Illusions of Evil

  “But isn’t the hearing about the park scheduled for tomorrow, too?” Nancy asked.

  “You bet,” said Carson. He shot Nancy a wry grin. “But we Drews do pretty well under pressure, don’t we?”

  Nancy sat in one of the chairs facing her father’s desk, and Adriana sank into the other. Nancy proceeded to tell them the whole story about finding Gotnick. When she got to the part about the cotter pin, Carson’s eyes widened in amazement.

  “That proves the ride was sabotaged. It will be very important tomorrow—and vital information for the state inspectors next week. Good work, Nancy!” he said.

  “I’m almost sure that it was Grigov’s knife I saw in Gotnick’s back,” Nancy continued.

  Adriana winced.

  “Pulaski must have prints,” Carson said, “or else he couldn’t hold Grigov.”

  “This is bad, isn’t it?” Adriana asked.

  Torn, Nancy tried to reassure the magician. “It’s all still circumstantial,” she said. Privately she had her doubts about Grigov, but she was trying to keep an open mind. After all, the man was innocent until she could prove him guilty.

  Adriana sighed deeply. “Maybe I should just sell the park. Someone doesn’t want me to keep it open.” She dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue. “If only we knew who Matthews’s client is.”

  “What’s happening on that angle?” Carson asked Nancy.

  “Ned went to see the realtor this afternoon,” Nancy told her father. “That reminds me, I want to check the machine at home to see if he left a message about what he discovered.”

  “You can use the phone on my secretary’s desk,” her father offered.

  “Great,” Nancy said, heading out of the office. She called her home number and entered the message playback code. There was a beep, then Ned’s voice:

  “Hi, Nan, it’s Ned. Boy, do I have some news for you! I stopped by Matthews Realty. The boss was gone, so I chatted up his secretary—don’t worry, she’s not half as gorgeous as you. Anyway, she wouldn’t reveal who Larry Matthews’s client is, but she did say that Riverfront is a valuable piece of property, provided the buyer can get it zoned to suit his purposes.”

  There was a pause, then Ned’s voice started up again: “I hope this tape doesn’t run out, because there’s more. I started thinking about the zoning thing after I left Matthews’s. So, on a hunch, I went over to the Conklin Falls Hall of Records. And I found some pretty interesting stuff there.

  “It turns out that back during Prohibition some old-time gangster dug a million tunnels under Riverfront for storage. In fact, the system is so extensive that the city considers the land on top of them unstable and won’t rezone the property for development of any kind. But there’s a legal loophole. The amusement park was built back when zoning regulations were less strict. It can stay there forever. It just can’t be replaced—by anything. Pretty amazing, huh?

  “I’m going straight back to Matthews’s now to tell him what I found out. In exchange for the information, I figure he’ll open up about who his client is. I’ll call you from home with the news.”

  Nancy put her finger on the receiver button, waited for the dial tone, and then dialed Ned’s home number. His mother answered.

  “Hi, Mrs. Nickerson. It’s Nancy. Is Ned home yet?”

  “Nancy,” she said, “I’m so relieved you called. Ned’s not home. In fact, he didn’t show up for his racquetball date with his father, and I’m worried about him.”

  Nancy frowned. “He was doing some legwork for a case I’m on. Maybe he got tied up,” she said.

  “But it’s not like Ned not to call,” Mrs. Nickerson protested.

  Nancy had to agree, but she told Ned’s mom to stay calm. Still, she felt a twinge of concern when she hung up.

  Back in her father’s office, Nancy filled Adriana and Carson in on what Ned had learned.

  “Tunnels beneath the park!” the magician exclaimed. “Uncle Nicos never said anything about them. I wonder if he even knew.”

  “It’s strange that someone would want to buy the park if the city of Conklin Falls won’t zone the land for rebuilding,” Nancy said, trying to remember the details of Ned’s message.

  “You’d think a potential buyer would know about that,” Carson put in, “or at least his realtor would.”

  “Could the buyer want something that’s hidden in the tunnels?” Adriana wondered aloud.

  “It’s a possibility,” Nancy agreed. “But I don’t know why the person couldn’t just sneak down there and look.”

  “Making an offer to purchase the park is going to a lot of trouble,” Carson said.

  “Look, Dad,” Nancy said, “I can’t sit still until I get to the bottom of this. I’m going back up to Conklin Falls to see if I can catch Larry Matthews. He may still be around.”

  “Why not wait for Ned to call back?” her father asked.

  “I don’t know where he is,” she explained, anxiety tightening her voice.

  Carson frowned. “Just be careful. This case is getting pretty ugly.”

  “I know,” Nancy agreed.

  “I’ll try not to be home too late,” he went on. “But if you’re in bed by the time I get there, remember we have to be at the courthouse at nine-thirty tomorrow morning.”

  Nancy said goodbye. As she was leaving the office, she took a last glance over her shoulder at Carson and Adriana. Their heads were bent over the desk together conspiratorially. Nancy made a silent wish that her father wasn’t setting himself up for disappointment as far as Adriana Polidori was concerned.

  • • •

  All the way back to Conklin Falls, Nancy’s mind was on Ned. It was strange that no one had heard from him since late that afternoon. She kept trying to think through his steps. He’d gone to Matthews’s office, the Hall of Records, back to the realtor’s—and then? Had he learned something important from Matthews? And could it have gotten him into trouble?

  On the other hand, maybe he ran into a friend. Maybe they went out and lost track of time. Maybe that was why he didn’t call his dad to tell him he couldn’t make it to the racquetball court.

  Before Nancy had left her father’s office she’d looked up Matthews Realty in the telephone book and written down the address. The office was in downtown Conklin Falls. Nancy drove as if her life depended on it, arriving at the realtor’s twenty minutes later. She pulled to a stop in front just as the sky was turning dark.

  She climbed the three steps to the building, tried the glass door, and found it locked. After knocking for several minutes, Nancy spotted a light as it was clicked on and saw a woman approach the door.

  “We’re closed,” she called without opening up. She was dressed in a tailored blue business suit, and her platinum blond hair fell around her heart-shaped face in a flattering style. Nancy guessed she was the secretary Ned had spoken with. The woman started walking away.

  “Please!” Nancy shouted. “You’ve got to help. I’m in trouble, and I need to talk to you.”

  Now the secretary stopped in her tracks and turned back. “What do you want?” she asked suspiciously.

  “My boyfriend’s in trouble,” Nancy said, desperation straining her voice. “Please. I think you met him earlier today.”

  The woman stared at Nancy for several long moments. Finally she opened the door for her. “Are you talking about the guy who wanted to know who’s trying to buy Riverfront?” she asked. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for Nancy to reply.

  “Can I come in?” Nancy pleaded. Without waiting for an answer, she stepped past the woman and into the office.

  Inside, the walls of the realty office were lined with photographs of old Conklin Falls buildings. Behind the reception area were five desks, all covered with big binders and stacks of paper. A computer terminal stood in one corner along with a fax machine.

  “What kind of trouble is your boyfriend in?” the woman asked.

  “I need to know if you saw him later on today. Did he come back?” Nancy
pressed.

  The woman seemed to be really confused now. “Yes, he did,” she said at last. “But by then Mr. Matthews was in. So your boyfriend met with him.”

  Nancy took a deep breath. “I think something’s happened to him because of what he learned from your boss. You have to tell me who’s trying to buy Riverfront Park!”

  The secretary shook her head firmly. “No way. That’s confidential information. And I don’t see what it could have to do with your boyfriend.”

  Nancy was losing her patience. “Then let me call Mr. Matthews.”

  “He went out of town late this afternoon,” she replied. “He’s driving to Harper’s Grove to check out some property. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait until tomorrow,” Nancy insisted.

  “Look, I shouldn’t even be talking to you.” She strode to the door and held it open for Nancy. “Please leave.”

  With a sigh, Nancy realized she wasn’t going to get any further with the woman. She gave her a final imploring look, then glanced around the office. If only there was a way to search the place. Suddenly she thought of something.

  “Can I use the bathroom before I go?” Nancy asked, biting her lip.

  The secretary sighed irritably. “It’s in the hall. I’ll show you.”

  Out in the hallway, she pointed to a door marked Ladies.

  “I’ll wait for you here,” she said.

  Nancy let herself into the bathroom and nearly shouted with joy when she saw that she was in luck. The bathroom had a window, which Nancy was able to open. She only hoped that the woman wouldn’t check the ladies’ room when she locked up the office.

  “Thanks,” said Nancy, emerging from the ladies’ room.

  “You’d better leave now,” she replied curtly.

  Nancy allowed the woman to show her out. She started up her car and drove off. After turning onto the next block, Nancy pulled into an alley and shut off her car.

  She waited for twenty minutes, then drove back to Matthews’s office. The lights were out, and there were no cars out front. She drove into an alley beside the building and made her way to the window she’d left open. It was still ajar.

  “All right!” Nancy cried, heaving herself up and inside.

  The hallway outside Matthews’s office was dark, and Nancy was careful to stay in the shadows. Naturally, the door to the office was locked. Nancy checked around the jamb for any alarm wires and found none. Then she pulled her lockpick out of her purse. Within minutes she had the door open and was inside!

  At the back of the office stood a partition. Nancy guessed that Matthews’s desk was behind it. She crossed the room quietly, keeping low and out of sight.

  The man’s desk was a jumble of papers, binders, books, and computer printouts. Nancy found her flashlight in her shoulder bag and quickly scanned the papers, searching for any kind of document that had Riverfront’s name on it.

  Ten minutes later she’d gone through everything on the desk and in Matthews’s drawers. None of the folders in the file cabinets had anything to do with Riverfront.

  “He probably took them with him,” Nancy said aloud. “Rats!”

  On a hunch, Nancy searched through the garbage pail underneath the desk. Among the trash, she found a pink message slip that had been wadded up. She smoothed it out and her jaw dropped in surprise as she read what was written on it.

  It was a record of a call for Larry Matthews from Vince Garraty. Beneath Garraty’s name and number was a scrawled message:

  “Call him ASAP about his offer on Riverfront Park.”

  Chapter

  Thirteen

  THE MYSTERIOUS BUYER for Riverfront Park was Vince Garraty!

  What did it mean? Was this just his way of helping out his fiancée? But then why had Benny Gotnick been killed? Benny Gotnick worked for Vince. What did that have to do with it?

  Nancy read the message again, but it didn’t answer her questions. Her mind still spinning, she tucked it into her bag, switched off her flashlight, and tiptoed back through the office.

  She exited by the bathroom window, pushing it shut after her.

  All the way back to River Heights, Nancy pondered the possibilities. Garraty and Gotnick. It made sense. Garraty wanted the park—maybe because of Freda or maybe for some other reason. When Benny got fired, the two of them teamed up, with Benny rigging the flaming carpet and the Typhoon derailment. The more accidents the better as far as Garraty was concerned. Bad press would convince Adriana to sell, and it would drive down the price of the property.

  Then maybe Benny got cold feet, and Garraty killed him. It could have been Garraty who stole Grigov’s car and tried to run her off the road. He could have gotten Grigov’s knife out of the trunk of the car.

  For a minute she considered turning around and heading back to the Conklin Falls Police Department to talk to Sheriff Pulaski. She had no proof of Garraty’s involvement, though—only a little piece of paper that suggested he wanted to buy the park.

  It was past eight by the time she pulled into her driveway. The house was dark, which meant her father still wasn’t home. Nancy threw her jacket on the coatrack and went straight for the phone.

  The light on the answering machine was blinking, but when she played the tape back, all she heard was Ned’s long message from that afternoon. She erased it, reset the machine, then dialed his number. The line was busy, so she called George instead.

  Her friend was amazed to hear all that had happened. “I never liked Garraty,” she said, then paused. “But, you know, I’m more concerned about Ned.”

  “Same here,” Nancy answered, her stomach twisting with apprehension. “I’m going to keep trying his house until I get through. I just hope he’s sitting in front of the tube.” But she didn’t believe her own words.

  She told George she’d call her right away if she heard anything, then arranged to pick her up the next morning for the hearing.

  Next, she called Ned back. This time his mother answered.

  “Oh, Nancy,” she cried, “Ned still hasn’t come home. He hasn’t called either. We’ve contacted all the area hospitals, but no one has a record of his being in an accident. His father and I are out of our minds with worry!”

  Nancy tried to stay calm. “Did you call the police, too?”

  “We just did,” Mrs. Nickerson told her. “But they said we have to wait twenty-four hours before filing a missing person report . . . .” Her voice trailed off, and Nancy knew she was crying.

  Then Mr. Nickerson took the phone. “Nancy, what do you know about this?” he asked.

  “Ned was helping me on a case,” she explained a little weakly. “He went to a realtor’s office in Conklin Falls this afternoon, then to the Hall of Records. I haven’t heard from him since.”

  Mr. Nickerson remained silent.

  “Can I come over there?” Nancy offered. “Maybe it would help—”

  “Thanks, Nancy,” he said, then paused again, “but that’s not necessary. I know there’s a good explanation for this. I don’t think we should panic.”

  “Will you call me the minute you hear anything?” Nancy asked.

  “Absolutely,” he replied.

  Nancy said goodbye and hung up, a feeling of dread washing over her. But there was nothing she could do except wait.

  She stared with unfocused eyes for a moment, then opened her shoulder bag and took out her wallet. It contained a picture of Ned inside a clear plastic holder. For a long moment she gazed at the face she loved so much. If anything had happened to him, she would never forgive herself.

  • • •

  “So you think Garraty and Gotnick were behind the sabotage?” George said.

  It was early the next morning. Nancy had spent a fitful night worrying about Ned. She’d called the Nickersons right after she woke up, but they still hadn’t heard anything. She decided there was nothing she could do to find Ned right then, so she and George headed to Conklin Falls for the hearing. She believ
ed Ned could take care of himself in almost any situation. Carson had gone on ahead to prepare Adriana.

  “I’m not positive,” Nancy told her friend, “but it seems likely. As soon as this hearing’s over, I plan to find Garraty. The man has a few questions to answer.”

  “You don’t think Garraty has anything to do with Ned’s disappearance, do you?” George wondered aloud.

  Nancy took the Conklin Falls exit off the parkway and stopped at a red light. “If Ned got Garraty’s name out of Matthews and went after the guy, there’s a chance Garraty was the last one to see him before he disappeared.” The light turned green, and Nancy pulled into the line of cars headed for town.

  The sun was coming out from behind a cloud as Nancy drove into the parking lot of the Conklin Falls courthouse. Already there was a lot of activity, with attorneys and their clients coming in and going out of the three-story brick building. Nancy found a parking spot, and the two friends made their way to the courtroom where Carson would be defending Adriana at her hearing.

  Inside, Nancy quickly spotted Freda Clarke sitting with her son and her lawyer. Carson and Adriana occupied a table across the aisle from them. George and Nancy hurried over and sat behind them.

  “Hello there,” Carson said to Nancy, turning in his seat.

  Adriana turned, too. She wore a dark green suit and had her hair pulled back into a chignon—she looked devastating as usual. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered. “I can use the moral support.”

  Carson had gotten in late the night before, and Nancy hadn’t had the chance to tell him about Ned or her latest lead. “Dad—” she said, leaning forward in her seat.

  “Not now, Nancy,” Carson said. He gestured toward the bench, where the judge had just sat down. “We’re about to start.”

  “I hope this doesn’t take long,” Nancy said. To their right, Freda Clarke and her lawyer were conferring. Chris spotted George and gave her a wave.

  “You’re thinking about Ned, aren’t you?” George said.

  Nancy nodded and frowned slightly. “The longer we wait, the more worried I get.”