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Nancy Drew #60
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The Greek Symbol
Mystery
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Chapter 1 –
Mystery Plus Mystery
Nancy
is
planning to visit Greece to help Carson locate the cousin of
client
Helen Nicholas to trace a missing inheritance. Nancy’s
neighbor Mrs Jeannette Thompson asks her to find out what has been
happening to missing charitable donations she has been sending to
the
Papadapoulous family via an agency called Photini. A
cancelled
check endorsed by Dimitri Georgiou is provided as a starting
point. On a layover in New York, NBG take a cab into Astoria
to
check out the agency. There are picketers in front of the
building so the girls are unable to get to the agency. Back
on
the plane to Greece, and angry passenger named Mr Isakos drops a
piece
of Photini letterhead with a mysterious phi-shaped doodle.
Chapter 2 – Stolen Note
Nancy reviews
the letter which is in Greek but is able to translate some key
words
with the assistance of a flight attendant. She determines
that a
meeting took place last month at the Zappeion, a military exhibit
in
Athens. While the girls nap during the long flight, Nancy’s
handbag is jostled and she later discovers that the letter is
gone.
After landing
in
Athens, the girls check into their hotel, where they discover a
hospitality basket of apples. Lurking inside the basket is a
snake,
which the girls trap with the aid of an umbrella and waste
basket. Then the girls go to Vatis & Vatis (law firm
which is
handling the Nicholas estate) only to find that the offices have
closed.
Chapter 3 – Unwanted Mask
The girls
visit
the Plaka, the old part of Athens. At a Byzantine church
they
observe an Orthodox priest leaving a box with a nautical crest as
an
offering to an icon. While window shopping at a chrysoteque
(gold
store), a golden mask is removed from the display. Inside
the
store the girls overhear an argument. Later the girls have a
drink in Syntagma Square and discover that the gold mask from the
shop
in Nancy’s shopping bag. On it there is a golden sticker
featuring the phi-shaped doodle. Nancy takes the mask to the
archaelogical museum where the curator calls in a local detective.
Chapter 4
–The Intruder
Nancy is held
for questioning then reluctantly released. The girls next
investigate the Photini Agency, where they meet Mr Diakos.
He
indicates that they do not have any records of any Papadapoulos
family
in their files. He also says he has not heard from Dimitri
recently. Nancy borrows a car from Carson’s friend Mr
Mousiadis and the girls drive to the port city of Piraeus in
search of
the Nikos Shipping Company. There she discovers that
Constantine
no longer works for Nikos and is believed to have squandered his
fortune irresponsibly. The girls are given passes to one of
the
Nikos freighters.
Chapter 5 – In the Ditch
The freighter
leaves port with the girls still aboard but the sailors are able
to
reverse and let the girls off. On a drive along the Canal of
Corinth Nancy avoids a collision with a truck but the car ends up
in a
ditch. After getting a local family to help get the car out,
the
girls go on to the Papadapoulos home in Agionori.
Communication
is primarily through 10 year-old Maria who has been learning
English at
school. The family learns that Mrs Thompson had continued to
sponsor them, but that the money had been stolen. The family
gives Nancy an embroidered shawl. Everyone shares a picnic
lunch,
including some goat’s milk. On the way back to Athens the
girls stop at the beach in Loutraki, where Bess gets stung by a
jellyfish.
Chapter 6 – Hunting A Suspect
Alexis Hios,
the
local lifeguard, pours ammonia over Bess’s foot to soothe the
pain. His family is in the shipping business so he knows
Constantine. Alexis invites the girls to see the view from
Lycabettus Hill that evening. Back at the hotel Bess thinks
she
sees the intruder who took the basket of apples from their room –
he is meeting with Isakos. They overhear plans relating to
St
Mark’s at 2 or 3 in the morning. Later Alexis joins them
and they all take the funicular to see St George’s Church.
He tells them that St Marks is a monastery on the outskirts of
Athens. The next day the girls return to the gold shop but
they
are stonewalled.
Chapter 7 – Burglar Attempt
Back at the
hotel Nancy interrupts a man who is breaking into her room.
He
throws an object at her which turns out to be a metal stamp of the
serpentine phi symbol.
Chapter 8 –
Valuable Outburst
At 2 AM the
girls set out for St Marks monastery. They observe a man in
a
dark robe but lose sight of him when the detective busts them for
trespassing. The next day the girls return to the jewelry
shop
and discover that the younger shop clerk knows Constantine – in
fact she claims he is her boyfriend and is jealous of Bess’s
interest in him.
Chapter 9 – The Strange Statue
The girls
enjoy
a local soda called visináda and go over their clues. A
cat upsets the table and then Constantine’s friend Stella (from
the jewelry shop) joins them. She is concerned about
Constantine’s disappearance. Before she can tell the girls
much of anything, an angry man named Mimi drags her away. He
drops his silver “DV” monogrammed money clip and Nancy
conjectures that he might be named Dimitri. Then the girls
tour
the Acropolis. A young boy steals Bess’s wallet.
Chapter 10 – Surprise Visitors
Bess reports
the
theft to the police and they suggest that the girls check the
money
exchange shops to any sign of the boy. Bess nabs a young boy
whom
she identifies as the culprit but it is a misidentification.
Back
at the hotel, Helen Nicholas and Mrs Thompson have arrived to help
to
try and solve the mysteries.
Chapter 11 – Clue on the Dock
That evening
at
Helen’s request the group visits Herodotus Atticus, an
amphitheater near the Acropolis. There is nothing playing
that
evening but a guard lets the sightseers in. Nancy and Helen
overhear a conversation and discover that Constantine is hiding in
Piraeus. The next day at the harbor police are investigating
freight shipments for stolen vases and asking about Isakos.
On
the wall of the wharf Nancy notices the letters DG surrounded by
the
figure of a serpent. After trying to get more clues from the
police, the group returns to their car, but it won’t start.
Chapter 12 –
The Banded Freighter
A boy tells
them
that a mean red-faced man tampered with their car and then he went
aboard a white-banded ship. Bess goes to fetch a
policewoman who is talking with two sailors, one Greek and one
Swedish. From the sailors Bess learns that Constantine has
been
using the White Band freighter to ship cargo and that he has
started
wearing a beard and mustache. The girls meet Captain Fotis
on the
white banded freighter and also spot Isakos aboard.
Chapter 13 – Boat Chase
Nancy chases
Isakos over sea and land but he gets away. Back on the
freighter
Nancy and the review Fotis’ cargo but find nothing suspicious.
Fotis denies knowing Constantine.
Chapter 14 – The Vanished Lawyer
Mrs Thompson
pays for the car repairs and the group goes to Mikrolímano for a
seafood lunch. Nancy receives a message about Vatis and
meets
Peter Scourles, a former associate who found his former employer
to be
unscrupulous. He provides the clue that Vatis likes to
vacation
in Corfu. The next day the girls fly to Kérkyra and
determine that Vatis is staying at the Queens Palace hotel.
That
evening the girls witness Vatis trying to sell a gold bracelet
from
1876 which they suspect may have been stolen from the
museum.
While they are eavesdropping George gets nabbed.
Chapter 15 – Corfu Snafu
Nancy gets
her
cab to chase the car that she believes has taken George.
They
find her in a ditch after she has been released. In the mean
time
Vatis has checked out of his hotel. The next morning at
their own
hotel, Nancy notices two men on a nearby rocky precipice, and
recognizes one as Vatis. When she goes to talk to him he
treats
her roughly and drops the gold bracelet, which is stamped with the
Greek symbol.
Chapter 16 – A Capture
Vatis gets
away
by motorboat. The girls call the police and race back to the
Queens Palace where they catch Vatis burning documents.
After
being arrested Vatis claims that Constantine gave him the bracelet
in
lieu of legal fees. Nancy takes pictures of the partially
burned
documents and then rush to the airport to catch the plane back to
Athens. Nancy speaks to her father who says he plans to come
to
Greece with some other travelers but the connection is cut before
he
can say whom.
Chapter 17 – Nikos Deposits
Nancy gets
the
pictures developed and Helen recognizes the document as her uncle
Lineos’s will. They figure out which bank Lineos used to
hold his assets, and hope to try and discover who has been paying
the
rental fee. A boy comes with the payment and says it is from
a
man living at the Ayiou Markou monastery outside of town. Bess
spies
Stella from the chrysoteque and tries to follow her, but finds out
she
no longer works at the gold store.
Chapter 18 – Barrel
Trap
That evening
Ned, Burt and Dave arrive as a surprise for the girls. They
name
their partnership the Sleuth Snoops and go to investigate at the
monastery. While looking around in a prayer room, Ned and
Nancy
admire some mosaic panels and then the pair are trussed up in
black
robes and forced into a large barrel. Bess and Dave come to
their
rescue, but not before the mosaics have been stolen.
Chapter 19 –
Mosaic Lead
Nancy speaks
with one of the monks and discovers that Constantine has spent
some
time at the monastery, disguised as a deaf monk. Nancy
approaches
a man and outs him as Constantine. He is contrite and wants to
rectify
the trouble he has caused. He claims he never received his
inheritance and was forced to pay for legal fees to Vatis with the
stolen bracelet. He was hoping to expose the smuggling ring
by
slipping the gold mask into Nancy’s shopping bag, as he knew she
was a smart American detective. Instead of having him
arrested,
they leave Constantine in the care of the monks.
Driving
back Nancy spots Isakos – when she confronts him, he throws her
into oncoming traffic.
Chapter 20 –
Smugglers’ Arrest
Ned rescues
Nancy and witnesses arrest Isakos. Under interrogation by
Carson,
Vatis has confessed that he forged Constantine’s signature to
steal his inheritance. Next stop is Piraeus where Dimitri is
arrested with the help of Interpol, where it is revealed is that
his
name is really Vatis and that he was trying to take over the
smuggling
ring. Constantine’s part was relatively small, so Carson
believes he will get a reduced sentence. Dimitri was first
made
aware of the smuggling ring when Constantine tried to pay for his
legal
fees with the bracelet. The gang celebrates on Helen’s new
yacht, which is christened the Nancy
Drew.
3 grayscale pictures by Ruth Sanderson © 1979 by Simon & Schuster, New York.
color picture of snake/apples by Pentti Kareinen © 1994 by Tammi, Helsinki.
color picture of girls with mask by Linda Thomas © 1989 by Simon & Schuster, New York.
cover picture of struggle by Peter Archer © 1982 by Angus & Robertson, Sydney.
3 black and white line drawings by Philippe Daure © 1983 by Hachette, Paris.
© 2012, Lea Shangraw Fox