“So what brings you to Lauderdale?” Lila asked, as they approached the docks. “Let me guess—spring break, right?”
“Right,” Nancy said. She didn’t like lying, but even though Lila seemed harmless and empty-headed, Nancy decided she shouldn’t trust anyone. She’d talked to Dirk and look what had happened. Dirk had probably mentioned her to Ricardo, and it was just luck that her surfboard hadn’t cracked open her skull half an hour ago.
When Lila docked the boat, Nancy thanked her for the ride and climbed out. “Don’t forget the party, Nancy!” Lila called after her, and Nancy said she wouldn’t. But she knew that that night she wouldn’t be at any party.
Twenty minutes later, Nancy had grabbed a bite to eat and was back on Fort Lauderdale Beach, looking for Ricardo. She had a strong urge to use one of George’s most painful judo moves on him, but she knew that instead she would simply have to be patient. She would have to watch him, see where he went, whom he talked to. If she was careful, he just might lead her to Rosita.
The first place Nancy checked was Ricardo’s lifeguard chair, but he wasn’t in it. She strolled along the beach, keeping one eye out for Ricardo and the other out for stray men-of-war. Two of a kind, she thought with a grim smile.
Finally Nancy spotted the lifeguard standing ankle-deep in the surf. Beside him, holding his hand, was a blond girl in a red string bikini. It was Bess.
Nancy stopped, trying to figure out what to do. If Ricardo found out she and Bess were friends, he might decide that Bess should be the victim of a few accidents too. But if he thought that Bess was just another pretty girl out for a good time, he might relax with her. And Bess might learn something important about him. Nancy dropped back, trying to blend in with a group of sunbathers.
“Well, hi there, how’s your foot?” a voice shouted. “I see you survived your encounter with the deadly man-of-war!”
Wishing he’d keep his voice down, Nancy smiled at the boy who’d helped her up the day before. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said softly.
“Great! I gotta hand it to you, you said you’d be back and here you are!” The boy didn’t lower his voice a notch.
“Right,” Nancy replied, watching as Ricardo turned his head and looked straight at her. Without a word to Bess, he dropped her hand and trotted down the beach, through the mass of sunbathing bodies, and out of sight. Here I am and there he goes, Nancy thought.
Bess looked at Nancy, her expression puzzled. Nancy waved goodbye to the boy and went to join Bess.
“Gosh,” said Bess. “That was weird. That guy took one look at you and left.”
Nancy started to explain that his name was Ricardo, and that he was the one she’d seen snooping around Kim’s hotel room. But Bess was off on another subject.
“You’re back awfully soon,” she remarked. “Didn’t your date with Dirk work out?”
“As a matter of fact, it was a real washout,” Nancy admitted. “I shouldn’t have gone with him. He didn’t know a thing about the case.”
“So now I guess he’s through with you, right?” Bess said sarcastically. “Gee, maybe I still have a chance.”
“Come on, Bess.” Nancy sighed. “I’m sorry things got messed up for you, but you know I’m trying to find out what happened to Kim.”
“Oh, and speaking of Kim,” Bess said, “she still hasn’t come to. While you were off with Dirk I was at the hospital. George is there now, but she has to leave in about an hour.” Bess waded out of the water and onto the hard-packed sand. “Maybe you should go visit her. . . . So this Ricardo is really the same guy you saw in Kim’s hotel room?”
Nancy nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Bess, but be careful around him, okay?”
“Okay,” replied Bess, wide-eyed.
“All right. I’ll see you around. I’ve got more investigating to do.”
For a while, Nancy wandered along the beach, hoping she’d see Ricardo. But after an hour had gone by, she realized she was wasting her time. He probably wasn’t on duty that day, and she knew he wouldn’t put in an appearance unless he had to, not if he thought she was hanging around.