want to talk to you guys about.â
âWhat?â Nancy asked.
âJon. His birthdayâs coming up, and I need to think of a present.â
âHow about a one-way ticket back to the mountains?â Bess said acidly.
âBess!â
âI mean it. How can you trust him after you saw him kissing his old girlfriend? The guy still loves her, believe me!â
âNo he doesnât! He told me so last night in the Big Top parking lot. And then he saved my life not a minute later.â
âSo? What does that prove?â Bess shot back.
The two argued on and on, Bess tearing Jon apart and George defending him. Nancy stayed out of it. She was just glad to hear that George and Jon were on good terms again.
An hour later Nancy and Bess crawled into their sleeping bags. George turned out the lights, but they all kept talking. When the conversation finally ended, the dial on the digital clock by Georgeâs bed read 12:15 a.m.
Almost an hour later Nancy was still awake. Details of the caseâMonique at the motel window, the Soviet coachâs warning, the warm hood of Debbiâs carâkept running through her mind. Next to her, Bess was breathing evenly. Across the room in her bed, George was also asleep.
Rolling onto her back, Nancy folded her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. The house was quiet. Through a window, she heard a light breeze pass. The oak trees on the lawn rustled gently.
Suddenly Nancy tensed. She thought sheâd heard a sound, but she wasnât sure.
Creak!
Yes, there it was again. This time there was no mistaking it.
Someone was sneaking up the stairs!
Chapter
Nine
S ILENTLY, N ANCY SLITHERED from her sleeping bag. Standing up, she tiptoed to the doorway and listened.
Creak!
The intruder was almost at the top of the stairs. She had to do something.
Mentally, Nancy reviewed the layout of Georgeâs room. There was a softball bat in the cornerâor was it in the closet? No good. She needed something else. The desk chair! That was it. It was right next to her sleeping bag. Tiptoeing back, she groped in the dark and found it.
She lifted the chair over her head.
Creak!
Once again Nancy tiptoed back to the door. It was very dark. She couldnât see a thing. The door was ajar, she remembered. Feeling with her foot, she found it and pushed it open. Now the way into the hall was clear.
Anxiously, she peered into the void ahead. Should she attack now? Go for it, she told herself. Whoeverâs out there canât see, either.
Slowly, she took a step forward. Then another. And another. Thenâ whack! The chair hit the doorjamb overhead! Angry, Nancy tried to lower the chair, but she lost her grip. The chair fell to the floor with a crash.
âWhat was that?â George exclaimed in a loud voice.
Footsteps hurried down the stairs. The intruder was getting away! Nancy groped for the hall light switch. She flicked it on just as the front door slammed.
âMr. Fayne! George! Follow me!â
Furious with herself, Nancy raced down the stairs and through the front hall. If she hurried, she could still get a look at the intruder.
Yanking the door open, she dashed out onto the front lawn. She glanced around but didnât see anyone. Great! Sheâd let the intruder get away!
âNancy?â
The front porch lights came on. Nancy blinked. Mr. Fayneâs deep voice called out again. âNancy, are you okay?â
âIâm fine, Mr. Fayne.â
âWhat happened?â
She walked back across the lawn. âThere was an intruder in the house, but he got away.â
Just then, George, Bess, and Mrs. Fayne spilled down the stairs, shouting questions all at once. Mr. Fayne reassured them that everything was all right, but Mrs. Fayne was still frightened.
To calm her, Mr. Fayne made a thorough search of the property.
âI donât believe you, Nan,â Bess said when Nancy had explained what happened. They
âWhat?â Nancy asked.
âJon. His birthdayâs coming up, and I need to think of a present.â
âHow about a one-way ticket back to the mountains?â Bess said acidly.
âBess!â
âI mean it. How can you trust him after you saw him kissing his old girlfriend? The guy still loves her, believe me!â
âNo he doesnât! He told me so last night in the Big Top parking lot. And then he saved my life not a minute later.â
âSo? What does that prove?â Bess shot back.
The two argued on and on, Bess tearing Jon apart and George defending him. Nancy stayed out of it. She was just glad to hear that George and Jon were on good terms again.
An hour later Nancy and Bess crawled into their sleeping bags. George turned out the lights, but they all kept talking. When the conversation finally ended, the dial on the digital clock by Georgeâs bed read 12:15 a.m.
Almost an hour later Nancy was still awake. Details of the caseâMonique at the motel window, the Soviet coachâs warning, the warm hood of Debbiâs carâkept running through her mind. Next to her, Bess was breathing evenly. Across the room in her bed, George was also asleep.
Rolling onto her back, Nancy folded her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. The house was quiet. Through a window, she heard a light breeze pass. The oak trees on the lawn rustled gently.
Suddenly Nancy tensed. She thought sheâd heard a sound, but she wasnât sure.
Creak!
Yes, there it was again. This time there was no mistaking it.
Someone was sneaking up the stairs!
Chapter
Nine
S ILENTLY, N ANCY SLITHERED from her sleeping bag. Standing up, she tiptoed to the doorway and listened.
Creak!
The intruder was almost at the top of the stairs. She had to do something.
Mentally, Nancy reviewed the layout of Georgeâs room. There was a softball bat in the cornerâor was it in the closet? No good. She needed something else. The desk chair! That was it. It was right next to her sleeping bag. Tiptoeing back, she groped in the dark and found it.
She lifted the chair over her head.
Creak!
Once again Nancy tiptoed back to the door. It was very dark. She couldnât see a thing. The door was ajar, she remembered. Feeling with her foot, she found it and pushed it open. Now the way into the hall was clear.
Anxiously, she peered into the void ahead. Should she attack now? Go for it, she told herself. Whoeverâs out there canât see, either.
Slowly, she took a step forward. Then another. And another. Thenâ whack! The chair hit the doorjamb overhead! Angry, Nancy tried to lower the chair, but she lost her grip. The chair fell to the floor with a crash.
âWhat was that?â George exclaimed in a loud voice.
Footsteps hurried down the stairs. The intruder was getting away! Nancy groped for the hall light switch. She flicked it on just as the front door slammed.
âMr. Fayne! George! Follow me!â
Furious with herself, Nancy raced down the stairs and through the front hall. If she hurried, she could still get a look at the intruder.
Yanking the door open, she dashed out onto the front lawn. She glanced around but didnât see anyone. Great! Sheâd let the intruder get away!
âNancy?â
The front porch lights came on. Nancy blinked. Mr. Fayneâs deep voice called out again. âNancy, are you okay?â
âIâm fine, Mr. Fayne.â
âWhat happened?â
She walked back across the lawn. âThere was an intruder in the house, but he got away.â
Just then, George, Bess, and Mrs. Fayne spilled down the stairs, shouting questions all at once. Mr. Fayne reassured them that everything was all right, but Mrs. Fayne was still frightened.
To calm her, Mr. Fayne made a thorough search of the property.
âI donât believe you, Nan,â Bess said when Nancy had explained what happened. They
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