Read Online 037 Last Dance by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Tags: Mobilism
Ads: Link
listen. Trust me, I won’t give up until I find out what’s going on here and who’s behind it.”
That last part was more than a statement, it was a warning, and it was clear that Adam understood that. He let go of Nancy’s arm and some of the color drained from his face. Just then, the door opened and Laurie came in, looking especially pretty in a new sundress. She smiled at Nancy as though nothing had happened between them, but she didn’t so much as look at Adam.
“Is Jon in the booth?” she asked.
Nancy glanced at Adam, who was back to looking angry and sullen, before answering. “Yes.”
“I can’t wait to see him,” Laurie beamed. Then, still ignoring Adam, she hurried eagerly into the main part of the club.
When Nancy looked back at Adam, he was staring after Laurie with such fury in his eyes that she was alarmed. “Let’s go, Adam,” she said in a quiet, reasonable voice.
Adam’s jaw was set in a hard line as he glared at her. “Leave me alone,” he snarled, “or you’re going to be very sorry!” With that, he turned and pushed back into the club.
Nancy’s second and last break was over, so she had to go back to work. She cleared several tablesand started for the kitchen, thinking of Adam’s warning. Had he been threatening her?
Since her hands were full, Nancy shouldered her way through the opening. Once inside she was met with a roaring sound, then a blinding light from the deep fat fryers, which were just to her right. Nancy dropped her tray, sending it clattering to the floor.
The kitchen’s fryer was shooting off needle-sharp sprays of burning-hot grease!
Chapter
Nine
N ANCY GASPED , then started to cough as a billow of greasy black smoke rolled toward her. Eyes watering, she tried to peer around the kitchen. Was anyone else in there?
“Help!” came one of the cook’s voices. “I’m trapped back here!”
Nancy could see her, the head cook, the one she had talked to, huddled by the big range. Pulling off her apron, Nancy used it to shield her face as she ran past the steaming fryer. She grabbed the cook’s arm.
“Cover your face,” she yelled. “Let’s go—the whole thing may catch fire any second.”
Still clutching the cook’s arm, Nancy ducked past the fryer again. She bit off a cry of pain as the grease spattered her bare arm.
She dragged the cook from the kitchen. By this time, smoke detectors were madly screaming alarms throughout the club.
Ned pushed through the small crowd to stand beside Nancy. His face was grim.
“Are you hurt?” he gasped.
Before Nancy could answer, Pam Hastings rushed past them with a fire extinguisher. She stopped cold when she saw Nancy’s grease-covered apron.
Jon appeared then, too, his face pale. “What’s happening?” he cried, taking the extinguisher from Pam and tearing into the kitchen as fire sirens screamed outside.
After the fire was out, Jon joined the others in the hall.
“This does it,” the cook sputtered. “Mr. Villiers, I quit.” She threw down her apron.
“Wait a second, Carol,” Jon pleaded. “Can’t we please talk about this? Here, we can step into my office—” Still talking, he led the cook away, throwing an apologetic look over his shoulder.
In the crowd that had gathered behind them, Nancy spotted Laurie and Bess and George. But there was no sign of Adam.
“Maybe you’d better go home for the rest ofthe night,” Pam said, looking Nancy over with a frown.
Nancy shook her head. She wasn’t hurt; she would stay until the end of the shift because she meant to look into this “accident.”
“If there’s another apron I could use—”
Pam’s expression was disapproving, but she nodded and disappeared into a stock room. In a few moments, she returned with another apron and a new Moves T-shirt.
“You’re sure you want to stick around?” Ned pressed, looking worried.
Nancy nodded. “I’m sure,” she said, heading for the ladies’ room to change. George and Bess followed her
That last part was more than a statement, it was a warning, and it was clear that Adam understood that. He let go of Nancy’s arm and some of the color drained from his face. Just then, the door opened and Laurie came in, looking especially pretty in a new sundress. She smiled at Nancy as though nothing had happened between them, but she didn’t so much as look at Adam.
“Is Jon in the booth?” she asked.
Nancy glanced at Adam, who was back to looking angry and sullen, before answering. “Yes.”
“I can’t wait to see him,” Laurie beamed. Then, still ignoring Adam, she hurried eagerly into the main part of the club.
When Nancy looked back at Adam, he was staring after Laurie with such fury in his eyes that she was alarmed. “Let’s go, Adam,” she said in a quiet, reasonable voice.
Adam’s jaw was set in a hard line as he glared at her. “Leave me alone,” he snarled, “or you’re going to be very sorry!” With that, he turned and pushed back into the club.
Nancy’s second and last break was over, so she had to go back to work. She cleared several tablesand started for the kitchen, thinking of Adam’s warning. Had he been threatening her?
Since her hands were full, Nancy shouldered her way through the opening. Once inside she was met with a roaring sound, then a blinding light from the deep fat fryers, which were just to her right. Nancy dropped her tray, sending it clattering to the floor.
The kitchen’s fryer was shooting off needle-sharp sprays of burning-hot grease!
Chapter
Nine
N ANCY GASPED , then started to cough as a billow of greasy black smoke rolled toward her. Eyes watering, she tried to peer around the kitchen. Was anyone else in there?
“Help!” came one of the cook’s voices. “I’m trapped back here!”
Nancy could see her, the head cook, the one she had talked to, huddled by the big range. Pulling off her apron, Nancy used it to shield her face as she ran past the steaming fryer. She grabbed the cook’s arm.
“Cover your face,” she yelled. “Let’s go—the whole thing may catch fire any second.”
Still clutching the cook’s arm, Nancy ducked past the fryer again. She bit off a cry of pain as the grease spattered her bare arm.
She dragged the cook from the kitchen. By this time, smoke detectors were madly screaming alarms throughout the club.
Ned pushed through the small crowd to stand beside Nancy. His face was grim.
“Are you hurt?” he gasped.
Before Nancy could answer, Pam Hastings rushed past them with a fire extinguisher. She stopped cold when she saw Nancy’s grease-covered apron.
Jon appeared then, too, his face pale. “What’s happening?” he cried, taking the extinguisher from Pam and tearing into the kitchen as fire sirens screamed outside.
After the fire was out, Jon joined the others in the hall.
“This does it,” the cook sputtered. “Mr. Villiers, I quit.” She threw down her apron.
“Wait a second, Carol,” Jon pleaded. “Can’t we please talk about this? Here, we can step into my office—” Still talking, he led the cook away, throwing an apologetic look over his shoulder.
In the crowd that had gathered behind them, Nancy spotted Laurie and Bess and George. But there was no sign of Adam.
“Maybe you’d better go home for the rest ofthe night,” Pam said, looking Nancy over with a frown.
Nancy shook her head. She wasn’t hurt; she would stay until the end of the shift because she meant to look into this “accident.”
“If there’s another apron I could use—”
Pam’s expression was disapproving, but she nodded and disappeared into a stock room. In a few moments, she returned with another apron and a new Moves T-shirt.
“You’re sure you want to stick around?” Ned pressed, looking worried.
Nancy nodded. “I’m sure,” she said, heading for the ladies’ room to change. George and Bess followed her
Similar Books
