Nancy Drew: 1. The Old Clock at Lilac Inn

The Fourth Clock

 On the way home, Hannah stopped at the post office as promised, and Nancy sent off the present to the Hardys along with a little note. For the rest of the ride home, Nancy was looking through the pictures of the clues they had found so far. The second one had been fairly easy, it did pertain to the numbers of Josiah's safe deposit box at the bank. But she did notice the animals, cat and dog. In the third poem, the first two lines were math problems, and if the previous two had been any indication, the numbers listed had to pertain to a number lock. Or maybe something else clock-related, as Josiah did with the book of poems. Was there perhaps another clock to open? She drummed her fingers on the arm rest while she thought. She might need to know more about Josiah Crowley.

"What are you looking at?" asked Hannah.

"The poems we found in the clocks," replied Nancy.

"May I hear them?"

"Of course!" Nancy read them to Hannah, starting with the one they had found at the Turners, since that was the one she had been looking at, and ended with the one they found at Lilac Inn.

"A hole in one, eh? Kind of like golf?"

Nancy gasped. "Hannah, you might be onto something!"

Hannah grinned. "Glad I could help."

As soon as they got home, Nancy dashed up the stairs with the costume. She hung it in the closet before dialing Helen's number.

"Nancy, when are you going to be back?"

Nancy chuckled. "A simple hello will do, Helen"

Helen sighed. "Alright, hello. Please hurry back, Jane's got us working nonstop!"

"What?"

Emily's voice came on the line. "No she isn't. You're just so bored that you'd rather be doing anything but helping out!"

"Besides," came Jenny's voice, "she really needs our help. Business seems to be booming!"

Nancy gasped. "Really?"

"Yes!" chorused Jenny and Emily. Helen grumbled.

"Well, that's great!"

"But seriously Nancy, when are you coming back?" asked Helen.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Really?" moaned Helen.

"Why tomorrow? Why not come back now?" asked Jenny.

"Well, there are a couple of reasons." She then told them that her imposter had struck again and revealed everything she had found out at the mall.

"What? Why that no-good, rotten little pipsqueak!" blurted Helen. "I'm going to ring her neck!"

"Why Helen!" blurted Emily.

"You can barely pick up a tray of dishes, so how do you plan to do that?" quipped Jenny. Emily and Nancy burst out laughing while Helen grumbled.

"Guess we've found a companion for George in the sarcastic department," she mumbled.

"George?" said Jenny.

Nancy laughed. "George Fayne, she's a good friend of ours, and yes, George really is her name. There's a whole story behind it that I think it would be better if she told it. She's tomboyish to boot, so it fits her well."

"Oh! Well, now I must meet this George Fayne so I can hear about the story of her name!"

Nancy chuckled. "We'll be sure to introduce you once her family gets back from their family reunion."