Emily nodded. “He’s good, all right.”
“Then I guess it could have been him,” Nancy agreed. She nibbled doubtfully on her lower lip. “But there’s no proof.”
Emily looked even unhappier. “I hope it wasn’t him,” she said. “It’s awful to think of anyone you’ve been close to doing something so—so sick, so senseless, just for revenge.”
Nancy snapped her fingers. That was it—that was what was bothering her. “It doesn’t make sense,” she told Emily. “It’s possible, of course—Keith certainly seems like the kind of guy who would try to get revenge—but what happened to you doesn’t seem like an act of vengeance. The whole point of revenge is that the victim knows who’s torturing her and why. I’d think if Keith was trying to get revenge, he’d gloat about it. You said your kidnapper didn’t. He was very careful to stay anonymous.”
Emily brightened a little. “I hope you’re right,” she said.
“There are five or six people gathered at the marina,” Sasha called back to the girls. “Emily, I think I see your father. Someone must have seen us coming and called him.”
Emily’s hand flew to her tangled curls. “I’m a mess,” she said glumly. “I look like a kid. He’s going to think this whole thing was my fault. Naughty Emily, making trouble again.”
“Don’t be so hard on him,” Nancy protested. “You didn’t see him the morning you turned up missing. He was frantic. If he acts gruff, maybe it’s only because he just doesn’t know how to show you that he cares about you.”
Emily sighed. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “It’s just that he never does anything but lecture me these days.”
Nancy nodded sympathetically. She could well imagine Mr. Terner lecturing Emily.
“We are approaching the slip,” Sasha announced, sounding a bit alarmed. “Someone had better tell me what to do next.”
The girls burst out laughing. “Sorry we left you in the lurch!” Emily called.
For the next few minutes the three of them were too busy maneuvering the Swallow into her slip to greet anyone. But as soon as Nancy had the operation under control, Emily hurried to the bow and climbed over the rail onto the dock.
Her father stood in front of a small crowd, his face still showing the lines of strain. “Thank goodness!” he said in a hoarse voice. He held out his arms, and for a long moment father and daughter hugged silently. A cheer went up from the people who had gathered to watch the Swallow’s return.
“Okay, folks, let these people have some privacy,” Ms. Hanks ordered. “We’ll get the story soon enough.”
Mr. Terner held Emily at arm’s length. “Where have you been?” he demanded. Then, as Emily bristled at the implied reproach, he passed a hand over his face. “Never mind. Tell me later. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“But, Daddy, it wasn’t my fault this time!” Emily cried. She appealed to Nancy. “Tell him.”
Nancy checked the mooring lines to make sure they were tight, then joined the Terners. Sasha was right behind her. “It’s true, Mr. Terner,” she said. The crowd was dispersing, but she spoke in a low voice so that no one would overhear. “I don’t understand quite what happened, or why, but someone kidnapped Emily.”
“What?” Mr. Terner looked from Nancy to Emily in disbelief. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“No!” Emily replied earnestly. “It’s all true!” In an undertone, she told him the same story she had just told Nancy and Sasha.
When Emily finished talking, Mr. Terner drew a long breath. “Well,” he said, sounding a little dazed, “this is incredible. We’ll have to report it to the authorities right away.”
“You believe me?” Emily asked incredulously.
Mr. Terner gave her a rueful look. “You’re my daughter. You deserve my trust. I’m sorry I don’t always seem to remember that.”
He turned to Nancy. “And I apologize for not taking you seriously, Nancy,” he said. “It seems you were right all along.”
Nancy shook her head. “Don’t thank me,” she said sincerely. “This wasn’t at all what I was thinking of. I don’t understand this kidnapping. Why would anyone not ask for ransom?”
“Let’s hope the police can find the answer to that,” Mr. Terner replied. “Ready, Emily?”
“In a second—I’ll meet you at the car,” Emily told him. Taking Nancy’s arm, she steered her over to the edge of the dock. “I’m borrowing Nancy for a minute,” she called to Sasha.
“What’s up?” Nancy asked, smiling. Emily looked worried.
“I’d rather not tell the police anything about Keith,” Emily said. “I know he’s a jerk and everything, but I don’t want to accuse him of anything unless I know that it’s possible.”
“And so—?” Nancy prompted her.
“So I was hoping you’d poke around for me to see if you can find out anything one way or the other,” Emily said slowly.
Nancy thought it over. “Okay,” she said at last. “You know I think it’s unlikely that it’s Keith, but I may find something you won’t like.”
“I know.” Emily nodded somberly. The squawk of her father’s car horn made her jump just then. She squeezed Nancy’s arm and hurried away.
Deep in thought, Nancy walked back to Sasha. “What was that about?” he asked curiously.
Nancy hesitated only a moment before telling him. She’d need his help, and Bess and George’s as well, if she was going to run an investigation.
When she told him about Emily’s initial suspicions about Keith, Sasha rubbed his hands. “Well, where do we start? Shall we use—what do you call it?—‘shock tactics’ and confront Keith?”
“No,” said Nancy decisively. “We won’t look for evidence against Keith specifically. That wouldn’t be fair. We’ve got to look for any and all clues, and then see what kind of conclusions we can draw from the evidence. Let’s start by searching the cabin of the Swallow.”
Sasha brushed the curve of Nancy’s cheek with his fingertips. “I find smart girls attractive,” he murmured, a roguish grin crossing his face.
“Keep your mind on your work, Mr. Petrov,” Nancy scolded, and led him aboard the Swallow.
There was nothing much in the cabin, though. They found wrappers from Emily’s sandwiches and some empty juice cans, which the police would have to check for fingerprints, but Nancy doubted there would be any, other than Emily’s. Whoever was behind this was too smart to leave prints.
Nancy also found the flashlight and batteries that the kidnapper had left for Emily. She was disappointed to see that both were common brands. They looked new, but no one would remember who bought them—hardware stores and drugstores must sell dozens like them every day. Still, it would all have to be checked out.
“Let’s look around the deck,” she suggested to Sasha. “That’s where the kidnapper was last.”
They went topside, and Nancy clambered up onto the foredeck. Near the prow, she found a smudge of light, pinkish brown mud on the white fiberglass. Now, what did that mean? she mused. It had to have been made after the last rain, which was Saturday. Neither she nor Sasha had been on the foredeck, so they couldn’t have made it.
“Big deal,” she said aloud. She was feeling frustrated. Even if the kidnapper had made the smudge, what did it tell her? Probably everyone on Long Island had muddy shoes after the bad weather they’d had Friday and Saturday.
Nancy glanced at her watch. It was five o’clock. She jumped down into the cockpit. “Find anything?” she asked Sasha. He shook his head.
“Let’s go, then,” she said. “I don’t think we’ll find any more clues here. And I’ve got to get home—I’m supposed to cook dinner tonight.”
They docked Eloise’s boat; then Nancy drove Sasha back to the house where the Soviet dancers were staying. She raced home to start the grill on the patio. Her aunt had left a note saying she wouldn’t be home for dinner, but Bess and George would be. As she skewered the chicken pieces she had marinated that morning, adding cherry tomatoe
s, onions, and mushrooms, Nancy told her friends about the afternoon’s adventure.
When she finished, Bess let out a long breath. “I can’t believe it,” she exclaimed. “Nan, you were right all along.”
George unbent her long legs from a runner’s stretch—she had just come in from jogging on the beach. “Do you really think Keith could have done it?” she asked skeptically.
“I don’t know. It feels wrong to me,” Nancy admitted. “But I can’t think of anyone else with a better motive. This whole case makes no sense.” She jabbed a skewer into the last piece of chicken and put it on the grill.
“What do we do next?” George wanted to know.
“I guess we should talk to Keith,” Nancy replied. “I’d rather have some evidence first, but I don’t know where else to start looking.”
“Mmm, that smells fantastic,” Bess said. “I’ll set the table. Let’s worry about the case after dinner.”
As they ate, Bess chattered about how much fun she and George had had swimming. But Nancy had trouble keeping her mind on what her friend was saying. She kept thinking about the case. Who might have kidnapped Emily, and why? Was it to get her out of the way? Out of the way for what?
Nancy was carrying her plate to the kitchen when she heard a car screech to a stop in front of the house. Seconds later someone was pounding on the front door.
Nancy hurried to the door and flung it open. Emily Terner ran in, frantic.
“Emily, what’s the matter?” Nancy cried.
“Keith,” Emily gasped. “He had an accident. In his car.”
Nancy’s heart sank. “How bad?” she asked.
“Bad.” Emily drew a deep breath. “He’s in the hospital. Nancy, the doctor says he might not make it!”
Chapter
Seven
BESS GASPED. She and George had come in from the kitchen and had heard the whole thing.
Emily burst into tears. Nancy led her to a chair. “Shh. Just sit until you feel better,” she advised Emily.
Emily took a tissue from the box Bess held out and blew her nose. “I’m sorry,” she said, sniffling. “It’s just such a shock—”
“Of course it is,” George said.
“Do you feel like telling us what happened?” Nancy asked gently.
Emily nodded, swallowing hard. “His mom told me,” she explained. “Poor Mrs. Artin, she’s a wreck. So am I—this day has been too much.”
“Take it easy,” Bess said soothingly.
“Keith was in Montauk. He took the day off from work, I guess,” Emily explained. “He was on his way home, and he lost control of his car on a sharp curve. It went off the road and flipped over. Keith was unconscious when they got him out, and he’s in a coma now.”
Nancy winced. That was pretty bad.
“I called his house because I wanted to ask him about the kidnapping.” Emily looked ready to cry again. “I feel awful. What if he dies?”
“He won’t,” Bess said stoutly. She handed Emily the tissues. “He’ll pull through.”
“Bess is right,” Nancy put in. “He’s young and strong. He’ll make it.”
Emily began to look a little less stricken. “I hope you’re right.” She wadded the damp tissue into a ball. “You know, I felt so guilty when I heard. All I could think of was that I was going to accuse Keith of an awful crime, and there he was fighting for his life in the hospital.”
Nancy went into the kitchen and came back with four glasses of lemonade. “We still can’t rule out Keith as a suspect,” she said.
“But how can you question him if he’s in a coma?” George protested.
“We’ll have to start somewhere else,” Nancy said. “Emily, what do the police think?”
Emily grimaced. “Not much. They’re investigating, but the officer who took my statement said there wasn’t much to go on.”
“Let’s think about it for a minute,” Nancy suggested. “Usually people are kidnapped for ransom. But no one asked for any money in your case. Now, why else would anyone want to kidnap you?”
“Maybe someone wanted to put pressure on my father,” Emily suggested. “One of his competitors in business or something like that.”
“Maybe—but, again, no specific demands were made. How could your father know what he was being pressured about?” Nancy asked.
“It’s got to be revenge,” George said. “And that means it’s got to be Keith.”
“Not so fast,” Nancy said, frowning as she thought. “I just came up with one other motive. What if someone wanted to get you out of the way for a particular period of time?”
“You mean, like in the movies when they kidnap the heiress so she can’t claim her million-dollar inheritance?” Emily asked.
Nancy laughed. “Something like that. Now, what happened this past weekend?”
“I was supposed to work on my tan,” Bess quipped. “But it rained. Hey! The regatta! It was supposed to be Saturday. It was postponed because of the weather, but no one knew for sure that it would be until Saturday morning.”
“That’s right! And, Emily, you were expected to win,” George said excitedly. “Maybe someone wanted to get you out of the way.”
“Someone—like Seth Cooper?” Nancy mused. She frowned, thinking of Seth’s annoyance over the race being postponed. How serious had he been? Could he have wanted to ensure his victory by removing the closest competitor? “He’s got the skill to have pulled it off,” she said aloud. “We know he’s a great sailor.”
“I doubt that he’d do anything like that,” Emily said. “Sailors don’t go in much for dirty tricks.”
“Well, what about money?” George suggested. “Isn’t there a silver trophy for the winner?”
Nancy shook her head. “It’s small and isn’t worth much. Besides, if the kidnapper wanted money, he would have asked for ransom.”
“Hey!” Emily cried, jumping to her feet. “Roland Lyons! I heard he signed the condo contract this morning. He could have wanted me out of the way until the deal was done. We all know he’s a crook. Why didn’t I think of him before?”
Nancy felt a little exasperated with Emily. She was taking the Lyons thing too far!
“Emily, you couldn’t have stopped the deal from going through,” she said patiently. “Lyons knew he had it. Why would he risk everything by kidnapping you, if he didn’t need to?”
“Maybe I could have stopped it,” Emily insisted. “I was digging into his past. Maybe he does have some secrets he’d rather not tell.”
“Maybe.” Nancy let it go at that. She didn’t want to argue right then. Her brain was tired. It had been a long day.
“I say we forget about everything until tomorrow and watch a movie instead,” Bess declared. “Tommy and I were going to rent something fun. We could make it a party.”
“That sounds great,” Nancy said, smiling.
“I’m going to invite Gary.” George picked up the phone. “I’ll ask him to bring some soda.”
Emily looked regretful. “I’ve got to go home. My dad’s expecting me,” she said.
Nancy thought that sounded promising. Maybe things were better between Emily and her father.
As she walked Emily out to her car, Nancy thought of something. “Emily, I’d like to try to find the place where your kidnapper hid the Swallow,” she said. “It might tell us something about who did it. Can you come out sailing tomorrow? Maybe we’ll be able to jog your memory somehow.”
“If you think it’ll help, sure,” Emily replied. “And, Nancy, thanks for everything you’ve done so far.” She gave Nancy a quick hug and climbed into her car. “See you tomorrow—at the marina around lunchtime?”
Nancy wandered around to the back of the house. The next day was going to be a busy one. She wanted to check out the flashlight and batteries with the area drugstores and hardware stores. That would take a while. Also she’d made plans to go sailing with Emily, and Ned was coming, and—
Oh, no! It had totally slipped her mind.
r /> Nancy rushed into the big living room. George looked up from the video catalog she and Bess were studying. “Are you going to invite Sasha over?” she inquired.
“You guys, Ned’s coming tomorrow. How could I have forgotten?” Nancy cried.
George raised her eyebrows. “Well, you have had a few things on your mind,” she drawled.
“What’s the big deal?” Bess asked. “You remembered in time.”
“I know, I know. I’m just not—oh, I can’t explain it,” Nancy said lamely. How could she describe the turmoil in her feelings?
Bess spoke up again. “We know what you mean,” she said softly. “Anyone with eyes in her head can see the way you light up when Sasha’s around.”
“It’s that obvious?” Nancy asked, distressed.
Bess and George nodded in unison.
“What are you going to do?” George asked.
Nancy shook her head. “I don’t know what I want anymore. Sasha’s so alive, so—”
“So gorgeous,” Bess supplied helpfully.
“So gorgeous,” Nancy agreed with a wry grin. She flopped down on the sofa, hands in the pockets of her baggy blue jeans. “But Ned is those things, too, and more.”
“I wouldn’t know who to choose,” Bess said. “They’re both great guys.”
“Remember, Nan, Sasha’s leaving the country in a few weeks,” George put in.
“Yeah, but Ned goes back to college in a few weeks, and that’s almost as bad,” Bess added.
“Thanks for the point-counterpoint.” Nancy laughed. “Score one for each guy.”
The doorbell rang, and Bess flew to answer it. They heard Tommy’s voice in the foyer.
George grinned. “You’re welcome. But seriously, they’re both great. You just have to figure out who’s right for you.”
“I know.” Nancy sighed. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
• • •
Nancy got up at ten the next morning and dragged herself into the shower, feeling as if she’d barely slept at all. Between thinking about the case and worrying about Ned and Sasha, she’d tossed and turned all night. She’d been awake when her aunt Eloise had come in at one-thirty in the morning. Since she’d overslept, she decided, the flashlight investigation would have to wait until the next day.