Flirting with Danger (12 page)

Rachel scanned the cars. “Mike and Ralph and Peter are still here,” she said.

“We'll have to be really careful,” Nancy said. “By now they must know you're gone. They'll be looking for us. I wonder where Lieutenant Heller is. Why wouldn't the police be here by now?”

After a short conference the four decided the basement window would be the best way to get in. Ned crawled through first, then Nancy, then Josh, and finally Rachel.

“Come on,” Nancy said, heading toward the stairs. Ned was right behind her, with Rachel close behind him.

Josh stopped Rachel. “Let Nancy and Ned go first,” he said in a low voice. “They've had experience at this stuff.”

Reluctantly Rachel agreed. Nancy started up the steps, her heart pounding. There was a chance their break-in could fail. If they were
caught, it would be a matter of stalling for time until the police showed up. Where were they? she wondered again.

The kitchen light was out, and the door squeaked a little as Nancy pushed it open.

She waited to see if anyone had heard the sound. When no one came, she pushed the door a little farther. It glided open, nearly crashing against the wall. Moving silently, Nancy crept into the kitchen and looked both ways.

There was a pantry on the right, but it was empty. To the left was a lighted hallway.

When Ned, Josh, and Rachel had all joined her in the kitchen, she turned to face them. “We'll search the first floor,” she whispered. “Everybody, be careful!”

The first room off the kitchen was cluttered and had a view of the ocean. There was a computer set up on a desk in front of the window. Nancy stole closer and saw a pile of disks. One was clearly labeled Inventory.

Very efficient, she thought. Ralph Lindenbaum was keeping a record of all stolen merchandise.

Nancy picked up the small plastic disk and tucked it into the pocket of her jeans. Lieutenant Heller would find it fascinating reading.

Another room opened off that one, and two
more after that. The entire floor appeared to be empty.

Reaching the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor, Nancy braced herself. Quietly she stole up the stairs, stopping when she heard voices behind a door at the far end of the dark hallway. A slice of golden light shone out from under the door. Just to her left were stairs that Nancy knew must lead to the attic.

Signaling the others to remain hidden, Nancy sneaked forward until she had reached the door with the light shining around its edges. Drawing a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Nancy crouched and peered through the keyhole. She couldn't see much, just the back of someone's T-shirt.

“I say we get rid of him tonight,” she heard Peter saying. “Rachel got away, and she's probably spilled the whole thing by now. I don't know about you two, but I'm taking my share of the money and getting out of here!”

Nancy's heart hammered against her rib cage as she heard footsteps in the room moving toward her. At the last second they stopped.

“I'm going to Mexico,” Mike said dismally. “There are probably warrants out for our arrest right now.”

“Don't be so sure she's talked,” said Ralph.
“She knows we've still got Dennis. I bet she hasn't said a word. She really cares about that guy.”

“Don't remind me,” Mike snapped.

“If she doesn't talk,” Peter put in, “Beth will. She's been on the verge of breaking for days.”

Nancy got up from her crouched position and eased backward along the hallway, keeping her eye on the door the whole time.

Just then, the door opened.

Nancy darted up onto the attic steps. Rachel was already there. They could only guess where Ned and Josh were. It was too dark to see, and they didn't dare move.

“I'm not going to stick around here waiting for the cops to show up,” Peter said.

Nancy prayed they wouldn't decide to check on Dennis right then. If they did, they'd run right into her and Rachel. Rachel's rapid breathing sounded so loud to Nancy that she was sure it would give them away. She just hoped the three men wouldn't hear it. They were standing so close that Nancy could have reached out and touched them.

Ralph was shaking his finger in Peter's face. One glance to the left, and he'd be looking straight at them. “The trouble with you, kid,” he lectured, “is that you're too hotheaded. You
act first and think later. That leads to mistakes.”

Nancy's heart was beating so hard she thought it was going to burst at any moment. She ran her tongue over her lips and waited. Where were Ned and Josh?

“Like pushing Nancy Drew off the deck at the Beckers' party,” Mike said with contempt. “And trying to run her and her boyfriend down with a car!”

“Shut up, Rasmussen,” Peter warned.

So it was Peter who had tried to scare her off that night at the party. And Peter who had nearly run her and Ned over!

Lindenbaum slapped both boys on the back and said, “Now, now, no arguing. Let's go downstairs and figure out a good, solid plan. We're okay as long as we don't lose our heads.”

If Ned and Josh had hidden on the stairs, they were about to get caught. Nancy held her breath. Luckily Ralph and the boys went past them and down the stairs without incident.

“Ned!” Nancy whispered into the darkness, afraid to use her flashlight. “Where are you?”

A nearby door opened soundlessly, and Ned and Josh appeared. Rachel didn't waste any time in leading the way up the attic steps. Pushing the door at the top open, the girl ran into the lighted attic.

Dennis, a good-looking guy with spiky brown hair and wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, was sitting in a chair, his hands and feet tied. When he saw them, his eyes lit up.

Nancy immediately began untying him while Rachel bent to put her arms around his neck. “You didn't think I wouldn't come back, did you?” she said.

“You should have stayed away,” Dennis replied, a worried tone in his voice. “You know how dangerous those guys are.”

“I couldn't leave you here,” Rachel insisted.

Nancy finished untying Dennis's ankles. She looked over to where Ned was keeping watch at the top of the attic steps. There wasn't any time to waste. They had to get out fast.

“Who are these people?” Dennis asked, standing and trying to get the circulation going in his legs.

“It's okay,” Rachel said, reassuring him. “This is my brother Josh, and his friend Ned Nickerson is over there. This is Nancy Drew.”

Dennis nodded slowly. “You told them, didn't you?” he whispered to Rachel.

“I had to,” she answered. “It's all over, Dennis.”

“We have to get out of here fast,” Nancy said firmly. “Can you make it out that window and down the tree?” she asked Dennis.

He shook his head, indicating his legs were still too shaky.

Nancy grabbed Ned's hand and led the way carefully back downstairs. She kept her eyes wide open for any sign of Mike, Peter, or Ralph.

They made it safely down to the first floor. Nancy could barely hear Ralph's booming voice. It sounded as though it was coming from the deck outside. With a wave of relief she realized that if they were really careful, they could head back out through the basement.

Nancy led the way into the kitchen, Rachel and Dennis right behind her, Josh and Ned bringing up the rear.

Just as she was opening the door to the basement Nancy heard a voice behind her.

“Welcome to the Kat Club.”

She turned to see Ralph, Peter, and Mike standing in the doorway leading to the deck. Ralph's hands held a drawn gun as he smiled at his uninvited guests.

She looked over at her friends' shocked faces. They were caught.

T
HESE TWO
,” Ralph went on, smiling sardonically at Dennis and Rachel, “aren't going anywhere. They know too much.” His gaze took in Nancy, Ned, and Josh. “Now, of course, you do, too.”

Nancy swallowed. Whatever happened, she couldn't lose her cool. “It's too late, Mr. Lindenbaum. You can't get away with this.”

Ralph ignored her. His smile had faded, and he was glaring at Dennis. “You know, you should have been in jail already.”

“Why?” Nancy put in. “Because you tried to
frame him for stealing equipment from your store?”

Ralph gave Nancy a shocked look. “We're on to you,” Ned told him. “We know what you've been up to.”

Dennis put his arm around Rachel, but his eyes never left Ralph's gun. “You're a creep, you know that, Lindenbaum,” he sneered. “And that frame was the lowest. I knew you'd guessed that Rachel was about to break down and tell her folks what was going on, so you decided to pin the blame for everything on me.”

Nancy glanced at Rachel, then at Ned and Josh. She made a sign that told him he should be prepared to jump Ralph and Dennis and Peter. Ned gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

“I want the security tape, Rachel,” Ralph said. “The one that shows you kids robbing Sound Performance.”

Rachel shook her head. “It's over, Ralph,” she said steadily. “Give up.”

Lindenbaum held his gun steady on Rachel. “The other Kats are willing to pretend the whole thing never happened!” he said furiously. “Why couldn't you cooperate?”

He reached out and grabbed Rachel by the arm, shoving the gun into her rib cage. “Now
I'll tell you what you're going to do, little lady,” he crooned into her ear. “You're going to tell me where that tape is, and do you know why? Because your boyfriend Dennis and all your friends here are going to be in real danger until I give the word to let them go, that's why!”

“Let her go,” Dennis said, his eyes flashing.

Ralph laughed. “Let's take them upstairs and tie them up,” he said as Peter drew a gun of his own and held it on them.

“Let's go!” Peter barked, his eyes glinting. “Everybody up to the attic!”

“Anybody tries anything,” Ralph warned, “and the girl gets shot.”

There was nothing to do but put their hands up and do as Ralph said. Even if Ned and Nancy could have gotten the jump on Peter, Ralph was still holding his gun on Rachel at very close range.

As they climbed the attic stairs, though, Nancy was already devising a plan. They'd have to act fast, before their hands and feet were tied.

“Wait a minute!” Mike rasped, hovering in the doorway once they were all in the attic. “I'm not going along with anything like this! Let Rachel go, Ralph. You're hurting her!”

Peter turned on him. “As if you cared. Get
the rope, Rasmussen!” he snarled. “And I'm not going to tell you twice!”

In that moment Nancy's eyes met Mike's. She asked him a silent question: Who will it be, Mike—them or us?

She drew a deep breath and signaled to Ned. Her eyes turned toward Peter. She silently counted to three, then threw herself at Peter's knees.

The boy's gun flew out of his hand and fell to the floor, out of reach. With Ned's help Nancy wrestled him to the floor.

Rachel began screaming at the top of her lungs. The result was ear-shattering. Then she stomped down hard on Ralph's instep, and he howled in pain and rage and dropped his gun. Nancy scooped it up in one quick motion.

Josh caught Mike by the back of the collar before he could escape down the stairs. He threw him roughly to the attic floor.

Mike just sat there with his hands away from his sides to show he didn't want any part of the fight.

Dennis went to Rachel and took her in his arms. The girl burst into tears. “It's over,” she murmured into his shoulder. “I can't believe it's finally over.”

Nancy and Ned tied Ralph and Peter to the poles that supported the attic ceiling while
Josh pushed a scowling Mike into the chair where Dennis had been held and bound his hands behind his back.

“Come on, Ned,” she said, “let's go downstairs and wait for the police.”

Rachel was drying her eyes. “Come on, Dennis,” she said sadly. “Let's go with them. I don't want to be in the same room with these guys.”

“You'll never prove anything!” Ralph spat out, glaring at Nancy.

“Oh, no?” she asked. “This basement is full of stolen goods. I bet the lease on this place is in your name. We've also got a roomful of people who are willing to testify that you blackmailed them into stealing for you.” She paused, pulled the computer disk from her pocket, and held it up. “Your inventory. This should be proof enough, I think.”

“I'll keep an eye on them while you go downstairs and wait for the police,” Josh said to Nancy and Ned. “Look out for Rachel, will you? She's pretty upset.”

Ned slapped his friend on the back. “Don't worry, buddy. Everything's okay now.”

Downstairs Rachel was sitting at the kitchen table with Dennis. She looked up as Nancy sat down at the table next to her. “What's going to happen to us?” she asked.