“What do you think of all that?” Ned asked Nancy when the woman was out of earshot. “If Jennifer’s sick tonight, I wonder if she’ll be going on the bike trip.”
Nancy shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to wait till tomorrow and see if she shows up,” she replied. “Right now, I’m worrying about something more important.”
“What’s that?”
“Are you going to let me have a bite of your pie?”
Ned laughed. “Only if you’re very, very good.”
• • •
When they got back to campus, Nancy and Ned sat in silence in front of Packard Hall, just enjoying being together. Nancy nestled contentedly against his shoulder as he held her in his arms.
“I love you, Nancy Drew,” he whispered into the soft reddish gold waves that cascaded to her shoulders. “And I’ve missed you. I can’t believe we’re going to have three quiet days together.”
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Nancy murmured. She pulled back a little and looked up into his brown eyes. She cupped his face between her hands and gently kissed him. “Oh, Ned—” she said, but her sentence went unfinished as he returned her kiss. When he finally released her, she leaned back against the soft leather seat cushions and sighed. “I’d better go in or I’ll never get up in the morning. It must be almost midnight.”
Ned looked at his watch. “Almost,” he said, getting out. “You’re right, I should get back to the frat house, too.” He walked to Nancy’s side of the car and opened the door, and the two of them walked slowly arm in arm to the door of Packard Hall.
“Tomorrow,” Ned said. He planted a quick kiss on Nancy’s forehead and strode back to the car as she entered the dorm.
The lobby was quiet, and Nancy paused to glance into the dimly lit lounge. A girl wearing jeans and a sweatshirt was standing across the room by a picture window, looking out across campus.
“George?” Nancy whispered, wondering why her friend was up and about.
The girl jumped at the sound of Nancy’s voice and quickly turned around.
“I’m sorry,” Nancy apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you were someone else.” She grinned. “But I see that my someone else is off in dreamland over there.” She motioned toward a couch where George was curled up, asleep. “I’m Nancy Drew,” she continued, extending her hand.
“Jennifer Bover,” said the young woman, shaking hands. She pulled off the bandanna covering her head and ran her fingers through her short, golden blond hair. Nancy couldn’t help staring. Except for her hair color, she did look a lot like George. “Nice to meet you, Nancy,” she said with a smile.
“Well, I’m pleased to meet you,” Nancy said. “I hear we’re going on the same bike trip. I’m sorry you couldn’t be at the dinner tonight—although you didn’t miss anything except some good food. I’m really psyched for this trip, aren’t you?”
“I’m anxious to get away for a few days,” Jennifer replied. “But I’m not a very experienced cyclist. They said that didn’t matter when I signed up.”
“I’m sure that’s not important. It’s just a fun trip, not a competition,” Nancy said. “And the weather’s going to be perfect.”
Jennifer nodded and then yawned. “Excuse me, I’m exhausted,” she said. “I need to get upstairs and get some sleep. We have an early start, and I pulled a long, hard shift tonight.” She moved toward the door.
Nancy looked at her, puzzled. “Where?” she asked.
Jennifer glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes making contact with Nancy’s for a brief second before she looked away. “At Ed’s Diner, on the other side of town.”
Chapter
Three
THAT’S WEIRD, Nancy said to herself, staring after Jennifer. Why would she lie? She pushed the question from her mind and walked to the couch where George was sleeping. “Come on, George. Time to go upstairs and get into a real bed.”
George stretched and propped herself up on one elbow. “What time is it?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
“After midnight,” Nancy said. “And I just had the strangest conversation with Jennifer Bover.”
“Rover?” asked George. She yawned and swung her legs off the couch.
“Not Rover, Bover.”
“Y’know, that couch is pretty comfortable.”
Nancy grinned. “A bed will be even better.” She knew from past experience that there was no point in trying to pursue a conversation with George when she was half asleep. “Let’s go upstairs.”
• • •
In the morning Nancy and George checked to make sure they had packed everything they’d need for the bike trip before they went down to join the others at breakfast.
“How’s the knee?” Nancy asked.
“Feels fine,” George replied. “I think the ice pack did it, but I’m taking my trusty knee support along just in case.” She tucked the elasticized brace into the top of her small backpack. “There! I’m ready, I think. You know, I vaguely remember you saying something last night about a dog. Rover?” She paused. “Or was I dreaming?”
Nancy shook her head and laughed. “You weren’t dreaming. But it was Bover, not Rover. A person, not a dog. Jennifer Bover, the one who’s going on the bike trip.”
“Oh, yeah,” George said. “The one who couldn’t have dinner with us because she had to work.”
“Yes, except she wasn’t working,” Nancy said. Quickly she recapped the events of the evening for George. “The cashier at Ed’s Diner told Ned and me that she had called in sick. Then half an hour later, I met her downstairs in the lounge and she told me she had pulled a long, hard shift. I can’t figure out why she’d lie about it.”
“Maybe she had a hot date,” George said. “Or just wanted a night off.”
“That would explain why she called in sick,” Nancy said, “but why would she tell me she was working? It doesn’t make any difference to me whether she was or not.”
George shrugged. “Who knows?” She slapped Nancy on the back good-naturedly. “Wherever you go, you attract mysteries, Nan. They hide in the bushes just waiting. And when you pass by, they jump out and pinch your ankles and say, ‘Here I am, here I am. Solve me. Solve me, Nancy Drew!’ And you feel duty-bound to perform.”
Nancy laughed as all five feet, eight inches of George crouched down beside the bed and pretended to jump out of the bushes and pinch at her ankles.
“You’ve already nailed a burglary suspect on this trip,” George continued, “so now you can take a day off. Take three days off! This is going to be a relaxing weekend for both of us.”
“You’re right,” said Nancy. “And you’re a space case too, Fayne. But that’s part of your charm.”
George zipped up the top compartment of her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Then she picked up her pannier, which contained most of her clothes and other gear. It looked like a saddle bag and would be attached to the back rack of her bicycle. “Let’s go find something to eat.”
The cyclists had agreed to meet in Packard Hall lounge, since three of the group—Nancy, George, and Jennifer—were staying there.
Jennifer was in the dining room when Nancy and George entered, and she waved at them to join her at a small table by the window.
“Sorry if I seemed rude last night,” Jennifer said as Nancy and George brought their trays to her table. “Friday nights are always the busiest, and I was really zonked.”
“Ned and I stopped at Ed’s Diner last night for coffee,” Nancy said slowly. She was curious why Jennifer would keep on with the lie but was hesitant about accusing her. After all, as George had said, it wasn’t any of their business. “You must have gotten off before we got there.”
Jennifer’s gaze dropped to the table. “Yes, I left a little early,” she said quickly. “I had a terrible migraine headache.”
“Do you work every night?” Nancy asked, ignoring the kick to the ankle that George gave her under the table.
Jennifer seemed to be relieved to
have the subject changed. “No, just four nights a week. I have some night classes this semester.”
“Erik told us that you’re a transfer student. Do you like Emerson?”
“I love it,” Jennifer said. “I transferred here from a community college in upstate New York because Emerson has one of the best early childhood education programs in the country. That’s my major.” She laughed. “It’s a natural for me. I’m the oldest of six kids.” She reached into a pocket of her backpack, which was on the floor next to her chair, and pulled out a wallet. She opened it and showed them a photograph. “Here—these are my brothers and sisters. My mom took this the day I left for Emerson.”
Nancy looked at the informal shot and smiled. “They look like a lot of fun.”
“They’re pretty lively,” said Jennifer.
“Boy, from a community college to a private school,” George said. “You’re talking big bucks on tuition.”
Jennifer nodded. “It’s pretty steep. That’s why I’m working. I have a partial scholarship. My family could never afford it without that. This is my first experience away from home, but everybody’s really friendly.”
Ned and CJ were waiting in the lounge when the girls finished breakfast, and Nancy hurried over and gave Ned a hug while CJ went to talk to George and Jennifer.
“Anything more from Lieutenant Easterling?” he asked. “Are we cleared for flight?”
“We’re cleared,” she assured him. “I called him late last night and gave him our itinerary.”
“Who’s the blond talking to George?” he asked.
“That’s Jennifer Bover,” Nancy replied. “You know, the strangest thing happened last night after I got back here.” She quickly told him about her conversation with Jennifer. “And then at breakfast, when I told her that we’d gone to Ed’s Diner last night, she said she’d left early because of a migraine headache.”
Ned’s reaction was similar to George’s. “I thought you promised me you weren’t going to work on this trip,” he teased. “But anything with a hint of a mystery hooks you. Come on, Drew. Relax! We have three stressless days ahead.”
“Got it,” she said, smiling at him. But whatever else she was going to say was cut off as Erik bounded in, carrying several boxes. He exuded self-confidence that bordered on arrogance. It was apparent that he considered himself the leader of the group.
“Are we ready?” he asked in a loud voice. He held up the boxes. “I just picked up our lunches from the cafeteria.”
George, who was anxious to get on the road, got up from the couch where she had been sitting with Jennifer and CJ.
“Glad to see you can stand on that leg this morning,” he said, “or was that story about a bad knee just a handy excuse to be used in case of failure?”
“Stuff it, Erik!” George snapped.
“Your hair looks great,” he said to Jennifer, ignoring George. Jennifer acknowledged the compliment with a smile, and Erik turned his attention to Nancy.
“And why didn’t you tell us last night,” he continued, “that you are the Nancy Drew, private investigator? You were mentioned on every radio newscast I heard while I was out doing laps this morning. You’re quite the heroine!”
Kendra, the last one to arrive, briefly interrupted his monologue as she dragged her gear into the lounge.
Grateful for the diversion, Nancy smiled at her and raised her hand in greeting as Kendra sat down between Jennifer and CJ. But the gesture froze in midair as Nancy’s eyes caught the look on Jennifer’s face. The blond girl, who had been so friendly earlier, was now staring at her with a strange expression.
“So give us the inside scoop, Nancy Private-Eye,” Erik said sarcastically. “What about this dangerous criminal you caught?”
“I’d rather not talk about it,” Nancy said quietly, trying to keep her annoyance from showing. “Formal charges hadn’t been filed when I left headquarters. Besides, Erik, I’m on vacation.”
CJ looked over at Ned and motioned toward the door. “Time to hit the road,” he said. He picked up his gear and headed outside.
“Stressless three days, my foot,” Nancy whispered to Ned, as they followed the group. “I might commit a crime instead of solving one if Erik doesn’t cool it!”
Ned grinned at her. “Once we get going he’ll calm down,” he assured her.
But when they got to the bike compound, it got worse instead of better. Nancy had just finished clipping the pannier she had borrowed from George to the rack on the back of her bike when she heard Erik talking to George.
“By the way,” he said to her, “I talked to the sports reporter on the Emerson Eagle—that’s the school paper. I tipped him off that you’d be on this ride and it would be sort of a dry run for the race next month.”
“You what?” George spit out the words. “What are you talking about? You know that men and women don’t compete against each other.”
Erik shrugged his shoulders. “Of course I know that. But that’s not to say that you and I can’t compete this weekend. After all, you are a competitive cyclist. I told the reporter we’d be competing, but unofficially—and that I’d keep him posted on our times.”
George glared at him but said nothing.
“Since this is a recreational ride,” Erik continued, as he put on his helmet, “we’ll compete in segments each day. We’ll start timing when we hit the county road, and whoever comes up with the best total time over the three days wins. Agreed?”
“What choice do I have?” George snapped as she adjusted the strap of her helmet. “If I don’t, I get labeled a poor sport.”
But Erik didn’t hear what she said. He had already kicked up his stand and pushed off, leaving George sputtering.
It was a twenty-minute ride out of town to the little-used county road they were taking, and George and Erik rode neck and neck.
Overhead, the sun gently warmed them from an almost cloudless sky. Nancy pulled off her sweatshirt jacket and tied it around her waist. Her long-sleeved cotton shirt was ample covering for the autumn morning. The air was fresh and clean, and the softly rolling hills on the left were carpeted in green. To the right, stubble from a freshly harvested crop left neat rows in the brown soil, like a giant comb. It was a perfect day to be outdoors, away from phones, studies, work. Nancy looked over at Ned and grinned.
“This sure beats riding in a stuffy old car,” she said. “Maybe we all need to go back to pedal power.”
“It’s great until it rains,” he replied. “Or snows. Or until you have to pick up five visiting relatives at the airport.”
At the first scheduled stop along the route, a fruit stand, Nancy took George aside while Ned and the others selected some apples and pears for their lunches.
“How’s the knee?”
“It’s fine. No problem at all this morning.”
“You’re doing great,” Nancy said. “That was a dirty trick Erik pulled, telling the school paper you were competing, even unofficially, on this ride.”
“I know,” said George, “but I’ll make it work to my advantage. It’ll help me get in shape for the women’s race next month.”
“It’s not going to help,” came a voice from behind them.
George turned around quickly. Erik was standing behind them, smirking. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you that it’s not polite to eavesdrop?” she said.
But her sharp retort didn’t faze him.
“I get some of my best information from eavesdropping,” he said. “And you won’t have to worry about the race next month. I don’t think you’ll be competing in it.” His voice took on a false-solicitous tone as he continued. “Knees that have been damaged have a way of giving out unexpectedly. I predict that you’ll be headed for the infirmary before this recreational run is over!”
Chapter
Four
GEORGE’S DARK EYES flashed with anger. “I have no intention of spending time in the infirmary,” she snapped at Erik. “And I have every intention of winning this rac
e.”
“We’ll see,” Erik replied. He turned and walked over to his bike. “Let’s go, everybody,” he yelled at the rest of the group.
“He—he’s insufferable!” George sputtered, swinging up onto her bike.
Nancy watched as George pedaled furiously to catch up with Erik. Then she turned to Ned, who had walked up beside her and overheard Erik’s remark. “I’m worried about George,” Nancy said. “That thing Erik said sounded like a threat to me. You don’t think he’d do anything to hurt her, do you?”
Ned shook his head. “Erik is famous for his bad attitude,” he said. “It’s just something you learn to ignore if you’re around him much. And what could he do to hurt her? He can’t lie about who wins with five witnesses riding along behind.”
“I guess you’re right,” Nancy said, but she wasn’t convinced.
Erik and George had ridden about a quarter mile ahead of the other cyclists on the first segment of the route, and they were pulling ahead again. Kendra was sticking close to CJ, who, although an experienced cyclist, was riding at a leisurely pace. Every so often Nancy would notice the small dark-haired girl engage him in conversation, and once, when she stopped to check a tire, she asked for his help, which he willingly gave.
Jennifer, riding behind Kendra and CJ, had been noticeably quiet. Nancy pulled up alongside her.
“You said you’re from New York State, right? I hear there are some great bike trails there,” Nancy said.
“Some,” Jennifer replied. Her eyes met Nancy’s briefly. Then she pedaled harder and pulled away from the group, avoiding further conversation.
When they reached a picnic area around noon, they were all ready for a rest and some food. The roadside stop was rustic and somewhat neglected, with tall grass growing up around the legs of the wooden tables and benches, and deep ruts in the gravel parking area in front. Tall pine trees ringed the picnic site, and in a nearby clearing was a weathered seesaw and swing set.