“What do you make of that?” Ned asked as they headed to his car.
Nancy shook her head, climbing into the passenger seat. “It’s a mess,” she admitted.
They circled the hospital, and Nancy glanced toward the emergency room. A familiar figure was standing just inside the glass door, outlined against the light. “Ned!” Nancy cried excitedly. “Stop the car. That’s David Baines! Now I’m sure he’s the guy who grabbed me!”
Baines’s hand was on the door, but he was talking to someone just out of sight.
“Ned, he’s getting away!” Nancy cried as she leapt out of the car. David’s silhouette was no longer visible. She ran to the emergency room, yanked open the door, and glanced both ways. David was standing near the comer of the corridor, staring down the hall. There was a flurry of activity near the far end. Paramedics were bringing people in on stretchers. But the person David had been talking to was long gone.
“Is that the guy?” Ned asked, coming up behind Nancy.
Hearing him, David glanced back. His eyes widened when he saw Nancy hurrying toward him.
“I’d like to talk to you,” Nancy began, but David was already moving toward the door.
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to talk to you. I’m busy.”
“Wait a minute, pal,” Ned ordered, grabbing hold of the orderly’s arm. David tried to pull free, but Ned’s grip was too tight.
“Let go of me!” he demanded.
“In a minute,” Ned said calmly. “Nancy has a few questions she’d like answered first.”
“I don’t have to talk to you! I’m calling security.”
“Go right ahead,” Nancy said coolly. “I’d like to speak to them, too. You see, someone attacked me a little while ago in the parking lot. I should report it.”
David’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that got to do with me? I didn’t do it.”
His quick denial only strengthened Nancy’s belief that David had indeed tried to drag her toward the bushes. But until she had real proof, she couldn’t accuse him outright. “Didn’t the nurse on five tell you I was looking for you earlier?” she asked him. “I get the feeling you’ve been trying to avoid me.”
David glared at Ned’s hand on his arm. “What do you two want?”
“Information,” Nancy answered instantly. “I heard you were expelled from medical school in Saint Louis.”
“So? I just got unlucky, okay? Since when is that a crime?” He sneered.
“Dr. Gerard Shaw was on staff at the medical school hospital in Saint Louis. And he was also consultant to the medical board of examiners.”
“So?” David repeated. But his face drained of color. Bingo! Nancy thought with satisfaction.
“I don’t have to listen to this!” David declared suddenly. He started struggling in earnest, and Ned practically had to pin his arms behind his back.
“You blamed Dr. Shaw for your being expelled,” Nancy pressed. “That’s right, isn’t it?”
“Look, the old guy stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. It had nothing to do with him! But those jerks at the hospital asked for his advice. They listened to him. And he didn’t know anything about it!” With a supreme effort of will David jerked himself free and lunged for the door.
“Didn’t know anything about what?” Nancy demanded, pushing open the door after David.
“Want me to tackle him?” Ned asked tersely.
“No, wait—”
Backing across the parking lot, David yelled, “You’re way off base, girl detective! I didn’t kill Dr. Shaw! But I know who did. And why!”
“Who?” Nancy asked, hurrying after him. “David, who?”
Headlights flashed at the edge of the parking lot. An engine revved. Nancy was so intent on David, she barely noticed. But David did. Slowly he turned his head, lights pinning him in their white glare.
“Nancy!” Ned called from behind her, panicked.
She glanced up. Roaring toward her and David was an ambulance! It screamed through the parking lot. Nancy dived to the right and rolled, her shoulder slamming into the curb.
She heard a shriek of terror. Glancing back, she saw a flash of red and white. The ambulance was bearing down on David.
“David!” Nancy screamed.
To her horror, the ambulance hit David head on, tossing him like a rag doll up and over the hood. His limp body crumpled to the ground on the other side!
Chapter
Eleven
DAVID!” NANCY YELLED AGAIN.
She stumbled to her feet as Ned raced past her. The ambulance ripped by, careening around the corner, tires squealing.
David lay unconscious on the pavement. Nancy checked his breathing as Ned ran back to the hospital for help. She tore off her candy striper apron and wrapped it around him for warmth.
Within minutes a group of people had gathered around the scene and several paramedics appeared with a gurney. They lifted David carefully onto the gurney and wheeled him straight into the emergency room.
Ned touched Nancy’s elbow. “This is a matter for the police. Whoever was driving that ambulance wasn’t fooling around. He tried to kill David!”
Nancy nodded. “And David said Dr. Shaw was killed. That means we’ve got a murderer who’s attempted to kill more than once.”
“Including the attacks on you,” Ned reminded her grimly.
Nancy nodded in response, wondering when the killer would take the opportunity to strike again.
Two hours later Nancy and Ned had explained everything to the chief of staff. Reluctantly, he called in the police. David was placed in intensive care and was still unconscious when Nancy and Ned were ready to leave.
“A concussion,” Dr. Clemmons, the resident on duty, told them. “Possible ruptured spleen and a number of fractures.”
“Will he be all right?” Nancy asked.
Clemmons was noncommittal. “His vital signs are stable.”
Nancy and Ned walked back toward Ned’s car. “It’s kind of late for dinner,” Nancy pointed out.
“Yeah.” Ned sighed. “I’ve got some studying to do before I turn in.”
“Should we forget about dinner?” Nancy suggested.
“Only if you promise to make it up to me.” Ned kissed her, then grabbed her hand and steered her toward her own car.
“Promise,” Nancy said.
He waited until she was safely behind the wheel and the doors were locked. Then he pointed at her and repeated, “Promise,” in a voice that said there would be no backing out later.
• • •
The phone call woke Nancy from a deep, dreamless sleep. She opened one eye, checked her alarm clock, and groaned. “Go away,” she told the ringing phone even as she groped to answer it.
“Is this Nancy Drew?” a young woman’s voice asked.
“Yes, it is.” Nancy yawned. It was only 5:30 A.M.
“Nancy, this is Emily Richards from the emergency room. I wanted to catch you before you left for the hospital. I realize this is short notice, but would you mind working from three o’clock to eleven today? Today’s Friday, and we’re always a lot busier in the afternoon and evenings on weekends. It would really help me out.”
“Sure,” she agreed, realizing she would have the entire morning to work on the case. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Nancy hung up the phone and yawned again, drawing her pillow over her head. She closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her. Who had tried to run David down the night before? How had the would-be murderer gotten hold of an ambulance? And did David really know who killed Dr. Shaw?
Flinging back the covers, Nancy climbed out of bed. She took a quick shower, dressed in faded jeans and an oversize cream-colored sweater, tied on her sneakers, and hurried downstairs.
Nancy called the River Heights police station and left a message for Detective John Ryan. They’d both been involved in a case Nancy called Circle of Evil and even though they’d been working at cross-purposes, Detective Ryan had eventually admitte
d that Nancy was a talented investigator.
While she waited for some kind of answer, she did some thinking. The key to David Baines’s involvement in this case had to be his expulsion from medical school. He’d turned completely white the night before when she brought the subject up. But did his grudge go deeper?
Nancy reached for the phone again. She dialed April’s number at the dorm. The line rang so many times Nancy decided April must have left town, but April finally answered. “Hello?” she answered, her voice tired.
“Hi, April. It’s Nancy. Sorry to bother you so early,” Nancy apologized, “but I wondered if you could help me.”
“Sure. How?”
“Did you hear what happened to David Baines last night?” April said no, and Nancy told her about the accident. April gasped, and Nancy said, “I need to find out more about David. I think he knows something.”
“How can I help?”
“I need to know why he got expelled. Is there any way you can find out? Maybe from someone your father knew at the hospital in Saint Louis?”
“Well, Dr. Grafton’s still there, I think,” April said. “He’s a friend of my father’s. Or was.” The line went quiet.
“April?” Nancy hated pushing her, but she really needed her help. “Would you mind calling Dr. Grafton and asking him about David?”
“I don’t know what good it’ll do, but I’ll try.”
“Thanks, April.”
As soon as Nancy hung up, the phone rang. “Hello?” she asked into the receiver.
“Nancy Drew?”
She heard the smile in Detective Ryan’s familiar voice. “Hi, there,” she said. “As I recall, you once said you’d be happy to work with me on a case again.”
“What kind of case?” he asked.
“Well, it’s a little complicated. I need to do a background check on someone. His name is David Baines, and he’s a patient in the hospital at Westmoor University Medical School. He works there, but last night—”
“He was mowed down by an ambulance. I’ve got the file right here, Nancy. Hospital security’s guarding him against another attack. What specifically do you want to know?”
“Well, I’m working on a theory,” she admitted. “I’d like to know about his bank balance.”
“That’s classified information,” the detective warned.
“I know, but David seems to have a lot of unexplained money. He drives a Porsche, but he works as an orderly. Unless he has another job, I don’t see how he can afford that kind of car.”
Detective Ryan seemed to mull that over. “What do you think he’s involved in?”
“When I know more, I’ll tell all,” Nancy countered, smiling to herself. Detective Ryan always tried to get her to reveal more than she was willing to tell him.
“Okay. Will you be home today?”
“I’ll either be here or at the hospital.” Nancy gave him the emergency room number.
“I’ll call you,” he promised.
The morning was passing quickly, so Nancy decided to get to the hospital. She changed into her candy striper outfit, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. Just then the phone rang. Detective Ryan! Nancy made a mad dash for it.
“Nancy, is that you?” It was April.
“Right here. Have you got something for me?” she asked excitedly.
“Well, maybe. I’m not sure. I got in touch with Dr. Grafton.”
“And?”
April hesitated. “Dr. Grafton wants this kept strictly confidential, but David was expelled for dangerous negligence. A patient died because David gave her the wrong medication. My father helped make the final decision to expel him.”
“The wrong medication?” Nancy repeated, her pulse hammering. This was sounding increasingly familiar!
“The patient’s husband threatened to sue the hospital. Nancy, Dr. Grafton told me something else, too. Dr. Rayburn worked at the same hospital. And he was one of the doctors who helped get David expelled!”
“Dr. Rex Rayburn? Chief cardiologist at W.U. Med School? That Dr. Rayburn?” Nancy asked, surprised.
“Small world, huh? Dr. Grafton says Dr. Rayburn was only there a short time.”
“What was the name of the patient who died?” Nancy asked.
“Treadway. Anna Treadway,” April answered. “She died of cardiac arrest. David took it upon himself to administer medicine to her even though he was just a student. She died as a result. The evidence was pretty clear.”
Nancy whistled. A beep sounded in her ear. “April, I’ve got another call coming in. I’ll talk to you later, okay? And thanks. Thanks a lot.” Nancy touched the receiver, disconnecting April and connecting the incoming call. “Hello? Drew residence.”
“Hi, there, Nancy,” Detective Ryan’s voice greeted her. “You were right on the money with Baines, so to speak. The guy’s bank balance has a few extra zeros.”
Nancy was elated. “How many extra zeros?”
“He’s got thousands just sitting in a checking account. Now, where do you suppose that money came from, Detective Drew?”
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out,” Nancy said with a smile. “I owe you one.”
“Since I’m being generous, here’s one more item of interest: we found the ambulance that hit Baines. It was abandoned down by the river. No fingerprints. Officers are checking into how it was stolen. So far it looks as if someone just lifted the keys and took it.”
Keys again. That someone must be fairly well connected to the hospital to be able to pull off a stunt like that, Nancy thought. She thanked the detective and hung up.
Nancy drove straight to the hospital, parked near the emergency room door, and strode up the walkway. Running footsteps sounded behind her. Nancy whipped around, half expecting more danger. But it was Suzanne Welles coming across the parking lot.
“Nancy!” she cried, waving her arm. “I just saw you drive in. I’ve been looking for you all morning!”
“You have?”
“Yes.” Suzanne slowed down, her fingers lightly touching the gold necklace encircling her neck.
“That’s beautiful,” Nancy remarked, eyeing the necklace.
“Trevor gave it to me,” she answered proudly, as if she’d been waiting for Nancy to bring up the subject. “Nancy, I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day. About someone setting up Trevor. That’s why Dr. Shaw’s body is missing, isn’t it? Whoever stole it must know an autopsy would show that Trevor is innocent.”
Nancy regarded her silently, waiting for her to get to the point.
Suzanne hesitated. “I have an idea who the body snatcher might be.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “April Shaw.”
“April!” Nancy was taken aback.
“I know on the surface it doesn’t seem possible, but think about it,” Suzanne went on hurriedly, before Nancy could respond. “She could have killed her father. She hated watching him suffer. She as much as said she couldn’t wait until his suffering was over. And now I’m convinced that she only pretended to love Trevor!”
“Suzanne,” Nancy protested.
“She used him,” Suzanne went on, her jaw tightening angrily. “She needed someone to throw the blame on, and she used Trevor. Have you seen April cry any real tears over her father’s death? No! Nancy Drew, if you’re looking for a murderer, look no further than April Shaw!”
Chapter
Twelve
OH, COME ON, SUZANNE,” Nancy said. “April loves Trevor. They’ve been engaged for months, since long before Dr. Shaw came to visit her.”
Suzanne lifted her chin. “I notice you don’t deny that she could have been involved in a mercy killing.”
“I only agree that she wanted her father’s suffering to end. That’s a long way from murder.”
“Not that long.”
They were at a stalemate. Nancy looked into Suzanne’s dark eyes, wondering if her accusations had any basis in truth. A tiny seed of doubt grew inside he
r. April was an emotional wreck—of that much Nancy was certain. April had been very composed after her father’s death—unnaturally so, Nancy had thought at the time. Could her emotional state now be caused by guilt?
Nancy left Suzanne and went into the hospital. It was almost two. Shaking her head clear of Suzanne’s allegations, Nancy used the lobby pay phone to call April. “Hi, April. It’s Nancy. I’ve been thinking about a few things and wondered if you could help me again. I’d like to know more about what happened to Anna Treadway in Saint Louis. Is there any way I could get my hands on some old records? I have a hunch that what’s happening now must relate somehow to that tragedy.”
“I could call Dr. Grafton again,” April said doubtfully. “He might be willing to let you see the files.”
“Tell him about what happened to David. We don’t want any more ‘accidents.’ ”
“Okay, Nancy.”
Nancy hung up, lost in thought. She gasped when a hand suddenly grabbed her arm. “Trevor!” she exclaimed, whipping around.
“Sorry to frighten you. I couldn’t help overhearing. You were talking to April, weren’t you?”
His handsome face was set and serious. Nancy could no more read his mind than she could Suzanne’s. “Yes, I was.”
A muscle in his jaw flexed. “How is she?”
“Okay, I guess. She’s trying to put the last few days in perspective. They’ve really taken an emotional toll.” When Trevor didn’t respond, Nancy added lightly, “I saw the necklace you gave Suzanne. It’s beautiful.”
“The gold necklace?” Trevor asked blankly. “Suzanne showed it to you?”
Nancy nodded. “And she showed it to April, too.”
“What! But I gave that necklace to Suzanne years ago. It was a birthday gift.” He looked stunned. “You don’t think April believes I gave it to Suzanne recently!”
“As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what she thinks,” Nancy replied, deciding to use the opportunity to clear up some facts. “Trevor, what’s going on between you and Suzanne? Could you be using her to get back at April?”