Nancy Drew Files #7. Deadly Doubles. Carolyn Keene

Senator Kilpatrick nodded. “My committee is mediating between representatives of all the different political groups in San Carlos. We’re hoping to avert a bloodbath. Someone—we’re not sure whether from San Carlos or an outsider—does want one. I’ve been able to arrange for some very dangerous information to be smuggled to me. That’s why I needed you.”

“Not just because I’m Carson Drew’s daughter. Because I look like Teresa Montenegro,” Nancy said.

“Yes. Truly, I didn’t think either of you would be in danger. I thought that the fact that you resemble Teresa would give you easy access to the gym, and if anyone saw you and the courier together no one would think anything of it.”

The pieces started to fall together. “Roberto was the courier, wasn’t he?” she said.

The senator nodded again. “And now we don’t know where either he or his smuggled information is. If it falls into the wrong hands—” She didn’t finish.

“Who is Roberto, really?”

“He’s Teresa Montenegro’s tennis coach. Also her boyfriend—or at least he has been for the past three months. He was the one who persuaded her to sign up for this tournament. He’s also a leader in the underground freedom movement in San Carlos. I don’t know whether she’s aware of that. He may have felt she’d be safer if she wasn’t.”

Senator Kilpatrick paused. “I’m sure you know about the bomb threat and the protests. What you don’t know is that the San Carlos dictatorship has drawn up a hit list. On it are the names of six people now in the United States who are actively working to overthrow the current government. Unless I get that list, and get it to the FBI within the next few days, those people will start to die!”

Chapter Six

Nancy gasped. “There has to be a way to protect those people! Can’t the FBI—”

“They can’t do anything without the list of names,” Senator Kilpatrick said starkly. “Nobody can. That’s the terrible truth.”

“Did Roberto have the list on him when he was kidnapped?” Nancy asked.

“I’m sure he’s too shrewd and too aware of the danger to be carrying the list till he was on his way to meet you,” the senator replied. “Even then it probably wouldn’t have been recognizable and readable.”

In code, Nancy thought.

“Whether he’d give it away after he was captured—” The senator stopped speaking for a moment, and her face turned pale. “That, I imagine, will depend on his strength. During revolutions, couriers have often carried secrets with them to their graves.”

She was talking about torture. Nancy felt sick. “Aren’t the police doing anything to trace Roberto?”

“This is a classified government matter,” Senator Kilpatrick said bluntly. “It’s not for the local police.” She rose. “However, the government agencies can call on them when necessary. I’m going to arrange for you to have a police bodyguard.”

Nancy groaned, and the senator’s lips curved slightly. “He won’t be obvious! I think you’ll like him. I’m going to request a plainclothes detective who’s been assigned special duty with me before. He’s a go-getter, just out of the police academy. He’ll fit right in with you and your friends.”

“Two things,” Nancy said resolutely. “I can’t keep my friends in the dark about this. They’ve been pulled into it—they’ve got to know what’s happening. They’re totally trustworthy, they’re smart, and they’re experienced at helping me. But they won’t be able to know how to help unless they have the whole picture.”

After a moment’s thought, the senator agreed. “What’s the other thing?” she asked.

“Just how much danger do you think I’m in?” Nancy wanted to know.

“Not much, I hope. You’re too visible now. Those goons who snatched you by mistake won’t try that again. If they’d wanted to kill you, they’d have done so then.”

“Which means,” Nancy said, thinking aloud, “that they’re not worried about my being able to identify them.”

“They’ve probably been imported from San Carlos, or from some other link in the terrorist network. I’ll find out whether it would be useful for you to look at mug shots or help a police artist make a composite drawing. Even if the men were imports, they may be known by the FBI or the CIA or Interpol, the international police organization.”

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