Part of the fun of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories is seeing the criminals collapse under pressure and confess all. Oh, they try the silent treatment at first. But usually the criminals are so overwhelmed by Nancy’s superior abilities, they confess more than they should.
The Phantom of Pine Hill has not one, but TWO great confessions. They occur right after the usually timid Bess has surprisingly saved the day.
Moments before, the criminal, Mr. Jenkins, had sprayed Nancy and George with knockout spray and they were lying unconscious in the mansion library. Before he could spray Bess, however, she hurled a heavy book end at the spray gun and knocked it from the man’s hand. He fell off the mantelpiece where he was perched, hit his head and lay still.
Then Bess cleverly detained Mr. Jenkins’ son Fred by first offering him delicious pudding and then a piece of cake. This is just enough time for the police to arrive and capture Fred. By now, everyone is starting to revive, and Fred begins to confess.
He explains that his father has two friends who are trying to find a treasure they believe was removed from a local shipwreck — the very same treasure Nancy and her chums have been seeking. With “a bit of braggadocio,” he says:
“They helped us trail you girls wherever you went. John Tregger and Hank More are smart. Oh, I shouldn’t have mentioned their names.”
Oops.
Nancy then takes a turn at grilling Fred’s father.
“Did you steal my pearl necklace?” she asked.
“Yes. It’s hidden in the cabin. You look under the floor boards. Why do I want to give it back to you? Because I admire your grit.”
Everybody does, buddy. That’s the magic of Nancy Drew.
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