatted a few minutes longer. Both felt sure O‘Keefe had stolen Mr. Milbank’s ring. Then, with an affectionate “See you soon, Dad,” Nancy hung up. She rejoined her friends who were amazed to hear the latest news about O’Keefe.
    Hannah Gruen frowned. “I have a dreadful feeling that man is going to make more trouble for all of us,” she said. “I don’t know that as a chaperon I can cope with the situation properly.”
    Nancy patted the housekeeper on the shoulder. “Please don’t worry, Hannah,” she begged. “You know all of us have been in tight spots before. We can handle this one!” she stated confidently.
    A short time later the travelers boarded the overseas plane. Their seats were on opposite sides of the aisle but directly across from one another. Soon the fascinating Los Angeles sky line was receding in the distance. When darkness came, Hannah and the girls stretched out for a night’s sleep.
    They awakened to a gorgeous sunrise which followed them for a long time. Finally the Hawaiian Islands came into view. Up above them floated rose-tinted clouds and here and there the travelers could see a mountain peak. Below, palm trees waved in the gentle morning breeze.
    The great plane landed smoothly. Nancy and her friends stepped out, and began looking around for Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong. How could they ever find them, they wondered, in the mass of people awaiting the visitors? The arms of men and women were laden with colorful flower leis.
    As the girls went through the gate, a smiling couple walked up to Nancy. “Are you Nancy Drew?” the woman asked pleasantly.
    “Yes, I am. And you must be Mrs. Armstrong.”
    The woman nodded as Mr. Armstrong introduced himself. At the same time the couple began slipping leis over the shoulders of the River Heights group. For Nancy there was one of white gardenias, a favorite flower of hers.
    “Thank you so very much,” she said. “This is a wonderful greeting!”
    There was no chance for any further conversation, for at that moment three young men rushed up to the