False Impressions

  “She seemed . . .” Mr. Eklund groped for the right words. “I don’t know. Older and shrewder, I guess.” He gave Nancy a long, searching look. “Then again, it might have been you. I just don’t know . . .”

  Bess and George gave Nancy an encouraging look. Nancy went on. “Why didn’t you identify me at the lineup?”

  Eklund seemed to grow even less sure of himself. “I—I couldn’t be certain. It was dark the only time I met you—”

  “Where was that, Mr. Eklund?” Ned pressed.

  “I was in the club’s records room, processing an application for the membership committee.” He suddenly realized what he was saying and backed off. “I think you’d better get out of here. All of you. Right now.”

  “But, Mr. Eklund—” George began.

  “The police told me not to discuss this with anyone. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” Frowning, he gestured toward the front door. “Now if you would all please go.”

  Nancy masked her disappointment. Nodding politely, she replied, “I understand, Mr. Eklund. Sorry to have bothered you. We’ll be on our way.” She signaled to her friends. “Come on, guys.”

  Trailed by her friends, Nancy left the store. They strolled four abreast down the cleared sidewalk.

  Bess looked glum. “Now what do we do?”

  “I didn’t count on this,” Nancy remarked. “Lieutenant Kowalski advised both his key witnesses to keep quiet. He doesn’t want anything to jeopardize his case. I’d love to question Mrs. Hackney, but she’ll never let me near her.”

  Ned’s expression turned thoughtful. “Maybe one of us could question Mrs. Hackney for you.”

  “That’s not too smart,” George added, looking skeptical. “I doubt that Mrs. Hackney would discuss her business affairs with a couple of kids. Not after what’s just happened to her, anyway.”

  Nancy sighed. Mrs. Hackney was the only lead they had, but George was probably right. Why would she talk to them unless—

  Unless she thought they were representatives of a bank coming by to give her personal attention.

  Bess looked at her curiously. “Nancy, what are you thinking?”

  Smiling, Nancy answered, “You know, Ned’s idea just might work. If we had the right clothes. Say, something in navy blue pinstripe.”

  “Nan, are you kidding?” George self-consciously tugged at the hem of her parka. “We’d look like bankers!”

  Nancy’s smile broadened. “That’s just what you and Ned are going to be, George. Representatives from Mapleton Bank and Trust paying Mrs. Hackney a special visit.”

  Ned flashed a quizzical glance. “You really think she’ll buy it? How do we even know that’s her bank?”

  “We don’t, but it’s worth a try,” Nancy said. She felt a bit frustrated that she couldn’t handle this part of the case herself, but she trusted her friends to do their best.

  “What should we do if we manage to talk to her?” George asked.

  Nancy thought for a moment. “Tell her you’ve been assigned to her case, and then ask her as much as you can about the woman who took her money.”

  “I think it’ll work,” Ned said slowly while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll go home and change now,” he added, flashing them an eager smile.

  “Take your time, Ned. We’ve got some shopping to do first.” Looking across the street, Nancy saw a statue of a Civil War soldier in the middle of the town square. “Tell you what, Ned, we’ll meet you at the statue at two o’clock. Okay?”

  “See you then,” called Ned, hurrying away.

  • • •

  Three hours and a major shopping trip later, Nancy and George were on their way back to Mapleton.

  “You know something, Nancy?” George asked, adjusting the hem on her blue pinstripe suit. “I think this stunt just might work.”

  “You bet it will,” Nancy said, steering the Mustang into downtown Mapleton toward the town square. She grinned at George in approval. Gone was the teenage athlete. In her place stood a career woman with a briefcase who would have looked at home in any bank.

  “Too bad Bess couldn’t come,” she added as she pulled up to the curb by the statue.

  “You know how her mom can be when she needs something done!”

  Nancy grinned and looked for Ned. She spotted him leaning against the statue’s granite pedestal, huddled in an overcoat. A stiff January breeze ruffled his dark brown hair as he came down the square’s walkway.

  Nancy smiled at him as he clambered into the back seat behind George. “All set?” she asked.

  “You bet.” With a grin, Ned leaned into the front seat and gave Nancy a kiss. Then, reaching into his shirt pocket, Ned took out a slip of paper. “I checked the address while I was waiting for you. Mrs. Hackney lives at Three Millbank Lane.”

  Nodding, Nancy steered the Mustang away from the ice-rimmed curb. She felt her tires slide a little on the roadway’s packed snow. “Which way, Ned?”

  “Straight ahead,” Ned replied, settling back in his seat. “Ten blocks north, then hang a left.”

  On the way to Millbank Lane, Nancy coached her friends. “First, explain to Mrs. Hackney that you’re new at the bank, so you want her to tell you the story again so you’re sure you have the facts straight.”

  “Then what?” George asked.

  “Ask her about the joint bank account,” Nancy said, negotiating a turn. “Then steer her onto the topic of the country club. Above all, get her talking about her Nancy and how she conned her. Try to remember everything she says.”

  “Got it,” Ned said with a nod. “I’ll handle the banking jargon. George, you come in with the country club stuff.”

  “Good enough.” George smiled in agreement.

  Turning onto Millbank Lane, Nancy watched as a station wagon sped toward her, traveling much too fast for the icy conditions.

  Nancy stomped the brake pedal, but her car’s forward momentum was too strong. The Mustang’s tires lost their grip on the slick, snow-packed pavement and began to hydroplane.

  Gripping the steering wheel, Nancy had no control of her speed or direction. The car fishtailed to the right and began a deadly slide.

  “Ned—George—hang on!”

  The Mustang slid sideways across the centerline—straight into the path of the station wagon. The station wagon didn’t move out of the way. Instead, it aimed straight for the Mustang’s side.

  Chapter

  Eight

  HE’S GOING TO SMASH right into us!” George screamed.

  Nancy spun the wheel, hoping the tires would grab some dry pavement. Hitting the brakes would only make the Mustang skid farther into the path of the station wagon. Their only chance lay in trying to steer out of the way.

  The station wagon continued to bear down on them, its horn blaring. With rising panic, Nancy saw there was no more than twenty feet between her and the oncoming car.

  Finally the tires bit into the road. Holding her breath, Nancy pulled the steering wheel to the right as hard as she could.

  Tires screaming, the Mustang slid past the oncoming station wagon.

  As the other car zoomed past, Nancy caught a glimpse of the driver’s face. Early twenties. Sharp nose, high cheekbones, and curly brown hair. He looked tense.

  With a wave of relief, Nancy felt the Mustang skid to a stop in the packed snow on a gully that ran along the right-hand side of the road. Shaking with an adrenaline rush, Nancy switched off the ignition. “Are you guys all right?”

  Ashen faced, Ned swallowed hard. “I am now. Man, that was close!” He glanced into the front seat. “George?”

  Hugging her briefcase tightly, George said, “I think so, but my heart’s still in overdrive.”

  Ned turned in the seat to watch the disappearing car. “What’s his hurry, I wonder?”

  “Good question,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “He looked like he was in a big hurry to get somewhere.”

  “You got a look at him?” asked Ned.

  George glanced at he
r friend worriedly. “Nan, you don’t suppose he rushed us on purpose, do you?”

  “I don’t know, George,” said Nancy, putting the car in gear. “It sure looked that way.”

  Nancy tried to put the incident out of her mind as she pulled out of the gully and continued to drive down Millbank Lane. Whoever it was seemed determined to run them off the road, but she’d never seen that man before and had no way of knowing why he’d come at them like that.

  Number 3 Millbank Lane was an impressive Tudor-style home, set well back from the road, flanked by many snow-covered evergreens. Nancy parked her Mustang beside the mailbox.

  “Good luck,” she said, giving Ned and George an encouraging smile after they had gotten out of the car.

  “You’d better stay out of sight,” Ned advised. “We wouldn’t want Mrs. Hackney looking out her living room window and seeing you sitting here.”

  Nancy nodded and slid down in the front seat. As she watched Ned and George stroll up the long walkway, Nancy felt frustrated at not being able to interview Mrs. Hackney herself. She had to trust her friends to do a good job.

  When Ned and George came back down the walk no more than five minutes later, Nancy forced herself to hide her astonishment. Ned took the driver’s seat, his face apologetic.

  “What happened?” Nancy asked, masking her frustration at their failed plan.

  “Mrs. Hackney wasn’t home,” Ned explained. “She went off with her boyfriend a little while ago.”

  “Boyfriend?” Nancy echoed.

  Ned started the engine. “Dark-haired, good-looking, and younger than Mrs. Hackney. Barry Aitkin—that’s his name. He took Mrs. Hackney to the country club.”

  “How did you manage to find all this out if she wasn’t home?” Nancy asked.

  “We talked to her maid, Sarah,” George explained. “Sorry the plan didn’t work the way we thought it would, Nan.”

  “It’s okay, George,” Nancy said, feeling guilty for her disappointment of a moment ago. “We tried. We’ll just have to take a different tack now. Has Mrs. Hackney known this Barry Aitkin long?” she asked as Ned pulled away from the curb.

  “I don’t think so,” Ned said thoughtfully. “The maid hinted that he was new in town.”

  As they drove away, Nancy tried to fit together what she knew so far. “You know,” she said slowly, “the Mapleton Country Club keeps turning up in our investigation.”

  “I was just going to suggest that,” George said with a smile from the back seat. “What do you think, Ned?”

  “How could I help but agree,” Ned said, pulling onto a main road.

  “Is there some kind of club register I could get my hands on?” Nancy asked. A plan was forming in her mind.

  “Sure. You have to sign whenever you go to the club,” Ned said. “But why?”

  “I need to find out exactly when ‘Nancy Drew’ showed up at the club. Dates, times, you know. That’s the only way I can prove I was somewhere else at the time.”

  “That’s brilliant!” George exclaimed.

  Ned smiled in acknowledgment. “Mapleton Country Club, here we come. Since my dad has a family membership, I can get us all in.”

  “Great!” Nancy’s disappointment lifted. They were back on track.

  Ned pointed at a combination gas station–convenience store up ahead. “Let’s pull in here first, though. We could use some gas.”

  “That’s fine with me. I’d like to get this makeup off my face,” George said.

  Ned parked in the store’s lot. While he pumped the gas and George went to use the rest room, Nancy leaned against the car, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. This case just had to break soon.

  A few minutes later George came running out of the store, a look of dismay on her face. She held out a newspaper. “Ned, Nancy, take a look at this!”

  Nancy’s stomach turned over as she caught a glimpse of the front page. A half-page photo showed Nancy with her hands raised to cover her face. Beside the photo was a huge headline: NANCY, DID YOU DO IT?

  “Oh, no!” Nancy muttered, taking the newspaper from George. Sick at heart, she opened the copy of Today’s Times and began to read.

  DETECTIVE QUESTIONED IN EXTORTION CASE

  By Brenda Carlton

  Mapleton—Teen detective Nancy Drew was arrested last night in connection with two confidence games involving extortion threats. Both cases are currently being investigated by the Mapleton police.

  It was a dark and snowy night when Nancy Drew, 18, of River Heights, was picked up by Lieutenant Peter Kowalski and brought to the Mapleton police station.

  According to police, a slender, red-haired girl using the name Nancy Drew allegedly cheated Mapleton residents Donald Eklund and Elizabeth Hackney out of thousands of dollars.

  Ned and George read the story over Nancy’s shoulders. She heard George’s gasp of indignation.

  Ned read a portion aloud. “ ‘Ms. Drew has a long involvement with area criminals . . .’ ” His face colored angrily. “Pretty clever wording! Nancy, this is out-and-out libel!”

  Tight-lipped with anger, Nancy tossed the newspaper into the back seat. “Come on, Nancy,” George said. “There’s no use getting worked up about it.”

  Taking a deep breath, Nancy forced the indignation out of her mind. “You’re right,” she agreed. “We’ve still got a job to do, and it’s no use letting Brenda get under my skin like this.”

  “That’s the Nancy I love,” Ned said, holding the car door open for her to climb in.

  A short while later Ned stopped the Mustang in front of a small Victorian gatehouse blocking the entrance to the club. A skinny kid in a tan winter jacket and green ski pants came out, blowing on his hands. He smiled in recognition when he saw Ned, who had rolled down the window. “Hey, Nickerson!”

  “Hi, Danny. How’s it going?” Ned opened his wallet and withdrew his club membership card.

  “Okay.” Danny gave Nancy and George a big smile. “These your guests?”

  Ned nodded. “You bet. Nancy Drew and George Fayne.”

  Nancy watched the smile evaporate from Danny’s face. He stood up straight and looked at Ned uncomfortably.

  Ned noticed the boy’s sudden coolness toward them. “What’s the matter, Danny?”

  Rubbing the back of his neck, the boy sighed. “You’re really putting me on the spot, Ned.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Ned.

  Danny gestured at Nancy. “I can’t let her in.”

  Ned did a double take. “What?”

  “I just talked to the club manager a half hour ago. He gave me a copy of Today’s Times.” The gatekeeper looked straight at Nancy. “He said, under no circumstances is a Nancy Drew to be allowed on these premises.” Avoiding their gazes, he mumbled, “Sorry. I can’t let you in.”

  Nancy grimaced, frustrated. There was no limit to the damage being done by Brenda’s article.

  Ned lowered his voice. “Come on, Danny. This is really important.”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, Danny frowned regretfully. “Ah, Ned, I’d like to help, but I can’t! Sorry.”

  Nancy touched her boyfriend’s shoulder. “Forget it, Ned. We don’t want to get Danny in trouble.” Leaning forward, she offered the gatekeeper an apologetic smile. “Forget you ever saw us, okay?”

  “Okay. And thanks for understanding.” Looking relieved, Danny lifted his hand in a farewell salute.

  “What are we going to do now?” Ned asked, as he did a three-point turn in the club’s driveway.

  “There’s only one thing I can do. This case is going nowhere unless I can get a look at that club register.”

  Pumping the accelerator, Ned cast her a quick glance. “I recognize that look,” he said. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  Nancy’s lips compressed thoughtfully. “What time does the club close tonight, Ned?”

  “Ten-thirty. Why?” All at once understanding flooded Ned’s handsome face. “Whoa! Hey, you’re not thinking of breaking in
there, are you?”

  “It’s too dangerous, Nancy,” George burst out. “If you get caught, there’s no way anyone’s going to believe you didn’t cheat Mr. Eklund and Mrs. Hackney.”

  Nancy took a ragged breath. “I haven’t got a choice.”

  “Yes, you do. Ned and I can look at the register for you.”

  “The more I think about it, I know no one will let us look,” Nancy said.

  Ned shook his head slowly. “Look, Nancy, I’m sure they keep that register locked up. That means you’ll be breaking and entering. It’s illegal!”

  “I know, Ned, and I don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s the only way I can really clear myself.” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “If I can’t solve this case, then I’ll probably go to prison—and for something I didn’t do. I say it’s worth the risk.”

  Ned was silent for a long moment. Then he sighed heavily and said, “Okay, I agree. They probably wouldn’t let me look at it anyway. Breaking in is the only way. What do you have in mind?”

  Nancy briefly outlined her plan. “Bess and George can drop us off behind the club, then you and I’ll make our way in. I’ll check out the register while you stand guard.”

  As they approached Mapleton’s municipal parking lot to drop Ned off, he remarked, “Nancy, there’s pretty heavy security at the club. They’ve got a first-class alarm system. I’m pretty sure there’s a night watchman on duty, too.”

  “We’ll just have to risk it, Ned. But I do plan to be extracareful.” Nancy slid behind the steering wheel after Ned parked the car and got out. She closed the driver’s door. “Let’s meet back here at eleven tonight.”

  George moved into the front seat. During the drive back to River Heights, Nancy and George made plans for a late supper with Bess. After dropping George off, Nancy headed back to her own house.

  No sooner had Nancy pulled into her driveway than a light gray sedan trailed in behind her. The tinted windshield prevented Nancy from recognizing the occupants. Wondering what was up, she climbed out of her car.

  The sedan’s doors opened simultaneously. Lieutenant Kowalski and Officer Linda Murillo got out. Lieutenant Kowalski said, “Afternoon, Ms. Drew. Can I talk to you for a minute?”