“You just missed the call,” she told them, greeting Nancy and shaking hands with Ned. Nancy noticed that her left hand was bandaged. She wondered what had happened.
“What did the kidnapper say?” Nancy asked eagerly.
“Here’s the message,” Ms. Amberton said, giving it to Nancy with a chilly smile. “I copied it down exactly.”
“What does it say, Nan?” Ned asked.
“ ‘Your friend is all packed up and ready to go at the Cherbourg Wharf,’ ” Nancy read out loud. “ ‘If you don’t find her by midnight, she’s going to be taking a short ocean trip—straight down.’ ”
Ashley Amberton glanced at her watch. “I’ve taken the liberty,” she said, “of arranging for the company helicopter to fly you over to the wharf. It’s waiting for you on the roof right now. Traffic is heavy at this hour, and the helicopter will have you on the wharf in no time at all. Since you’ll be flying in, you won’t have to worry about the gates, which are locked, of course. It’s a high-security area.”
“What about the warehouse?” Nancy asked. “Is it locked, too?”
Ms. Amberton opened her desk drawer. “This should do the trick.” She handed Nancy a ring of keys. One was marked Warehouse.
Nancy thrust the keys into the pocket of her flower-printed skirt. “Thanks,” she said. She and Ned followed Ms. Amberton to the elevator.
Up on the roof the helicopter was ready to go. Its rotor blades turned lazily as the pilot warmed the engine. When he saw them coming, he gunned the engine and the rotors began to spin more quickly. The stiff wind almost blew Nancy over as she ran across the roof, Ned right behind her.
“One more thing,” Ashley Amberton said as the pilot reached down to give Nancy a hand. “As soon as you find her, I want you to bring your friend here so that I know she’s safe. I’ll stay here and work.”
“We will,” Nancy promised. “Will you please call the police and have them meet us at the warehouse? We’ll need help searching.” The older woman nodded. “And thanks again for everything you’ve done.”
“You’ve got nothing to thank me for,” Ms. Amberton said with a smile. “Now hurry! You’ve got to get over to the wharf fast, before your friend is murdered!”
Chapter Fourteen
The helicopter flew out over the choppy surface of the Saint Lawrence River, carrying Nancy and Ned to the Cherbourg Wharf. Darkness was falling, and the lights of Montreal were flickering on like a web of sparkling diamonds far below. It was like riding a magic carpet, Nancy thought. It might have even been fun if she hadn’t kept thinking about the kidnapper’s ominous message. At midnight, George would be killed! But at least, thanks to Ms. Amberton, they weren’t wasting time just trying to get to the wharf. That left more time to look for George. She checked her watch. It was just after seven. In the seat beside her, Ned was looking out the window.
“That’s the Cherbourg warehouse down there!” the pilot yelled into her ear over the deafening clatter of the copter’s rotors.
Below, Nancy could just make out the dim outline of a very long, narrow building. It took up at least three acres of dock space. Beside it were dozens of huge cargo containers, each the size of a semi trailer, with smaller wooden crates and black metal drums stacked between them. All of it was waiting to be loaded onto the ship tied up at the dock. Her heart sank. If George was stuck in one of those containers, how would they ever find her even with police help?
“I’ll put down at the end of the building, by the main door,” the pilot said, expertly handling the controls. The helicopter banked, hovered briefly over the dock, and then touched down with a gentle thump.
Nancy looked at the pilot. “You’re going to wait for us, aren’t you?”
The man nodded and began turning off switches over his head, cutting the engine. “I’ll stay right here,” he said. “That way, I’ll be ready to go when you get back.” He gave Nancy and Ned a curious look. “What’s going on, anyway?” he asked. “Ms. Amberton wouldn’t tell me a thing.”