Read Online Make No Mistake by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page A

came out about a year ago.”
    â€œGood article,” Loomis said.
    Ignoring his smug tone, Nancy went on. “It said that you had been a gardener for a private estate before you came to Chicago. Could you tell us whose estate it was?”
    The smile left Loomis’s craggy face, and he grunted. “What possible difference could it make?” he asked.
    â€œIt’s important to know some background of the men and women we select for Who’s Who,” Nancy said, pressing him.
    Jake Loomis rested his chin on his thick knuckles. “Oh, well,” he said at last. “It can’t matter now. The man is dead, quite recently, as a matter of fact. He won’t know.”
    Nancy arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” she said.
    â€œLet’s just say we weren’t exactly friends when I left. I quit after an argument with him. Glover was stubborn as a mule. That was his name, Clayton Glover. He was a hot-shot millionaire in River Heights.” Loomis glowered at Nancy as he remembered. “The old man never would admit he was wrong. But I didn’t want to make his life worse by mentioning him in that article.”
    Nancy pretended to take notes. She didn’t understand why Loomis couldn’t just mention Mr. Glover’s name without bringing up whatever their fight had been about, but she didn’t want to put him on the defensive.
    â€œWhat do you mean, ’make his life worse’?” she asked.
    Loomis shook his head, “You see, Glover was absolutely shattered after his only son died in an accident,” he explained. “Matt was a great kid. I taught him everything he knew when he was small. I was more like a father to him than his own dad, if you know what I mean. The kid was only twelve or so when I left. I really missed him. Too bad his father and I couldn’t see eye to eye.”
    Nancy nodded politely. She was curious as to what the argument had been about, but there was another important question she needed answered first. If Loomis had known Matt so well . . .
    â€œYou must have been happy to hear that Matt’s alive,” George said to Jake Loomis. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
    Way to go, George! Nancy thought. You were reading my mind! She quickly added, “Yes, and it must have been a double surprise to you that Gary Page, the reporter who interviewed you, was really the long-lost Matt Glover.” She watched Jake Loomis extra closely as she asked, “Did you recognize him at all when he interviewed you for the article?”
    For a fraction of a second, Loomis just stared at Nancy and George. But then his heavyset face took on its smug expression again. “Yeah, well, I did notice the resemblance, but I didn’t make much of it since I thought Matt was dead.” Loomis let out a soft chuckle. “It sure was a surprise to see his picture in the paper, though.”
    â€œOh, a lot of people were surprised, Mr. Loomis,” George put in.
    Loomis sat back in his chair and laughed out loud. “I’ll bet. I understand a bunch of businesses have been waiting like vultures to get their hands on Glover’s money. With Matt back, the hospital and the environmental people and the rest of them are all out of luck.”
    Nancy was about to ask Loomis if he’d tried to contact Matt at all since his return. She didn’t have time to ask him any more questions, however, because just then the receptionist buzzed to announce another visitor.
    â€œI’m sorry, girls, but I’m afraid I’ll have to end our interview now,” Loomis told them, getting up from his desk and showing Nancy and George to the office door. “When is this Who’s Who coming out?” he asked.
    â€œWe’ll let you know,” George said hastily as they scooted out.
    When they got outside, they saw that it had begun to snow. Nancy turned on the windshield