Read Online 039 The Suspect Next Door by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Tags: Mobilism
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clipped coupons on the kitchen counter.
“Patton—Peters—here! Pratt! Riverview Drive,” Nancy murmured. “Well, sorry I have to run. It was very nice meeting you!”
Nancy bounded out of the kitchen and made for the front door.
As she left she heard Dan’s mother talking to her husband. “Look at her run,” she was saying. “That girl’s in love with our Danny, no doubt about it. And she seems very nice, too.”
With a wince, Nancy shut the car door and started her engine. She pulled the Mustang outonto the street and blazed away from the Taylors’. Gripping the wheel, she drove across town, as fast as she could, to an area close to her own house.
The sooner she got there, the better. Dan was in trouble and desperate to hold on to Nikki. Nikki Masters was confused and upset. If those two were in the same place at the same time, there was no telling what might happen!
Chapter
Ten
W HEN N ANCY PULLED INTO the Pratts’ long circular driveway, there were dozens of cars already parked there. One of them was Dan’s old blue bomber. It looked out of place in the row of expensive cars that the rest of Jeremy’s crowd owned.
Nancy checked her digital watch—9:33. She hoped Ned was watching the store and hadn’t given up on her. Well, it wasn’t the first time a case had kept them apart. Nancy knew that Ned would understand. The party was in full swing, judging by the music and the sounds of laughter.
“Hi,” Nancy said to a group of kids hanging out on the steps in front of the huge doublemahogany door. They were mostly younger than Nancy, and she didn’t recognize any of them. “Is Jeremy around?” she asked them, figuring she should introduce herself to the host first.
“Sure. You a new girlfriend of his?” one of the guys asked, eyeing her appreciatively. Nancy barely suppressed a giggle. Despite his attempt to look older, the guy had to be all of fifteen.
“No, I’ve never even met him,” she admitted. “I’d like to, though. Is he around?”
“He said he had to go to the store to get some more soda,” a girl with long blond hair explained. “He just left five minutes ago.”
“Oh.” Nancy bit her lip. She didn’t really want to crash the party without first meeting Jeremy. “I feel a little funny about just walking in,” she said, hesitating on the steps.
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” the fifteen-year-old Romeo told her. “If he got a look at you, he’d invite you for sure. Go on in. And, hey, save a dance for me later, okay? Name’s Jay.”
“Sure thing, Jay.” Nancy winked and went inside.
Jeremy Pratt sure knew how to throw a party. The house was packed solid with people. There had to be a hundred kids—at least. Nancy wondered why he’d gone out—there was lots to drink and eat. Strange. Maybe he just wanted to be prepared in case the party went on all night. From the look of things, Nancy thought, it just might.
Nancy looked around at the crowd. There wasn’t a soul she knew. There was no sign of Dan or Nikki, either. She wondered if they were together.
Over in the corner sat two girls, talking in serious and hushed tones. One was a pretty and ethereal redhead, with her hair done in a single braid. She had a dusting of freckles across her nose, visible even in the half-light. Her friend was also pretty, with blunt-cut dark hair and huge dark eyes.
On a hunch she went over to them. “Excuse me,” she said, crouching down beside them. “My name’s Nancy Drew. I’m looking for Nikki Masters. She’s a friend of mine. Have you seen her?”
The two girls looked at each other, then at Nancy. Then the dark-haired one said, “Nikki told us about you, Nancy. I’m Robin Fisher, and this is Lacey Dupree. We’re Nikki’s friends.”
“Have you seen Nikki?” she repeated. “I spotted Dan Taylor’s car outside, and I’m worried.”
“You’re not half as worried as we are,” Robin broke in anxiously. “Right, Lacey?”
“Right,” the other girl
“Patton—Peters—here! Pratt! Riverview Drive,” Nancy murmured. “Well, sorry I have to run. It was very nice meeting you!”
Nancy bounded out of the kitchen and made for the front door.
As she left she heard Dan’s mother talking to her husband. “Look at her run,” she was saying. “That girl’s in love with our Danny, no doubt about it. And she seems very nice, too.”
With a wince, Nancy shut the car door and started her engine. She pulled the Mustang outonto the street and blazed away from the Taylors’. Gripping the wheel, she drove across town, as fast as she could, to an area close to her own house.
The sooner she got there, the better. Dan was in trouble and desperate to hold on to Nikki. Nikki Masters was confused and upset. If those two were in the same place at the same time, there was no telling what might happen!
Chapter
Ten
W HEN N ANCY PULLED INTO the Pratts’ long circular driveway, there were dozens of cars already parked there. One of them was Dan’s old blue bomber. It looked out of place in the row of expensive cars that the rest of Jeremy’s crowd owned.
Nancy checked her digital watch—9:33. She hoped Ned was watching the store and hadn’t given up on her. Well, it wasn’t the first time a case had kept them apart. Nancy knew that Ned would understand. The party was in full swing, judging by the music and the sounds of laughter.
“Hi,” Nancy said to a group of kids hanging out on the steps in front of the huge doublemahogany door. They were mostly younger than Nancy, and she didn’t recognize any of them. “Is Jeremy around?” she asked them, figuring she should introduce herself to the host first.
“Sure. You a new girlfriend of his?” one of the guys asked, eyeing her appreciatively. Nancy barely suppressed a giggle. Despite his attempt to look older, the guy had to be all of fifteen.
“No, I’ve never even met him,” she admitted. “I’d like to, though. Is he around?”
“He said he had to go to the store to get some more soda,” a girl with long blond hair explained. “He just left five minutes ago.”
“Oh.” Nancy bit her lip. She didn’t really want to crash the party without first meeting Jeremy. “I feel a little funny about just walking in,” she said, hesitating on the steps.
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” the fifteen-year-old Romeo told her. “If he got a look at you, he’d invite you for sure. Go on in. And, hey, save a dance for me later, okay? Name’s Jay.”
“Sure thing, Jay.” Nancy winked and went inside.
Jeremy Pratt sure knew how to throw a party. The house was packed solid with people. There had to be a hundred kids—at least. Nancy wondered why he’d gone out—there was lots to drink and eat. Strange. Maybe he just wanted to be prepared in case the party went on all night. From the look of things, Nancy thought, it just might.
Nancy looked around at the crowd. There wasn’t a soul she knew. There was no sign of Dan or Nikki, either. She wondered if they were together.
Over in the corner sat two girls, talking in serious and hushed tones. One was a pretty and ethereal redhead, with her hair done in a single braid. She had a dusting of freckles across her nose, visible even in the half-light. Her friend was also pretty, with blunt-cut dark hair and huge dark eyes.
On a hunch she went over to them. “Excuse me,” she said, crouching down beside them. “My name’s Nancy Drew. I’m looking for Nikki Masters. She’s a friend of mine. Have you seen her?”
The two girls looked at each other, then at Nancy. Then the dark-haired one said, “Nikki told us about you, Nancy. I’m Robin Fisher, and this is Lacey Dupree. We’re Nikki’s friends.”
“Have you seen Nikki?” she repeated. “I spotted Dan Taylor’s car outside, and I’m worried.”
“You’re not half as worried as we are,” Robin broke in anxiously. “Right, Lacey?”
“Right,” the other girl
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