Read Online Dangerous Relations by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online

of cake. Stand right here and knock if anyone comes.”
    George nodded.
    Nancy took a credit card from her wallet. After glancing up and down the hall, she slid the card between the plate and the lock and jiggled the card. The lock popped open, and she slipped inside and closed the door.
    The office was dusty and cramped. There was a desk, some wooden chairs, and a number of filing cabinets. Nancy crossed to several tall closet-type cabinets crowded against one wall and flung open the doors. The first one was empty except for a dusty top hat, a sequined jacket, and a half-used container of carpet cleaner. The second was full of props and sound paraphernalia. The third contained old record books. Alert for George’s warning knock, Nancy moved to the filing cabinets.
    The filing system was alphabetical. She had no problem finding the file labeled Insurance. There were no key man life policies, though. Nancy was about to close the cabinet and leave when another idea occurred to her.
    The old record books! Were any of them for payroll? If so, how far back did they go? Far enough to list Vera’s real name? Or had she changed it even before asking Keiser for a job?
    It was worth checking. Nancy scanned the cabinets. There were a dozen payroll books, so dusty they made her cough. Keiser kept thorough records, she thought. The books went back twenty years.
    Quickly Nancy sorted through, finding the one from eighteen years earlier. The entries were self-explanatory. Date, name, type of service rendered, amount paid out. Hastily Nancy flipped through, looking for payouts to wardrobe employees. There were none until September.
    The entry leaped out at her. “Vera Neverenko, Wardrobe, $100.00 paid in cash.” Neverenko! Vera had changed her name, Nancy thought. She shoved the books back into the cabinet. Then, after making sure she left the office just as she’d found it, she slipped back out to the hallway, where George was waiting anxiously.
    On the ride back to the motel, Nancy filled George in. Once at the motel, they stopped at the registration desk to ask if any faxes had come in.
    The woman behind the desk smiled at the girls. “I’ve got a pile right here.”
    â€œGreat!” Nancy picked them up and started away. But the woman called her back.
    â€œMiss Drew! I almost forgot! Someone left this for you.” She handed Nancy a white envelope.
    Nancy’s name was typed on the front, but there was no address. She tore it open and pulled out a postcard.
    A prickly sensation crawled up her spine as she saw a tombstone on the front with her initials typed on it. On the back, a typed message read:
    â€œN.D. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Stop asking questions if you know what’s good for you.”

Chapter

Nine
    W ITHOUT A WORD Nancy handed the card to George. Who would send such a warning? Marshall Keiser? Katrina? Vera?
    George gave a low whistle. “You’re making someone very nervous.”
    â€œBut who?” Nancy studied the card. “The typing is bad. Only two sentences and I count seven errors. And look at this.” She pointed out a letter l . “Every l is raised half a line.”
    Nancy turned back to the desk clerk. “Did you see who delivered this card?”
    â€œI’m sorry, I didn’t. I stepped away from the desk a moment. When I returned, it was here.” The clerk smiled apologetically.
    Nancy put the card on top of the pile of faxes, then followed George to their room. Bess was just hanging up the phone.
    â€œPerfect timing. I just finished my last call,” she said.
    Nancy held up the pile of faxed articles. “Bess, you’re a treasure. There must be fifteen or twenty articles here.”
    Bess beamed. “Talking’s my specialty. But all that talking made me hungry.”
    George went to get carryout food for their lunch, while Nancy and Bess got down to work. First, Nancy called Stephanie Cole and gave