The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977) s01e02 Episode Script
The Mystery of Pirate's Cove
Tonight, on Nancy Drew: The Mystery of Pirate's Cove.
Ned, why don't you just tell her she turns your brains into a souffle and be done with it? George, did you say something? Your mistake was to become friends.
It's the wrong approach.
She thinks of you as a big brother.
If you want my advice- You think I'm hung up on Nancy? I work for her father.
With Mr.
Drew out of town, I- I just feel responsible, that's all.
Then why are your glasses all fogged up? Very funny.
Go on the way you're going, and, uh, somebody else will always be taking her for moonlit rides.
Nancy's not interested in any moonlit rides.
She's a very serious-minded girl.
Brandon's going to show me his new ski boat.
You guys want to come? Uh, ski boat, well, I, uh, It's too cold.
I- It's a big moon.
With any luck, we should be able to spot a few flying fish.
Uh, well, what about your guests, Brandon? I mean, it's your party.
We'll be back before we're missed.
Well, I really don't think- We wouldn't miss it! Let's go.
Something's wrong.
You're darn right.
It's cold.
Aw, you said you're such a hopeless romantic.
Slow down.
Brandon, could you stop the boat a minute? Hand me your flashlight.
Nancy, you see a flying fish? I think so.
Only he isn't flying.
And there's a reason that fish isn't flying.
It's dead.
Let's keep going.
They're usually all over the sky by the old lighthouse.
No, wait.
This isn't the first one I've seen.
I thought I saw one back there, and it looked dead, too.
Maybe they flew into the side of the cliff.
You mean they really fly? Oh, sometimes Wow.
Ned, look, there's dozens of 'em.
Can you reach one? Look at that.
It's limp.
Well, death does that to you.
Only when it's recent.
Otherwise it'd be stiff as a board.
Look at that wingspan.
Wow, they really fly.
Pirates used to think of them as good luck.
If you saw one, you were on your way to a fortune.
What if you saw a dead one? Your ship sank.
The fish are dead, Brandon.
Let's go home.
We just got here.
Let's go over to the old lighthouse.
Oh, no.
That place gives me the creeps.
It's deserted.
No, it's not.
Of course it is.
Has been for years.
Your father represents the land it's on.
I handle the account.
Well, how are you going to handle that? Somebody's in there.
Hey, that's private property.
Come on, let's go.
We can't land it.
There's too many rocks.
Head back to your house.
We'll call the sheriff.
I think we've got ourselves some vandals, gang.
You call the sheriff, Brandon.
We're gonna drive out to the lighthouse.
Hey, w-w-what about me? I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Great party, Brandon.
Come on, Nance.
Thanks for the ride, Brandon.
It was a great party.
Yeah, I know, great party.
Bye-bye.
Wait a minute.
Good evening, Sheriff.
Mornin' is more like it.
All right, what's all this nonsense about vandals? Well, uh, we all saw light coming out of the tower.
Oh? Only there's a problem.
What's that? Come have a look.
This lock ain't been off of here in years.
We all saw the light.
Oh, you did, huh? That's right, Sheriff, we did.
Let me show you somethin'.
But- You come with me.
Now, I want you all to notice this tower is built of brick and mortar.
Does everybody see that? Yeah, we all see.
Further, I want you to see there is no place on that tower where anybody could climb up to those windows.
Sure? Further, none of the windows seems to be busted.
So even if a body could fly, there'd be no way for him to get inside once he was up there.
We all together so far? Sheriff- I don't see any way that anybody could possibly have been inside that tower for the past five years, to be foolin' around with the light.
Unless we happen to be talking about a ghost.
We're not talking about a ghost, are we? We saw a light.
You saw a light up there, all right.
The light was the moon, reflecting off the glass windows.
Well, maybe we could take the lock off, go inside and look around.
You do what you like.
Your father manages the property.
But you wait until mornin', okay? Okay.
Thanks for coming out, Sheriff.
It's my job, but I prefer to do it in civilized hours.
Well, I, uh, I guess that's that.
You're going home? Yeah.
What do you expect me to do? What does she expect me to do? I don't get you two.
We were obviously mistaken.
Unless you're willing to tell me you think it was a ghost.
Nancy! Ned, there was nobody to meet me at the airport.
Where were you? And where's Nancy? I've been looking for her, too.
Why? What's wrong? Well, nothing's wrong, exactly.
What does that mean: "Nothing's wrong, exactly"? Well, you know the sale of the lighthouse property? Yes.
What's the lighthouse got to do with Nancy? She might have gone out there.
What for? To look around.
Ned, am I going to have to drag this out of you one syllable at a time? You know Nancy.
If she thinks there's some sort of mystery to solve Well, don't worry.
I'm going to go out there and straighten her out.
That's a great comfort to me, Ned.
The day she started part-time investigative work for me was the beginning of my gray hairs.
The only mystery about that lighthouse is why anybody would want to buy it.
Did you ever find out what that guy wanted it for? Yes, I met with Prof.
Wall while I was in California, and he explained it all to me.
And? I still don't understand it.
He's heading up some kind of psychic research foundation.
Psychic? You mean as in- Ghosts.
Yes.
I figured I'd better close the deal in a hurry.
I've been trying to unload that white elephant for old man Jensen for years.
It's not often you run into a character who wants a property like that.
The professor's a whacko, huh? "Whacko" is a little harsh, Ned.
A- actually, he's kind of a charming guy.
Young, too.
Oh.
well, I'd better get out there.
Ned.
Wait a minute.
Ned! What's going on out there? Ned.
This is going to take forever.
We'll take shifts.
Yell when you get tired.
I want to take another look around.
Nancy! Voila! Entrez.
Me first, huh? You're the detective.
I'm just a locksmith.
Part-time investigator.
Want to trade? Be careful.
Know what we need now? Yeah, Sheriff King and a posse.
I'd settle for a flashlight.
You have one in the car? Glove compartment.
I'll get it.
I'll get it.
I'm closer.
Oh, it's just a bat.
Only a bat, Nancy? Vampires are only bats.
I quit.
Oh, all right.
Go sit in the car.
I have to look around.
No, not by yourself.
Why? What for? George, if bats can get in, there has to be another entrance.
Not necessarily large enough to let a human being in.
Whatever it is, I want to know.
We did see a light in that tower last night, not the moon.
Besides, I just found fresh tire tracks leading right to the edge of that cliff.
The cliff? Why would anyone park there? Good question.
Nancy, instead of both of us looking around up there, why don't I try to figure out what those tire tracks mean? Right.
You're not mad, are you? No.
I'm sorry.
I-I didn't mean to startle you.
I'm Jack Wall.
Prof.
Wall, the new owner.
You almost fell.
I Are you out here alone? No, I I knew you'd come back here on your own.
You know this is private property and I'm responsible for any damage.
It's all right.
Miss Drew was looking out for my interests, weren't you? I'd be delighted.
What are they? Well, this old lighthouse for one, but you for another.
Ned's told me about your concern for my property.
Nancy, this is Prof.
Wall, the new owner.
Jack Wall.
How do you do? Did you know your lighthouse came with a ghost? I'd have demanded my money back if it hadn't.
Nancy.
Ghosts are the professor's business.
Parapsychology.
Really? Are you interested? Fascinated.
I'd say something now, Ned, or forever hold your peace.
Uh, look, it's, uh, my responsibility to see that the lighthouse is in acceptable shape for you to sign off our trusteeship, Professor.
So, uh, if you'd like to have a look around with me? I'd like to join you.
There's a few things I'd like to point out to Prof.
Wall.
Fine.
I'd appreciate that.
Nancy, I really think it best if you and George head back into town.
We got a lot of ground to cover before dark.
Ned, in case you've forgotten, I also work for my father.
Oh, Professor, do ghosts leave footprints? Well, they've been known to break crystal, ring doorbells, set fires.
I'm sure they could muster a few footprints.
Why? Well, your ghost spent some time in the light tower recently.
Really? Well? They were right there.
In the dust.
What dust? I don't know.
The floor was covered with it.
Well, look, you can still see some in the corner.
It must've blown away.
I don't feel any breeze up here.
This room's sealed.
It is blowing pretty hard outside.
If there were any leaks, we'd certainly feel them by now.
Nancy, I couldn't have seen them.
I- I chickened out by the stairs.
I'm sorry.
Well, I did see them, right there on the floor.
And we all saw the light last night.
I believe you, Nancy.
I appreciate your offer to help.
It'll make placing my equipment a lot easier.
What equipment? Monitoring devices for locating timid ghosts.
I'll install them this afternoon and get started tonight.
You're going to spend the night in here? It's my work.
Hopefully I won't be alone.
Uh, he means the ghosts.
He, uh, he hopes they'll show up tonight.
Everyone's welcome.
Nancy, you must be out of your mind.
I can't let you spend the night at a rat-infested old lighthouse.
I don't know if I'd go so far as to call the professor a rat, but he sure does move fast.
Now, Ned, you stay out of this.
You're not exactly unbiased, you know.
Neither are you.
I mean, you're chasing some sort of ghost fantasy, and the professor's chasing you.
Now look who's imagining things.
Besides, I'm not going alone.
George is coming with me.
Me? I'm going.
I wonder if either one of you would be willing to spend the night in that spooky old place.
Mr.
Drew, you're not actually considering letting them- Ned, Ned, Ned, Ned, wait a minute.
Let's keep our roles in perspective here.
I'm Nancy's father.
I'm supposed to have the wisdom of age at this point in my life.
And after all, th-this fellow Wall is a full professor, whose work dictates peculiar circumstances of this kind, right? Dad, you're terrific.
Come on, George, we got lots of work to do.
Sir Ned, you have to understand something.
Nancy has a very inquisitive mind.
She loves to unravel a mystery, but most of the investigative work she gets to do for the firm is confined to checking out driving records and searching through legal files.
But now we're talking about ghosts.
Come on, Ned.
Think of the attraction.
The attraction is what I'm thinking about.
And so is the professor, if you want my opinion.
Well, if you feel that way about it, why don't you go with them? I'm sure they'd love to have you.
No, thanks.
I have to go over those briefs for you.
I'll see you tomorrow, Mr.
Drew.
All right, Ned.
She'll have a wonderful time.
It's nice of you girls to help me out.
It's my pleasure.
I'll go back for another one.
I don't believe him.
I mean, he's an Adonis.
I guess that's my way of saying I've changed my mind.
I'm going to go to the lighthouse and spend the night with you and Prof.
Wall.
I wonder what he's up to.
George, have you ever heard any stories about that old lighthouse being haunted? No.
Neither have I.
I wonder where the professor's heard them.
He's from clear across the country, in California.
That's a fair question.
Excuse me for being nosy.
I was wondering what a professor of parapsychology reads to put himself to sleep at night.
Ghost stories.
What else? This book's Lost Treasures of the World.
Yes.
Well, a student of mine found this book in a small store in Carmel, California.
He brought a chapter of it to my attention.
A chapter on a haunted lighthouse.
Our lighthouse? Let me show you something.
I traced this map from the book onto this piece of paper.
There.
Now, watch what happens when I superimpose this over this road map of the area.
There.
The coast! Right outside of River Heights.
It matches the old map perfectly.
Yes.
it took me about three years to find this small spot on the coast.
I think if I'd been a treasure hunter, I never would have found it.
But since I'm constantly researching ghost legends, I ran across mention of an old lighthouse in this area.
I never heard of any legends surrounding our lighthouse.
Well, the story predates this lighthouse.
It really pertains to a series of caves, over which a lighthouse was subsequently built, but years later.
The caves were the private vault of a pirate who sailed these coastal waters in the later 1700s.
W- where do the ghosts come in? The good captain took four captured seamen of the king's navy, and sealed them into a room of stone to guard his treasure until his return.
That's awful.
Yes.
Unless you work in parapsychology.
No spirit like a troubled spirit to make things really unpleasant for the living.
Troubled ghosts are active ghosts.
Yes.
They love to make their presence known.
Hmm.
For the skeptical among us, that's a theory we'll have a good chance to prove in just a few hours.
And we'd better finish with the equipment.
Would you two bring the, uh, lights and cables? They're fairly light.
Sure.
And who made you the foreman? Come on.
George, didn't the professor say that a student gave him this book and that he's been looking for the lighthouse for three years? Yes.
Why? This book was checked out of a Los Angeles library last June.
He lied to us.
Why? Nancy, I think we'd better call off our little seance tonight.
No.
Absolutely not.
No, don't breathe a word about this to the professor.
'Cause he's up to something, and right now we have the upper hand.
But I want to know what it is before I go spend the night in a haunted lighthouse.
Well, one thing I'm sure of: That lighthouse is hiding something.
And we're gonna find out what it is.
I'd like to know why we couldn't all ride out together.
Simple.
The professor needed time to set up all his ghosts and goblins for us.
You really think he's going to try and scare us? Oh, I'll bet we're in for quite a show.
If he's staging this, he's very good.
The rain I'm not sure about, but the rest I am.
The rest of what? Come on.
Inside, quickly.
My apologies for the weather.
I would have thought you'd be pleased.
Ghosts must love this kind of night.
Who says so? Here, let me help you off with that.
No, I'll keep it on, if you don't mind.
It's freezing in here.
A wet coat certainly won't help.
Besides, I've got a room below, all set up.
I'll bet.
Now, watch the steps, Nancy.
They're damp and very slippery.
Okay.
Hey, this is first class! Only the bare necessities.
A little hot chocolate, snacks, as you may desire them, fresh fruit, cheese.
Whatever your wants, ladies.
This isn't a ghost hunt, it's a banquet.
What do you have here to ward off angry spirits? Chocolate-chip cookies.
It may be awhile.
There's no reason we can't be comfortable, right? What's all this stuff do? All this stuff listens.
I have every part of this old tower rigged for sound.
Believe me, if anything moves in this relic tonight, we'll know it.
That's what I'm afraid of.
So the people came to believe that the tortured spirits of these imprisoned men haunted the passages of the old caverns, and preyed on any living thing that came within the shadow of this piece of coastline.
Entire ships and crews were known to vanish.
All the fish.
What? No, George.
No, Nancy.
The fish, there were hundreds of them.
Dead.
By the base of the lighthouse.
What are you talking about? Some dead fish.
But I'm sure there's no connection with the legend.
It could be significant.
Hmm.
It suggests a rather unpleasant possibility.
What's that? That the spirits here were at rest until my activities stirred them up.
I could have gone all night without you saying that.
I'm sure it isn't that.
We've already been here for over three hours, and we haven't had so much as a peep out of these machines.
I'm afraid to say it looks as though this evening might turn into a bust.
Nancy.
Shh.
Nancy! Let's get out of here.
Be quiet.
No, it's coming down the steps.
Don't you hear it? We've waited for three hours for this show to begin.
How can we leave now? I wouldn't be facetious, Nancy.
The power of some spirits would amaze you.
Mine's not so bad, either.
Ghosts of the lost galleons who haunt the tower on the cliff, be gone! What happened? That's what happened.
Show's over.
Well, I suppose you'll want me to, uh, pack it all up and tell your father the deal's off.
I'm not sure he wants to cancel it.
Cancel what? What's going on? My guess is the professor is hunting for treasure and he didn't want anybody to know about it.
Why not? It's his property.
Yes, but it's not final.
Your young friend Ned decided to get fancy, when he was drawing up the sale papers in your father's absence.
He threw in a clause excluding all rights under the ground.
Offshore oil rights are a big issue on this coast.
Nancy, I don't care about oil rights.
Your father can keep them for the previous owner.
I'm only interested in the treasure, if-if it even exists.
I think we'd better go talk to my father.
I'm finding myself on the horns of a dilemma, Professor.
If I walk away from your purchase, I'll be voiding a sale my client wants very badly.
He and his wife are getting pretty old.
They might like to make a last trip back to Ireland.
Well, my offer still stands, Mr.
Drew.
I'd be willing to sign over- On the other hand, if there really is a handsome treasure someplace on that property, then, as things now stand, they are entitled to it.
In my defense, sir, the treasure has been given up for lost for almost 200 years.
It's hardly a sure thing.
I'm taking a very expensive gamble as it is.
I'm going to surprise you, Professor.
I'll make you a deal.
I'll sell you the property, including all mineral rights and all bounties below the surface.
You're a fair man, Mr.
Drew.
For double the original price.
Double! And my client gets 10 percent of anything you find.
Take it or leave it.
I don't think I have much choice.
Oh, yeah.
You could walk away from River Heights and our lighthouse.
I have a feeling if I'd been up-front with you when I first got here, you'd have sold it to me for the original price, including all rights.
That's correct.
You're quite a man, Mr.
Drew.
Your daughter's pretty sharp, too.
I accept your offer.
Good.
Good night.
Night.
Does Jensen know about the professor's map and the treasure? I told him.
And he told me to drive the hardest bargain I could, without losing the sale.
Well, that was pretty close.
But he could be giving up a fortune.
Now, old man Jensen doesn't see it that way, George.
Let's see, how did he put it? "When it comes to looking for gold, "try to be the one that sells the pick and shovels.
That's the only sure way to get rich.
" I think Mr.
Jensen will be very happy with tonight's arrangement.
Well, good night, George.
Good night.
Nance.
Good night.
Father, if you don't mind, I'd like to be there tomorrow when the professor starts looking for his treasure.
Why? I don't know.
It's just a feeling I have about Prof.
Wall.
He went to a lot of trouble to get his hands on that lighthouse.
And I just don't see him as any wide-eyed innocent.
Well, I don't see what harm it could do for you to be there to look after Mr.
Jensen's 10 percent.
Okay.
Don't stay up too late, now.
Nancy, I know that look.
What is it? That old legend about those four men being buried alive in the cave.
But it is just a legend.
Sure.
But we still haven't explained those footprints I found in the tower yesterday.
Prof.
Wall made them.
Okay, let's say he made them.
How did he make them disappear? He was outside with you.
I saw you together from the tower.
And I went down to meet you, we all went back upstairs, and the footprints were gone.
Nancy, I wouldn't go back to that lighthouse even if I wanted to.
And I don't want to! George, do me a favor tomorrow, first thing.
First thing, I'm going to New York with my mother.
Even better.
Call the big library there.
Nancy, why? I don't know.
But I want you to check out that book the professor had.
Ah, Nancy.
Nancy, what makes you so sure there's another entrance to the lighthouse down here? There's got to be one.
It's the only logical place I can think of.
I've walked here about 1,000 times.
I've never seen a hole in these cliffs.
Besides, why does there have to be another entrance? The dust.
What dust? The dust inside that tower had blown clear across the room, and there was no wind coining in from the outside.
There must be some kind of a powerful updraft that comes through the center of that tower.
I'll bet it whistles all through those old caves.
Well, it's a good theory.
Could even explain the light in the tower.
But what it won't explain is who it is who's running around the old place, and why.
Don't you believe in ghosts? Universities do.
Come on, Nancy, that's not funny.
Neither is that.
I don't believe it.
I've never seen that cave before.
That's because it hasn't been there before.
What do you mean, it's never been there before? My guess is that we're looking at an opening that's been sealed up.
And now somebody's blown it open.
An explosion like that would have been heard for miles.
Isn't this low tide? Yeah, but Oh, I get it.
That cave entrance would be deep underwater during high tide.
And no one would hear an underwater explosion.
That would account for the dead fish.
They were killed by concussion.
And the tire tracks by the cliff.
He must've driven to the edge and lowered himself down to plant the charges.
Hey, Ned, when's high tide? Oh, pretty soon.
But what's the point? I mean, it-it had to be the professor who did it.
He won't deny it.
He's not telling us the entire truth, Ned.
At least, I know he's not in this alone.
Somebody was in that tower yesterday.
Who? And if the professor knows, why isn't he telling us? I don't know.
Maybe we'll find out when we get inside that cave.
You mean us go in that hole? You know a better way to get to the bottom of this? The bottom of what? I mean, we don't even know where that goes.
There's only one way to find out.
Right.
Hey, Ned.
Look at that.
That door doesn't look It's not.
It's 20th century.
Um, around 1930.
Just like that, you know the door's 1930? Well, you're not the only one doing homework on this old place.
I found out it has a history slightly more recent than our pirate friends.
The smugglers needed places along the coast that they can duck in and hide from the coastguard.
Would you hold the light steady? You think they used these caves beneath the lighthouse? Well, I talked to old man Jensen this morning.
The guy who's selling the property.
He says the lighthouse was their favorite spot.
Made it possible for them to spot the coastguard for 100 miles.
The coastguard finally sealed it shut with dynamite in 1932.
Maybe the professor isn't hunting for treasure.
Maybe he has something to do with some organized criminals.
Well, I doubt it.
I'm sure they went through this place with a fine-toothed comb before they sealed it shut.
I think that's going to do it.
Better step back.
It's okay.
Who is it? I don't know, but he's long gone.
Come on, let's keep going, all right? Okay.
The floor is getting awfully damp around here.
We must be getting down close to sea level.
How can we be getting down close to sea level when we're going uphill? Ned, we're definitely going up, and so is the water.
I could tell you why that phenomenon is happening, but you're not going to like it.
Oh.
The tide's coming in.
Mmm-hmm.
You're right.
I don't like it.
Is that the tide? It sure is.
If we don't get through there now, we're never going to get out.
I say we keep going.
But what if we get trapped? You said it yourself.
There has to be another way to the lighthouse.
This is the only tunnel we've got.
This has to be it.
Forget it, it's too dangerous.
Let's go.
I guess that's that.
We keep going.
I guess so.
Maybe this is the door to the lighthouse.
We're gonna have a little more trouble with this one.
It's metal.
Help! Help! Somebody, help! Help! This door must be watertight.
I don't feel anything getting past.
It can't be.
I feel a draft in here.
No.
Help! Somebody, help us! Nancy, get up on my shoulders.
Ned, you'll drown if I do.
Just do what I say.
Get up there so you can keep pounding.
Ned, I feel wind up here.
Never mind the wind.
Worry about the water.
Nancy, where are you? Ned, you're not going to believe this.
I'm not going to be You all right? Yeah.
A little damp.
You got here just in time.
Hate to think what would've happened if I got here a minute later.
Nancy.
Nancy was with you? Where is she? She went through a hole in the ceiling.
What? Up here! I'm rich.
I'm rich.
They are the real thing.
Doubloons.
Pieces of eight.
If it hadn't been for Nancy, I never would've found it.
Well, it was Ned's shoulders that made it possible.
True, true.
I'd say everybody came out pretty well.
You know, if your estimate is correct, Professor, you're going to net $2 million from that find.
And that will entitle you to $200,000, Mr.
Jensen.
Sure, and that's a lot more than I figured I'd ever see.
That'll buy me and the missus our trip to Ireland 1,000 times over.
Yes, it will.
Well, we have some papers to sign.
Why don't you come on over to the desk? Well, thank you.
Ned.
Well, it looks like the perfect ending.
Nancy! George.
How was New York? Oh, incredible.
A shopping spree to end all.
But wait till I show you what I got.
I've got nothing but time.
We seem to have solved the lighthouse problem.
Oh, no.
And here I am, charging in with what I thought was a sensational clue.
What is it? Well, they had the same treasure book the professor showed us.
Uh-huh.
I used the library photocopier to duplicate that chapter.
Now, look at the map.
You'll notice something pretty peculiar.
They're not the same.
Right.
They're almost the same, but this one's about a lighthouse in Florida.
George, you're the greatest! Well, hello.
Hi.
You, uh, come to help me load my van? Not exactly.
You love a mystery, don't you? This one's been quite a challenge.
Yes, but you solved it.
Yes, I think so.
Well, I've got a lot to do.
If you want to talk, you'll, uh, either have to wait for me or follow me around.
Ah, do you see this, ghost? She's a brave lass.
I've never thought of you as particularly dangerous, but you are devious and smart.
Now what are you talking about? Well, you rewrote history and put your own chapter into that textbook.
That was to give credibility for us finding the treasure.
But Nancy, we did find the treasure.
We found a treasure.
But I think you planted it there.
Oh, I see.
I bought this old lighthouse, lugged in $2 million in gold, just so I could give away a $200,000 reward.
That's right.
Because you wanted to be able to spend the money.
All income has to be reported to the government.
That means you have to report where all the money came from.
Gangsters go to all sorts of trouble to put crooked money into their legitimate bank accounts.
Come on, Nancy, Do I look like a gangster? Doesn't mean you couldn't be dishonest.
If I were to guess, I'd say you somehow got your hands on $2 million you couldn't explain.
Explain to whom? The Internal Revenue Service.
Your friends.
Maybe even the police.
Unless you wanted to leave the United States, you had to come up with a story for all your newfound wealth.
That reward would be a small price to pay for putting all that money into your bank account.
No questions asked.
Who knows you came out here? Everybody.
They also know why? Of course.
No.
They never would have let you come.
They give you life for murder.
Unfortunately, Nancy, they also give you life for hijacking an airliner.
Nancy! Don't.
Don't do it.
It's not worth it.
I don't want to, Nancy, believe me.
I didn't want any of this.
But they were watching me.
Nancy, I got away with $2 million.
Parachuted into a forest.
Broke both my legs.
Sat alone in a cave and mended myself back into shape.
Then, when I came out, I couldn't spend a dime.
Nothing.
They were watching me.
I don't know how, but they suspected something.
They just couldn't prove it.
But I still couldn't spend a dime.
It's taken me three years to pull this off.
I'm sorry, Nancy.
I'm sorry you've left me no other choice.
Hold it right there, Professor.
We've waited a long time, Professor.
You almost got away with it.
You almost had us beat, Professor.
You were the ghosts in the tower.
That's right.
We knew he'd try to wash the money somehow.
Gold coins.
Very clever.
Well, when he bought this land, we just waited and watched.
His scheme was darn near foolproof.
Almost worked, if you hadn't smoked him out, young lady.
Nancy! Take him away.
You all right? I'm fine, Father.
What happened here? George told us that you'd rushed back out here, and-and about the book.
This young lady took a big chance confronting the professor.
She's always taking chances.
She seems to think she's some sort of detective.
Part-time investigator.
Let me tell you something.
I've been on this case three years.
She isn't bad.
Now.
Thanks a lot for the dinner, Mr.
Drew.
Listen, Ned, I owe you a lot more than a dinner for getting Nancy out of that place.
Me, too.
Oh, it was nothing.
All in the line of duty.
At least we cracked the case.
We sure did.
Tell me, Ned.
How did the professor convert his $2 million into old coins? Uh, well - He became a coin dealer.
Right, Ned? Yeah, that's right.
A coin dealer.
He placed mail order ads in European newspapers, all over, buying pieces of eight, doubloons, whatever fit the bill.
They were purchased through a post office box.
It took him three years to accumulate a trunkful.
Right, Ned? Yeah, that's right.
I give up.
How did you figure that one out, Nancy? Elementary, my dear Ned.
First I removed a small coin from this old antique to buy the morning paper, and I read the professor's full confession.
Ned, why don't you just tell her she turns your brains into a souffle and be done with it? George, did you say something? Your mistake was to become friends.
It's the wrong approach.
She thinks of you as a big brother.
If you want my advice- You think I'm hung up on Nancy? I work for her father.
With Mr.
Drew out of town, I- I just feel responsible, that's all.
Then why are your glasses all fogged up? Very funny.
Go on the way you're going, and, uh, somebody else will always be taking her for moonlit rides.
Nancy's not interested in any moonlit rides.
She's a very serious-minded girl.
Brandon's going to show me his new ski boat.
You guys want to come? Uh, ski boat, well, I, uh, It's too cold.
I- It's a big moon.
With any luck, we should be able to spot a few flying fish.
Uh, well, what about your guests, Brandon? I mean, it's your party.
We'll be back before we're missed.
Well, I really don't think- We wouldn't miss it! Let's go.
Something's wrong.
You're darn right.
It's cold.
Aw, you said you're such a hopeless romantic.
Slow down.
Brandon, could you stop the boat a minute? Hand me your flashlight.
Nancy, you see a flying fish? I think so.
Only he isn't flying.
And there's a reason that fish isn't flying.
It's dead.
Let's keep going.
They're usually all over the sky by the old lighthouse.
No, wait.
This isn't the first one I've seen.
I thought I saw one back there, and it looked dead, too.
Maybe they flew into the side of the cliff.
You mean they really fly? Oh, sometimes Wow.
Ned, look, there's dozens of 'em.
Can you reach one? Look at that.
It's limp.
Well, death does that to you.
Only when it's recent.
Otherwise it'd be stiff as a board.
Look at that wingspan.
Wow, they really fly.
Pirates used to think of them as good luck.
If you saw one, you were on your way to a fortune.
What if you saw a dead one? Your ship sank.
The fish are dead, Brandon.
Let's go home.
We just got here.
Let's go over to the old lighthouse.
Oh, no.
That place gives me the creeps.
It's deserted.
No, it's not.
Of course it is.
Has been for years.
Your father represents the land it's on.
I handle the account.
Well, how are you going to handle that? Somebody's in there.
Hey, that's private property.
Come on, let's go.
We can't land it.
There's too many rocks.
Head back to your house.
We'll call the sheriff.
I think we've got ourselves some vandals, gang.
You call the sheriff, Brandon.
We're gonna drive out to the lighthouse.
Hey, w-w-what about me? I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Great party, Brandon.
Come on, Nance.
Thanks for the ride, Brandon.
It was a great party.
Yeah, I know, great party.
Bye-bye.
Wait a minute.
Good evening, Sheriff.
Mornin' is more like it.
All right, what's all this nonsense about vandals? Well, uh, we all saw light coming out of the tower.
Oh? Only there's a problem.
What's that? Come have a look.
This lock ain't been off of here in years.
We all saw the light.
Oh, you did, huh? That's right, Sheriff, we did.
Let me show you somethin'.
But- You come with me.
Now, I want you all to notice this tower is built of brick and mortar.
Does everybody see that? Yeah, we all see.
Further, I want you to see there is no place on that tower where anybody could climb up to those windows.
Sure? Further, none of the windows seems to be busted.
So even if a body could fly, there'd be no way for him to get inside once he was up there.
We all together so far? Sheriff- I don't see any way that anybody could possibly have been inside that tower for the past five years, to be foolin' around with the light.
Unless we happen to be talking about a ghost.
We're not talking about a ghost, are we? We saw a light.
You saw a light up there, all right.
The light was the moon, reflecting off the glass windows.
Well, maybe we could take the lock off, go inside and look around.
You do what you like.
Your father manages the property.
But you wait until mornin', okay? Okay.
Thanks for coming out, Sheriff.
It's my job, but I prefer to do it in civilized hours.
Well, I, uh, I guess that's that.
You're going home? Yeah.
What do you expect me to do? What does she expect me to do? I don't get you two.
We were obviously mistaken.
Unless you're willing to tell me you think it was a ghost.
Nancy! Ned, there was nobody to meet me at the airport.
Where were you? And where's Nancy? I've been looking for her, too.
Why? What's wrong? Well, nothing's wrong, exactly.
What does that mean: "Nothing's wrong, exactly"? Well, you know the sale of the lighthouse property? Yes.
What's the lighthouse got to do with Nancy? She might have gone out there.
What for? To look around.
Ned, am I going to have to drag this out of you one syllable at a time? You know Nancy.
If she thinks there's some sort of mystery to solve Well, don't worry.
I'm going to go out there and straighten her out.
That's a great comfort to me, Ned.
The day she started part-time investigative work for me was the beginning of my gray hairs.
The only mystery about that lighthouse is why anybody would want to buy it.
Did you ever find out what that guy wanted it for? Yes, I met with Prof.
Wall while I was in California, and he explained it all to me.
And? I still don't understand it.
He's heading up some kind of psychic research foundation.
Psychic? You mean as in- Ghosts.
Yes.
I figured I'd better close the deal in a hurry.
I've been trying to unload that white elephant for old man Jensen for years.
It's not often you run into a character who wants a property like that.
The professor's a whacko, huh? "Whacko" is a little harsh, Ned.
A- actually, he's kind of a charming guy.
Young, too.
Oh.
well, I'd better get out there.
Ned.
Wait a minute.
Ned! What's going on out there? Ned.
This is going to take forever.
We'll take shifts.
Yell when you get tired.
I want to take another look around.
Nancy! Voila! Entrez.
Me first, huh? You're the detective.
I'm just a locksmith.
Part-time investigator.
Want to trade? Be careful.
Know what we need now? Yeah, Sheriff King and a posse.
I'd settle for a flashlight.
You have one in the car? Glove compartment.
I'll get it.
I'll get it.
I'm closer.
Oh, it's just a bat.
Only a bat, Nancy? Vampires are only bats.
I quit.
Oh, all right.
Go sit in the car.
I have to look around.
No, not by yourself.
Why? What for? George, if bats can get in, there has to be another entrance.
Not necessarily large enough to let a human being in.
Whatever it is, I want to know.
We did see a light in that tower last night, not the moon.
Besides, I just found fresh tire tracks leading right to the edge of that cliff.
The cliff? Why would anyone park there? Good question.
Nancy, instead of both of us looking around up there, why don't I try to figure out what those tire tracks mean? Right.
You're not mad, are you? No.
I'm sorry.
I-I didn't mean to startle you.
I'm Jack Wall.
Prof.
Wall, the new owner.
You almost fell.
I Are you out here alone? No, I I knew you'd come back here on your own.
You know this is private property and I'm responsible for any damage.
It's all right.
Miss Drew was looking out for my interests, weren't you? I'd be delighted.
What are they? Well, this old lighthouse for one, but you for another.
Ned's told me about your concern for my property.
Nancy, this is Prof.
Wall, the new owner.
Jack Wall.
How do you do? Did you know your lighthouse came with a ghost? I'd have demanded my money back if it hadn't.
Nancy.
Ghosts are the professor's business.
Parapsychology.
Really? Are you interested? Fascinated.
I'd say something now, Ned, or forever hold your peace.
Uh, look, it's, uh, my responsibility to see that the lighthouse is in acceptable shape for you to sign off our trusteeship, Professor.
So, uh, if you'd like to have a look around with me? I'd like to join you.
There's a few things I'd like to point out to Prof.
Wall.
Fine.
I'd appreciate that.
Nancy, I really think it best if you and George head back into town.
We got a lot of ground to cover before dark.
Ned, in case you've forgotten, I also work for my father.
Oh, Professor, do ghosts leave footprints? Well, they've been known to break crystal, ring doorbells, set fires.
I'm sure they could muster a few footprints.
Why? Well, your ghost spent some time in the light tower recently.
Really? Well? They were right there.
In the dust.
What dust? I don't know.
The floor was covered with it.
Well, look, you can still see some in the corner.
It must've blown away.
I don't feel any breeze up here.
This room's sealed.
It is blowing pretty hard outside.
If there were any leaks, we'd certainly feel them by now.
Nancy, I couldn't have seen them.
I- I chickened out by the stairs.
I'm sorry.
Well, I did see them, right there on the floor.
And we all saw the light last night.
I believe you, Nancy.
I appreciate your offer to help.
It'll make placing my equipment a lot easier.
What equipment? Monitoring devices for locating timid ghosts.
I'll install them this afternoon and get started tonight.
You're going to spend the night in here? It's my work.
Hopefully I won't be alone.
Uh, he means the ghosts.
He, uh, he hopes they'll show up tonight.
Everyone's welcome.
Nancy, you must be out of your mind.
I can't let you spend the night at a rat-infested old lighthouse.
I don't know if I'd go so far as to call the professor a rat, but he sure does move fast.
Now, Ned, you stay out of this.
You're not exactly unbiased, you know.
Neither are you.
I mean, you're chasing some sort of ghost fantasy, and the professor's chasing you.
Now look who's imagining things.
Besides, I'm not going alone.
George is coming with me.
Me? I'm going.
I wonder if either one of you would be willing to spend the night in that spooky old place.
Mr.
Drew, you're not actually considering letting them- Ned, Ned, Ned, Ned, wait a minute.
Let's keep our roles in perspective here.
I'm Nancy's father.
I'm supposed to have the wisdom of age at this point in my life.
And after all, th-this fellow Wall is a full professor, whose work dictates peculiar circumstances of this kind, right? Dad, you're terrific.
Come on, George, we got lots of work to do.
Sir Ned, you have to understand something.
Nancy has a very inquisitive mind.
She loves to unravel a mystery, but most of the investigative work she gets to do for the firm is confined to checking out driving records and searching through legal files.
But now we're talking about ghosts.
Come on, Ned.
Think of the attraction.
The attraction is what I'm thinking about.
And so is the professor, if you want my opinion.
Well, if you feel that way about it, why don't you go with them? I'm sure they'd love to have you.
No, thanks.
I have to go over those briefs for you.
I'll see you tomorrow, Mr.
Drew.
All right, Ned.
She'll have a wonderful time.
It's nice of you girls to help me out.
It's my pleasure.
I'll go back for another one.
I don't believe him.
I mean, he's an Adonis.
I guess that's my way of saying I've changed my mind.
I'm going to go to the lighthouse and spend the night with you and Prof.
Wall.
I wonder what he's up to.
George, have you ever heard any stories about that old lighthouse being haunted? No.
Neither have I.
I wonder where the professor's heard them.
He's from clear across the country, in California.
That's a fair question.
Excuse me for being nosy.
I was wondering what a professor of parapsychology reads to put himself to sleep at night.
Ghost stories.
What else? This book's Lost Treasures of the World.
Yes.
Well, a student of mine found this book in a small store in Carmel, California.
He brought a chapter of it to my attention.
A chapter on a haunted lighthouse.
Our lighthouse? Let me show you something.
I traced this map from the book onto this piece of paper.
There.
Now, watch what happens when I superimpose this over this road map of the area.
There.
The coast! Right outside of River Heights.
It matches the old map perfectly.
Yes.
it took me about three years to find this small spot on the coast.
I think if I'd been a treasure hunter, I never would have found it.
But since I'm constantly researching ghost legends, I ran across mention of an old lighthouse in this area.
I never heard of any legends surrounding our lighthouse.
Well, the story predates this lighthouse.
It really pertains to a series of caves, over which a lighthouse was subsequently built, but years later.
The caves were the private vault of a pirate who sailed these coastal waters in the later 1700s.
W- where do the ghosts come in? The good captain took four captured seamen of the king's navy, and sealed them into a room of stone to guard his treasure until his return.
That's awful.
Yes.
Unless you work in parapsychology.
No spirit like a troubled spirit to make things really unpleasant for the living.
Troubled ghosts are active ghosts.
Yes.
They love to make their presence known.
Hmm.
For the skeptical among us, that's a theory we'll have a good chance to prove in just a few hours.
And we'd better finish with the equipment.
Would you two bring the, uh, lights and cables? They're fairly light.
Sure.
And who made you the foreman? Come on.
George, didn't the professor say that a student gave him this book and that he's been looking for the lighthouse for three years? Yes.
Why? This book was checked out of a Los Angeles library last June.
He lied to us.
Why? Nancy, I think we'd better call off our little seance tonight.
No.
Absolutely not.
No, don't breathe a word about this to the professor.
'Cause he's up to something, and right now we have the upper hand.
But I want to know what it is before I go spend the night in a haunted lighthouse.
Well, one thing I'm sure of: That lighthouse is hiding something.
And we're gonna find out what it is.
I'd like to know why we couldn't all ride out together.
Simple.
The professor needed time to set up all his ghosts and goblins for us.
You really think he's going to try and scare us? Oh, I'll bet we're in for quite a show.
If he's staging this, he's very good.
The rain I'm not sure about, but the rest I am.
The rest of what? Come on.
Inside, quickly.
My apologies for the weather.
I would have thought you'd be pleased.
Ghosts must love this kind of night.
Who says so? Here, let me help you off with that.
No, I'll keep it on, if you don't mind.
It's freezing in here.
A wet coat certainly won't help.
Besides, I've got a room below, all set up.
I'll bet.
Now, watch the steps, Nancy.
They're damp and very slippery.
Okay.
Hey, this is first class! Only the bare necessities.
A little hot chocolate, snacks, as you may desire them, fresh fruit, cheese.
Whatever your wants, ladies.
This isn't a ghost hunt, it's a banquet.
What do you have here to ward off angry spirits? Chocolate-chip cookies.
It may be awhile.
There's no reason we can't be comfortable, right? What's all this stuff do? All this stuff listens.
I have every part of this old tower rigged for sound.
Believe me, if anything moves in this relic tonight, we'll know it.
That's what I'm afraid of.
So the people came to believe that the tortured spirits of these imprisoned men haunted the passages of the old caverns, and preyed on any living thing that came within the shadow of this piece of coastline.
Entire ships and crews were known to vanish.
All the fish.
What? No, George.
No, Nancy.
The fish, there were hundreds of them.
Dead.
By the base of the lighthouse.
What are you talking about? Some dead fish.
But I'm sure there's no connection with the legend.
It could be significant.
Hmm.
It suggests a rather unpleasant possibility.
What's that? That the spirits here were at rest until my activities stirred them up.
I could have gone all night without you saying that.
I'm sure it isn't that.
We've already been here for over three hours, and we haven't had so much as a peep out of these machines.
I'm afraid to say it looks as though this evening might turn into a bust.
Nancy.
Shh.
Nancy! Let's get out of here.
Be quiet.
No, it's coming down the steps.
Don't you hear it? We've waited for three hours for this show to begin.
How can we leave now? I wouldn't be facetious, Nancy.
The power of some spirits would amaze you.
Mine's not so bad, either.
Ghosts of the lost galleons who haunt the tower on the cliff, be gone! What happened? That's what happened.
Show's over.
Well, I suppose you'll want me to, uh, pack it all up and tell your father the deal's off.
I'm not sure he wants to cancel it.
Cancel what? What's going on? My guess is the professor is hunting for treasure and he didn't want anybody to know about it.
Why not? It's his property.
Yes, but it's not final.
Your young friend Ned decided to get fancy, when he was drawing up the sale papers in your father's absence.
He threw in a clause excluding all rights under the ground.
Offshore oil rights are a big issue on this coast.
Nancy, I don't care about oil rights.
Your father can keep them for the previous owner.
I'm only interested in the treasure, if-if it even exists.
I think we'd better go talk to my father.
I'm finding myself on the horns of a dilemma, Professor.
If I walk away from your purchase, I'll be voiding a sale my client wants very badly.
He and his wife are getting pretty old.
They might like to make a last trip back to Ireland.
Well, my offer still stands, Mr.
Drew.
I'd be willing to sign over- On the other hand, if there really is a handsome treasure someplace on that property, then, as things now stand, they are entitled to it.
In my defense, sir, the treasure has been given up for lost for almost 200 years.
It's hardly a sure thing.
I'm taking a very expensive gamble as it is.
I'm going to surprise you, Professor.
I'll make you a deal.
I'll sell you the property, including all mineral rights and all bounties below the surface.
You're a fair man, Mr.
Drew.
For double the original price.
Double! And my client gets 10 percent of anything you find.
Take it or leave it.
I don't think I have much choice.
Oh, yeah.
You could walk away from River Heights and our lighthouse.
I have a feeling if I'd been up-front with you when I first got here, you'd have sold it to me for the original price, including all rights.
That's correct.
You're quite a man, Mr.
Drew.
Your daughter's pretty sharp, too.
I accept your offer.
Good.
Good night.
Night.
Does Jensen know about the professor's map and the treasure? I told him.
And he told me to drive the hardest bargain I could, without losing the sale.
Well, that was pretty close.
But he could be giving up a fortune.
Now, old man Jensen doesn't see it that way, George.
Let's see, how did he put it? "When it comes to looking for gold, "try to be the one that sells the pick and shovels.
That's the only sure way to get rich.
" I think Mr.
Jensen will be very happy with tonight's arrangement.
Well, good night, George.
Good night.
Nance.
Good night.
Father, if you don't mind, I'd like to be there tomorrow when the professor starts looking for his treasure.
Why? I don't know.
It's just a feeling I have about Prof.
Wall.
He went to a lot of trouble to get his hands on that lighthouse.
And I just don't see him as any wide-eyed innocent.
Well, I don't see what harm it could do for you to be there to look after Mr.
Jensen's 10 percent.
Okay.
Don't stay up too late, now.
Nancy, I know that look.
What is it? That old legend about those four men being buried alive in the cave.
But it is just a legend.
Sure.
But we still haven't explained those footprints I found in the tower yesterday.
Prof.
Wall made them.
Okay, let's say he made them.
How did he make them disappear? He was outside with you.
I saw you together from the tower.
And I went down to meet you, we all went back upstairs, and the footprints were gone.
Nancy, I wouldn't go back to that lighthouse even if I wanted to.
And I don't want to! George, do me a favor tomorrow, first thing.
First thing, I'm going to New York with my mother.
Even better.
Call the big library there.
Nancy, why? I don't know.
But I want you to check out that book the professor had.
Ah, Nancy.
Nancy, what makes you so sure there's another entrance to the lighthouse down here? There's got to be one.
It's the only logical place I can think of.
I've walked here about 1,000 times.
I've never seen a hole in these cliffs.
Besides, why does there have to be another entrance? The dust.
What dust? The dust inside that tower had blown clear across the room, and there was no wind coining in from the outside.
There must be some kind of a powerful updraft that comes through the center of that tower.
I'll bet it whistles all through those old caves.
Well, it's a good theory.
Could even explain the light in the tower.
But what it won't explain is who it is who's running around the old place, and why.
Don't you believe in ghosts? Universities do.
Come on, Nancy, that's not funny.
Neither is that.
I don't believe it.
I've never seen that cave before.
That's because it hasn't been there before.
What do you mean, it's never been there before? My guess is that we're looking at an opening that's been sealed up.
And now somebody's blown it open.
An explosion like that would have been heard for miles.
Isn't this low tide? Yeah, but Oh, I get it.
That cave entrance would be deep underwater during high tide.
And no one would hear an underwater explosion.
That would account for the dead fish.
They were killed by concussion.
And the tire tracks by the cliff.
He must've driven to the edge and lowered himself down to plant the charges.
Hey, Ned, when's high tide? Oh, pretty soon.
But what's the point? I mean, it-it had to be the professor who did it.
He won't deny it.
He's not telling us the entire truth, Ned.
At least, I know he's not in this alone.
Somebody was in that tower yesterday.
Who? And if the professor knows, why isn't he telling us? I don't know.
Maybe we'll find out when we get inside that cave.
You mean us go in that hole? You know a better way to get to the bottom of this? The bottom of what? I mean, we don't even know where that goes.
There's only one way to find out.
Right.
Hey, Ned.
Look at that.
That door doesn't look It's not.
It's 20th century.
Um, around 1930.
Just like that, you know the door's 1930? Well, you're not the only one doing homework on this old place.
I found out it has a history slightly more recent than our pirate friends.
The smugglers needed places along the coast that they can duck in and hide from the coastguard.
Would you hold the light steady? You think they used these caves beneath the lighthouse? Well, I talked to old man Jensen this morning.
The guy who's selling the property.
He says the lighthouse was their favorite spot.
Made it possible for them to spot the coastguard for 100 miles.
The coastguard finally sealed it shut with dynamite in 1932.
Maybe the professor isn't hunting for treasure.
Maybe he has something to do with some organized criminals.
Well, I doubt it.
I'm sure they went through this place with a fine-toothed comb before they sealed it shut.
I think that's going to do it.
Better step back.
It's okay.
Who is it? I don't know, but he's long gone.
Come on, let's keep going, all right? Okay.
The floor is getting awfully damp around here.
We must be getting down close to sea level.
How can we be getting down close to sea level when we're going uphill? Ned, we're definitely going up, and so is the water.
I could tell you why that phenomenon is happening, but you're not going to like it.
Oh.
The tide's coming in.
Mmm-hmm.
You're right.
I don't like it.
Is that the tide? It sure is.
If we don't get through there now, we're never going to get out.
I say we keep going.
But what if we get trapped? You said it yourself.
There has to be another way to the lighthouse.
This is the only tunnel we've got.
This has to be it.
Forget it, it's too dangerous.
Let's go.
I guess that's that.
We keep going.
I guess so.
Maybe this is the door to the lighthouse.
We're gonna have a little more trouble with this one.
It's metal.
Help! Help! Somebody, help! Help! This door must be watertight.
I don't feel anything getting past.
It can't be.
I feel a draft in here.
No.
Help! Somebody, help us! Nancy, get up on my shoulders.
Ned, you'll drown if I do.
Just do what I say.
Get up there so you can keep pounding.
Ned, I feel wind up here.
Never mind the wind.
Worry about the water.
Nancy, where are you? Ned, you're not going to believe this.
I'm not going to be You all right? Yeah.
A little damp.
You got here just in time.
Hate to think what would've happened if I got here a minute later.
Nancy.
Nancy was with you? Where is she? She went through a hole in the ceiling.
What? Up here! I'm rich.
I'm rich.
They are the real thing.
Doubloons.
Pieces of eight.
If it hadn't been for Nancy, I never would've found it.
Well, it was Ned's shoulders that made it possible.
True, true.
I'd say everybody came out pretty well.
You know, if your estimate is correct, Professor, you're going to net $2 million from that find.
And that will entitle you to $200,000, Mr.
Jensen.
Sure, and that's a lot more than I figured I'd ever see.
That'll buy me and the missus our trip to Ireland 1,000 times over.
Yes, it will.
Well, we have some papers to sign.
Why don't you come on over to the desk? Well, thank you.
Ned.
Well, it looks like the perfect ending.
Nancy! George.
How was New York? Oh, incredible.
A shopping spree to end all.
But wait till I show you what I got.
I've got nothing but time.
We seem to have solved the lighthouse problem.
Oh, no.
And here I am, charging in with what I thought was a sensational clue.
What is it? Well, they had the same treasure book the professor showed us.
Uh-huh.
I used the library photocopier to duplicate that chapter.
Now, look at the map.
You'll notice something pretty peculiar.
They're not the same.
Right.
They're almost the same, but this one's about a lighthouse in Florida.
George, you're the greatest! Well, hello.
Hi.
You, uh, come to help me load my van? Not exactly.
You love a mystery, don't you? This one's been quite a challenge.
Yes, but you solved it.
Yes, I think so.
Well, I've got a lot to do.
If you want to talk, you'll, uh, either have to wait for me or follow me around.
Ah, do you see this, ghost? She's a brave lass.
I've never thought of you as particularly dangerous, but you are devious and smart.
Now what are you talking about? Well, you rewrote history and put your own chapter into that textbook.
That was to give credibility for us finding the treasure.
But Nancy, we did find the treasure.
We found a treasure.
But I think you planted it there.
Oh, I see.
I bought this old lighthouse, lugged in $2 million in gold, just so I could give away a $200,000 reward.
That's right.
Because you wanted to be able to spend the money.
All income has to be reported to the government.
That means you have to report where all the money came from.
Gangsters go to all sorts of trouble to put crooked money into their legitimate bank accounts.
Come on, Nancy, Do I look like a gangster? Doesn't mean you couldn't be dishonest.
If I were to guess, I'd say you somehow got your hands on $2 million you couldn't explain.
Explain to whom? The Internal Revenue Service.
Your friends.
Maybe even the police.
Unless you wanted to leave the United States, you had to come up with a story for all your newfound wealth.
That reward would be a small price to pay for putting all that money into your bank account.
No questions asked.
Who knows you came out here? Everybody.
They also know why? Of course.
No.
They never would have let you come.
They give you life for murder.
Unfortunately, Nancy, they also give you life for hijacking an airliner.
Nancy! Don't.
Don't do it.
It's not worth it.
I don't want to, Nancy, believe me.
I didn't want any of this.
But they were watching me.
Nancy, I got away with $2 million.
Parachuted into a forest.
Broke both my legs.
Sat alone in a cave and mended myself back into shape.
Then, when I came out, I couldn't spend a dime.
Nothing.
They were watching me.
I don't know how, but they suspected something.
They just couldn't prove it.
But I still couldn't spend a dime.
It's taken me three years to pull this off.
I'm sorry, Nancy.
I'm sorry you've left me no other choice.
Hold it right there, Professor.
We've waited a long time, Professor.
You almost got away with it.
You almost had us beat, Professor.
You were the ghosts in the tower.
That's right.
We knew he'd try to wash the money somehow.
Gold coins.
Very clever.
Well, when he bought this land, we just waited and watched.
His scheme was darn near foolproof.
Almost worked, if you hadn't smoked him out, young lady.
Nancy! Take him away.
You all right? I'm fine, Father.
What happened here? George told us that you'd rushed back out here, and-and about the book.
This young lady took a big chance confronting the professor.
She's always taking chances.
She seems to think she's some sort of detective.
Part-time investigator.
Let me tell you something.
I've been on this case three years.
She isn't bad.
Now.
Thanks a lot for the dinner, Mr.
Drew.
Listen, Ned, I owe you a lot more than a dinner for getting Nancy out of that place.
Me, too.
Oh, it was nothing.
All in the line of duty.
At least we cracked the case.
We sure did.
Tell me, Ned.
How did the professor convert his $2 million into old coins? Uh, well - He became a coin dealer.
Right, Ned? Yeah, that's right.
A coin dealer.
He placed mail order ads in European newspapers, all over, buying pieces of eight, doubloons, whatever fit the bill.
They were purchased through a post office box.
It took him three years to accumulate a trunkful.
Right, Ned? Yeah, that's right.
I give up.
How did you figure that one out, Nancy? Elementary, my dear Ned.
First I removed a small coin from this old antique to buy the morning paper, and I read the professor's full confession.