this guy locked up. It's late.”
“No, wait, please,” Nancy said, putting down her
towel. “Would you mind if we ask him a few questions
first?”
The sheriff shrugged. “Fine by me,” he said.
Facing Alden, who looked forlorn and bedraggled in
his wet clothes, Nancy said, “I assume you took the
papers that were in Julius's secret panel on the train,
right?”
Alden's eyes flickered with surprise. “You knew
about those letters? I discovered the truth about
Julius's collection by reading them. A little while before
I met you girls on the train, I found the secret panel by
accident. I read Julius's letters, and—I was horrified.”
He glanced pitifully around the room. “I was so
disappointed,” he went on. “I'd always respected Julius
so much. He was a role model and then—this
happened.”
“What else did the letters say?” Nancy asked.
“In one of them, Julius admitted to paying two art
experts to claim that the glass birds had been made by
him,” Alden replied. “In another letter, he admits that
he paid off Gustav. Then Julius banned all other glass
experts from the house to protect his secret.”
“I feel bad for you, Alden,” Violet said, shaking her
head. “You must have been shocked to discover that
Julius was not the man we'd thought he was. More than
anyone in our family, you looked up to him. But how
could you stoop so low as to attack people? That
dishonors our family more than anything Julius ever
did.”
Alden looked at her, his eyes filled with despair.
“I'm sorry, Aunt Violet. I know I was wrong. But I had
to protect Julius's memory at all costs. I knew that
sooner or later his lie would be discovered if the
collection became public.”
“So you wrote all those threatening notes,” Nancy
prompted, crossing her arms, “and you made the
chandelier fall, and you attacked Mr. Schoonover and
stole the crystal bird.”
“Yes,” Alden said. “I had to hide the dove because of
Gustav had made it. It's in a desk drawer in my loft, by
the way.”
“Why did you have to kidnap Walter and make him
break up with Dell?” Bess asked. “What you did to
them was awful.”
“I did that so Dell would stay in the house and our
collection would remain private,” Alden replied. “I told
Walter that I would harm Dell if he didn't break up
with her. He never realized who I was because I
knocked him unconscious on a deserted path in my
neighborhood. Earlier that day I'd overheard him on
the phone, making an appointment to visit a colleague
who lives near me. I waylaid Walter near my building,
and once we got into my loft, I blindfolded him.”
Bess shook her head, looking thoroughly disgusted.
“That morning I overheard Nancy offer to investi-
gate the case,” Alden went on. “Dell didn't realize that
I was in the house, but I was hiding in a closet with the
crystal dove in my briefcase. I couldn't close the door
all the way. I had to wait for the foyer to empty out
before I left.”
“I assume you pushed Nancy off the bridge?”
George asked.
Alden nodded. “Nancy was too good a detective. I
knew she'd find out about me sooner or later.”
“You were pushed off a bridge, Nancy?” Aunt Eloise
asked, horrified. “Why didn't you tell me any of this?”
Nancy smiled. “I didn't want to worry you, Aunt
Eloise.” To Alden she said, “What about the carriage
horse? Did you do something to spook him so I'd fall
and get trampled?”
“I had a little spur in my pocket,” Alden explained,
“and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to injure you.
But I rescued you guys at the last moment when I
realized that Bess might get hurt, too.”
Bess rolled her eyes. Nancy added, “And I guess you
tripped the circuit breakers on the train.”
“When I first read Julius's letters, Aunt Violet was
asleep in one of his armchairs,” Alden said. “She
started to wake up, and I put them back because I
her to see the secret panel because she'd be curious to
know what was in it. But I couldn't get her to leave the
coach. I tripped the breakers so she wouldn't see me
swipe the letters. But the lights came back on before I
could finish the job, and I had to come back that night
when everyone was asleep.”
“You see, my dear,” Violet said, winking at Nancy, “I
really was sleepwalking. I could tell that you didn't
believe me at the time.”
“What a gorgeous day!” Bess exclaimed. She and
Nancy were standing by the lake in front of Aunt
Eloise's cabin the following afternoon. The three girls
were taking turns waterskiing, and it was George's turn
now.
“A great day for relaxing after finishing up a case,”
Nancy added.
“It's hard to believe that Alden would commit those
crimes just to protect Julius's reputation,” Bess
commented, shaking her head.
George waterskied toward shore as Aunt Eloise cut
the engine of the motorboat she had borrowed. “Your
turn now, Bess!” George yelled as she waded toward
them.
An old Cadillac with fins pulled into the driveway. A
moment later Dell and Walter climbed out and waved
to Aunt Eloise and the girls, who were walking toward
them from the lake.
“What a wonderful surprise!” Aunt Eloise said,
throwing her arms around Dell and Walter. Stepping
back, she looked at them fondly and added, “When I
called you last night to give you the news about Alden,
you didn't give me any idea that you were coming here
today.”
“Well, we have an even better surprise for you,”
Walter said, beaming. “Guess what? We're reengaged!”
“That's awesome!” George exclaimed.
“I knew things would work out for you guys,” Nancy
said, smiling. “Congratulations.”
“It was destiny,” Bess pronounced, her blue eyes
sparkling.
iced tea was waiting. After Eloise had poured a glass
for everyone, Dell explained, “Walter and I flew up
here this morning to surprise you with the news. We're
staying at Fern Hill for a few days with Violet. That's
her car,” she added, pointing at the Cadillac.
“How is Violet doing?” Nancy asked. “I hope she
wasn't too upset by everything that happened last
night.”
“She's a real trooper,” Dell said. “I talked to her and
other Van Hoogstraten relatives, and everyone's sad to
learn that Julius was so dishonest. We decided to sell
his mansion an
d all the furniture, which I'm kind of
relieved about. The house had become a burden. Now
I can finally lead a normal life. By the way, the bird
collection is going to a museum, with Gustav named as
the artist.”
“I hope you'll keep Fern Hill,” Aunt Eloise said. “It's
such a fixture around here.”
“My relatives and I have decided to fix it up so we
can take turns enjoying it,” Dell told her.
“What about Richard Schoonover?” Nancy asked.
“Does he know what happened?”
“I called Richard this morning to let him know that
Gustav has finally been recognized as the true artist of
the birds,” Dell said. She looked gratefully at Nancy
and added, “And I'd like to recognize you, Nancy
Drew, as the true artist of mystery solving. Thank you
so much for all your brilliant work. Without you,
Walter and I wouldn't be together.”
Walter and Dell grinned affectionately at each
other, while Aunt Eloise raised her iced tea glass in a
toast and said, “To Gustav, the true artist of the birds.
And to Nancy, the true artist of mystery solving. Three
cheers.”