Read Online 037 Last Dance by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Tags: Mobilism
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Nancy that his business with Jon might be worth listening to. She crept up to the door, crouched down in front of it so that her shadow wouldn’t show through the frosted glass, and peered through the keyhole.
The man with the cigar looked about fifty yearsold. His suit was shabby and his shoes were in desperate need of a polish. He was surrounded by a cloud of smoke.
“I’m telling you, boy, you’ve either got to pay up or get the job done,” he was saying to Jon. “I can’t hold these guys off forever, you know.”
The man turned in Nancy’s direction, and thinking he might open the door and discover her there, Nancy darted away. She was smoothing her apron when. Adam Boyd appeared in the main hallway beside her. Nancy didn’t want Jon and his visitor to find her there, but she couldn’t just ignore Adam.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said.
Nancy stood still, searching his face. Was he capable of hurting someone? She said nothing, waiting for him to go on.
“I heard about the accident last night,” Adam went on. There was nothing in his expression except sympathy and relief. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt, Nancy.” He sounded so sincere that Nancy let down her guard a little. Still, she didn’t want Jon and the man with the cigar to find them in the hallway, so she took Adam’s arm and ushered him down the hall closer to the main club.
“I want to apologize. I’ve acted like a real jerk,” Adam admitted to Nancy. “It’s just that Laurie meant so much to me.”
Nancy looked closely at Adam. Had she been wrong about him?
“It’s not easy to lose someone you care about,” Nancy said sympathetically. She hesitated.
“Adam, can I ask you one question?” He nodded, and Nancy went on. “A few nights ago I saw you give Pam some money. Why did you do that?” she asked, deciding to be direct.
Adam looked blank. “Huh? When? Oh, the only time I remember is that night when I chewed your ear off about Laurie and Villiers? Let’s see? I just asked Pam to make some change. All I had was a twenty, and I wanted to leave her a tip. She didn’t have the right change on her, so she brought it to me later.”
Nancy smiled. One small mystery solved. But a glance at her watch told her it was time to start working.
She said a quick goodbye to Adam and then almost hit Ned when she pushed open the door. Adam breezed quickly by both of them. “Were you talking to Adam?” he wanted to know.
Nancy grinned up at him. “Jealous, Nickerson?”
Ned scowled. He obviously wasn’t in the mood to be teased. “You told me you suspect Adam of being behind some of the stuff that’s been happening lately. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to stay away from him?”
“I now think Adam is innocent. But how can Ifind out anything if I avoid everybody?” Nancy reasoned.
Ned sighed. “I guess you can’t.”
“I’ll be careful,” Nancy promised.
“Sometimes that isn’t enough,” Ned replied, obviously thinking of the incident the night before.
Nancy knew it was time to change the subject. “Oh, look,” she said, smiling. “There’s George and Bess.”
Ned grumbled something, but when the girls came over to them, he warmed up. In fact, since Nancy had to work, he asked Bess to dance.
Nancy took the opportunity to work her way back toward Jon’s office, hoping to hear what Jon and the strange man were saying. She was distracted, however, when a disturbance broke out in the dancing area.
Nancy ran back and watched as people were pushing and shoving to escape the room’s three exits. Smoke was billowing up from the floor. Then a voice screamed a single word over the din.
“Fire!”
Chapter
Ten
F IRE ! N ANCY’S HEART STOPPED . The club was so crowded, it would be almost impossible to keep order until everyone was safely out.
A glance around the club confirmed her worst suspicions. She scanned the crowd and saw George, Bess, and Ned all making their way to her from different
The man with the cigar looked about fifty yearsold. His suit was shabby and his shoes were in desperate need of a polish. He was surrounded by a cloud of smoke.
“I’m telling you, boy, you’ve either got to pay up or get the job done,” he was saying to Jon. “I can’t hold these guys off forever, you know.”
The man turned in Nancy’s direction, and thinking he might open the door and discover her there, Nancy darted away. She was smoothing her apron when. Adam Boyd appeared in the main hallway beside her. Nancy didn’t want Jon and his visitor to find her there, but she couldn’t just ignore Adam.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said.
Nancy stood still, searching his face. Was he capable of hurting someone? She said nothing, waiting for him to go on.
“I heard about the accident last night,” Adam went on. There was nothing in his expression except sympathy and relief. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt, Nancy.” He sounded so sincere that Nancy let down her guard a little. Still, she didn’t want Jon and the man with the cigar to find them in the hallway, so she took Adam’s arm and ushered him down the hall closer to the main club.
“I want to apologize. I’ve acted like a real jerk,” Adam admitted to Nancy. “It’s just that Laurie meant so much to me.”
Nancy looked closely at Adam. Had she been wrong about him?
“It’s not easy to lose someone you care about,” Nancy said sympathetically. She hesitated.
“Adam, can I ask you one question?” He nodded, and Nancy went on. “A few nights ago I saw you give Pam some money. Why did you do that?” she asked, deciding to be direct.
Adam looked blank. “Huh? When? Oh, the only time I remember is that night when I chewed your ear off about Laurie and Villiers? Let’s see? I just asked Pam to make some change. All I had was a twenty, and I wanted to leave her a tip. She didn’t have the right change on her, so she brought it to me later.”
Nancy smiled. One small mystery solved. But a glance at her watch told her it was time to start working.
She said a quick goodbye to Adam and then almost hit Ned when she pushed open the door. Adam breezed quickly by both of them. “Were you talking to Adam?” he wanted to know.
Nancy grinned up at him. “Jealous, Nickerson?”
Ned scowled. He obviously wasn’t in the mood to be teased. “You told me you suspect Adam of being behind some of the stuff that’s been happening lately. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to stay away from him?”
“I now think Adam is innocent. But how can Ifind out anything if I avoid everybody?” Nancy reasoned.
Ned sighed. “I guess you can’t.”
“I’ll be careful,” Nancy promised.
“Sometimes that isn’t enough,” Ned replied, obviously thinking of the incident the night before.
Nancy knew it was time to change the subject. “Oh, look,” she said, smiling. “There’s George and Bess.”
Ned grumbled something, but when the girls came over to them, he warmed up. In fact, since Nancy had to work, he asked Bess to dance.
Nancy took the opportunity to work her way back toward Jon’s office, hoping to hear what Jon and the strange man were saying. She was distracted, however, when a disturbance broke out in the dancing area.
Nancy ran back and watched as people were pushing and shoving to escape the room’s three exits. Smoke was billowing up from the floor. Then a voice screamed a single word over the din.
“Fire!”
Chapter
Ten
F IRE ! N ANCY’S HEART STOPPED . The club was so crowded, it would be almost impossible to keep order until everyone was safely out.
A glance around the club confirmed her worst suspicions. She scanned the crowd and saw George, Bess, and Ned all making their way to her from different
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