baffling.
For nearly ten minutes Nancy sat lost in deep thought. Then, with a cry of delight she sprang to her feet.
“How stupid of me not to think of it before! The Horner girls aren’t the only ones who should have figured in the will. There were a number of relatives, and father said that they filed a claim, too. I wonder who they are. If I could talk with them, it’s possible I might learn something that would have a bearing on the case.”
Convinced that the inspiration was a happy one, she set off toward her father’s office. He was engaged in an important conference when she arrived, and Nancy was forced to wait ten minutes before she was admitted to the inner office.
“Now what?” her father asked, smiling as she burst in upon him. “Is it a new dress you want?”
Nancy’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes danced with excitement.
“Don’t try to tease me,” she protested. “I’ve stumbled onto something important, and I want information!”
“At your service, Nancy,” Mr. Drew said. “But if it’s about that Crowley case, I’ve told you everything I know.”
Nancy poured out the story of her encounter with the Topham sisters in the department store and told of the conversation she had overheard in the public park. Mr. Drew listened with interest until she had finished.
“And now what is it you want?” he asked gravely.
“I thought if I went to those other relatives I might be able to learn something which may help solve the mystery.”