Very Deadly Yours Read Free

the question. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. He looked at me for a second, in kind of a creepy way, and then he said, ‘All right, if that’s the way you want it. But how could you leave the Glove to die? I thought you loved him!’ ”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œAnd he kept saying it, too,” Bess said. “He just kept asking me both questions over and over, in this mean little whisper, until I decidedit was time to get out of there. I said, ‘Well, thanks for the coffee,’ and stood up. I couldn’t see the waitress anywhere—she must have been in the back.”
    Bess’s voice was shaky now. “He grabbed my wrist again and just yanked me back into my seat. He said he’d be watching me from now on—and that if I made one false move, he’d—he’d kill me! Then he said he was leaving. He told me not to watch him go and not to tell anyone in the restaurant what had happened. Then I had to wait five minutes after he’d left before I got up myself.”
    Bess looked bleakly at Nancy. “So I did everything he said, and then I drove home and called you—and here I am. Now go ahead and say ‘I told you so.’ ”
    â€œOh, Bess. What a night you’ve had,” said Nancy, leaning forward and putting her hand on Bess’s shoulder. “Especially when you were looking forward to meeting this guy so much.”
    â€œDo you think he really is watching me?” Bess asked.
    â€œOh, no,” Nancy said reassuringly. “Not a chance.” She knew there was no way to be sure of that, but she didn’t want to make Bess even more nervous.
    â€œWell, could you get your father to sue the paper for my mental anguish?” Bess asked. Nancy’s father, Carson Drew, was one of the best-known lawyers in River Heights.
    Nancy had to laugh. “I’m afraid not. The paper hasn’t done anything illegal. They’re not responsible for what happens to people who answer their ads.” She paused for a moment, thinking.
    â€œAll the same, it wouldn’t hurt to go by the newspaper offices tomorrow and tell them about this creep. I know that some people who advertise in the Personals are weird, but they’re not supposed to be this weird. A responsible paper would want to know about this guy.
    â€œNow let’s get some sleep,” she continued. “And the first thing in the morning we’ll go over and talk to the person at the paper in charge of these ads.”
    â€œYeah,” Bess said more cheerfully. “We’ll tell them it’s just not acceptable to ruin my life like this.”
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    â€œYou do the talking, Nancy,” Bess said nervously the next day. The two girls had just gotten out of Nancy’s Mustang in the visitors’ parking lot at the Morning Record.
    â€œNo problem,” Nancy answered. Then she stopped for a minute and looked at the building. She knew it all too well—one of her most important cases had involved a Record reporter. Just standing there brought back a flood of memories.
    The building looked ordinary enough. Its right side was covered with scaffolding, though, and a few workmen were sandblasting the facade.
    Nancy glanced quickly at Bess. “What’s the matter?” Bess asked.
    â€œNothing,” Nancy said, pulling herself together. “Let’s go.”
    She began walking briskly toward the main entrance, Bess following a couple of paces behind.
    Just as the girls were about to walk through the door, there was an ominous rumbling sound. Then a brick crashed to the ground right next to Nancy’s foot. Startled, she glanced up.
    A huge, dark shape teetered precariously on the edge of the scaffolding overhead. It blocked out the sun as it hurtled down.
    Nancy gasped. A cartload of bricks was falling straight at them!

Chapter

Three
    I T ALL HAPPENED in seconds.
    Bess screamed.