''Shut up!'' Rafe shouted. He lunged at Shannon, but instead of trying to elude him, she threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh, Rafe, you know it's true. You do love me!" she cried. *'We were meant to be together forever and ever. Tell her that! She'll believe it if she hears it from you!"
As Shannon clung to him, a pickup truck roared up the driveway and came to a screeching halt in front of the club. A brawny young man in a ski jacket and jeans leaped out, leaving the lights on and the motor running. His face was contorted with rage. He took the steps two at a time, shoved Shannon aside, grabbed Rafe by the shoulder, and spun him around.
Before he could land a punch on Rafe's jaw, Ned sprang into action. He tackled the stranger from behind, knocked him to the ground, and held him down with one knee firmly planted in the small of his back.
"Nice work." Nancy said.
"Get off me, you jerk!" Rafe's assailant yelled. He struggled to escape, but Ned kept him pinned to the terrace floor.
"Maybe I will and maybe I won't/' he said. ''It depends. Who are you, anyway?"
The guy scowled. "Who wants to know?"
"Who cares?" Shannon snapped irritably. "You got exactly what you deserved, Glenn Maclnnes. You had no right to follow me here and attack Rafe like that!"
Well, surprise, surprise, Nancy thought. Alison's ex-boyfriend.
Ned cautiously released his hold on Glenn, and he stood up, brushing the snow off his jeans and glaring at Shannon.
"No right? Give me a break!" he shouted. "Who has a better right, Fd like to know? You say you want to go to Manhattan today to skate at Rockefeller Center, so I take you there. You want to see the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall, so we go. Then you suddenly decide you don't want to spend the evening in the city like we planned, so I bring you home. And what do you do? You sneak out behind my back to keep a date with him!" He pointed at Rafe.
"Glenn, there's no date here, believe me," Rafe said. "I haven't spoken to Shannon in months. My fiancee, her friends, and I were getting ready to leave, and Shannon just turned up out of the blue. We broke up a long time ago—you know that!"
"I thought I did, but apparently Shannon hasn't gotten the message," Glenn said grimly.
He walked over to her and seized her wrist. "Come on. You've caused enough trouble for one night. We're getting out of here."
With one quick, sinuous movement Shannon twisted out of his grasp. "Don't touch me!" she screamed, backing away. "I'm not going anywhere with you, not now, not ever. As of this minute, we're through! You're a loser, Glenn, and you always will be. I'm sick of the sight of you, so get out of my life!"
Glenn stiflfened as though he'd been slapped. The color drained from his ruddy face, and his voice shook with fury as he said, "Don't do this to me. Shannon, I'm warning you!"
She laughed. "Oh, I'm so scared! Hey, I've got a great idea. Why don't you go crawling to Alison? She's probably dumb enough to take you back. And here's an even better idea— maybe you can console poor little Miss Moneybags when Rafe dumps her. I guarantee you'll never get another crack at a fortune like hers."
Shannon ran down the steps to her car and got in. "I'll meet you at Rocky Point at midnight, Rafe," she called. "Don't keep me waiting!" She gunned the motor and sped down the driveway.
For a moment Glenn seemed frozen to the spot. Then he raced for his truck and took off after her. He never saw the limousine coming toward him from the opposite direction.
Angela screamed, but the limo swerved out of Glenn's way just in time to avoid a collision. It skidded on a patch of ice before the driver regained control and pulled to a stop in front of the club. Nancy couldn't see the chauflfeur from where she stood, but a quick glance at the license plate told her it was Soundview's limousine.
Angela immediately started down the steps, but Rafe held her back. "Angle, don't go. We have to talk."
She turned to face him, unshed tears glinting in her eyes. "There's absolutely nothing to talk about. Shannon's meeting you at the Point, remember? You'd better not keep her waiting!"
Rafe grabbed her by the shoulders. "She can wait out there forever for all I care. Everything she said was a pack of lies. I told you, she's crazy," he said urgently. "I'm not in love with Shannon, and I'm not in love with Angela Chamberlain, the heiress, either. I'm in love with you, Angle. Believe me. Shannon will never come between us again—I promise."
Angela shook her head. In a flat, toneless voice she replied, "How can I believe in a promise you won't be able to keep? Please let go of me, Rafe. I want to go home."
His hands fell to his sides, and Angela got into the limousine, followed by Nancy and Ned. As the limo pulled away, Nancy looked out the rear window. Rafe was still standing on the terrace, a tortured expression on his handsome face.
Nancy turned back to Angela, who was huddled in a comer of the seat. She was hugging herself, and her eyes were closed. She looked so pale that Nancy was alarmed.
"Are you okay?'' she asked.
"No. How could I be? It's all over," Angela said in that same hstless monotone. "Rafe keeps saying Shannon's crazy, but Fm the crazy one for thinking he could really care about me." She opened her eyes and stared straight ahead. "Shannon fought for him, and now she's won. The wedding's off."
Chapter Eight
"ARE YOU SURE you want to do this, Angela? Call off the wedding, I mean,'' Ned said. "I don't blame you for being angry after what happened tonight, but maybe you ought to sleep on it and then talk things over with Rafe in the morning."
"I've already heard Rafe's side of the story, and so have you and Nancy," Angela said wearily. "What would be the point of listening to it all over again?"
Nancy frowned. "But what if he's telling the truth? Okay, Shannon Mulcahey's a very beautiful girl, and Rafe dated her before he met you. So what? Everyone has a history. That doesn't mean he's still involved with her, no matter what she says. Frankly, I wouldn't trust Shannon any farther than I could throw her. I'd take
Rafe's word over hers any day. If you really love him, at least give him the benefit of the doubt."
"Don't you see? It's the doubt I can't stand.'' Angela moaned. "Until two days ago I didn't know Shannon Mulcahey existed, and now she's all I can think about! I can't stop wondering about her and Rafe. The only thing I know for sure is that she hates me like poison. If I married Rafe, I'd never feel safe as long as Shannon's alive."
When the limousine arrived at Soundview a few minutes later, Angela asked Nancy and Ned to come with her for moral support while she broke the news to her stepfather. "I'll need Howard to help cushion the blow when I tell Mother tomorrow," she said. "She's very fond of Rafe, and I'm afraid she's going to be terribly upset."
They found Howard going over a stack of papers at his desk in the library. He looked up and smiled in greeting. "Well, now, I want to hear all about what went on after Felicia and I left," he said.
Then, seeing Angela's stricken expression, he stood and walked toward her. His smile faded. "What's wrong, Angela?"
The tears Angela had managed to hold back until then flowed down her cheeks. She sat down on the couch, and Nancy and Ned sat beside her, listening silently as she poured out an account of all that had happened over the last few weeks, from the delivery of the broken China to Shannon's appearance at the country club that night,
"So you see, Howard, it's impossible for me to go through with this wedding," Angela said, sighing wearily as she leaned her head back on the couch. "There's nothing to do but call it off. What kind of life could we have together after all that has happened? I love Rafe, but all the trust is gone."
Nancy had noticed Mr. Tremain's outrage growing with every painful word his stepdaughter spoke. He did not interrupt her, however. When she finally finished, he exclaimed, "This Shannon is obviously out of her mind! She belongs in an institution—and so does Rafe if he's still in love with her as you suspect." He turned to Nancy. "I owe you an apology. From what I've just heard, it seems that you were r
ight and Angela's fall yesterday wasn't an accident after all."
Then he turned to Angela. "Please don't be afraid," Howard said softly. "I won't let anyone harm you." As her sobs began to subside, he went on, "Here's what we're going to do. Tomorrow morning I'll take you to the police station to swear out a complaint against Shannon Mulcahey. Then we'll work on getting an order of protection from the court. In the meantime, I want you to get some rest."
"Would you like me to sleep in your room with you tonight, Angela?*' Nancy asked. "Pd be glad to."
Angela shook her head. "Thanks, but I really want to be alone. All of a sudden my whole life has fallen apart, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to pick up the pieces."
"Of course you will!" Howard said. "To begin with, you have your career. Anyone can see you're going to be a tremendously successful fashion designer."
"Funny—that used to be the only thing I ever dreamed of, but somehow it doesn't seem very important anymore," Angela said softly.
"Not now, maybe, but after all this is over, it will again. Go to bed, dear. I'll be working here for a while longer, so if you need me for anything, you know where to find me." Howard kissed her gently on the forehead. "Try not to worry. Everything's going to be all right."
Nancy couldn't shake her troubled thoughts as she got ready for bed that night. The events of the past three days played over and over in her mind like a continuous loop of videotape— the threatening letter, Angela's fall from her horse, her argument with Rafe, and finally the violent scene at the country club that had frightened Angela into breaking her engagement to the man she loved.
And beautiful, spiteful Shannon Mulcahey was responsible for it all.
Nancy's thoughts turned to Rafe. Whether he wanted to marry Angela for love or for money, Nancy wondered whether he'd give her up without a struggle. As long as Shannon considered Angela her rival, Angela would be in danger. Although Howard seemed confident that an order of protection would guarantee her safety, Nancy knew that no matter how alert the police were, they couldn't be everywhere at once. And no court order could keep Shannon away if she was determined to harm Angela.
Nancy paced back and forth, too worried about her friend even to think about going to bed. Around midnight she couldn't stand it any longer. Angela had said she wanted to be alone, but she knew that depressed people often said that when they didn't mean it. Nancy pulled on her robe, slipped out of her room, and knocked on Angela's door,
"It's me, Nancy," she called softly. "May I come in?"
There was no answer.
She knocked again. "Angela, are you okay?"
Still no answer.
Carefully Nancy turned the knob and opened the door.
The room was empty. Her heart pounding, Nancy checked the adjoining bathroom, but Angela wasn't there. The only trace of her was her evening gown lying on the floor beside the bed.
The sound of a car's engine drew Nancy to the window. Although thick clouds obscured the moon, the estate's grounds were well lit, and she could clearly see Angela's Porsche speeding away from the house. Where was she going, and why? In her present state of mind, Nancy thought, the last place Angela should be was behind the wheel of a car!
The keys to the red Corvette were still in Nancy's purse, but she knew that even if she took off after Angela without stopping to get dressed, she would never be able to overtake her. Then Nancy saw Mr. Tremain's Mercedes racing down the drive, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Thankful that he meant to stick close to his stepdaughter, she went back to her ovm room and climbed into bed.
Nancy hardly slept at all for the rest of that night. She tossed and turned as she waited anxiously for Angela and her stepfather to return, but by five o'clock there was still no sign of them. Unable to lie in bed a moment longer, Nancy got up and put on jeans, a heavy sweater, and boots. As she stepped into the hall, she saw
Ned coming out of his room. He was fiilly dressed, too.
"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" he said, giving her a kiss.
"Not a wink," Nancy said wearily. "Wait till you hear the latest. Angela's disappeared."
Ned stared at her. "You're kidding!"
"I wish I was. She drove off hours ago. Mr. Tremain went after her in his car, and they haven't come back yet."
"Well, if Angela's stepfather is with her, she's probably okay," Ned said. "He wouldn't let anything happen to her."
"Not if he could help it. But he might not have been able to catch up with her," Nancy pointed out. "Or what if they had an accident? There was a lot of ice on the roads tonight. They might both be dead."
"Take it easy. Nan," Ned soothed. "That's a pretty dire scenario. How about a more cheerful version? Try this one: Suppose Angela wants to be alone to do some thinking. She drives off and ends up at an all-night diner somewhere. Her stepfather follows her there, and at this very moment they're sipping coffee, having a heart-to-heart about the whole situation."
Nancy sighed. "You're right. We have no way of knowing what the real story is. I just hate feeling so helpless! I guess there's nothing we can do right now, though, except hang loose and wait."
Ned put his arm around her shoulders. "While we're hanging, let's get our jackets and go for a walk on the beach, okay? I think we could both use some fresh air and exercise to clear the cobwebs out of our brains. And who knows? When we get back, maybe Angela and Mr. Tremain will be here, wondering what's happened to us!''
The sun had not yet risen when Nancy and Ned came out of the house. After they left the lighted area of the estate, it seemed more like the middle of the night than early morning. As they walked along the shore, Ned put his arm around Nancy, and she slipped her arm around his waist.
"Doesn't it seem as if people always take the hard road in relationships?" Ned wondered aloud.
"I was just thinking the same thing," Nancy said. "In spite of how rich she is, Angela hasn't had an easy time of it, especially with her father dying and all. Wouldn't it be nice if there weren't all these characters—you know, Shannon, Glenn, and who knows who else— complicating what seemed to be such an easy, sweet romance between Angela and Rafe."
Ned squeezed Nancy's shoulders and touched his head to hers. ''You mean easy and sweet like ours?" he whispered.
Nancy hugged Ned tighter. "Yeah, sort of like that. You have to admit, though, it's not always easy between us. Sometimes we have to woric at it."
"That's true, but no matter what, it seems we never lose our cool. It's one of the things I love best about you—I can always be sure you'll think the problem out and do the right and reasonable thing." Ned kissed Nancy's hair lightly.
"Let's hope we can keep up our good record," Nancy said with a little laugh.
A cold breeze blew off Long Island Sound, and Nancy shivered. "How about we jog for a while?" Nancy suggested. "That wind is really fierce."
Ned rubbed his gloved hands together. "Great idea," he said. "It's colder out here than I thought. I could use some warming up."
They jogged along the shore for a while, and then Ned challenged Nancy to a race.
"You're on," she said promptly. The sky was gradually turning from black to sullen gray, and looking down the beach toward the Point, Nancy could make out the dim outhne of the abandoned pier. "Race you to those big rocks down by the pier!" she shouted. Although Ned's legs were longer, his boots were heavier than Nancy's and slowed him down. She sprinted ahead, taking deep breaths of the cold, salty air and began to feel more like herself again. For the moment at least, Nancy was able to push all her worries to the back of her mind, focusing only on winning the race.
But as she approached the pier, she glimpsed something lying on the rocks below, something dark and shapeless. Nancy slowed down, straining her eyes to see what it was. And when she finally did, she stopped in her tracks, frozen with horror.
"What's the matter, Nan? Out of steam?" Ned teased as he caught up with her. "You'll never beat me that way."
Nancy didn't reply. She couldn't. S
he felt as though her heart had suddenly lodged in her throat. Without a word she pointed at what she had just spotted on the rocks ahead.
It was the crumpled body of a slender, dark-haired girl.
"Angela!" Ned gasped.
Chapter Nine
"It's not Angela —it's Shannon!" Nancy shouted as she scrambled over the rocks to where Shannon lay sprawled with her arms outflung.
"Is she ...?'' Ned couldn't bring himself to say the word.
Nancy finished the sentence for him. **Dead? I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
Shannon's eyes were closed, and her beautiful face was as gray as that of a corpse.
Nancy stripped off her gloves. Pressing her fingertips to the unconscious girl's throat below the jawline, she felt a faint, fluttering pulse.
"She's alive, but barely," Nancy said.
Ned knelt down beside her. "I bet whoever attacked her is going to be real disappointed to hear that."
''I don't know if Shannon was attacked," Nancy said. "But I do know that she's badly hurt. She might have decided to wait for Rafe on the pier, lost her footing in the darkness, and been knocked out when she fell onto the rocks."
Nancy moved her fingers gently to the back of Shannon's head and felt the stickiness of blood beneath her hair. "She's bleeding. She may have fractured her skull. She's probably also suffering from exposure after lying out here in the cold for so long," Nancy said. "We need to get her to a doctor right away. I saw lights on in the caretaker's cottage when we passed it on our way to the beach. We can phone for an ambulance from there. Do you think you can carry her that far?"
"No problem. She looks like a featherweight—probably why I thought it was Angle at first."
As Ned wrapped Shannon's hea7 black coat more tightly around her, Nancy noticed something glinting in the dim light—tiny shards of glass from the shattered crystal of the watch the girl was wearing on her left wrist. Picking up Shannon's hand, Nancy saw that the watch had stopped at half-past twelve. The crystal must have broken on the rocks when Shannon fell, Nancy thought.