Free Mandie Collection, The: 4 by Lois Gladys Leppard

papers and began copying information from them into his notebook.
    “What has happened, officer?” Mrs. Taft asked.
    “There has been a robbery, Signora,” the man said without looking up. “We must take all names and addresses of visitors and investigate.”
    “You’re not talking about my bag, are you?” Mandie quickly asked.
    The man stopped writing and smiled at her. “Signorina, I do not know anything about your bag. What is missing is the very large ruby from that case over there.” He pointed across the room toward the display case the young people had looked into the day before. He bent over his notebook again.
    Mandie said, “My bag was stolen, too. At least I think it was stolen. Anyway it just disappeared.”
    The policeman looked up again. “If you will please stop by our headquarters and make up a report, we will be happy to pursue the matter for you,” he said patiently. “Right now we must expend every effort to find the ruby. It is part of our national heritage.”
    “Thank you. I understand,” Mandie replied. “And I’m sorry about your ruby. I sincerely hope you find it.”
    The policeman finished taking the information and returned the papers to Senator Morton. “Thank you. You may proceed now,” he said.
    Mrs. Taft walked slowly past the case where the ruby had been. “My, my, what a loss!” she exclaimed. “I remember seeing the stone.”
    As they went outside, Senator Morton said, “They have a good police force here in Rome. They’ll probably find it. Whoever took it must still be in the catacombs.”
    The young people lagged behind.
    “And the catacombs have more levels than most people realize,” Mandie whispered to her friends.
    “Yes, it’s a perfect place for thieves to hide,” Jonathan said quietly.
    “They would have to know this place pretty well, or they’d get lost and maybe never find their way out,” Celia added.
    “You are so right,” Mandie agreed. “But you know, I just don’t understand how anyone could have stolen the ruby. It was locked in that case, and there’s also a guard there. Remember, he came and looked for my bag for me.”
    “That’s right,” Jonathan said. “Whoever took the ruby must be a professional thief. No one saw him.”
    “Him or her,” Mandie added.
    “Oh, Mandie, do you really think that strange woman could have been involved in this?” Celia asked nervously.
    Mandie’s heart sank. “I don’t know,” she said. “But I feel so awful about asking the guard to help me find my bag. Maybe that’s when the thief took the ruby!”
    Jonathan tried to console her. “You had no way of knowing.... Besides, whoever took it would have found a way, with or without the guard gone looking for your bag.”
    “We should tell someone,” Celia urged.
    “What would we tell them?” Jonathan asked. “We can’t prove any of this.”
    Mrs. Taft stopped in front of a bench in the middle of a flower garden and sat down. “Let’s sit here while Senator Morton finds a carriage for us,” she suggested. The young people sat down with her. Senator Morton hurried down the road.
    Mandie allowed Snowball to roam on his leash, and he immediately began to scamper in the grass.
    “Whew! I didn’t realize I was tired until I sat down,” Mrs. Taft said, fanning herself with her white lace handkerchief. “It’s so warm out here after being in that cold place. But it was awfully interesting, didn’t y’all think so?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Mandie agreed. The others nodded.
    “I don’t believe we would ever be able to cover the entire place,” Mrs. Taft continued. “There are so many nooks and crannies andpassageways and steps. The Franciscan monks are the custodians of the place, but I certainly didn’t see a single one.”
    The young people exchanged glances.
    “They probably have private living quarters where the public can’t go,” Mrs. Taft rambled on.
    Jonathan cleared his throat.
    Mandie, believing he was about to speak,