Ned scooped up Shannon's limp body and followed Nancy back the way they had come.
Light though Shannon was, his burden slowed him down. It seemed to take forever to reach the house where Soundview's caretaker lived. In response to Nancy's frantic knocking, a gray-haired man opened the door. He listened to her brief explanation of who she and Ned were and where they had found Shannon.
Peering at the white-faced girl in Ned's arms, he said, "She don't look too good. What happened to her, anyway?"
"We don't know, but she needs medical attention as soon as possible," Nancy said. "Can you please call an ambulance?"
"Better not," the man said. "No telling how long it'll take for one to get here. The nearest hospital's in Northville, and they're real understaffed. My station wagon's outside—I'll drive you there. I can't hang around, though. You'll have to get back on your own."
There were few cars on the road at that early hour on a Sunday morning. As they drove, Ned and Nancy spoke quietly.
"You don't really think this was an accident, do you?" Ned asked.
"I don't know," Nancy answered. "Like I said before, she might have decided to wait for Rafe on the pier, lost her footing in the dark, and been knocked out when she fell onto the rocks."
"That's a slim chance. Nan, if you ask me,"
Ned said, shaking his head. "This girl has too many enemies for accidents like this to just 'happen' to her."
"I agree," Nancy admitted. "But without evidence to the contrary, Fm not jumping to any conclusions."
There were no other patients in the emergency room when they arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. Two orderlies removed Shannon from the car, and when they had wheeled her away on a gumey, the caretaker left.
After Nancy and Ned gave the woman at the admissions window what little information they had—Shannon's name and where they had found her—they went into the waiting room.
"We ought to try to contact Glenn Maclnnes and tell him what's happened," Ned suggested. "Even though he and Shannon had that big fight last night, I bet he'd want to know."
"Why don't you call him? I noticed a pay phone next to the entrance when we came in."
Ned returned a few minutes later. "I got his number from directory assistance, but nobody picked up, so I left a message on his machine," he told Nancy. "Now I guess there's nothing else we can do except wait to hear what the doctor has to say."
They waited for what seemed like a very long time. At last a tall, thin young man in surgical scrubs came over to them and introduced himself as Dr. Voorhees. He made it very clear that there was no question of Shannon's injury being accidental.
"Your friend is comatose due to a severe concussion caused by a blow to the back of the head with a heavy object of some kind," he said. "Whoever struck her meant business—it's a miracle she's still alive. Luckily, the X rays reveal no fracture of the skull. I've stitched the lacerations on her scalp, and I'll want to do a CAT scan to rule out the possibility of hemorrhage or blood clots on the brain. Naturally, we'll be keeping her under close observation in our neurological unit until she regains consciousness."
"Do you have any idea when that will be?" Nancy asked. "When she comes to, she might be able to identify the person who attacked her."
Dr. Voorhees shook his head. "Impossible to tell. In some cases, the patient recovers spontaneously with her mental faculties intact. In others, recovery is very slow and may be accompanied by amnesia. And in the worst-case scenario, the patient remains in a coma indefinitely," he said. "Because of the nature of the injury, I'll have to notify the authorities."
After the doctor returned to the treatment room, Ned looked up the number of a local taxi service and ordered a car to pick them up.
As they waited for the taxi outside the hospital, Ned said, "This is really weird. All along, we've assumed that Angela's been in danger from Shannon, and now it's Shannon who turns out to be the victim."
"Which opens up a whole new can of worms," Nancy pointed out. "Shannon was the only person with a reason for wanting Angela out of the way, but there are three people with strong motives for getting rid of Shannon, and all of them knew exactly where to find her last night."
"Yeah. Maybe Glenn Maclnnes didn't answer when I called because he's skipped town. He was definitely out of control last night— maybe furious enough to try to kill her," Ned said. "As for Rafe, we both heard him tell Angela that Shannon would never come between them again. By bumping Shannon ofi*, he could make sure of that— dead sure."
"And then there's Angela herself," Nancy said.
Much as she hated to believe that their friend could be capable of harming anyone, even the girl she blamed for ruining her life, Angela was definitely a prime suspect. After the confrontation with Shannon at the country club, Angela had been close to the breaking point, and although Mr. Tremain had followed her when she left the estate, Angela had had a head start. She could easily have lost her stepfather on those narrow, winding roads if she was on her way to the Point with murder on her mind.
Ned's voice interrupted Nancy's thoughts. "So what do we tell the cops?"
"Nothing," she said. "At least, not until I have a chance to do some investigating on my own."
"You might not get that chance," Ned warned. "Now that Angela's called off the wedding, there's no reason for us to stay at Sound-view any longer."
Nancy shook her head. "Wrong. Angela wanted us to come early because she was in trouble and needed our help. We can't abandon her now, when she's in even bigger trouble and needs us more than ever. You can go back to River Heights if you like, but I'm not leaving unless Angela asks me to."
"Okay, okay. I'm not going anywhere without you, Nan," Ned said quickly. "You know that." He hesitated, then added, "But there's something you ought to consider before you start trying to figure out who attacked Shannon. What if this investigation of yours backfires?"
"What do you mean?" Nancy asked.
"Well, you're assuming you'll be able to prove that Angela's innocent, and I sure hope you're right. But what if it doesn't work out that way? What if you discover evidence that proves the opposite?"
"I've thought about that," she said, "but no matter how bad things look right now, I can't bring myself to believe Angela would do something like this."
The taxi pulled up to the hospital entrance at that moment, and Nancy and Ned got inside. As they rode back to the estate, Nancy leaned her head tiredly against Ned's shoulder and said softly, "I sure hope Angela and her stepfather are at Soundview when we get there. As much as I believe Angela's innocent, she's still going to need an airtight alibi—and Mr. Tre-main's the only one who can provide it."
When they arrived at Soundview, Parker let them in.
"Are Mr. Tremain and Angela back yet?" Nancy asked.
The butler seemed surprised. "I didn't know they'd gone out. Miss. I believe Mr. Tremain is in his study, but I haven't seen Miss Angela this morning."
At the sound of their voices, Mr. Tremain strode out into the hall, looking haggard and! drawn. "Where have you two been?" he demanded. "Have you seen Angela?"
Nancy's heart sank. "No, Mr. Tremain, not since last night. We thought she might be with you."
His broad shoulders sagged. 'Tlease come into my study. We need to talk."
As soon as the study door closed behind them, Howard Tremain said, "I don't want to alarm anyone, but I gather you've discovered that Angela's missing. She left the grounds late last night, and she hasn't returned. I was terribly concerned about her, so I followed her."
"I know," Nancy said. "I saw both you and Angela leave."
"I followed her—and then I lost her." Mr. Tremain ran his hands through his silver hair in frustration. "One minute Angela's car was in plain sight, and the next it rounded a bend in the road and simply vanished. I drove all over the North Fork without finding a trace of her and only gave up about an hour ago. I was just about to call the police."
"Does Mrs. Tremain know that
Angela's disappeared?" Ned asked.
"No!" Mr. Tremain exclaimed. "Felicia is still asleep, but when she wakes up, we must keep it from her at all costs. In her condition, I'm afraid she won't survive the shock." He drew a deep, shuddering breath. "If anything has happened to Angela, I'll never forgive myself."
Nancy had no words of comfort to offer. Her eyes met Ned's with an unspoken question. How could they tell Howard Tremain that they suspected that his stepdaughter, who was also their good friend, might have tried to murder Shannon Mulcahey?
The tense silence was shattered when the study door suddenly opened, and Angela burst into the room.
Chapter Ten
AT the sight of her, Howard Tremain staggered backward and sank into the nearest chair. He seemed overcome with emotion. "Angela," he whispered. He was obviously even more relieved at Angela's return than Ned and she were; Nancy thought for a moment she feared he might actually pass out.
So did Angela. She had taken off her long black coat, and now she ran over to her stepfather and dropped to her knees in front of his chair.
"Howard, you look dreadful! Are you all right?'' she cried anxiously.
When Mr. Tremain finally found his voice, it was a gravelly whisper that sounded nothing at all like his usual booming bass. **rm fine, now that you're home," he rasped. "I've been driving all over the island looking for you. When you walked in that door just now, I was afraid I was hallucinating." Pulling himself together with great effort, he asked, "Where have you been all this time, Angela? Fve been worried to death!"
''We all have," Nancy said.
Angela hung her head, 'Tm so sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to upset you. I suppose I should have told somebody where I was going last night, but at the time I honestly didn't know. I guess it sounds weird, but I felt that if I drove far enough and fast enough, I could leave all my troubles behind. I was so miserable and confused about Rafe and Shannon that I wasn't thinking straight. But that's all over now. I've come to my senses."
She raised glowing eyes to her stepfather's. "I didn't believe you when you told me everything would work out for the best, but you were right. Rafe and I are going to be married after all. Isn't it wonderful?"
Nancy had thought she was prepared for whatever Angela might have to say, including a confession of murder, but this joyous announcement took her completely by surprise. She noticed that Mr. Tremain and Ned seemed equally stunned.
Angela looked from one astonished face to another. "I—I thought you'd be happy for us," she faltered.
"Oh, we are," Ned said, recx)vering first. "That's great, but under the circumstances, you can't blame us for being kind of shocked."
"When did all this happen?" Nancy asked.
"Yes, Angela. You owe us an explanation. Tell us everything, from the time you drove away last night," Howard insisted.
Angela stood up. "Well, as I said before, I didn't have any idea where I was going at first, but the minute I got behind the wheel, I knew I had to find out if Rafe was going to meet Shannon at the Point, so that's where I went," she began. "I pulled my car off the road behind some trees, then sneaked down to a spot where I had a good view of the beach. It was very dark, but I could just make out Shannon standing on the pier. She was alone. I hid behind some big rocks and watched for a while, but no one else came.
"And then I suddenly realized how crazy I was acting, even crazier than Shannon, and how unfair I'd been to Rafe. I got back into the car and drove straight to his studio. I didn't know how he'd react to my turning up in the middle of the night like that after the way I'd treated him, but the minute we saw each other we knew everything would be all right. We've been talking all night." Angela's smile was radiant. "I love Rafe so much, and now Fm sure he loves me, too—surer than I've ever been about anything. This afternoon after we get some rest, we're going to see Shannon and make her face the truth. Maybe if she hears it from both of us, she'll finally leave us alone."
'Tm glad you and Rafe have made up," Nancy said quietly, "but I'm afraid you won't be able to speak to Shannon right now. She's in a coma. Someone attacked her last night."
Angela gasped, and Mr. Tremain leaned forward, gripping the arms of his chair so hard that his knuckles turned white. "What? How do you know this?" he demanded.
"Ned and I decided to walk down to the Point early this morning, and we found Shannon lying on the rocks by the pier," Nancy told him. "She was in pretty bad shape. Someone had struck her on the head, apparently with the intention of killing her."
"We brought her to your caretaker's cottage, and the caretaker drove us to Northville Hospital," Ned put in. "The doctor who treated Shannon in the emergency room said that it's too soon to tell when—or if—she'll regain consciousness."
Angela covered her face with her hands. "How horrible! Who could have done such a thing?"
"That's what I mean to find out," Nancy said. "This is really important, Angela. Do you know what time it was when you left the Point to go to Rafe's?"
"Quarter after twelve," Angela said promptly.
"Are you absolutely sure of that?"
"Yes, because I checked my watch just before I headed back to my car. I arrived at Rafe's studio about ten minutes later." She frowned. "I don't get it, Nancy. Why is the time so important?"
"Shannon was wearing a watch, too," Nancy said. "The crystal was broken, and the watch had stopped at twelve-thirty. It must have happened when she fell onto the rocks from the pier."
"But what does that have to do with Rafe and me?" Angela asked.
"Everything," Nancy said. "Don't you see? If you were with Rafe at his place then, you're both in the clear."
Angela stared at her in dismay. "Of course we are! You didn't actually suspect either of us of attacking Shannon, did you, Nancy?"
"I'd certainly hoped you both had nothing to do with it. But passions have been flying pretty high around here lately. And passion has been known to make even the nicest people do the most unlikely things.
"But," Nancy continued, thinking aloud, "now that I can ehminate you and Rafe as possible suspects, Glenn is the only person who had both motive and opportunity for attacking Shannon Mulcahey."
"Then I suggest you go to the police immediately and tell them about his violent behavior at the country club," Mr. Tremain said. "The sooner he's locked up, the better for all concerned!"
There was obviously very httle crime in Port Wellington, Nancy thought, since the police department didn't even have its own building. It occupied one wing of the firehouse on Maple Street.
As Nancy and Ned entered the station, Nancy looked around. The only officer on duty was a middle-aged man sitting behind the front desk. He was reading a newspaper and drinking coffee from a foam cup. The name plate on the desk identified him as Sergeant Pulaski.
The officer looked up without much interest as Nancy approached the counter. "What's up?" he asked wearily. "Lost pet? Stolen bicycle? Fender-bender?" He took a piece of paper from a pile on his desk and shoved it across the counter. "Fill out the form. Whatever it is, we'll look into it."
"I'm afraid it's more serious than that, offier," Ned said.
"We're here because we have some important information about the girl who was attacked last night at Rocky Point," Nancy told him. "I beheve Dr. Voorhees of Northville Hospital filed a report a few hours ago."
That got the sergeant's attention. He quickly put down his newspaper and sat up in his chair. "You mean Shannon Mulcahey. That's a bad business, all right. My son used to date her back in high school. Beautiful girl, but wild, really wild." He shook his head. "Seems like that girl was always asking for trouble."
Sergeant Pulaski took their names, then asked, "What do you know about the incident?"
"We're staying at Soundview, the Chamberlain estate," Ned explained. "While we were taking a walk down the beach to the Point earlier this morning, we found Shannon on the rocks by the pier. She was unconscious, so I carried her to the caretaker's cottage. He drove u
s to the hospital, where Dr. Voorhees treated her."
"We've got a pretty good idea of who did it, and when," Nancy added. She began by telling the ofl&cer about the altercation at the Port Wellington Country Club the previous night and Glenn's part in it, but when she went on to describe how she had established the time of the attack by Shannon's broken watch, Sergeant Pulaski cut her off.
"Forget it, miss. If you're right and Shannon was hit at twelve-thirty, there's no way Maclnnes could have done it."
Ned frowned. "How come?"
"Because the guy wrapped his truck around a tree on Country Club Road at"—the sergeant punched some keys on his computer and peered at the monitor—"ten forty-six. That's when we found him and got him to Northville Hospital,"
"That doesn't necessarily mean Glenn's out of the picture," Nancy argued. "If he was treated and released, there still would have been time for him to drive to the Point shortly after midnight."
"Yes, there would, if that was what happened, but it's not," Sergeant Pulaski said. "In the first place, his truck was totaled. And in the second place, according to the EMS report, he has a fractured clavicle and possible internal injuries. He was kept in the hospital for observation."
The sergeant looked at Nancy over his glasses. "Let me ask you this. Was there anyone else involved in that nasty business at the country club last night, anyone who might have known Shannon would be at the Point later that night?"
Nancy shook her head. "No, no one else." He turned off his computer and leaned back in his chair. "Well, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the information, but Vm afraid it doesn't do us any good. If you think of anything else that might be important, let me know. Sooner or later we'll find out who attacked Shannon Mulcahey."
Her case had just taken a decidedly odd turn, Nancy thought as she and Ned left the police station. She was completely baflFled, and it was a feeling she definitely didn't like.