Nancy Drew #78
	The Phantom of Venice

Chapter 1 - Mid-Air Meeting

Nancy is restless on a trans-Atlantic flight to Italy as she is in emotional turmoil over her feelings for Ned. Another traveler, Tara Egan, recognizes Nancy from a TV interview and joins her - the girls realize they are both going to Venice. Tara is going to collect the personal effects of her artist father who has accidentally drowned in a canal. Tara's parents are divorced and she did not know her father well. Once they arrive in Venice, Nancy agrees to accompany Tara to go meet her father's lady friend, Angela. When they arrive at her door, they are greeted by an Italian hunk named Gianni.

Chapter 2 - A Shot in the Dark

The girls are invited into the apartment for espresso and cookies. Angela recounts the sad circumstances of Rolf Egan's return one evening in a gondola. A shot rang out from the fondamenta and Rolf tumbled overboard, but his body has never been recovered. Gianni comforts Tara as she hears this sad story.

Chapter 3 - The Watcher in the Shadows

Angela shows Tara the few remaining belongings of her father, including a special apron Rolf had made for her. Tara is invited to stay with the Spinellis instead of staying at a pensione, but Nancy politely declines on her behalf. As the girls are leaving the apartment, Nancy notices a figure lurking in the alleyway. Nancy tells Tara she is staying at the Palazzo Falcone and to contact her there if there is any trouble.

Chapter 4 - Falcon Palace

After dropping Tara at the Pensione Dandolo, Nancy moves to go to her destination and is harassed on the street by Gianni. Nancy's emotions fluctuate between a strong physical attraction and an utter disdain for the playboy's smooth lines. Gianni manages to accompany her as far as the Palazzo, but there she dismisses him. Carson and the Marchese del Falcone are on hand to meet her and they give her details regarding the kidnapping of master glassblower Pietro Rinaldi, who is being held for a ransom of $100,000.

Without the craftsman running Falcone's glass factory, the company is effectively crippled. The Marchese had been undergoing negotiations to sell the factory, but the buyers, Crystalia Glass, represented by Carson, are wavering since the status of Pietro is in doubt. The buyers have been asked to front the ransom. Later, back in her room, Nancy discovers a fluted white shell in her suitcase.

Chapter 5 - A Glass Menagerie

Nancy makes plans to take a trip to Murano to see the glassworks. In the drawing room at the Palazzo, Nancy and Carson meet Katrina, a beautiful Dutch photo-journalist on assignment to cover the masked ball the Marchese is hosting. Nancy takes the trip across the lagoon to Murano and meets Don, a gruff American who will be her guide and interpreter. During a tour of the glassworks he gives a history of the business. Nancy visits the showroom and purchases a paperweight for Aunt Eloise. While in the showroom, Nancy notices some glass animals which turn out to have been designed by Rolf Egan.

Chapter 6 - Unseen Eyes

Nancy returns to the Palazzo where she meets some guests named the Gattis. Tara is invited to come for tea. Later, when Nancy is resting in her room, to her surprise, Don walks by - he is also staying with the Marchese. He is much more friendly than he was while at the factory and agrees to show Nancy Pietro's flat. Nothing appears out of the ordinary at the flat. Don also explains that Pietro and Rolf were old friends, which is one of the reasons that Rolf's designs were chosen for manufacture by the glassworks. While waiting for the vaporetto to return to the Palazzo, Nancy is pushed from behind, causing her heel to break off.

Chapter 7 - Shell Game

Nancy is about to fall into the canal, but Don's strong arms embrace her and pull her back onto the quay. They have an electric moment and then Nancy returns to Venice. Tara arrives at the Palazzo for tea and the marchese invites her to stay there rather than at her pensione. The girls decide to share a room. There is an unexpected visit by Oliver Joyce, an art collector who has heard that the Marchese was in need of raising capital in a hurry. Nancy shows Tara the shell from her suitcase.

Chapter 8 - A Sinister Sign

Tara is speechless at the sight of the shell, an Angel's Wing. She explains that she once gave one exactly like it to her father. The Marchese returns from his tour with the art dealer and shows everyone a Fabergé egg. Nancy grows suspicious of Oliver as he seems to be casing the joint, and also appears to have a gun in a leg holster. Gianni stops by and invites the girls for a guided tour of Venice. Nancy is loathe to go but decides Tara will be in danger left alone with Gianni, so agrees to accompany them. After seeing some sights and stopping for a snack, the trio runs into Don. Nancy greets him enthusiastically and Gianni shows signs of jealousy. Nancy and Don go to dinner in the Dorsoduro and they discuss their growing attraction. Don says he is planning to dress as a masked bravo at the upcoming masquerade ball and recommends a good costume shop to Nancy.

When Nancy returns to to her room, Tara is fuming because she feels that Nancy is interloping on her chances with Gianni. Nancy apologizes and decides not to try to protect Tara from the lothario anymore. That night Nancy is awakened by Tara's screams as a hooded figure with a skull face is hovering near her bed.

Chapter 9 - Ghost Story

The figure hesitates as he notices the paperweight on Nancy's bedside table, then he turns and runs down the corridor. Nancy starts to pursue him, but Tara begs her to stay instead. Once Tara has calmed down a bit, Nancy checks and the figure is gone. In the morning, Nancy asks if the Palazzo is haunted and is assured that the only ghostly legends are of a benign ancestor who has never hurt anyone. The girls go sightseeing to the Ca d'Oro where Nancy admires a painting by Titian. Gianni shows up and Nancy rebuffs him. He grabs her and kisses her, but she breaks away and slaps him indignantly. Back out on the street, Nancy feels a tug on her purse and finds a note has been slipped to her

Chapter 10 - Rendezvous with Danger

The note says to meet a "friend of R" at 6:00 under the Winged Lion, and Nancy decides to keep the appointment. The girls go to the costume shop and Gianni appears and joins them. The plump mustachioed costumer shows them Don's bravo outfit, then Nancy chooses an Oriental dancing girl costume, and Tara, a medieval princess outfit.

The girls visit Piazzo San Marco then Nancy goes to keep her appointment with the stranger. As a man with a scarred face in safari garb comes toward her, he notices Gianni also approaching and hurries away.

Chapter 11 - Secret Search

Back at the Palazzo, the girls' room has been ransacked, but nothing appears to be missing.

Chapter 12 - Masquerade

At the masked ball, Nancy dances with a man in a bravo costume, then kisses him, believing that he is Don. However, she belatedly realizes that the person is too short and determines that it is Gianni, who has switched costumes with Don's. Nancy rebuffs Gianni, but both Don and Tara have witnessed the kiss, and they are both very upset. At the buffet, Nancy recognizes Oliver Joyce and starts to follow him when he leaves the room. In the hallway, a man dressed as a harlequin stops her and asks to speak with her quietly. The stranger identifies himself simply as Hans, and warns her that Tara is in danger. The palazzo's lights go out and everything is plunged into darkness.

Chapter 13 - Dark Deeds

Hans disappears and the lights are restored. Nancy checks on the Fabergé egg and discovers it is missing, which she reports to the Marchese. The butler finds the egg in the wastebasket, but the jeweled bird inside is missing; the Marchese explains that is was only a glass reproduction anyway. Tara has found a new suitor at the ball and is no longer mad at Nancy.

While the girls sleep that night, an intruder enters their bedroom and Nancy knocks over her bedside lamp. He escapes via gondola when Nancy pursues him. The "ghost" had whispered Tara's name and left wet footprints.

Chapter 14 - Game Plan

At breakfast, Carson discloses that his client, Crystalia, is willing to put up half of Pietro's ransom. Nancy forms a plan and sends a fake note regarding a "valuable object" to Pietro from Hans, via Zorzi. She meets Don and outlines her theory that Rolf, Pietro and Hans have something of value which she refers to as "The Prize." Some crooks want the "Prize" and that is why they kidnapped Pietro, and any ransom they collect for his release would be icing on the cake.

Chapter 15 - Stakeout

Don and Nancy head to the Falcone glassworks via motorboat. They meet Zorzi there, who has delivered the note to Rubini, then watched him as he left to go to Venice. Nancy believes Rubini will direct the the kidnappers to release Pietro who will immediately return to the factory, so she and Don hide in the reception area to wait. While there, Don professes his love, but also explains that he already has a fiancée waiting for him back in the states.

Chapter 16 - Night of the Omelet

Pietro arrives but can't find what he is looking for among the paperweights. He calls Domenic. Rubini, Katrina and a gun-toting thug arrive and demand The Prize. Don and Nancy attack and, after the melée, Nancy produces the paperweight that she bought for Eloise from her purse. Gianni then appears, also armed and demands the paperweight. He had been recruited by the Diamante group but got greedy and tried to steal the gem for himself. Nancy throws the paperweight at Gianni and Don disarms him. The paperweight has broken open on the ground to reveal a large diamond.

Back at the Palazzo, Pietro tells the story of being approached by Hans, who is an illegal diamond buyer (one who buys directly from native prospectors), smuggling diamonds without the knowledge of the diamond cartel. He has angered the Diamante Network, which considers diamond smuggling its own turf. Rolf appears and explains that he has been hiding in the palace's dungeon with the help of Domenic and trying to let Tara know he was still alive (by planting the shell and the night-time visits).

color image (skull face) by Hector Garrido © 1985 by Simon & Schuster, New York.
Venus of Urbino by Titian.
color image (bed scene) by unknown artist © 1987 by Fontana Paperbacks, London.
color image (motorboat) by Aleta Jenks © by Simon & Schuster, New York.

© 2001, Lea Shangraw Fox