The Mysterious Mannequin by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.
Published: 2011-11-11T12:21:32+00:00

Nancy was intrigued. She clapped and asked the little girls to sing the song again. They obliged and ended up laughing so hard tears came to their eyes.

Nancy asked, “Do you mean Aisha Hatun?” The girls said they did not know her last name, but a couple of times they had heard Tunafish singing softly in some foreign language. The song always began, “Ah-ee-sha, Ah-ee-sha.”

“What else did he do?” Nancy inquired.

Sue and Kathy, who said they were sisters, admitted sneaking into the house next door now and then to listen to the boarders.

“Sometimes,” said Kathy, “Tunafish would go to the telephone and dial a number. He would say ‘Aisha, I must meet you.’ Then he’d talk in another language. We’d get tired of listening and go home.”

Ned grinned. “So you never found out where the girl lives?”

“No,” Kathy said. “And he was so sad. I guess she wouldn’t date him.”

The girls said they must be going now and ran up the steps into the next house.

“We picked up a clue,” Nancy remarked, “but we still have to locate Aisha Hatun. I have a hunch. Let’s try the library. I noticed one not far from here.”

They walked to it and Nancy found that the woman at the desk was a music teacher whom she knew.

“Hello, Nancy,” she said. “I guess you’re surprised to see me here. Most of my pupils go away in the summer and I take this part-time job. How come you’re in this neighborhood? Sleuthing?”

Nancy admitted that she was and introduced Ned to Mrs. Armstrong. She told of her search for Aisha Hatun.

Mrs. Armstrong pulled out her card file and thumbed through to the H’s.

“Here it is,” she said. “Miss Aisha Hatun takes out books quite regularly. She must be a great reader. Oh, oh. She has two overdue books.” After a moment’s pause, Mrs. Armstrong continued, “She lives at 26 Dawson Street.”

Nancy was thrilled to have the address. At last she seemed to be getting somewhere on the mystery.

Mrs. Armstrong went on, “She lives with a couple named Kosay.”

Nancy thanked the librarian, said she was glad to see her again, and went off. It was only a few minutes’ walk to 26 Dawson Street.

The Kosay house was small with attractive bushes and a wild profusion of gay-colored flowers.

“Pretty garden,” Nancy remarked.

As she and Ned walked up to the house, he said, “If this is the girl you’re looking for, how will I know it?”

Nancy answered quickly, “If she’s the one who opens the door, I’ll gently step on your foot. If someone else comes and we have to go inside and you and I are separated when she comes into the room, I’ll smooth my hair back.”

Nancy’s pulse quickened as she rang the bell. Half a minute later the door was opened by a very attractive young woman with long black hair. Nancy stepped on Ned’s foot.

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