When they reached the cottage, Cecily was given a full account of the morning's adventures. Although disappointed, she tried hard to encourage Nancy. Bess coaxed the young sleuth to eat a good lunch, and by the time the sandwiches were finished, Nancy's interest in the case had been renewed.

She suddenly burst out, "I've a hunch that the Driscolls moved their prisoner to a different hiding place. The thing for us to do is find it!"

"That may be very difficult," said Dave. "Do you have an idea where it is?"

"Yes, I have. The beach house Simon Delaroy mentioned in his letter."

"But there isn't any beach house!" Bess pointed out.

Nancy reminded the others that Simon had said the beach house was easily concealed. "I've suspected for some time it's actually a room connected with the cellar of the lodge and has an opening onto the beach."

"And all we have to do is find it," George said wryly. "Well, I'm with you, Nancy. Let's not admit defeat yet."

The kitchen was tidied, then once more the six set off. Cecily had decided to stay at the cottage. Suddenly Nancy mentioned the police chiefs warning against their trespassing.

"Maybe we're okay," George spoke up. "When I was hunting up the history of the lodge, I kept right on up to the present time. A large part of the original Wayne estate has been sold, including beach rights, to the village of Misty Lake."

Nancy chuckled. "You mean that if anyone orders us off, we can counter by saying we know that the property has been sold?"

George grinned. "Work it anyway you like."

As they walked along, Burt asked, "If the police searched the lodge from attic to cellar, why didn't they find the beach house if it's connected to the cellar?"

"Because the entrance is concealed," Nancy replied. "When I was in that room in the cellar, I noticed a door behind a chest. I believe that it leads into what Simon called the beach house."

They reached the edge of the woods. Ned was in the lead. "Hold it," he said. "We're not going to do any searching now. Vince Driscoll is sitting on the beach facing the bluff. I'll bet he's guarding the place." The others agreed.

Although thwarted, they all were excited. Nancy's belief about a hidden room must be true! The young people waited awhile, but Vince showed no signs of leaving.

Finally the girls and their escorts returned to the cottage. Frequently they took turns walking down to the lake front to look up at the Pudding Stone Lodge beach. Vince Driscoll was still there. At sundown they saw his brother Karl relieve him and take up the watch.

Nancy wondered if the phantom launch would appear, but it did not. As it grew darker, Karl produced a flashlight and kept moving it back and forth as he patrolled the beach.

"I'm convinced now that he's guarding the beach to keep us away," said Nancy. "I guess our only hope is to outwait him. I have an idea."

She suggested that they all join in singing and laughing, and then the boys would say in loud voices, "Good night! See you in the morning!" Instead of leaving, they were to take up a watch among the trees near the beach. "Alert us as soon as Driscoll goes away," Nancy requested.

The plan was carried out. The boys left and the girls turned out the cottage lights. They tried to remain awake but could not keep from dozing off.

About an hour later they were startled out of their sleep by loud pounding on the cottage door. Nancy was the first to reach it, and flung it open.

Dave stood there, out of breath and excited. "Hurry! The Driscoll brothers are loading a truck. We heard them say it's for a big delivery! This is our chance to catch those crooks red-handed!"

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Chase

"You mean," Nancy said excitedly, "a delivery of illegal records?"

"I'm sure of it," said Dave. "We got close enough to hear Karl Driscoll say there's going to be a second delivery later-to Baltimore. After that, he said, the Driscolls, the children, and Susan would make their getaway."

"Susan!" Nancy echoed.

The girl detective was once more puzzled. What had Karl meant by getaway? Was the red-haired girl not a prisoner, but mixed up in the Driscolls' racket? Had Susan dropped the half locket? And what about the twins? Was Nancy's secret theory true?

Now she quickly outlined a plan to the others. This time, Cecily insisted on taking part.

"I think you boys should follow the truck," Nancy said. "We girls will watch the house."

"That's a good idea," Dave agreed.

"We may all have to do some chasing sooner or later," Nancy went on. "We'd better take both cars and hide them along the lane that leads to the main road."

They locked the cottage and hurried up to the two cars. Ned and Burt were waiting for them behind trees at the intersection of the road leading to Pudding Stone Lodge.

A minute later a truck pulled away from the stone house and roared down the road. Nancy and the others strained their eyes to see who was in it. As it lumbered past, they saw that the driver was Vince. Nancy identified the man beside him as Webby.

"Let's go, fellows!" Ned urged, and told Nancy that on the way the boys would telephone Detective Morton in Baltimore.

As soon as the youths' car was out of sight, Nancy drove the girls nearer the lodge, hid the car once more, and the four proceeded on foot. Nancy signaled a halt beneath a lighted open window on the second floor. "Listen!"

The girls could hear the twins crying. The little girl was begging plaintively for a story.

Mrs. Driscoll's annoyed voice floated down clearly, "Don't bother me! Go to sleep!"

The little girl asked, "Why are we dressed? We never go to bed with all our clothes on!"

The girls grew tense. This corroborated Dave's statement that the occupants were all leaving. "But how soon?" Nancy wondered. She must find Susan!

"Bess and George," whispered Nancy, "you keep spying on the lodge. If Mrs. Driscoll drives away with the children, follow her. If Susan is with them, George, give the owl signal whistle we use sometimes. Meantime, Cecily and I will investigate the beach."

Nancy did not dare use her flashlight. She and Cecily picked their way carefully down the wooded bluff to the bottom. She felt it was almost hopeless to hunt for a hidden door in the heavy growth of vines on the darkened hillside, but she was determined to try. Both girls carried on a long, tedious search.

Suddenly Nancy touched cold metal, then felt the outline of a door! Elated, she was just about to try pulling it open, when suddenly a voice nearby hissed, "Now I've got you right where I want you!"

Nancy and Cecily froze in fright. They expected to be grabbed, or be revealed in a flashlight's glow. But nothing happened! No one appeared!

The girls stared at the door, and now noticed dim light coming through a rounded opening at the top. They could not see in. The same voice went on, "Your brother ain't here to back you up, Karl, so you're goin' to account to me!"

Nancy and Cecily stood close together, holding hands. Their hearts were thumping. The voice was coming from just inside the secret door!

"Okay, Raskin. What's your beef?" Karl asked.

Neal Raskin! So he was mixed up in the Driscolls' racket!

"Why didn't you keep that snoopin', pryin' Nancy Drew from ruinin' our record game?"