“Me!”
“She knows all about the under-the-table payoffs to the basketball team!”
“Is that true?” the reporter asked, turning to her.
“Of course not! Don’t be ridiculous,” Nancy said indignantly.
“Well, what about your boyfriend and his pals? They live like kings! Where do you suppose they get the money?” Tom accused.
“What money? They don’t seem rich to me.”
“Oh, come on. Look at their parties . . . their cars . . . their clothes!”
Nancy folded her arms. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No? Then tell me this—how do you think a small school like Emerson manages to recruit top talent like Mike O’Shea? By magic?”
“I don’t know about Mike, but I know that Ned Nickerson plays basketball here because he admires and respects his coach.”
“Give me a break! Pat Burnett’s good, but he’s not the best.”
“So what?”
“Nickerson could play anywhere he wants to! But he doesn’t. He plays for Emerson . . . and that’s because he’s paid!”
“You’re crazy!”
Nancy was furious. How dare he suggest something like that. It was outrageous! He obviously didn’t know Ned Nickerson as well as he thought he did!
Or did he? Suddenly Nancy remembered the bracelet she was wearing. It was lovely . . . silver . . . and expensive. Not only that, it wasn’t the sort of gift that Ned usually gave her. Where had he gotten the money for the bracelet?
Something else fell into place, too: the flashy way in which Mike, Andy, and Craig had dressed at the party. Nancy knew they couldn’t afford the stuff they had worn—they were all scholarship students! She had checked!
She tried to keep her expression natural, but the reporter was eyeing her with interest. “You don’t know anything about illegal payments, then?” she asked.
“I . . . uh . . .”
“Sure she does. She doesn’t want to admit it, that’s all.”
“That’s not true! Believe me, if I had evidence I’d give it to you. But I don’t. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”
She sure did! As soon as she’d been to the police station, she’d find Ned right away! She had to ask him about Tom Stafford’s accusation. Was it true?
And were illegal payments the reason he didn’t want her to investigate Mike?
The sports complex was even larger inside than Nancy had thought. It would be hard to find Ned here, she knew, but she had no choice. He wasn’t answering his phone, he wasn’t at the library, and all his classes were in the afternoon. This was the only place left.
One by one, she checked the weight room, the pool, the squash courts. He wasn’t in any of them. She checked the indoor track, but he wasn’t there, either. Finally, she began to ask people if they had seen him. No one had.
She was ready to give up. There was one more possibility, though, she remembered—the complex’s lowest level. She could try that.
Down the stairs she went to an empty white hallway. Machinery hummed behind several doors—the heating system, probably. There wasn’t much chance that she would find him here, she realized. She turned . . .
. . . and stopped. Faintly she heard the crack crack crack of pistol shots. There was a rifle range nearby! Curious, she walked until she found its door. A small, square window was set into it, and she peered through.
Just then the door opened. A hand grabbed her by the arm, pulled her inside, and spun her around. Before she could scream, the warm barrel of a pistol was pressed against her neck!
Chapter Seven
“Snooping again, Nancy?”
She knew that voice! Wrenching herself free, she whirled around in anger.
“Ray Ungar! Are you crazy? Don’t you know that’s dangerous?”
The former Wildcat looked hurt. “Hey, don’t get steamed. I was only kidding. Anyway, the gun’s not loaded . . . see?”
He held it out. The cartridge clip was missing, Nancy noticed. But that didn’t make her feel better. Pistols were not weapons with which to joke around.
“I ought to report you to whoever’s in charge of this range,” she growled, straightening her shirt.