Carolyn Keene. Two Points to Murder

“Uh-huh.” Nancy smiled, too. “She said she didn’t want to be alone in the room after the break-in last night, soooo . . .”

“Amazing. Maybe some good will come out of this case after all.”

“If you think Bess will discover the joys of working out tonight, forget it. She only went because she was desperate.”

Suddenly, Nancy couldn’t stand the tension in the air for another second. Leaning on her elbows, she stared deep into his eyes.

“Ned, can we talk? I mean, really talk? I acted like a jerk last night, and I’m sorry. Please say you’ll forgive me!”

Ned leaned back in his chair, a satisfied look on his face. “Of course I forgive you,” he said. “I’m glad you see how wrong you were, too. Mike’s my buddy, and—”

“Wait a minute! Hold on! I didn’t say I was wrong. Not about Mike. What I said was, I acted dumb.”

Ned cooled visibly. “Then you still suspect him of being the practical joker?”

“Of course. The stuff in that carton—”

“Nancy, I can’t believe this!” Ned exploded. “Doesn’t it matter to you that I’ve known Mike for two years? Don’t you care that he’s my friend and that I trust him?”

“Sure I do! That’s what I’m trying to say . . . I was stupid to question your judgment last night. I shouldn’t have argued like that.”

Ned cocked his head warily. “So you’ll back off on investigating him?”

“No, but—”

“Then don’t bother to apologize. Nothing has changed.”

“Ned, please!”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Maybe you think I’m a dumb jock, but I believe in supporting my team. I play on their side until the game is over.”

Nancy’s heart ached. She didn’t think of Ned as a “dumb jock.” He was loyal and dependable and fierce when their backs were against a wall. She loved those qualities in him—and now they were tearing them apart!

Nancy felt even worse when Ned dropped her off at the dorm. He didn’t kiss her. They didn’t hug. Instead, she merely stood in the middle of the parking lot, watching the taillights of his car disappear around a corner.

Now what was she going to do? she wondered. She couldn’t give up the case, not after last night. But she couldn’t stand what was happening to her and Ned, either!

Suddenly, a sharp sound spun her around. As she watched, a man burst from a side entrance to a nearby dorm. He ran to a black Camaro, hopped in, and gunned the engine.

The next second, the Camaro was heading for her at top speed!

Chapter Six

Nancy couldn’t believe it. He was going to run her down!

Reacting instinctively, she dove. It was just like diving into a pool, except that she rolled as she hit. Headlights swept the pavement. Tires swished past her head. The Camaro missed her by niches!

Furious, Nancy leapt to her feet. She wanted the Camaro’s license number! But its rear tights were out, she noticed. As it fishtailed on an icy patch and turned the corner, all she could see was a menacing black wedge disappearing into the night. Then it was gone.

Nancy’s breath came fast and hard. Her heart pounded. No way was she going to back off now! she resolved. Not after an attempt on her life! How long had the guy been waiting in the warmth of the dorm for her to appear? An hour? Two?

Off in the distance, a siren began to wail. As it came closer, she gradually realized what had actually happened. The Camaro hadn’t been after her. Its driver had been making a getaway. And his first victim—or maybe a witness—must have telephoned the police.

Sure enough, a minute later a squad car pulled into the lot, its roof lights twirling. Two campus policemen jumped out and raced into the dorm—the same dorm from which she had seen the Camaro driver run.

Nancy followed. It didn’t take long to find the trouble. In the stairwell lay a male student, about eighteen years old, she judged. He was still breathing, but not very well. He had been worked over by a pro.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *