The Mystery of the Ivory Charm Read online

  Next she asked the boy if he had any idea what the word Manohar meant. He shook his head and replied, “Rishi never hear it, except one time.”

  The boy and his new-found friends were excited as they climbed into Nancy’s car and went to Bradford Avenue. When they reached the attractive Tilak residence, the four walked up to the front door together. Nancy suggested that Rishi ring the bell.

  Everyone waited anxiously to see who would answer. To their disappointment no one came to the door. They tried the bell again, letting it ring a long time. No one appeared. Rishi suddenly put his arms around Nancy and trembled a little. She patted him soothingly.

  “I know this is hard for you, dear, but we won’t give up. Mr. Tilak is probably at work. Let’s find out if any of his neighbors know where he is.”

  Bess and George returned to the car, while Nancy and Rishi walked to the next house. Again there was no answer. They hurried across the street and rang the bell of another neighbor’s home.

  This time a woman appeared at the door. She smiled at them. “Yes?”

  Nancy explained that they were trying to get in touch with Mr. Tilak. “Could you tell me where we can find him?”

  “Yes,” she answered. “When he is in the United States, he spends most of his time at home, but he travels a great deal. Mr. Tilak goes back and forth to India a lot. He’s there right now.”

  Again Rishi’s enthusiasm and smile had turned to a look of sadness. This was not lost on Mr. Tilak’s neighbor.

  “I understand he’ll return in three weeks,” she said. “Why don’t you leave a note for him to get in touch with you at that time?”

  “We’ll come again,” Nancy told her. “Thank you very much for the information. This boy is from India and is eager to see him.” Rishi smiled shyly.

  “I understand,” the neighbor said. “Mr. Tilak is a charming gentleman. I know little about his life, but I believe a good part of it was sad. Now he keeps very busy and that takes his mind off the past.”

  Nancy thanked her and left with Rishi.

  “Any luck?” George asked as the two got into the car.

  “Yes and no,” Nancy replied and then told them what she had learned. She dropped Bess and George at their homes and went on. During the drive she kept wondering what her next move should be and finally decided to phone her father to ask his advice. As soon as she reached her own home, Nancy called his office.

  The lawyer was astounded at the progress Nancy had already made, but said Rishi must be returned to Rai at the wild-animal show. Whether or not the man was the boy’s real father had nothing to do with it. For the time being, Rai claimed that Rishi was his son and he had taken care of the boy since his infancy. Nancy’s heart sank at the thought of sending Rishi back.

  When Nancy explained this to Rishi he tried hard not to cry. “Rishi so happy for little while,” he said. “Now bad news come.”

  He pleaded with the girl to let him stay at her house. In his halting English he told her about Rai’s cruelty to him—relating incidents about which Mr. Strong, the owner of the show, knew nothing.

  “I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” Nancy said. “Instead of taking you back to the show, I’ll phone Mr. Strong to let him know you’re safe. Then I’ll ask him what he thinks we should do.”

  In order to avoid upsetting the boy Nancy went upstairs to phone while Hannah took Rishi to the kitchen and tried to interest him in dinner preparations.

  Meanwhile, Nancy had dialed the number of the show and in a few seconds was talking with Mr. Strong. He was astonished to hear where Rishi was and how he had managed to get there.

  “I assumed he had gone off with Rai. This will surprise you, but Rai suddenly resigned and told his assistant he was leaving and would not come back.”

  Nancy was astounded by this turn of events. Had Rai deliberately abandoned Rishi because he had learned of Strong’s suspicions about him, or had he left the animal show to hunt for Rishi? She asked Mr. Strong what he thought.

  The show owner was perplexed. “One thing I certainly know,” he said, “is that Rishi is much better off with you than he would be here. Until Rai returns, would you be willing to keep Rishi at your house? I suppose I’m now his guardian, and I’d like him to be with you until we learn more about Rai. I’m sure Rai would have no idea Rishi is there, so he can’t come and make trouble.”

  Secretly Nancy was pleased by the suggestion. She said she would have to consult her father and Hannah Gruen before saying yes.

  “I’ll call you right back, Mr. Strong,” she said.

  Mr. Drew and Hannah agreed to the plan but said Nancy should warn the boy not to go anywhere.

  “He must stay in the house or right on our property,” the lawyer declared.

  When Nancy spoke to Mr. Strong again, he seemed relieved by the arrangements. “If I hear from Rai, I’ll call you at once,” he promised.

  “And I will let you know if we learn anything from or about him, or Mr. Tilak,” Nancy told the show owner.

  Nancy hurried downstairs and went directly to the kitchen. She put her arms around Rishi and gave him a little hug. “Everything is all right,” she said. “You are to stay with us for now. But remember to be careful. Remain in the house most of the time and when you do go outdoors, watch out.”

  For the next hour Nancy and Rishi could talk of nothing but his good fortune. He wanted to know what work he could do around the house.

  “Rishi always do hard work,” he said.

  Hannah Gruen laughed. “So glad to hear that, because I could use a little extra assistance around here. I’ll let you know tomorrow how you can help me.”

  Mr. Drew came home early and at once became friendly with Rishi. He took him on a short tour of the house to show the boy mementos he had collected from various places in the world. Rishi was intrigued.

  He said, “Mr. Drew have souvenir from India?”

  “Only one small rug,” the lawyer replied.

  “Rishi get you more things,” the boy promised.

  During dinner the young visitor became very quiet and picked at his food. Hannah was afraid he did not like her cooking, but Nancy and her father thought the boy’s loss of appetite was a reaction to his exciting day.

  They talked of many things and he answered politely. He offered no conversation, though, until after dessert had been served.

  Then, from a pocket, he pulled the beautiful ivory elephant charm that Rai had worn. After getting up from his chair, he walked over to Nancy and put it around her neck.

  “This for you to keep,” he said, making a low bow.

  Nancy was overwhelmed. “But this belongs to Rail How did you get it?”

  Rishi explained that he saw it lying on the table in Rai’s quarters after the show. “Rishi pick up charm and put in pocket. Nancy must have this,” he insisted. “She very good girl and help me find my true father.”

  CHAPTER III

  Missing Guest

  EVERYONE at the table stared at the beautiful elephant ivory charm.

  “This is exquisite!” Nancy looked at Rishi, wondering how to explain that she could not accept such a gift. Finally she said, “Rishi, dear, you are most thoughtful to want me to have this. You say Rai had laid it on a table and gone off without wearing it?”

  The boy told her that in a fit of temper Rai had yanked the charm from his neck and thrown it on the table, saying he never wanted to see it again.

  “Rishi pick up. Rai always say wearer have good luck.”

  “I recall Rai saying that,” Nancy replied. She was puzzled. “Why would he have stopped wearing it?” she asked. Smiling, she added, “How strange for anyone to deliberately throw away good luck!”

  Rishi shrugged and said Nancy did not understand the man. “Rishi pick up elephant charm and bring here. Nancy keep it. Have good luck.”

  The young sleuth sighed. “I certainly hope to have good luck in finding your father, Rishi. But the charm must be given back to its owner if he wants it. As
soon as we hear of Rai’s return, I will see that he learns about it. In the meantime, though, I’d love to wear the charm.”

  Rishi beamed. “Rishi hope Rai never come back.”

  Mr. Drew changed the subject. “What is Mr. Strong going to do without the elephant act and your special performance?”

  When Rishi did not reply, Nancy said, “I must tell you exactly what Rishi is able to do. It is very difficult.” She described his act to her father.

  Rishi, who was still standing, put his chin up and threw back his head. He was so erect and had such a regal bearing that the others were convinced that a man like the cruel, dictatorial Rai could not be his real father. Nancy even wondered if the animal trainer might have stolen the charm.

  Her thoughts were brought back to Rishi, who remarked wistfully, “Rishi not miss Rai, but miss Arun very much.”

  The Indian boy went on to say that sometimes he hid from Rai to avoid being punished for some deed he had not committed. The man had a suspicious nature. He avoided making friends with anyone connected with the show and acted as though he thought someone was after him.

  “When Rishi hide,” the boy said, “sleep with old Arun. Elephant very warm and Rishi trust him.” Little by little the boy’s listeners felt more sorry about his situation and became more fond of him. Each wanted to do everything he could to help Rishi lead a happier life.

  As everyone left the table, he said, “Rishi go to bed now. Get up four o’clock.”

  The others gasped and Hannah Gruen said, “Four o‘clock! Not in this house. You may sleep until seven o’clock.”

  Rishi insisted he wanted to go to bed, and the others realized that if he had been up since four o’clock that morning, he must indeed be very tired. Hannah went upstairs with him. Rishi was to sleep on the third floor, where there was an extra guest room and bath.

  After they had gone, Nancy and her father discussed the mystery. Nancy remarked, “There are several angles to consider, Rai’s suspicious nature and treatment of the boy and the search for Rishi’s father.”

  Mr. Drew agreed. “This is not going to be an easy puzzle to solve. Nancy, we may have this boy here for some time. I notice he has no clothes except those he was wearing. I think we should borrow some for him. Is there a boy around here who’s about his size?”

  Nancy thought a moment, then said, “How about Bobby Allen down the street? You know his father well, don’t you, Dad?”

  Mr. Drew snapped his fingers. “A perfect suggestion.” The lawyer went to the telephone and called Mr. Allen.

  Without telling him about the mystery, Mr. Drew made his request.

  “Indeed, my son would be glad to lend your visitor some clothes,” Mr. Allen replied. “I’ll let Bobby pick out a few things and we’ll bring them over to you.”

  Within twenty minutes the two arrived with a suitcase full of clothes. The Drews explained to Mr. Allen and Bobby that the boy, whose name was Rishi, had already gone to bed.

  “He’ll try these on in the morning,” the lawyer said.

  While the men talked in the living room, Bobby went home. Nancy helped Hannah with the dishes and silver, then called Bess and George to tell them about the ivory charm she was wearing. The cousins were amazed by the news, but both declared Nancy certainly deserved it.

  Bess added, “I hope Rai doesn’t show up and take it away from you and hurt you in one of his fits of temper.”

  “I’ll watch my step,” Nancy assured her.

  Finally all the lights in the Drew household were put out. Mr. Drew went softly to the third floor to check on Rishi. The boy was sound asleep and lying so quietly that it was evident that he was relaxed and happy.

  The lawyer thought, “Probably the first peaceful evening Rishi has had in a long, long time.”

  Nancy could not get to sleep as easily as Rishi had. The specter of the towering Rai, decked in his long gown and turban, kept reappearing in her mind. She had laid his ivory charm on her bureau and wondered how long she might be able to keep it.

  Her next thought was, “With Mr. Tilak away and Rai gone, what do I do next to solve the mystery?” She could not answer the question and eventually fell asleep.

  The following morning, Hannah Gruen rushed into the girl’s bedroom. There was a look of fright on her face as she said, “Rishi is gone!”

  Nancy sprang out of bed. “What!” she exclaimed.

  The kindly housekeeper said she had searched all over for the boy and even called to him but there had been no answer.

  “Did you look outdoors?” Nancy asked her.

  Mrs. Gruen admitted she had not. “But what would Rishi be doing outside for so long? He’s been gone over an hour!”

  Nancy quickly put on her slippers and warm robe. She followed the housekeeper down the stairs and went out the rear door. Rishi was not in sight. Then suddenly she startled Mrs. Gruen by laughing aloud.

  “There’s Rishi!” she said, pointing into the garage. “He’s cleaning Dad’s car!”

  Hannah laughed, too, as she realized how much time she had wasted searching for the boy. It had not occurred to her to check the garage.

  As she and Nancy approached, Rishi gave them a big grin. “Good morning. Rishi not sleep after five. Hunt for work to do. Nothing in house. Rishi come out here.” With a twinkle in his eyes, he said, “Two cars very dirty. Rishi clean. Soon look like new.”

  Nancy thanked him for doing this good and necessary job, but Hannah scolded him gently. “You scared me. I’ve been looking all over the house for you. You should not have come out here without telling us.”

  “Nobody awake,” the boy defended himself. “Rishi not write English. Could not leave note.”

  Hannah was sorry now for what she had said. She went to the boy and hugged him. “Forgive me, Rishi. I was so frightened I guess I became a little angry.”

  Rishi smiled. “Rishi forgive. Please, Mrs. Gruen, give Rishi breakfast. Very hungry.”

  “While we’re waiting,” said Nancy, “I’ll show you a surprise.”

  She told him about the borrowed clothes. Rishi grinned and carried them upstairs to try on. In a few minutes he reappeared in pants, shirt, and a sweater that fitted perfectly.

  “Now Rishi American boy,” he announced, smiling broadly.

  Soon everyone sat down at the table. There was orange juice and Hannah’s special griddle cakes. Rishi enjoyed them.

  In a little while Mr. Drew hurried away in his own car, saying he was going out of town for the day.

  “Rishi go back to work, too. Wash Nancy’s car now.”

  The boy stayed in the garage and once Nancy went to check on him. After he finished cleaning her car, he began to sweep the garage. Nancy thanked him.

  She had scarcely returned to the house and started dusting the living room, when she glanced out a window and saw a green car turn into their circular driveway and stop in front of the house.

  A woman alighted, and the man drove off. Nancy put the dustcloth away and when the front doorbell rang, she answered it.

  A tall, willowy woman in her fifties with lots of blond hair stood there.

  “I’m Mrs. Allison,” she said rather brusquely. “I’d like to talk to Mr. Drew.”

  “Please step inside,” Nancy requested. “My father is not at home. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Mrs. Allison replied. “I must talk to him about a dream I had——Oh!”

  The woman was staring at the ivory charm Nancy was wearing. “Where——?”

  The next moment she slumped down in a faint!

  CHAPTER IV

  A Baffling Caller

  NANCY moved swiftly toward the stricken woman, but halted uncertainly as the front doorbell rang. She would have ignored it entirely had she not observed someone looking through the small glass pane. Had the person seen Mrs. Allison faint? At least the caller might offer aid.

  Darting to the door, she flung it open. Without waiting for an invitation to enter, a tal
l, athletic-looking man strode into the hall. He was the one who had brought the woman.

  “I am Steve Roach,” he announced quickly, “Mrs. Allison’s escort.”

  “You’re just in time to help. She has fainted.”

  The stranger moved quickly into the living room and walked to the chair where the woman lay in a crumpled heap. To Nancy’s amazement he lifted her up in his arms.

  “I’m very sorry this happened,” he said apologetically. “Mrs. Allison is subject to fainting spells.”

  “Will you please carry her up to a bedroom?” Nancy requested.

  “Oh no, I’ll take her to my car. She’ll be all right in a minute or two.”

  “But she’s as white as a ghost. You shouldn’t move her in that condition.”

  Mrs. Allison stirred slightly in the arms of her escort.

  “You see, she’s coming around now,” Mr. Roach said quickly. “Please let me handle this my own way. I understand Mrs. Allison far better than you do.”

  Nancy realized that it would be useless to protest. She held the door open for Mr. Roach, and with troubled eyes watched him carry the limp figure to a car parked in front of the house. He placed Mrs. Allison on the rear seat and drove away.

  A few minutes later Nancy decided to go to the garage and see how Rishi was getting along with his work.

  “Rishi almost finish,” the boy said.

  Nancy praised him for his excellent job, then asked, “Did you ever hear of a Mrs. Allison or a Mr. Roach?”

  Rishi thought for a moment, then said, “Not hear of Mrs. Allison, but Rishi hear name Roach at animal show.”

  “You mean he’s one of the performers?” Nancy questioned. Here was an interesting clue!

  “Not perform,” the boy replied. “Rishi hear Rai speak name Roach over phone.”

  “Do you know whom Rai was talking to?” Nancy put in.

  Rishi shook his head. “Maybe Mr. Roach, maybe not.”

  Nancy’s mind was leaping from one idea to another. Was Mrs. Allison looking for Rishi? Had she guessed Rishi might be at the Drew home? Had she fainted before broaching the subject? Had Roach also intended to ask questions but found his plans thwarted? And last of all, had Rai sent the couple there?