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agreed. Then he turned his attention to Mr. Steele. “Now, sir, I’d like you to explain to me why you were so sure that Tod Harper was the person who ransacked your niece’s room.”
    Nancy started to speak up, but the officer turned to her. “If you’ll excuse us, Miss Drew,” he said.
    Nancy hesitated for a moment, then said, “If you don’t mind, Mr. Steele, I’d like to try to reach my father.
    “By all means, my dear,” he said. “We can talk in the other room. This must have been a terrible shock to you. When I invited you to stay here, I certainly had no idea you would be subjected to something like this.”
    The men left Nancy alone in the library, closing the door behind them, but she didn’t place her call immediately. She needed time to think. Everything had happened so quickly she’d just been reacting. And she needed her father’s advice.
    She started to pick up the telephone, then felt a twinge of doubt. If the car had been waiting for Tod, that meant the driver had to know he was going out. And whoever had searched the mansion would have to know that she would be gone, too. She suddenly understood why Tod had been so reluctant to discuss anything on the telephone. He must know or suspect that either his phone or this one must be tapped.
    Nancy checked the instrument quickly and could find nothing, so she dialed the Seattle hotel again. She would be careful what she said, she decided. All she really needed was to make arrangements to call her father back from a public telephone.
    “I’m sorry, Miss Drew,” the desk clerk said. “Mr. Drew still hasn’t picked up his messages. Do you want me to check yours?”
    “Please,” Nancy said, feeling frustrated and wondering if she should try to reach her father at the Haggler estate.
    “Oh, he did call in for you,” the clerk responded cheerfully. “There’s a Victoria number for you to call. Do you have a pencil?” Nancy took down the number and thanked the clerk, then dialed it.
    “Creighton Hotel,’’ a friendly voice said.
    “Ah . . . Do you have a Carson Drew registered there?” Nancy asked, too surprised to think clearly for a moment.
    “Yes, ma’am,” the voice answered after a long pause. “We have a Carson Drew and a Nancy Drew.” There was another brief pause, then the voice continued. “We have reservations in those names,” he corrected himself. “Neither one has checked in so far. Did you wish to leave a message?”
    “This is Nancy Drew,” Nancy said. “When were those reservations made?”
    “This afternoon. Will you be checking in soon, Miss Drew?”
    “Yes, of course. I’ll be there in about an hour. If my father arrives before I do, would you please tell him to expect me?” Her confusion gave way to relief at the idea of sitting down with her father and telling him everything that had happened.
    Still, after she’d replaced the receiver, she stayed where she was, frowning. Why should her father have come to Victoria? Was it in connection with the Haggler case? And, perhaps more curious, why hadn’t he called her to tell her he’d booked rooms? Why leave a message at the hotel in Seattle?
    A knock on the door pulled her attention back to her present situation. She got to her feet as Mr. Steele entered. “Did you reach your father, Nancy?” he asked.
    “No,” Nancy replied. “It seems he’s on his way to Victoria. He’s booked rooms for us at the Creighton Hotel.”
    “Then you won’t be staying here?” Mr. Steele didn’t look too disturbed.
    “You’ve been very kind, but no. Are the officers still here? I should tell them where I can be reached.”
    “They just left, but I’ll give them the message if they check back tonight.”
    Nancy thought of the notebook in her purse and felt a twinge of relief. She certainly didn’t want to turn it over to Mr. Steele, since she still felt he was hiding something.
    “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go up and pack my things,” she said.
    “Would you