"He's not here," Andy told Nancy, Ned, Bess, and Parker. "I'm calling my house."
"I don't know what all the fuss is about," Annabel said, a note of irritation in her voice. "Nick probably forgot you were sailing this morning."
Andy crossed to an end table, picked up a portable phone, and punched in some numbers. Annabel bit her lip and paced across the rug as she listened to Andy talk to his mother. Nancy couldn't help noticing how nervous Annabel was—and she didn't think it was because she cared that her husband was missing. Was it possible that Annabel knew something about his disappearance that she wasn't telling them?
"All right, Mom, let me know if he does show up," Andy finished. After saying goodbye, he hung up. His eyes darted first to Annabel, then to the others.
"Looks like we call the police," he said tersely. "There's no sign of Nick."
"That Detective O'Reilly grilled me like a potential murderer," Bess grumbled later that afternoon.
"It wasn't just you," Parker said, squeezing her arm. "That other cop, Detective Wilkes, interrogated me, and he was no charm school graduate, either."
The two were sitting on the cockpit seat of the Skipper's Surprise, a plate of sandwiches between them. Andy was at the wheel, Nancy was perched nearby on the deck, and Ned was keeping an eye on the sails. The sailboat was just finishing its practice run. The waters were calm, and the sun was bright and hot, but the normally enthusiastic group was subdued.
Two Annapolis detectives had shown up at the Lazlos' house after Andy called the police that morning. They had questioned everyone in the group separately, and it was early afternoon before they were done. Despite everyone's somber mood, the group had decided to take the Skipper's Surprise out for a test run. Still, the conversation kept turning back to Lazlo's disappearance and the police investigation.
"Since the police found that gun hidden in the bushes on top of the cliff where we found Lazlo's boat," Nancy explained, "they're treating it as if it's a homicide, even if they didn't find a body."
"I bet the Coast Guard divers turn up something soon," Ned put in as he stood, ready to man the sails. "Plus all those crime lab guys swarming the Neptune after we towed it to the dock must have found some evidence, too."
Nancy took a sip of her cold soda. "Homicide detectives tend to think of everyone as a potential murderer/ 9 she added. "It wasn't personal, guys." She cast a worried glance at Andy, who was absently steering the Skipper's Surprise through the water. She wondered how he was taking it. He and Nick had known each other a long time.
Andy sighed. "I think I really might be in trouble, though," he said, looking at Nancy. "You know when I left to go to the convenience store?"
Nancy realized what he was getting at. "Oh, no! You don't have an alibi for that period of time."
He nodded grimly.
"But you weren't gone more than half an hour," Parker protested.
Andy shrugged. "That's enough time to kill someone. The worst thing is, the road to the store goes right past that stretch of woods by the river. I know what the police were thinking—that I drove to the deserted woods, sneaked out to the cliff, and shot my partner."
"That's crazy!" Parker and Bess both exclaimed.
"The clerk at the store must have seen you," Nancy said.
"Sure. Some kid who was watching TV while I paid him. Great witness he'll make."
"You don't have any reason to shoot Nick," Nancy said. "The police must realize that."
"That's right!" Parker exclaimed.
"Uh . . ." Andy hesitated. "That's not exactly true. I mean, I didn't have a reason, but the police might not see it that way."
"Maybe you'd better explain," Nancy said.
Andy took a deep breath as he steered. "Well, like I said at the party, Annabel and I used to date. And lately, since Annabel and Nick have been having, um, some problems, she's been spending a lot of time with me." Abruptly, he raised one hand as if expecting a reaction. "But we're just friends. And nothing's been behind Nick's back."
"Only the police might not see it that way," Nancy said.
"Right," Andy agreed. "Annabel's going through a tough time, and she needs a friend. Nick's made no secret that he wants a divorce. But she won't divorce him because he'd get half of the property her family gave them and probably some of her money, too."
"I'd say that gives Annabel a good reason to want to get rid of her husband," Bess said.
"She might hate the guy, but she'd never kill him," Andy said defensively.
Nancy wasn't sure she agreed, but she wasn't going to say that out loud. Not only did Annabel have a motive, but she was also the one most likely to know Nick's movements. Annabel knew enough about sailboats to rig the mast, too. And she knew her husband well enough to guess that he'd show off the Skipper's Surprise at the party. No wonder she hadn't wanted to join them for a tour. Then, when the falling mast hadn't done Nick in, she followed him this morning and . . .
"At least if Annabel looks guilty, it might take some of the heat off you," Ned suggested to Andy.
"Except, um, there's one more thing," Andy said.
Parker groaned. "Something else?"
"Recently, when I was checking the account books, I noticed that there were three five-thousand-dollar payments to Steele Lumber in one month," Andy began. "Well, I'd never heard of Steele Lumber, so I asked Nick about it. He flew into a rage, yelling that if I didn't trust him to write checks, then he'd quit. A couple of employees heard us fighting. When the police question them, I'm sure they'll mention it."
Nancy blew out her breath in a slow stream. "Whew. That's not good."
"You're not kidding." Andy's shoulders slumped as he stared out at the river. "The company's small, so everyone knows everyone else's business. Which hasn't been so hot lately. We borrowed a lot of money to design and build the Nican Forty, If the boat doesn't cut it, we'll be in serious trouble. I guess that made Nick and me pretty tense with each other."
"Uh-oh, looks like we have company," Parker said, pointing toward the shore.
Nancy looked past the bow of the boat. In the distance, she could see the Devereux' house. Four figures were standing on the dock.
Ned's and Andy's heads jerked up. "Who?" they both asked.
Nancy stood up, balanced against the cabin, and shaded her eyes so she could see better. She thought she recognized the two uniformed figures from earlier that day. "Looks like Detectives O'Reilly and Wilkes are paying us a visit."
"What could those guys want?" Bess asked. "More interrogating?"
"Probably," Ned replied. He headed to the bow to get ready to dock.
For the next ten minutes, everyone was busy bringing down the sails and cleaning up. From the terse way Andy barked out orders, Nancy could tell how worried he was.
When the sails were down, Andy let the Skip-per's Surprise drift the last few yards to the dock. Ned was standing in the bow, holding the bowline in his hand. In front of him, the two detectives stood like statues, their faces expressionless. In contrast, Andy's parents looked worried.
"What's going on?" Andy asked when the Surprise was secured.
Without a smile or greeting, the tall, lanky officer, Detective Wilkes, flashed his badge. Then he reached out to give Andy a hand off the boat. "We'd like to take you in for questioning."
Andy didn't look surprised. "Okay."
When Nancy finished tying the stern line, she came up beside Andy. "Is there any special reason you need to talk to Mr. Devereux?" she asked.
"I'll say there is," Detective O'Reilly, the more muscular officer, shot back.
Wilkes put up his hand to silence his partner. "The lab made a definite match between the bullets from the gun that was found on the cliff to the bullet hole found in Lazlo's boat."
"So?" Andy muttered. Nancy noticed that he was nervously shifting from foot to foot.
Stepping closer, O'Reilly stuck his finger in Andy's face. "When we traced the ownership of the gun, we discovered it was registered to you
!"
Chapter Five
"My gun?" Andy's mouth fell open. He stared blankly at the detectives. "That can't be. My gun's locked up at the office!"
Nancy snapped her head around to look at Andy. He had a gun? Why hadn't he mentioned it before?
From the boat, Bess was watching the scene, an incredulous expression on her face. Ned stood frozen on the dock, the bowline still in his hand. Parker jumped from the boat, landing beside Nancy.
"You guys don't really believe that Andy shot his partner, do you?" Parker demanded, glaring at the two detectives.
"Parker." Andy's father stepped forward and put a restraining hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"The police are only taking Andy in for questioning."
"That's right," Detective Wilkes said. "As long as you have nothing to hide, you'll be home in an hour," he told Andy.
"We still want a lawyer present," Mrs. Devereux said in a firm voice, coming up next to her husband and Andy.
"That's fine," Wilkes replied. Then he turned toward the house and waited for Andy to follow him.
Andy's face was bright red. "I guess I'll see you guys later," he said to everyone.
Parker tapped his cousin's shoulder. "Hang in there. It'll be all right."
"We'll meet you at the police station," Nancy added.
"Thanks," Andy replied. Then he started up the lawn with his parents and the two officers.
"The police lab identified the blood in the boat as the same type as Nick Lazlo's," Eric Meisner, the Devereux' lawyer, explained. "So they're assuming one of the shots from the gun they found on the cliff hit Nick and he fell overboard."
It was late evening, and Ned, Nancy, Bess, Parker, Andy's parents, and their lawyer were in the dingy waiting area of the Annapolis Police Department. Parker was pacing back and forth in front of a row of chairs while Ned leaned against the wall by a soft drink machine. Bess and Nancy were sitting on a bench opposite Mr. and Mrs. Devereux, who were perched on the edge of two folding chairs. Mrs. Devereux's face was pale with shock, and she was fiercely clutching her husband's hand. In the next room phones rang and police officers buzzed back and forth.
"But Andy never uses his gun!" Parker stopped pacing long enough to look at the lawyer.
Mr. Meisner nodded. "I know. He told the police he hasn't taken it out of his desk drawer since he bought it."
"This is crazy!" Andy's father stood up abruptly. "Andy wouldn't kill Nick. They've been friends since grade school."
"Unfortunately, the police look only at evidence, and the evidence isn't good," Mr. Meisner explained, his jaw tightening. "Andy volunteered to let the police take his fingerprints. His prints matched the only ones found on the gun."
Andy's mother gasped. "Will they let him go?"
Before Mr. Meisner could answer, a shrill voice rang through the police station. A second later, Annabel Lazlo burst into the waiting area. She was wearing a black trench coat. "Where's Andy? Why has he been arrested? I want to see him!"
She strode over to the lawyer. Taking his upper arms in her hands, she began shaking him. Patiently, Mr. Meisner loosened her grip and steered her to a chair next to Nancy and Bess.
"Andy hasn't been arrested," the lawyer explained, "He'll be free to go home any minute."
"Thank goodness!" Annabel slumped back against the chair.
Mr. Meisner walked over to Mr. and Mrs. Devereux. After conferring quietly with them, he led them out the door of the waiting room and he motioned for Parker to follow. Nancy hoped the lawyer wasn't telling them more bad news. The information about the gun and the fingerprints was damaging enough to Andy already.
Glancing over at Annabel, Nancy saw that she was crying softly. It was hard to tell if she was really upset or faking it. Nancy reached into her bag and offered Annabel a tissue. Without a thank-you, Annabel took the tissue and blew her nose. When she looked up, her cheeks were streaked with mascara.
"Why Andy?" she asked. "What did the police find out?"
This might be a good time to find out how much Annabel knew about her husband's disappearance, Nancy reasoned. After telling Annabel about the gun, Nancy asked, "Did you know Andy had a gun?"
"Yeah, but so what?" Annabel retorted. "Why does that make Andy guilty? I mean, they haven't even found Nick's body yet."
Nancy was taken aback by Annabel's callous attitude. She didn't seem to care at all that her husband might be dead. The question was, did Annabel hate him enough to shoot him?
"Doesn't Nick have any family?" Nancy asked
Annabel nodded. "In California." Tilting her chin, she looked at Nancy. "I know you must think I'm awful, but I'm telling you, Nick was the most handsome, charming snake I've ever known."
"You must have trusted him enough to marry him," Nancy pressed.
Annabel started to reply but then looked sharply at Nancy. "I don't feel like answering any more questions," she stated. "Especially from someone who barely knows Andy or Nick!"
Standing, she swept her trench coat around her and ran from the waiting area. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"What a performance," Bess muttered, getting up from the bench and stretching, "Even the black coat was a nice touch."
Nancy shook her head. "It's hard to tell if Annabel's acting or not. If she plotted the shooting and set Andy up, then she should be ecstatic now that he's taking the rap."
Smiling, Ned sat down next to Nancy and took her hand. "Boy, you sure know how to get to Annabel."
"She did make a hasty exit," Nancy said, looking into Ned's brown eyes. "You're awfully happy for someone who's supposed to be on vacation and is now embroiled in a mystery."
Ned laughed, then leaned down to kiss her softly. "That's because I'm used to dating you, Detective Drew," he whispered.
When his lips met hers again, Nancy was able to forget they were in the middle of a mystery.
"What do you think we'll find at Lazlo Designs?" Parker asked Nancy Saturday morning as he, Ned, Nancy, and Bess piled into Andy's white Cadillac. After breakfast, Andy had given them the keys to Lazlo Designs and his office. Then he'd left to meet with his lawyer.
"Anything that'll help Andy," Nancy answered Parker's question. "First, I want to check out where he kept his gun and see how easy it is for someone to have taken it. Andy also mentioned an argument he and Nick had over a certain account, Steele Lumber. I want to look into that, too."
Parker started the car. "Let's just hope whatever we find clears my cousin," he said.
When the foursome arrived at the parking lot in front of Lazlo Designs a half hour later, Nancy got out of the car to look around. The company was located in a building that was part warehouse, part showroom. Parker explained that the boats were built in the huge windowless warehouse in the back of the building. Through the large windows of the showroom in front, Nancy could see several different sailboats.
They approached the front door, and Parker pulled out the keys. "Usually Nick and Andy open the showroom on Saturdays," he told the others. "The manufacturing end of the business is open only Monday through Friday," he added, waving toward the back of the warehouse.
"Are Nick and Andy the salesmen, too?" Nancy asked as Parker unlocked the door and they walked into the showroom.
Parker nodded. "Yup. Except for a secretary-bookkeeper and the boatbuilders, Nick and Andy do it all. If the Nican Forty boats are a success, they're figuring on expanding the business, though."
When they got inside, Nancy, Ned, and Bess walked around looking at the sailboats in the spacious showroom. Nancy noticed a corridor with several doors along it and a wider door at the end.
"The offices are down there," Parker said, following Nancy's gaze. "The door at the end leads to the warehouse."
"Did Lazlo Designs build this boat?" Ned asked, running his hand down the hull of a small sailboat that had Lazer written on the side.
Parker shook his head. "No, the Lazer is a popular model they sell. Nick and Andy build big custom-made boats. Obviously
, it's a slow process, though. That's why they were working on the Nican Forty. They wanted to break into the market with a fast racing boat that would have a wider appeal."
"Pretty impressive goal," Bess commented. "Are these some of the custom-made boats they built?" She was standing in front of several framed photographs. Joining Bess, Nancy saw that the sailboats in the photos were much larger than the Skipper's Surprise.
"Yeah," Parker answered from behind them. He pointed to the two photos on the left. "Those two are boats they designed and built for clients in Florida."
Nancy nodded, then started toward the hallway. "Which one is Andy's office?"
"Third door to the left," Parker answered. He twisted a key from the ring Andy had given her and handed it to Nancy.
Nancy took the key and headed back to the office, with Ned right behind her. When she reached the door, she noticed that it was slightly ajar. Puzzled, she looked back at Ned.
"It's open," she mouthed to him.
It was dark inside, but Nancy thought she glimpsed the glimmer of a flashlight. She slowly reached for the doorknob, but Ned put a restraining hand on her arm. "Be careful," he whispered.
Nancy nodded, then cautiously grasped the doorknob. Slowly, she inched the door open. Then, suddenly, she gave the door a shove and jumped into the room.
At the same time, a beam of light flashed in her eyes. Nancy blinked as a dark figure leapt out of the darkness, straight at her!
Chapter Six
Before Nancy could react, the figure crashed into her, knocking her against the office door.
"Ned! Stop him!" Nancy cried, as the person pushed past her and shot into the corridor. All she saw was a glimpse of a tweed jacket.
Ned put up his hands to grab the fleeing person, but the man shot out with a solid punch to Ned's chin, propelling him backward. Ned cracked his head against the wall and slumped to the floor.
In a flash Nancy was beside him. "Are you all right?" she asked, gently touching his cheek.
Nodding, Ned gestured toward the hall. "Go get him!" he gasped.