025 Rich and Dangerous Read Free Page A

mother to Nancy, but she couldn’t replace her real one, of course. So Carson and Nancy had had to be a special team—good friends, real partners.
    Lately, though, they hadn’t had as much time for each other as they’d once had. Nancy was grown-up now, and Carson’s successful career kept him busy. Yes, dinner together had beena precious time, but now he’d had to turn in early.
    Smiling happily, Nancy picked up the phone beside her bed and dialed Ned Nickerson’s number. He’d be back in his room at his fraternity house by now.
    As she sat there listening to the ringing, Nancy continued to think about Sarah Amberly. There was something about her and her family—about Maximilian the waiter, too—something that drew her toward them, that attracted her. Was it Jack Kale’s handsome face? Nancy didn’t think so, but then . . .
    “Hello?”
    The voice coming through the receiver startled her out of her reverie. “Ned! Is that you?” Of course she knew it was; the warm rush that coursed through her when he answered told her it was.
    “Nan! Hi!”
    He sounded terrific. Nancy felt her heart lift. “Hi, Ned.”
    “Where are you calling from? The Big Apple?” he asked.
    “You crazy old woman!” Nancy jumped about a foot off the bed when she heard the female voice shouting from the Amberly suite! “Don’t you see you’re being duped? He’s not what he seems to be, I tell you! He’s not what you think!”
    “Nancy? Are you still there?” Ned’s voice broke in, bringing Nancy back to herself.
    “Uh, yes, Ned, I’m here,” she stammered. “But there’s some sort of argument going on next door, and I can’t really hear you. Could I call you back in five minutes?”
    “Sure, Nan. Talk to you then.”
    The phone clicked. Nancy hoped she hadn’t offended Ned. In the past, there had been times when her detective work had put a strain on their relationship. They’d finally been able to sort all that out, though, and Nancy felt sure, down deep, that she could count on his support.
    Sarah Amberly was shouting again, in that booming, intimidating voice of hers. “You’re a fool, Alison! A complete and utter fool! And don’t go telling me my own business. I don’t have to put up with you, you know. I do it only out of the goodness of my poor, tired heart.”
    But Alison, who had seemed so fearful before, did not seem at all intimidated now. In fact, she seemed to be a different person altogether.
    “You old loon! Don’t you see he’s dangerous? He leads you around by the nose. You’ll be sorry, Sarah, mark my words! Sorry you were ever bora!”
    “I don’t want to hear another word! Not another word!” Sarah Amberly was screaming now, and she definitely sounded shaken.
    “Very well, then—you can throw your life away if you want. I tried, God knows! I tried—” And then there was silence.
    The silence was soon interrupted by a lowmoaning sound. And now the voice was saying something—something Nancy couldn’t quite make out.
    Rushing into the hall, Nancy caught sight of Alison Kale retreating down the corridor. It sounded as if she were muttering angrily to herself.
    And now, standing outside the open door of the Amberly suite, Nancy could hear plainly— the unearthly moan was the voice of Sarah Amberly. And the word she was repeating over and over was by now a desperate cry— “Help!”

Chapter

Three
    N ANCY THREW OPEN the carved wooden door of the neighboring suite and rushed in. From the living room, she could see into Sarah Amberly’s room. The woman was lying half on her bed and half on the floor. Her faded blond hair was undone—it spilled over her shoulders.
    The moment she saw Nancy her eyes lit up. “My—my medicine—” she managed to say, twitching her fingers in the direction of a carved mahogany bureau across the room.
    On the table Nancy spied a small ivory container. She shook out the contents into her hand—there were ten pale green tablets.
    “One, just one,