"But this place is in the country," Al Snead defended himself. "And in our codes we use a lot of that kind of lingo."

"Silence!" Maurice yelled, and turned to Joanne. "So you thought you'd get a job at our office and spy on us! And your meddling friend Nancy Drew was in cahoots with you."

"No, oh no!" Joanne cried out. "It was only by accident. I wanted to find a job and help my grandmother. Nancy was just trying to help me locate the office-"

"Don't expect us to believe a trumped-up story like that," the leader said harshly. "We know all about why you two have been snooping around ever since Al had Pete trail you from Riverside Heights. What's more, we know how to deal with such people!"

Hale turned menacingly to Nancy. "You'll wish you'd taken Pete's advice when he called your pal"-he indicated George-"and warned her that you'd better mind your own business."

"Oh, Maurice, please don't be too harsh with the girls," a timid voice pleaded. "They didn't mean any harm." As she finished, the speaker removed her mask.

Nancy turned quickly to see the woman she had helped in the woods and later had taken to town.

"So she's a counterfeiter!" Nancy told herself incredulously. "I can't believe it!"

"Didn't mean any harm?" Maurice drawled sarcastically. "Oh, no, of course not. They only wanted to land the whole Hale Syndicate in jail! Not that you would care! If I had known what a whiner you are, I'd never have married you! Mind your own business and let me take care of this!"

In spite of the seriousness of her own situation, Nancy felt pity for the woman. Undoubtedly as the wife of such a tyrant as Maurice Hale she had stayed with him against her will. She had hated the life that he had forced her to lead, but evidently she had been powerless to escape from it.

"No wonder the poor woman took a chance and slipped away from time to time," Nancy thought.