The Clue of the Black Keys

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The Clue of the Black Keys
Author	Carolyn Keene
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Nancy Drew stories
Genre(s)	Detective, Mystery novel
Publisher	Grosset & Dunlap
Publication date	1951
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN	NA
Preceded by	Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Wooden Lady
Followed by	Nancy Drew: The Mystery at the Ski Jump

The Clue of the Black Keys is the twenty-eighth volume in the Nancy Drew mystery series. It was first published in 1951 under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The actual authors were ghostwriters Wilhelmina Rankin and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.

Plot Summary--- Terry Scott, a young archaeology professor, seeks Nancy's help in unearthing a secret of antiquity which can only be unlocked by three black keys. While on an archaeological expedition in Mexico, Terry and Dr. Joshua Pitt came across on a stone tablet. Before the professors had time to translate the cipher, the tablet disappeared-and with it Dr. Pitt! Terry tells Nancy of his suspicions of the Tinos, a Mexican couple posing as scientists, who vanished the same night as Dr. Pitt.

The young detective is plunged into an adventure that demands all her ingenuity and bravery as she and her friends follow a tangled trail of clues that lead to the Florida Keys and finally to Mexico.

[edit] Characters

Nancy Drew- a teenage detective girl that does the sleuthing in The Clue of the Black Keys

Carson Drew- a lawyer, father of Nancy Drew

Terence Scott- also known as “Terry”. Young Archeology Professor of Keystone University that joined the exploring expedition in Mexico.

Dr. Joshua Pitt- One of the four members of the exploring team in Mexico. He disappeared together with the clue, a cipher carved on stone tablet.

Dr. Graham- A Professor in Jonsonburg College and also member of the exploring team in Mexico

Dr. Anderson- A Professor in Geology at Clifton Institute that also joined the exploring expedition in Mexico

Mr. & Mrs. Juarez Tino- A Mexican couple that introduce their selves as scientists and watch excavation of the cipher stone. They are the mastermind for the lost of cipher stone and Dr. Pitt. Mr. Juarez Tino used name Conway King.

Mr. Wil Porterly- help the Tinos to do cruelty things against Nancy Drew and Terry Scott. Mrs. Irene Porterly- Wife of Wil Porterly and also known as Irene Webster, sister of Mrs. Lillian Wagnell

Mr. Earl Wagnell- also helped the Tinos to threatened Nancy and Terry

Mrs. Lillian Wagnell- wife of Mr. Earl Wagnell, she was former Lillian Webster. She asked Terry to decipher or translate the old diary for her. (diary was a fake)

Ned Nickerson- a very supportive boyfriend of Nancy Drew.

Bess Marvin- friend of Nancy Drew, Cousin of George Fayne

George Fayne- friend of Nancy Drew, Cousin of Bess Marvin

Mrs. Hannah Gruen- The Drew’s housekeeper

Mrs. Presscotts- study the family history of every family in River Heights. She helped Nancy and Terry to trace the family of Wagnel

Caswell P. Breed- man in Baltimore that used to deceive the Drews just to make them away from River Heights.

Sergeant Malloy- police officer at the River Heights that helps Nancy and Terry

Officer Riley- an officer at the River Heights that help Nancy and Terry to find the Wagnells

Frances Oakes- also known as Fran. She is student of Dr. Anderson. Nancy chose her as companion in special assignment while they are in Florida.

Marilyn Maury- a student of Dr. Anderson and friend of Frances Oakes that join the educational trip in Florida.

Grace James- a student of Dr. Anderson and friend of Frances Oakes that join the educational trip in Florida.

Jack Walker- cousin of Fran in Florida that owned a motorboat, which they use for searching in Keys.

Mrs. Young- owner of rest house in Florida where Nancy and friends stay

Two line Parker- a fisherman in that knows about the narrow channels of Florida Keys and some of its story and treasure.

[edit] Plot Summary

Prof. Terry Scott went to River Heights to ask the help of Carson Drew to help him to find Dr. Joshua Pitt. Mr. Drew thought that the case was more of a mystery, so he referred him to Nancy Drew, his daughter who loves detective work. Terry Scott and Dr. Joshua Pitt, together with their teammates, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Graham, found the clue to the treasure during their exploring expedition in Mexico. The clue was the cipher carved in the stone tablet and three black keys. Before the professors had time to translate the cipher, the tablet disappeared together with Dr. Pitt. Terry suspected Mr. and Mrs. Juarez Tino because they also vanished the same day when the cipher stone and Dr. Pitt disappeared. Only the bottom half of one large ancient key was left.

On the day that Terry Scott and Nancy Drew meet, someone tried to steal the half-key. Sergeant Malloy helped them to catch the man but too late because the man already bound on the plane going to Florida. The man was Juarez Tino, that used name Conway King and with his wife they went to Florida. The man Mr. Wil Porterly helped Mr. Tino to escape, but he pretended he doesn’t know about Mr. Tino or Conway King.

Terry gave the half-key to Nancy and on the night of that day there was a burglar tried to enter to the Drew’s house. In the hotel, where terry stayed, something happened on him. There was a thief who stole her things and documents which he got from Mexico. Nancy asked the help of her father and her father suggested that he must find the two other members of the expedition. She went to Dr. Graham with her friend, George Fayne. She has learned that any of the four of them won’t hurt each other just for the treasure. Before she went to Dr. Anderson, her boyfriend Ned Nickerson ask her help to drive his fraternity brother in Emerson College, which is Prof. Terence Scott, who would give a lecture. Along the way to Emerson College, Nancy and Terry saw two suspicious looking men. They speed up to the Emerson College but unluckily they never know that there was a wide repair ditch. Later to that, Bess and George told her that they saw Mr. Porterly and followed him. They heard his conversation in the phone with king that they planning against Nancy Drew.

Nancy went to Dr. Anderson and she found out that Mr. Juarez Tino telephoned him he will go to tell if where is Dr. Pitt and the cipher stone if Dr. Anderson will pay him. After the lecture of Terry Scott in Emerson College, he was asked by Mrs. Lillian Wagnell to decipher the old diary which own by her sea captain grandfather. Nancy has a doubt with the intention of Mrs. Wagnell so they went to Mrs. Prescotts. She said that Mrs. Wagnell don’t have a sea captain grandfather.

Mrs. Wagnell doesn’t want Terry to borrow the diary so Nancy got the idea that he must take the important pages of the said diary. Carson Drew went out of town and when he came back he received a letter from Caswell P. Breed in Baltimore. He claimed to be a relative of Dr. Pitt. The Drews went to Baltimore but they discovered that it was not Mr. Breed who sent the letter. They concluded that someone just tried to deceive them to keep away from the River Heights to do some scheme. When Nancy came home she can’t contact Terry so she went to the house of the Wagnells. The Wagnells went away and imprisoned Terry at their house. Terry discovered that Wagnells and Porterlys are related. Officer Riley helped them to search the Wagnells.

After those things happened, Terry went to Mexico and Nancy decided to join the educational trip of Dr. Anderson in Florida Keys. A day before Nancy went to Florida, Juarez Tino entered there house trying to get the half-key he was not succeeded.

When Nancy got to Florida he asked Dr. Anderson to work on special assignment with Fran Oakes. They will find the Black Keys on Florida Keys. Fran Oakes introduce Nancy to Jack Walker, her cousin. They went to Two Line Parker who knows about the Florida Keys History and the story about the treasures. The fisherman told her about the Black Falcon.

During their rest, Nancy decided to find the Porterlys and she found the burned letters in Porterlys’ place. There was an unburn part of letter that talked about her, and she concluded that the Porterlys had an evil plan for her.

Nancy and Dr. Anderson saw Juarez Tino in speedboat while they were exploring Florida Keys and trying to find where the Black Falcon sunk. They tried to follow him but he lost them. Nancy decides that she must go back on that place on the next day. But, Dr. Anderson won’t allow her to go alone. Luckily, Terry goes to Florida to join Nancy.

Nancy, Terry, Fran and Jack go to find the Black Falcon. They studied the Florida Keys and were able to find an elusive island where they found a hidden hut. Inside the hut was Dr. Pitt. They told Jack and Fran to go back and call for the police. Nancy and Terry,together with Dr. Pitt, left in the area until Mr. and Mrs. Juarez Tino, together with the Wagnells and Porterlys, arrived. They were able to get the half-key from Nancy. They asked Dr. Pitt to reveal the remaining clue and tell him that if he doesn't tell, something might happen to Nancy. He said that they can find the treasure in Mexico, in a little-known jungle region. They bring Dr. Pitt in Mexico and left Nancy to their wives. The police were able to arrive, Nancy and Terry where free. They told Dr. Anderson that they must go to Mexico to follow the villain and rescue Dr. Pitt. They went to Mexico right on time and are able to capture the thieves. Dr. Pitt thought that they wouldn't be able to see the treasure, but with the bright ideas of Nancy they were able to find it. The treasure belongs to Mexico and not to any of them.

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