Before Bess got into her car, she looked back at Nancy and grinned. “Hey, I forgot to tell you—George called. She’s having a ball.”
“That’s great.”
“She doesn’t feel so bad about her dress anymore. She said she still looks like a frilly giraffe in it, but the rest of the bridesmaids look even worse.”
Nancy laughed. “Poor George.”
Bess sobered. “I didn’t tell her what was happening here. I figured it would spoil things for her.”
“You did the right thing. Talk to you tomorrow.” Nancy stood outside the door until Bess’s headlights disappeared.
The dark house felt big and empty to Nancy. She wasn’t frightened, just a little lonely and very, very worried.
The events of the day had shown her the kind of people she was up against. It was obvious they’d do anything to find out who had led Ann to Mid-City Insurance.
But what difference did it make who’d done it? The articles in the Morning Record had put them out of business immediately. There was nothing left to hide.
Or was there? “What if Mid-City was just the tip of the iceberg?” Nancy said out loud. Suppose the insurance scam was a part of a larger scheme? Suppose there was a great deal left to hide? It was the only thing that made sense. “What else could they be up to?” she asked.
Suddenly the doorbell rang. Nancy jumped. Steeling herself, she peeked out the window—and saw Ned’s tall frame silhouetted against the amber glow of the streetlights.
Joyfully, she opened the door. Before she could say hello, he had swept her into his arms and was kissing her. Nancy returned the kiss eagerly. She decided he had just showered. His hair was still damp, and he smelled of soap and a woodsy cologne.
“That’s the nicest thing that’s happened to me all day,” Nancy said when Ned lifted his head.
He looked down at her solemnly. “I’m not surprised, considering what you’ve been through. I’m so sorry about the judge.”
“Was it on the news?” she asked, leading him to the sofa.
“That, and the fact that there’s an all-points bulletin out on a white van with a twisted fender.” He took a seat and pulled her down to sit beside him, nestling her against his side. “Are you all right?”
“I am now,” Nancy said with a smile. She tucked her head under his chin and relaxed against him. “I’m glad you’re here. Did you have any luck finding a job?”
“Nope. Hunting for a place that will hire me for two weeks is the pits. So far, I haven’t found anything. The way things are going, I should hire myself as your bodyguard. No charge, either.” He nuzzled her ear. “I love you, Nancy Drew.”
Nancy felt so content that she was ready to purr. She and Ned had had their problems recently. They’d even dated other people for a while. But it hadn’t felt right to either of them. Now there they were, together again. “I love you, too, Ned Nickerson,” she said. “Probably always will.”
“You’ll get no complaints from me.” Ned kissed her again, but broke off abruptly to exclaim, “Hey, is this a date? Have we finally managed to work in an evening together like a regular guy and girl?”
“That’s what it seems like to me,” Nancy said.
But Ned suddenly dropped his teasing tone. “I shouldn’t have said that. You’re not a regular girl. You’re a detective saddled with the most important case of your life. Our date can wait, Nancy. You’ve got to clear your dad. Want to talk about it?”
“Ned, you’re terrific. Yes, I do want to talk about it. Something just occurred to me before you came in.”
“Let’s hear it,” Ned said.
Nancy began to talk. For a couple of hours she talked about the case. Ned was a good sounding board. His quick mind and active imagination fed her own ideas.
By the time she drove him home, Nancy was beginning to focus her plan. She was almost positive she was on the right track.
“I’ve got to be,” she muttered into the darkness. She couldn’t afford to be wrong. If she was, her father’s career would be over—and she just might be dead.