Diamond Deceit

  Chapter

  One

  I HATE SITTING around, waiting for the phone to ring,” George Fayne said, glaring at the telephone on Nancy Drew’s bedside table.

  “You hate sitting around, period,” Nancy said with a laugh. “Maybe when Bess told Hannah she was going to call at three o’clock she meant California time. They’re two hours behind us.”

  George checked her watch again. “If she doesn’t call soon, we’re going to lose our court time.” She picked up her tennis racket and started practicing a restrained forehand in the middle of the room.

  Nancy glanced at herself in the mirror—¡-her tennis dress was blindingly white. “I wonder what’s kept Bess in California,” she said, tying her reddish blond hair back. “Her mom and dad came back over a week ago.”

  Bess Marvin, who was George’s cousin and Nancy’s good friend, had gone to Carmel, California, to visit friends of her parents.

  “My aunt was pretty vague about why Bess decided to stay,” George said, flopping down on Nancy’s bed. She shot Nancy a teasing glance. “Maybe you’d better investigate, Nan.”

  “I don’t need a new mystery,” Nancy said, shaking her head. At eighteen Nancy had a reputation as an excellent detective.

  In spite of George’s grumbling, Nancy knew George missed Bess. It was amazing to Nancy that two people as different as Bess and George could be so inseparable. George had short, dark hair and the long, lean body of an athlete. Bess, on the other hand, was petite, curvy, and blond. The only sports she participated in were dating and marathon shopping.

  The phone rang, and George didn’t hesitate to grab the receiver. “Hello? Bess! You were supposed to call over an hour ago. Nancy and I are going to miss our tennis match.”

  George motioned for Nancy to put her ear close so they could both hear what Bess was saying.

  “Sorry, but I got tied up,” Bess said without any further explanation.

  George rolled her eyes. With Bess that probably meant she’d met some cute guy and lost track of the time.

  “So what gives?” Nancy said into the receiver. “Why did you extend your vacation?”

  “You guys, I really love it out here.” Nancy could hear the enthusiasm in Bess’s voice even over the phone.

  “Then there must be lots of good shopping, good food, and great-looking guys,” George teased.

  “I’m serious,” Bess said. “I think you’d like it, too. In fact . . .” She hesitated a moment, then said in a rush, “I was wondering if maybe you’d come out to see how great Carmel is. There’d be plenty of golf and tennis for you, George. I also found some shops that I know you guys will love. And you can stay with me at the Provence Inn. Mr. and Mrs. Menendez, my parents’ friends, run it.”

  Nancy had to admit that Carmel sounded great. Still, Nancy had the feeling that Bess was holding something back. “Is everything okay there?” she asked.

  “It’s all great!” Bess replied. “We’d really have a super time—I’d love you to come.” There was a long pause before Bess added, “And I have one teeny surprise for you.”

  “What’s that?” George asked suspiciously.

  “You have to come here to find out,” Bess said mysteriously.

  Nancy could hear her say something to someone else, but she couldn’t make out the words.

  Putting her hand over the mouthpiece, Nancy spoke to George. “Why don’t we go? Dad is tied up with a trial now, and Ned is working hard at school.” Ned Nickerson was Nancy’s longtime boyfriend and a student at Emerson College.

  George nodded once slowly, then more eagerly. “Sounds good to me.”

  Nancy removed her hand and spoke into the receiver. “Okay, we’ll come. We’ll call you back tonight and let you know when our flight arrives.”

  “I can’t wait to see you! I can’t wait for you to meet Ted!” The phone clicked, and the line went dead.

  “Ted,” George repeated, grinning at Nancy. “So that’s what this is all about.”

  • • •

  “I can’t believe Bess isn’t here to meet us,” George said. She dropped her suitcase and golf clubs in the middle of the room she and Nancy were sharing at the Provence Inn.

  “Mrs. Menendez said there was some sort of problem at her son’s restaurant.” Nancy paused, then added, “Still, I’m not sure why that would keep Bess from meeting us.”

  The two girls were surprised that Bess hadn’t met them at the airport as they’d arranged. She merely left a message that she’d been delayed.

  “We’ll have to wait until she shows up and explains,” George said with a shrug.

  “If Bess had picked us up, we wouldn’t have rented a car. Now we can come and go as we please.”

  While Nancy unpacked she checked out the room Mrs. Menendez had given her and George. It was cheerful and bright, with white plaster walls, a white brick fireplace outlined with navy and white tiles, and blue-and-white-patterned bedspreads and curtains.

  “If it stays this chilly, we’ll need to use the fireplace,” George said, zipping up the jacket of her navy and red running suit.

  “Bess warned me the weather in Carmel can be cool.” Nancy was glad she’d packed a heavy turquoise sweater to wear with her black jeans.

  Nancy went to the window and peered out at the central courtyard, which the Menendezes had planted with bright and colorful flowers. The inn was just up the road from the beach, and Nancy opened the window a crack to smell the salty sea air.

  “I’m starved,” George announced. Nancy turned around to see her friend opening cabinets and the refrigerator in the small kitchenette on the opposite side of their room.

  “Mrs. Menendez said that her son Ted’s restaurant is just up the hill. Why don’t we walk up there, get something to eat, and surprise Bess?” Nancy suggested.

  “Good idea,” George agreed. “Besides, I want to find out what’s going on with Bess and this Ted guy.”

  “The restaurant is on Ocean Avenue, the same street we’re on,” Nancy said. “Ocean goes down to the beach, but the restaurant is the other way, back up this hill. It’s called the Café de Carmel.”

  Outside the inn, Nancy and George looked down toward the ocean. Ocean Avenue was lined with little shops and houses, all different from one another. There were stucco houses with red tiled roofs and cute little wooden cottages with picket fences.

  “Bess is right about this place. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” Nancy said, grinning.

  “Listen to those waves,” George said. “I wonder if there’s any surfing.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time for the beach once we hook up with Bess,” Nancy said. “We’re going to be here until Tuesday, and it’s only Thursday.”

  Nancy and George started up the steep hill to the restaurant. They walked slowly, peering into one shop window after another. One shop had nothing but scarves, hats, and other accessories. Another sold only kites in wild shapes and colors.

  “Mrs. Menendez wasn’t kidding when she said up the hill,” George commented.

  “It is steep,” Nancy agreed, “but there’s so much to look at I don’t mind.”

  In the middle of the second block George stopped at the window of a jewelry shop. The words Cheung Original Designs were painted in gold letters in a small circle in a corner of the window.

  “Those are just what I’ve been looking for,” George said, pointing at a pair of gold geometric earrings.

  “I thought you were starved,” Nancy said.

  “Everything can wait for new jewelry,” George answered back, winking.

  The girls were startled just then by the sound of angry voices from inside the shop. Peering through the glass door, Nancy saw a tall, blond young man shaking his finger at a shorter, stocky, balding man. When the
blond man grabbed the older man’s shirt, the older man pulled away.

  “What’s this all about?” Nancy wondered aloud.

  Before she knew what was happening, the door to the shop burst open. Nancy was caught in the path of the balding man, who shoved her back against a wall. The young man followed close behind, an angry expression marring his good looks. Neither man seemed to notice Nancy at all.

  The balding man paused at the edge of the curb before turning around to face the younger man. Nancy detected a trace of challenge in his expression as he opened his mouth to speak.

  “Save it, Baxter,” the blond man snapped, cutting off the older man’s words. The young man took a threatening step toward Baxter, his face red and his fists clenched at his sides. “If one word of this gets out, you’re as good as dead!”

  Chapter

  Two

  NANCY WAS taken aback at the venom in the young man’s words. Glancing over at George, Nancy saw that her friend appeared to be too shocked to move or say anything.

  Baxter turned his back on the other man, jerked open the door of a black Jaguar parked at the curb, and climbed into the driver’s seat. He stared pointedly at the younger man as he locked the doors.

  “Baxter, you can’t just drive off,” the young man shouted. He pounded on the hood of the Jaguar with his balled-up fists, his face red with rage.

  Baxter lowered his car window and spoke for the first time. “Keep your filthy hands off my car,” he snapped, then he pulled away from the curb.

  The younger man stood glaring at the car until it disappeared around a corner. Finally he went back into the small shop.

  As he brushed by Nancy again she noticed dirt and grass stains on his faded blue jeans and white T-shirt. His long blond hair was bleached almost white from the sun, and his skin was deeply tanned.

  Nancy watched him go behind a display case and put his arm around a petite woman dressed in a long embroidered tunic and silk slacks. She had a single thick black braid and dark, almond-shaped eyes. A third person in the shop, an older woman, was dressed in black slacks and a blue blazer and was talking seriously to the couple.

  “What was that all about?” George asked, joining Nancy. “Those guys practically knocked you down!”

  “I’m fine,” Nancy assured her. “But I wonder—”

  “Nancy! George! I can’t believe you’re finally here!”

  Nancy turned to see Bess running across Ocean Avenue toward her and George. She was wearing a white blouse and a black jeans skirt, covered by a red apron with Cafe de Carmel printed on it in white. Bess gave both girls a big hug.

  Nancy noticed that a stocky young man in his early twenties had followed Bess across the street. He had straight dark hair and was wearing black jeans and a white button-down shirt. Standing on the curb a few feet from the girls, he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Come over here.” Bess took the young man by the arm and pulled him into their circle. “This is Ted Menendez,” she told Nancy and George, grinning from ear to ear.

  Ted shook hands briefly with both girls. He smiled, showing even, white teeth. “I’m glad you were able to come visit,” he said. “Bess has told me a lot about you two.”

  Despite his warm words, Nancy noticed that Ted’s eyes never made contact with hers. His handshake was too quick, almost mechanical. Maybe he was just nervous, she reasoned.

  “How do you like your room at the inn?” Bess asked, keeping her arm linked with Ted’s.

  Nancy let George answer. Her own attention was distracted as the older woman came out of the jewelry shop and detoured around Nancy’s group.

  “Earth to Nancy,” Bess’s voice broke into Nancy’s thoughts a moment later.

  “Oh—sorry, Bess,” Nancy said. “I got caught up thinking about something that just happened here.”

  “Nancy was almost trampled by two men who ran out of that shop a couple of minutes ago. One of them was shouting threats at the other one,” George explained.

  “You mean Len?” Ted asked worriedly. “A big blond guy?” Nancy and George nodded. “I hope it’s nothing serious. I’m going to see what happened here. Bess, can you cover for me at the restaurant?” He squeezed her hand.

  Bess shook her head and smiled up at Ted. From the way they looked at each other, Nancy guessed that George was right. Ted probably was the reason Bess had extended her vacation.

  “Len’s a good friend of mine,” Ted explained to Nancy and George. “We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well coaching Little League baseball.” With that he entered the jewelry shop.

  “I hope everything’s okay,” George said to Bess. “But right now I just remembered I’m starving! It’s a good thing Ted owns a restaurant.”

  “Actually, it belongs to his parents. Ted just runs it for them,” Bess explained.

  “He sure is cute. No wonder you decided to stay a little longer,” Nancy said, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

  “Ted’s nice,” Bess said, blushing slightly. “But he’s not the only reason I decided to stay.”

  “Bess, can we talk about this over some food?” George asked.

  Bess laughed and linked her arm through George’s. “Sure. Come on over to the restaurant, and I’ll feed you.”

  Bess led them across the street and through a doorway with a sign that read Café de Carmel.

  Nancy paused just inside the door to check out the place. The lower half of each wall was covered in black and white tile. Neon-filled tubes shaped like musical instruments were placed on the upper wall space. Chrome-edged tables and red vinyl chairs filled the room. A jukebox stood against one wall. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, several tables were filled.

  Bess pointed to a table near the jukebox. “You two sit down, and I’ll get you something to eat,” she said. “I’m just going to bring you something light. We’re having a big picnic dinner on the beach with Ted’s parents later,” she added, disappearing through a red swinging door at the rear of the café.

  “I guess this isn’t the first time Bess has helped Ted out,” George said to Nancy as they sat down. “She seems to know her way around here.”

  Just then the restaurant door opened, and Ted entered, followed by the tall blond guy from the jewelry shop. They came over and joined Nancy and George.

  “This is Len Olson,” Ted said. “He and his fiancée, Marcia Cheung, rent the shop across the street. Len’s a landscape architect, and Marcia’s a jewelry designer. Bess told me you’re a detective, Nancy, and I was wondering if you’d listen to what Len has to say.”

  Bess came out of the kitchen with two bowls of steaming soup, which she set in front of Nancy and George. “I’ll get you one, too, Len,” she offered.

  “That’s okay. Why don’t you sit down while I tell your friend what happened to Marcia?” Len said.

  Bess stared first at Ted and then at Len. Then she shook a reproving finger in their faces. “Oh, no, you don’t! Nancy’s here on vacation, not to solve any mysteries.”

  “I don’t mind,” Nancy said. “Really.”

  Bess pulled up a chair from a neighboring table and placed it between Nancy and Ted. While she settled in, Len picked up a napkin from the table and started folding it into smaller and smaller squares. Nancy sensed his tension. He seemed ready to explode.

  “Why don’t you tell me who that man was you were yelling at, Len?” she prompted.

  Crumpling the napkin, Len threw it down. “That was Cy Baxter,” he said angrily.

  “Cy’s another jewelry designer who has a shop here in Carmel,” Ted explained. “He’s pretty well known.”

  “Marcia worked for Cy until about six months ago, when we could finally afford to rent our own place,” Len added. “Marcia has a studio in the back of the shop where she designs and makes the jewelry she sells. I run my landscaping business out of the same office. All I really need are some filing cabinets and a phone. I keep my equipment on my truck. Anyway, Marcia just finished designing a n
ew setting for some diamonds that belong to Joanna Burton.”

  “Joanna Burton! The movie star?” Bess interrupted, her mouth falling open.

  “Yup,” Len said. “I don’t think she’s made a movie for years, though. Anyway, Miss Burton lives here in Carmel,” he went on. “We thought that designing a necklace for a movie star would help Marcia build her reputation.” Len shook his head. “We never dreamed something like this would happen.”

  “Something like what?” Nancy questioned.

  “Did you notice an older woman in the shop?” Nancy and George both nodded. “She’s a police detective. Joanna Burton filed a report claiming that the diamonds in her necklace had been replaced with fakes.”

  “Oh, no!” George said, swallowing a spoonful of soup. “Did she accuse Marcia?”

  Len shook his head. “No, she was just asking general questions. But while she was there Cy Baxter came in. He was the one who accused Marcia. He said that she probably switched the stones and kept the diamonds for herself.”

  “How did he know that the diamonds had been switched?” Nancy wanted to know.

  “Joanna Burton had given him the necklace to appraise. That was when he discovered that the diamonds in it were really cubic zirconia.” Seeing the confused looks on the girls’ faces, he explained, “Cubic zirconia is a stone that resembles diamonds. It’s often used in jewelry imitations. To the untrained eye, c.z. looks like the real thing. I know I can’t tell the difference.”

  Len sat silently for a few moments, his face a deep red. He was obviously very upset by what had happened. Nancy decided to give him a chance to get himself under control, so she took a few spoonfuls of her soup. It was a delicious, light vegetable puree.

  Without warning Len banged his fist on the tabletop, startling Nancy. “He had no right!” Len burst out angrily. “Who does Baxter think he is, walking in and making a statement like that? Marcia would never replace real stones with fakes and then try to keep the diamonds!”

  Nancy felt uneasy. There was something scary about Len’s explosive temper.

  Len fell silent again for a minute before turning to Nancy. “Do you think you could try to find out what really happened to the diamonds?” he asked. “Marcia didn’t do it, I swear.” Len banged his fist down again, causing the bowls of soup to clatter on the tabletop. “If this gets out, no one will let Marcia touch any jewelry. It could ruin her business!”