Ghost Stories, #2 (Nancy Drew)

  This book made available by the Internet Archive.

  FOREWORD

  Dear Readers,

  When I thought about creating a collection of ghost stories, I knew that Nancy Drew would face her most intriguing challenge yet as a young detective. You see, Nancy does not believe in ghosts; but the many unexplained happenings in each mystery almost lead her to think otherwise.

  Well, I won't spoil the fun by telling you about Nancy's amazing discoveries. You'll have to read the stories to find out what they are!

  Carolyn Keene

  VAMPIRE CAVE

  A light, pearly mist was descending over the Allegheny Mountains as darkness fell. Nancy Drew looked out the living room window of the inn at which she and her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne were staying. It was perched on the side of a hill, and she strained her eyes to spot the entrance to Craggy Cave.

  'The mountains are beautiful, but they look spooky in this light," she observed.

  ''Wait till you get inside the cave," said tall, athletic George, who had suggested the girls stop off at the inn to go exploring. "It'll have underground streams, crystal caverns, and it's haunted by ghosts, according to Jenny."

  "Ah, yes, it sure is," Jenny Shipton confirmed. She was the owner of the inn, an old, bent woman, but remarkably spry on her feet.

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  "Tell us about it!" Nancy said.

  Bess Marvin, who was George's cousin, shivered. *'I don't know if I want to hear this," she declared, shaking her fluffy blond hair.

  *'Oh, I do!" George said eagerly. Contrary to Bess, she was a tomboy and not afraid of anything.

  'There's more in Craggy Cave than ghosts," Jenny warned. "If you want to go spelunking, go somewhere else. Not there!"

  "Oh, come on," Nancy said. "It can't be that bad." She glanced at the old woman and noticed, to her surprise, that Jenny actually looked scared.

  "The cave is full of bats," the innkeeper went on.

  "Bats!" Bess cried, horrified. "That does it. I'm not going."

  Jenny nodded her gray head. "Yes, bats. And worse than that. Long time ago, when folks was feudin' something awful around here in the hills, a man on the run hid in Craggy Cave. Never been heard of since. They say he was bitten by a bat and turned into a vampire!"

  "You don't really believe that, Jenny, do you?" Nancy asked.

  The old woman did not answer. "When the drums beat in Craggy Cave," she continued, "the vampire is on the prowl." Her voice was low and hoarse. "He attacks people!"

  "But there's no such thing as a vampire!" Nancy protested.

  "Don't tell me/" Jenny exclaimed. "I've seen him. His hair is black as coal, his face is white like the snow. He has evil black eyes that bore into your soul, and

  Vampire Cave

  long white fangs that he sinks into anyone who comes his way!"

  Bess stuck her fingers into her ears. "I don't want to listen to this. Now I won't be able to sleep all night!"

  Jenny looked at Nancy. "He wears black from head to toe," she whispered. "But his cloak is lined in red. Don't go near him. Don't go near Craggy Cave!"

  "I think we should talk about this in the morning," George said. "I'm sure in the daylight things will look different."

  Nancy agreed. "It's time we went to bed," she announced. "We have a busy day ahead."

  As she spoke, a booming noise reverberated through the mountains. The effect on Jenny Shipton was startling. "It's the vampire!" she cried, shaking with fright.

  "No, it's not," Nancy assured her gently. "It's just a thunderclap." As if to confirm her words, rain suddenly began to beat loudly on the roof.

  The girls said goodnight to their hostess and went into their room. Bess spent a restless night. She tossed and turned.

  "It was awful," she told her friends at breakfast. "I dreamed I was being chased by a vampire. And he looked just like Dracula!"

  Yet, in the sparkling light of the morning, Jenny's tale of the vampire seemed less eerie and George began to plan the expedition.

  "Let's not forget how easy it is to get lost in a cave," she reminded her companions. "Caves are like mazes, with tunnels going off in all directions."

  "You're right," Nancy agreed. "And there are deep

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  sink holes. If you fall into one of those, and there's no one to help you out, you've had it!"

  Bess looked unhappy. "I know the spelunking trip was one of the reasons we came here," she spoke up. *'But do we have to go through with it?"

  "Where's your sense of adventure, Bess?" Nancy teased. "Remember, Mr. Evans said there's some real exploring to do, especially in Craggy Cave."

  Bess remained unconvinced. "There are other caverns in the area. Why don't we pick one of them? I don't want to see where the vampire lives."

  "What vampire?" George grinned. "Now, before we do anything, we'll have to buy the necessary 'spelunk junk.' "

  Bess groaned.

  "We need nylon rope," George went on, "hard hats with flashlights built in, batteries, regular flashlights and—" she winked at Nancy—"survival rations for Bess." She knew she could usually mollify her cousin with the mention of food, which Bess was extremely fond of.

  "You can buy all that stuff in Morton Bluff," Jenny Shipton said, pouring herself another cup of coffee. "Young fellow by the name of Ron Parker runs a store in town. He sells sports equipment and gift items. He's also my nearest neighbor. If I can catch him on the phone, maybe he'll give you a ride into town."

  She made the call, and ten minutes later Ron Parker, a tall, blond young man in his late twenties, rolled up in his dusty old jeep. When they set out for Morton Bluff, the girls queried him about Craggy Cave.

  Vampire Cave

  Ron laughed when Bess mentioned the vampire. "Old wives' tales," he commented. "Nothing to them."

  "Jenny Shipton claims she's seen the vampire," Bess insisted.

  Ron made a face. "She's seeing things in her imagination, as she often does, living up there by herself near Craggy Cave. When are you planning to explore the place?"

  "This afternoon," George said. "First we'd like to visit Evans Mansion."

  "It's not open to visitors," Ron said. "The owner is in Europe."

  "We know," Nancy told him. "But Mr. Evans is a friend of my father's and he said we can get the key from the bank president and see his paintings."

  Ebenezer Evans, who was a millionaire, had one of the best private collections of primitive paintings, and the girls were very interested in seeing them.

  Ron Parker looked surprised. "You really think they'll let you in?" he asked.

  "Sure," Nancy replied. "We're to pick the key up from Mr. Knox. He's expecting us this morning. Can you drop us off there? Later we'll come to your store and get our spelunk junk."

  Ron smiled. "I'll be glad to. Matter of fact, I'll drive you to the mansion. I haven't seen the paintings, either, and I'd like to come with you. My partner Jim is at the store, so I can take some time off."

  Soon the group arrived at the bank and spoke to a clerk named Henry Smith. He was a small, wizened man with an air of perpetual worry. He announced the

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  visitors to Mr. Knox over the intercom, then ushered them into the banker's private office.

  Mr. Knox stood up and extended his hand. "I'm glad to meet you girls. Hi, Ron. Have you been elected as the Drew party's special tour guide?"

  Ron grinned. "I gave them a lift into town. Do you mind if I go along to see the mansion? I haven't been inside myself yet."

  "No, go right ahead," Mr. Knox said. "Mr. Smith will come along, too, and turn off the alarm. We know we can trust you people. When yo
u're through, just lock the door. That automatically reactivates the security system. Then you can bring the key back."

  The girls thanked the bank president and the group walked outside. Mr. Smith squeezed into the back seat of the jeep with George and Bess. "I'll walk back from the mansion," he said. "It's not far."

  Soon the jeep rolled through the impressive gate of the Evans Mansion, which lay on the outskirts of the small town toward Craggy Cave. Ron parked and everyone climbed out. Mr. Smith unlocked the heavy oak door, then deactivated the alarm. He handed the key to Nancy. "Enjoy yourselves," he said. "Mr. Evans has a real treasure here for art lovers. Take your time."

  "Thanks," Nancy said and waved good-bye. She went inside, followed by Ron and her friends. Their footsteps echoed eerily on the marble floor of the huge entrance hall.

  "It's beautiful!" Bess breathed as they walked into the ornate living room. She admired the antique furniture as well as the rare paintings.

  Vampire Cave

  Now and then, the girls noticed an empty spot on the walls. "Mr. Evans must have sold several of his pictures," Nancy said.

  George nodded. "I wonder if there are any others in the study," she said and went off to look while Bess and Nancy examined a heavy, carved table, whose top was inlaid with different kinds of wood, forming an intricate design.

  Ron trailed after George into the study. She stood before the painting of a woman in a garden, which hung over the fireplace, and admired the striking colors. When she finally turned, her eyes caught a folded piece of paper on the floor. She picked it up and looked at it.

  "What is it?" Ron asked curiously, glancing over her shoulder.

  *'A handwritten list of paintings," George replied. "Mr. Evans must have made this."

  Her gaze was drawn to another picture and she walked over to it, absentmindedly putting the crumpled list into her pocket. "Look at this beautiful portrait!" she exclaimed. "The eyes of that woman are absolutely haunting!"

  "They are," Ron agreed. "Well, I'd better be going now. I want to make sure that Jim's minding the store. See you girls later. I'll give you a ride to the cave, if you want."

  "That'll be great," George said. Then she turned to the portrait once more. Soon she heard the noise of the jeep's engine, as it rattled down the driveway.

  Nancy and Bess were studying a fine collection of

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  old swords displayed in the hall, when George strolled into the next room, a huge library. She examined the paintings there. Then she went to a door which she thought would lead to an adjoining room. An ornate key was in the lock, but she did not have to turn it to open the door. •

  George chuckled. She was looking into a large, empty closet! She was about to close the door again when she heard a footstep behind her. She started to move her head when a pair of hands struck her sharply in the back. She plunged into the closet, bumping her head on the rear wall!

  The door slammed shut behind her. George picked herself up, anger welling up inside her. She tried the door, but it was locked. Loudly she yelled for her companions. They didn't hear her.

  This is crazy, George thought. Someone else is in the house with us. But who? Ron's gone, J heard his car drive away. Did he leave the front door open by any chance?

  She banged her fists on the door. "Nancy! Bess!" she shouted.

  There was no response.

  Nancy and Bess had gone to the second floor and were exploring the beautifully decorated bedrooms. Finally they had seen enough.

  "Time to go," Nancy decided. "Let's get on with our next project."

  "Where's George?" Bess wondered. "She hasn't been with us for quite a while."

  "That's right," Nancy said. "Do you think she left

  Vampire Cave

  with Ron?"

  "I doubt it," Bess said. "She would have told us."

  "Let's look for her," Nancy suggested. "I'll search all the rooms up here, you go check downstairs."

  Bess went to the first floor and made her way through the house. After a while, a faint rhythmic pounding reached her ears from the direction of the library.

  She ran back to the bottom of the stairs. "Nancy!" she cried out. "Come down here!"

  A moment later, both girls hurried to the source of the noise. They found the closet door and turned the knob. It would not budge.

  "George, are you in there?" Nancy cried.

  "Yes. Please open up."

  "Wait a minute. There's no key." Nancy pulled her miniature detective kit out of her purse and removed several small tools. She picked at the lock until she felt it turn. A second later she opened the door and George stumbled out.

  "Boy, am I glad to see you!" she gasped. "Someone must be in the house with us," she added with a shudder. "Do you think we should go looking for him?"

  Nancy shook her head. "This place is huge, and he probably knows all the hiding places. We'd better hurry back to Mr. Knox and tell him what happened."

  Bess nodded vigorously. "Yes, let's get out of here fast, or that creep'll catch all of us!"

  The girls ran to the door and Nancy pulled out the key Mr. Smith had given her. "This will activate the alarm," she said. "Unless the intruder knows the

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  system, he'll be in trouble when he tries to leave."

  George was already running down the steps. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow on the roof of the mansion. She looked up and saw a large block of plaster come loose from a cornice.

  It hurtled directly at her!

  Instinctively, George jumped out of the way. The heavy plaster hit the ground with terrific force and broke into many pieces.

  "Somebody's on the roof!" George cried out.

  At the same moment, the girls heard footsteps heading across the roof toward the back. Without a word, they ran to the rear of the house. A wing jutted out in front of them and they had to go around it. When they finally reached the back, they saw a tall ash right next to the house. A man was shinnying down the tree, covered by the dense foliage. A moment later he dove into the bushes.

  The girls chased him, but soon lost his trail as he disappeared into the woods of the huge estate.

  ''One thing's for sure," Nancy panted. "He knows his way around here, inside and outside the house."

  George nodded grimly. "He must have gone upstairs by another stairway when you and Bess were coming down. Then he climbed out a window into the tree before we put the alarm back on."

  "But why would he want to harm you?" Bess asked her cousin worriedly.

  "I have no idea." George looked puzzled.

  "First he pushed you into the closet, then he tried to finish you off with that block of plaster," Nancy said. "It doesn't make sense."

  Vampire Cave

  'Terhaps he picked me because I was in the right spot for him," George reasoned. "Any one of us might have served his purpose. Apparently, he v^anted to chase us away from this place."

  Bess nodded. "Let's tell Mr. Knox, and the police, too."

  The girls walked back to the bank. Just before they reached the building, they saw Mr. Smith in front of them. He seemed in a hurry and ducked through the door.

  'That's strange," George said. "He should have been back long before now."

  "Maybe he was, but went out again on an errand," Bess suggested.

  Nancy nodded. "It's possible. But he acted rather strangely, as if he didn't want anyone to see him. We should keep an eye on this man."

  "Shall we tell Mr. Knox about him?" George wanted to know.

  "No," Nancy decided. "We have no proof that Mr. Smith did anything wrong. But we'll report everything that happened at the mansion."

  The banker was shocked when he heard the girls' story and called the police right away. "They must search the place thoroughly," he added. "Mr. Evans would be furious if a burglar got into his house and stole his priceless possessions. Now, you better be careful; and if you run into anything unusu
al, call me at once."

  "We will," Nancy promised.

  Fifteen minutes later, the trio reached Ron Parker's store. It was large and crammed with all kinds of sports

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  equipment, gift items, and party goods, including Halloween costumes. Jim showed them things they would need for spelunking. They amused themselves by trying on hard hats, each choosing a different color, as they waited for Ron, who was serving a customer in the gift department.

  When he had finished and the girls had made their purchases, they all climbed into his jeep. Nancy and Bess slid into the back while George sat next to Ron.

  He drove through the small town and into the hills. On the way, he asked the girls if they had enjoyed their visit to the Evans Mansion. When he heard about the incidents, he was shocked.

  **George, whoever did that was purposely trying to harm you!" he exploded. "He should be in jail! I hope the police find out who he is."

  Ron was so agitated that he almost missed a turn. He yanked the wheel sharply to the left at the last moment, and the jeep shot over the rocky road. The sudden move caused the door on the passenger side to fly open. Carried by the car's momentum, George pitched out of her seat!

  Nancy lunged forward and managed to grasp her friend's shirt in the nick of time. With a grunt, she pulled George back into the jeep.

  Ron jammed on the brakes. When the car had stopped, he jumped out and examined the door.

  "Someone tampered with the catch!" he fumed. "I wonder if it was the same man who was after you girls at the mansion!"

  "Possibly," Nancy said. "But how did he know we'd be driving with you?"

  Vampire Cave

  "He must have seen us come into town together this morning," Ron reasoned. "So he figured I'd give you a ride home, too."

  "We'd better make sure he isn't following us!" George spoke up. "I wouldn't want to encounter him in the cave."

  Ron looked in the rearview mirror. "I don't see anyone," he said. "But I'll do a little fancy driving anyway, just to be sure."