Read Online Moving Target by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B

file of clippings. Now Jennifer. I noticed you looking at the nightstand. What was all that stuff?”
    â€œThree prescription bottles with Kendra’s name on them. One was something for allergies. Icouldn’t read the labels on the others. The rest of it was cosmetics.”
    â€œDo you have your key?” Nancy asked, as they walked across the hall to the room they were sharing.
    George nodded. “Here,” she said, thrusting the stuffed elephant at Nancy. “Hold Charley.”
    â€œCharley?”
    â€œCharles Jonathan, actually. I named him after CJ,” she explained, as she took the key out of her pocket. “You know, Nan, he’s really a special person.” She slipped the key into the lock. “I’ll be glad to crawl into bed tonight. I’m exhausted.” She pushed open the door and flicked on the light. “Nan!”
    Quickly Nancy moved past her and entered. The room was in shambles. Things were strewn on the floor and on the beds. Everything in their panniers had been dumped. Nancy’s backpack had been emptied and discarded in a corner, and the pocket on George’s had been ripped out.
    Nancy bent over and picked up a brown paper bag on the floor by the door. Scrawled on it in heavy black ink were the words: Get off my turf!

Chapter

Nine
    T HAT HAS TO BE intended for me,” George muttered as she looked over Nancy’s shoulder at the note. “And I’ll bet my bike on the identity of the writer.” She pushed her mutilated pack aside and sat down on the bed, hugging Charley around the middle.
    Nancy turned to face her. “George,” she said slowly. “Maybe you need to call it quits. Drop out of the bike trip. Bess could come and pick you up.”
    George forced a lopsided smile. “This is not exactly a friendly greeting,” she said, waving her arm at the mess. “But, Nan, we know Kendra has both skills and experience in messing up rooms, and I’m not going to cave in to her! I promise I’ll be careful, but I’m not going back early.”
    â€œOkay.” Nancy sighed. She had known beforeshe suggested it that George wouldn’t leave early. “I’m going down to the registration desk. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
    â€œNan, it’s almost midnight. Nobody’s going to be there.”
    Nancy grinned at George and set her panda bear down beside her. “That’s what I’m counting on,” she said. “Take care of brother bear.” She was out the door before George could answer.
    Nancy quickly ran down the stairs and glanced around. Night lights were burning in the lobby. No one was in sight.
    Nancy tiptoed to the desk and fumbled in her fanny pack for the small flashlight she carried on her key chain. The guest register was still open on the counter. Smoothing out the paper-bag note, she compared the writing on it to the signatures in the book. It only took a minute to confirm her suspicions. She clicked off the flashlight and hurried quietly back upstairs to room twenty-two.
    George had picked up some of their things and was sitting on the bed, surrounded by her biking gear. She looked up as Nancy came in.
    â€œWhat’s up?” she asked.
    Nancy smiled wryly. “I just ran a handwriting check on our bag here. Kendra did it. No question about it. The handwriting matches her signature in the guest register. Big swooping O’s and backhand slant. She wrote the note, but I’m not convinced she trashed our things.”
    â€œCome on, Nan,” said George. Her voice sounded tired. “She’s got a history of this sort of thing.”
    â€œI know. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Thanks for straightening up. Between us, we can pick up the rest in no time. Then let’s get some sleep.”
    â€œBest idea I’ve heard in the past hour,” George said.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    The next morning was gray and chilly, and Nancy