Soon, Nancy was on her own, in deep water. Carefully she eased up from her stomach to her knees, reached into the water, and pulled up the sail. Keeping a tight grip on the boom, she got to her feet, found her balance, and stood up straight.
Wind filled the sail, and suddenly Nancy felt as if she were flying over the water. She heard Dirk shouting encouragement and found herself laughing out loud as the board slapped over the waves. For just a moment, she forgot about everything but the sun and the wind and the salt spray.
Just when Nancy thought she was going as fast as it was possible to go, the board picked up speed. She wasn’t sure if she could handle it, so she turned the boom, hoping to slow down. But she must have turned it the wrong way, because the sail was so full it looked ready to rip. Nancy decided to try one more time to slow down. If that didn’t work, then she’d bail out.
Nancy turned the boom. Instantly, the pole fell over as if it had been snapped in two. The board tipped, pushing Nancy forward, and before she had time to react, she found herself hitting the water. Behind her, the heavy surfboard rose up like a sailfish leaping from the ocean. Then it started to fall—heading straight for Nancy’s head.
Chapter
Six
NANCY TOSSED HER head back and desperately gulped in a mouthful of air. The board was falling fast; in a few seconds it would be on top of her. Nancy flipped sideways, kicked up with her legs, and felt the lethal board graze her thigh as she pulled herself deep under the water.
The current was strong; it somersaulted her over and over until she couldn’t tell which way was up. Her lungs felt ready to burst, and for a second, she almost panicked. She’d escaped the surfboard, she realized frantically, but she was in danger of drowning.
Just as she thought she might never make it, Nancy caught sight of the sky above her. The undercurrent tried to spin her over again, but she fought it and pulled herself up through the water until her head broke the surface. Gratefully Nancy filled her lungs with air, pushed her streaming hair out of her face, and looked around. Just a few feet away, her surfboard bobbed peacefully on the waves. Nancy swam over to it and climbed on, then spotted her sail. It was spread out on the water like a giant magenta scarf, and Nancy remembered that awful snap she’d felt when she’d turned the boom. What had happened? Those poles had to be sturdy, they couldn’t just snap in two when the wind got strong. Or could they?
Off in the distance, Dirk Bowman was stretched out on his board, pulling himself against the current to reach Nancy. She waved to let him know she was okay, then caught hold of her sail and dragged it from the water. Hand over hand, she pulled the pole up. When she saw the end of it, where it had snapped, she shivered in spite of the hot sun beating down on her back.
There was a clean slice three quarters of the way through the pole and then a ragged edge where the wind had done the rest of the job. Someone had sawed partway through it, and Nancy shivered again, remembering Ricardo standing at the dock that morning, watching her climb into the boat.
Nancy raised her head and looked at Dirk, who was still bucking the waves to get to her. Maybe he and Ricardo knew each other. Why not? Their jobs brought them to the same beach every day, and maybe Dirk had mentioned that he was taking her windsurfing, so Ricardo had decided to try to get rid of her, making it look like an accident. Just like Kim, Nancy thought.
First the man-of-war, then the windsurfing incident. Ricardo wasn’t exactly subtle with the messages he was sending her, and Nancy wondered how many more “accidents” she’d have to survive before she found out what he was involved in.
She was still staring at the pole, fingering the ragged edge, when she heard the buzz of a motor close by. Looking up, she saw a sleek raspberry-and-turquoise speedboat heading toward her. It zipped past, making choppy waves so that Nancy had to drop the pole and clutch the board with both hands. The driver made a sharp turn and then sped back, cutting the twin engines at the last possible second.
“Hi there!” the driver called out. She was a beautiful woman just a couple of years older than Nancy, with golden skin, silky blond hair, and a smile in her wide green eyes. “Need a lift?” she asked.
“It looks that way, doesn’t it?” Nancy said, laughing. “I’m not really stranded though.” She pointed to Dirk. “But thanks for the offer.”
The woman pulled her dark glasses down from the top of her head and peered through them at Dirk. “Oh, are you with him? Well, let me tell you, he’s cute, but he’s a klutz, if you know what I mean. I should know—I’m his boss.” With a delightful smile, she stuck her hand over the side of the boat. “I’m Lila Templeton.”
So she was the fun lady Dirk had mentioned. Shaking Lila’s outstretched hand, Nancy glanced over her shoulder at Dirk, who was closer but still struggling with the waves. He lied to get me out here, she thought, and now it’s time to pay him back. Laughing again, she hauled herself into Lila’s boat. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer after all,” she said, “if you don’t mind stopping at the island a moment so I can get my things.”
Grinning, Lila Templeton started the engines, and the boat took off with a roar. As they passed Dirk, Lila slowed long enough to shout, “I want to talk to you the minute you get back!” She and Nancy made a fast stop at the island. Then Lila put the boat into high gear and sped off, leaving Dirk Bowman floundering in its wake.
As they sped back to the mainland, Lila kept up a steady stream of chatter about where Nancy should go and what she should do while she was in Florida. Mostly, though, she gave a sales pitch for her party to nowhere. “It’s absolutely the wildest party you’ll ever go to,” she shouted. “You ought to try it while you’re down here. You won’t forget it, I promise you that!”
Nancy started to say that Dirk had already invited her, but she changed her mind. Lila seemed genuinely friendly, and Nancy didn’t want to disappoint her. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t have time for any wild island parties. She had other things to do, she thought grimly, and other people to see. Beginning with Ricardo.
“So what brings you to Lauderdale?” Lila asked, as they approached the docks. “Let me guess—spring break, right?”
“Right,” Nancy said. She didn’t like lying, but even though Lila seemed harmless and empty-headed, Nancy decided she shouldn’t trust anyone. She’d talked to Dirk and look what had happened. Dirk had probably mentioned her to Ricardo, and it was just luck that her surfboard hadn’t cracked open her skull half an hour ago.
When Lila docked the boat, Nancy thanked her for the ride and climbed out. “Don’t forget the party, Nancy!” Lila called after her, and Nancy said she wouldn’t. But she knew that that night she wouldn’t be at any party.
Twenty minutes later, Nancy had grabbed a bite to eat and was back on Fort Lauderdale Beach, looking for Ricardo. She had a strong urge to use one of George’s most painful judo moves on him, but she knew that instead she would simply have to be patient. She would have to watch him, see where he went, whom he talked to. If she was careful, he just might lead her to Rosita.
The first place Nancy checked was Ricardo’s lifeguard chair, but he wasn’t in it. She strolled along the beach, keeping one eye out for Ricardo and the other out for stray men-of-war. Two of a kind, she thought with a grim smile.
Finally Nancy spotted the lifeguard standing ankle-deep in the surf. Beside him, holding his hand, was a blond girl in a red string bikini. It was Bess.
Nancy stopped, trying to figure out what to do. If Ricardo found out she and Bess were friends, he might decide that Bess should be the victim of a few accidents too. But if he thought that Bess was just another pretty girl out for a good time, he might relax with her. And Bess might learn something important about him. Nancy dropped back, trying to blend in with a group of sunbathers.
“Well, hi there, how’s your foot?” a voice shouted. “I see you survived your encounter with the deadly man-of-war!”
Wishing he’d keep his voice down, Nancy smiled at the boy who’d
helped her up the day before. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said softly.
“Great! I gotta hand it to you, you said you’d be back and here you are!” The boy didn’t lower his voice a notch.
“Right,” Nancy replied, watching as Ricardo turned his head and looked straight at her. Without a word to Bess, he dropped her hand and trotted down the beach, through the mass of sunbathing bodies, and out of sight. Here I am and there he goes, Nancy thought.
Bess looked at Nancy, her expression puzzled. Nancy waved goodbye to the boy and went to join Bess.
“Gosh,” said Bess. “That was weird. That guy took one look at you and left.”
Nancy started to explain that his name was Ricardo, and that he was the one she’d seen snooping around Kim’s hotel room. But Bess was off on another subject.
“You’re back awfully soon,” she remarked. “Didn’t your date with Dirk work out?”
“As a matter of fact, it was a real washout,” Nancy admitted. “I shouldn’t have gone with him. He didn’t know a thing about the case.”
“So now I guess he’s through with you, right?” Bess said sarcastically. “Gee, maybe I still have a chance.”
“Come on, Bess.” Nancy sighed. “I’m sorry things got messed up for you, but you know I’m trying to find out what happened to Kim.”
“Oh, and speaking of Kim,” Bess said, “she still hasn’t come to. While you were off with Dirk I was at the hospital. George is there now, but she has to leave in about an hour.” Bess waded out of the water and onto the hard-packed sand. “Maybe you should go visit her. . . . So this Ricardo is really the same guy you saw in Kim’s hotel room?”
Nancy nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Bess, but be careful around him, okay?”
“Okay,” replied Bess, wide-eyed.
“All right. I’ll see you around. I’ve got more investigating to do.”
For a while, Nancy wandered along the beach, hoping she’d see Ricardo. But after an hour had gone by, she realized she was wasting her time. He probably wasn’t on duty that day, and she knew he wouldn’t put in an appearance unless he had to, not if he thought she was hanging around.
Nancy gave up and decided to go to the hospital. Maybe Kim would be awake by then. That would solve everything, she thought hopefully.
When she got to the hospital, Nancy saw Mrs. Baylor standing outside Kim’s room, and for a moment, Nancy really was hopeful—Mrs. Baylor wasn’t crying.
Keeping her fingers crossed, Nancy rushed down the hall. But as she got closer to Kim’s mother she realized that if Mrs. Baylor wasn’t crying, it was only because she was too shocked and frightened for tears.
“Mrs. Baylor?” Nancy was breathless, afraid of what she might hear. “Is Kim . . . is she . . .?”
“She’s worse,” Mrs. Baylor whispered. “She’s growing weaker, and the doctors are worried she might slip into a coma or . . .”
Or die, Nancy thought. And if that happens, then you’ll be trying to solve more than a hit and run. It will be murder!
Chapter
Seven
IT WAS EARLY evening when Nancy let herself into her room at the Surfside Inn. She felt slightly guilty about leaving the hospital, but Mrs. Baylor had insisted. “You’ll help Kim more by finding out why this happened to her,” she’d said. And Nancy knew she was right; what she didn’t know yet was how to solve the case. She had two leads—Ricardo and Rosita—and so far, she hadn’t been able to follow either of them.
Maybe a shower will help clear your head, she thought, as she flicked on the lights. She stepped into the bathroom and was peeling off her clothes when she noticed the note stuck in the mirror.
Nan—I promised Bess I’d go with her on the party-to-nowhere boat, so that’s where we are—nowhere! Bess still likes Dirk, which is why she insisted on going. She’s also still ticked off at him for brushing her off and going out with you instead. But I know she understands that you have to do everything possible to solve the case.
George
Sighing, Nancy turned the shower on full blast and stepped into the warm spray. If all she had to worry about was Bess being mad at her, things would be great. Instead, things were about as rotten as they could be. She’d fallen for Dirk’s line and spent an entire morning following a phony lead. And she’d really goofed with Ricardo. She should never have even hinted to him that she knew who he was. She’d probably be a lot closer to solving the case if she’d just kept her eyes open and her mouth shut.
With another sigh, Nancy stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She left the bathroom and stood in front of the window, staring out at the beach. Already, campfires were blazing here and there as groups of kids gathered for the next round of all-night parties. Nancy couldn’t help thinking that she’d much rather be out there having fun than holed up alone in her hotel room. Then it hit her—if she’d rather be out somewhere, maybe Ricardo and Rosita would too. If not that night, then surely they’d been out on other nights.
She had Rosita’s picture. And of the hundreds of kids on the beach and in the discos, there had to be at least one who’d seen her. It’s worth a try, Nancy thought, as she put on a flashy sundress and her new sandals. After all, you said yesterday that if you had to, you’d walk up and down the beach asking anyone and everyone if they’d seen this girl. Well, now, it looks as if you have to.
It was eight o’clock by the time Nancy set out on her search. She was already on the beach when she realized she hadn’t eaten anything since noon. There were plenty of fast-food places around. She could grab some food and ask a few questions at the same time.
Asking questions turned out to be easier than she’d anticipated. Halfway through a slice of pepperoni pizza, Nancy noticed that a cute boy in the next booth was paying more attention to her than to his pizza, which was getting cold, fast.
Nancy swallowed a bite of cheese, wiped her mouth, and raised her can of soda. That was all it took. In two seconds, the boy was sitting next to her. “Hi there,” he said with a grin. “How you doing?”
“I’m not sure,” Nancy replied, trying to look confused.
“What’s the problem?”
“Oh, well, this is going to sound weird, but I was supposed to meet a friend of a friend when I got to Lauderdale,” Nancy explained, making it up as she went along. “But I get here and what happens? I can’t find her! She’s not at the hotel, she’s not on the beach, she’s not anywhere.”
“So?” The boy moved over in the booth and casually slid his arm across the back of it. “My name’s Mike, by the way, and I don’t think your story’s weird at all. Your friend’s friend is probably having a blast and just forgot about you. My advice is to enjoy yourself and forget about her.”
“Well, I would, except for one thing.” Nancy noticed that Mike’s hand was now resting on her bare shoulder. “I was supposed to give her something . . . some money. And I just know I can’t have a good time until I find her and get that cash off my hands.”
“Well, a good time’s definitely what it’s all about,” Mike said, tightening his fingers on her shoulder. “Why don’t you let me help you?”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Nancy reached into her straw shoulder bag and took out the photo. “Here she is. Her name’s Rosita.”
“Pretty,” Mike said, barely glancing at the picture. “But not as pretty as you.”
“Thanks,” Nancy replied, “but have you seen her?”
“Afraid not. Now, what are you and I going to do for fun tonight?” Mike scooted even closer to Nancy and bent his head down as if he were going to kiss her.
At the last second, Nancy ducked under his arms and left him sitting alone in the booth. Her plans for the night just didn’t include Mike. “Sorry,” she told him, “but until I find Rosita, I’m afraid I won’t have any fun at all.”
Abandoning her pizza, Nancy went out into the warm, breezy night, Mike frowning after her. From now on, she told herself, no more warm-up conversa
tions. Just show the picture and ask the question. If you get stuck with any more Mikes, this search will take forever.
Unfortunately, Fort Lauderdale was full of Mikes, looking to have fun. Some were nice, some came on a little too strong, a few actually took her questions seriously. All of them were interested in Nancy, and none of them had seen Rosita.
By ten-thirty, Nancy was starting to feel discouraged. She’d hit every fast-food place on the strip and turned down invitations to dance in at least half the discos—and still no Rosita. What was the girl, anyway? A phantom? Somebody has to have seen her, Nancy thought.
By that time, the beach parties were going strong. Campfires were blazing, and radios and cassettes were blasting up and down the shoreline. Carrying her sandals, Nancy strolled along the soft, cool sand, stopping at every gathering to ask if anyone had seen the girl in the picture.
One girl thought she looked just like a girl from her dorm. “But she didn’t come to Lauderdale, so it couldn’t be the same one, could it?”
No, Nancy agreed, it couldn’t. She was getting so many “sorrys,” and “never saw hers,” and “forget about her, stick with mes,” that when she finally heard the words, “Oh, sure,” she thought she’d imagined them.
“What did you say?” she asked the boy who’d spoken.
“I said, sure, I saw her about twenty minutes ago.” He took a closer look at the photograph. “Yeah, that’s the one. She was with one of the lifeguards. Ricardo, I think his name is.”
Suddenly Nancy wasn’t tired anymore. Her luck was changing. “Where were they?” she asked.
“Over that way,” the boy said, pointing down the beach. “They were leaning against some trees, talking.” He smiled and gave Nancy a long look. “Hey, if you don’t find them, come on back, why don’t you? I plan to be here all night long.”
“Thanks,” Nancy replied, smiling, “but I don’t.” She trotted down the beach, keeping her fingers crossed that Ricardo and Rosita would still be there.