Fatal Ransom

But she knew she had to resist the temptation to move closer. If any one of the three kids with George saw her, it would be disastrous for George, for Nancy, and most of all for Hal.

  Amy had struggled to her feet by then and was talking in a more subdued way to Sam and the other guy. Now it looked as if all four of them were going to leave together.

  They were headed for the exit when Sam suddenly stopped. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out the note George had tried to give Nancy.

  “This is it,” Nancy whispered. “I’ve got to help her!”

  Keeping her eyes glued on Sam, she positioned herself in back of a group of girls who were moving in George’s direction. She hoped they’d conceal her until she got close enough.

  Sam took Goliath to one side and opened the note. By this time Nancy was close enough to see all she needed. Sam’s and Goliath’s faces turned white, then red. Nancy couldn’t tell whether their expressions were ones of horror, fear, or just plain rage.

  Amy strode up to the two guys. She looked as if she were demanding to know what was going on. That was when Goliath shoved her down again, but this time George ran over to Amy and picked her up.

  Nancy didn’t want to see Amy get hurt, but the move was just what she needed to get closer. A crowd was beginning to gather around Amy and George. But just before Nancy could join it, Sam grabbed George’s arm, Goliath grabbed Amy’s, and the two guys dragged the girls outside.

  Nancy raced to the exit. They couldn’t get away! She couldn’t let them hurt George! She and her friends had been in some tough situations before, but this time she’d gotten George in over her head. If only I’d figured out a way to handle it myself! she thought.

  Nancy dashed out the exit and into the dusky light. George was standing right in front of her—and George looked as if she were about to faint.

  Nancy didn’t have time to ask, “Are you all right?” A sharp blow landed on the back of her head. And she heard George scream as her world went black.

  Chapter

  Twelve

  SOMEWHERE THERE WAS a light that was much too bright. Nancy groaned and slowly opened her eyes, narrowing them immediately into slits. The light came from a bare bulb in a dirty ceiling overhead, and Nancy was lying on the floor just under it.

  She sat up, rubbed her throbbing temples, and surveyed her surroundings. George was lying on the floor next to her, and Amy Tyler was in a chair across from them. It looked as though they were in a small apartment—the filthiest, most depressing apartment Nancy had ever seen.

  “Are you all right?” whispered George.

  Nancy nodded.

  Sam must have heard them. He crossed the room in three steps and stood above them menacingly.

  He was holding a gun.

  “All right,” he said. “I want to know what kind of game you three are playing. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll talk.” Slowly he swiveled the gun so it pointed at each of them in turn.

  But before any of the girls could speak, he added, “It’s all over. You know that, don’t you? Whatever your game is, it’s all over now.”

  George straightened up and threw him a longing look. “I’m not playing a game, Sam!” she said tearfully. She turned to stare at Nancy and Amy. “I don’t know who these two are. I’ve never seen them before today!”

  “No?” Sam said. “Then what about that note? You remember that little thing—the note telling where Hal was? How’d that happen to drop on the floor at your feet?”

  “I wish I knew. Believe me, I wish I knew,” said George.

  “Someone gave it to me,” Nancy said firmly.

  But they hadn’t been planning on Amy’s reaction. She jumped out of her chair, slapping Sam’s gun out of her way, and bent over George.

  “You’re a fool,” she told Sam. “And I’m one too.” She grabbed George’s face and pushed her hair back. “I knew she looked familiar!” she said. “And this girl is a friend of hers.”

  Sam trained the gun on Nancy. Without moving, he asked, “Who is she?”

  “A friend of Monica Sloane’s, Lance Colson’s girlfriend.”

  Sam’s gun hand was trembling. Nancy didn’t know if it was from nerves or anger. Whatever the reason, she did know that his trembling hand was far more dangerous than a steady one.

  He was staring down at George now. “I thought you liked me,” he said. “I thought we could be something special together.”

  “We still can be,” pleaded George.

  “Shut up!” Sam shouted, turning the gun in her direction. “You didn’t like me. You never liked me. You just wanted to find out about Hal Colson!”

  Nancy’s pulse quickened. They had to find a way out of there before Sam hurt somebody. His hand was trembling more with each passing second, and sweat was pouring off his face.

  “Come here, Jed,” he said to the guy Nancy called Goliath. “Hold the gun on these two until I decide what to do with them. Feel free to use it if they cause any trouble.”

  Sam passed the gun to Jed. Jed wasn’t trembling. His grip was steady, sure, and straight—and the little grin at the corner of his mouth told Nancy all she wanted to know about Jed and guns. He had shot before—and liked it. He’d probably be delighted to have an excuse to shoot someone again.

  “Please, please tell me where Hal is,” Amy begged Sam. She grabbed his hand and stared searchingly into his face. “Where’s he hiding? What have you guys done with him?”

  “Will you just shut up?” snapped Sam. “I’m trying to think!”

  Amy’s eyes filled with tears. “I thought we were all friends. I thought you liked Hal. You’ve hurt him, haven’t you? I know you have! What are you going to do now? Get rid of me the way you’ve gotten rid of him?”

  “Well, that eliminates one suspect, Nan,” George said quietly to Nancy.

  “True,” answered Nancy. “She obviously doesn’t know where Hal is.”

  Amy gave them a look of pure hatred, then she burst into tears.

  “SHUT UP!” bellowed Sam. “Will the three of you keep quiet for a second?”

  Nancy’s head was still throbbing, but she knew she had to ignore it. Sam was practically twitching with nerves, and Jed looked as though he were just waiting for the signal to blow them away. The situation was about as dangerous as it was ever going to get, and Nancy needed a plan. Right then.

  Suddenly there were footsteps at the back door. A key turned in the lock. The door opened—and in walked Hal Colson!

  “Hal!” Amy shrieked, running to him and throwing her arms around his neck. “I’ve been so worried. I thought you were dead!”

  “Do I look it?” asked Hal with a grin. He certainly didn’t. He looked fit, healthy, and relaxed—completely different from the terror-stricken boy in the ransom photo.

  Amy was so excited she was laughing and crying at the same time. “Lance told me you’d gone to visit your grandmother in Michigan, but I just knew that had to be a lie,” she said, babbling on. “I was out of my mind! I just couldn’t stop thinking about you! I decided I wouldn’t give up until I’d found you. I’m so glad you’re all right!” She grabbed his head and kissed him.

  Hal took her hands and gently pulled them away. Then he smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead. “I didn’t want to get you involved, Amy,” he said. “I would have told you, but I wanted to surprise you with the money.”

  He slipped his arms around her and gave her a hug. “I was just going to show up at your door later today with a bagful of money and two tickets to the West Coast.”

  Amy’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes were round with amazement.

  “I know how much you like the ocean,” Hal said tenderly. “I thought we could spend some time in California, just surfing and hanging out on the beach.”

  “That would be wonderful,” said Amy, squeezing him around the waist. “But don’t ever surprise me like this again.” She put her head on his chest, then looked up into his eyes. “I was insane. I even went to Lester M
athers to see if he’d seen you.”

  Hal started to laugh. “That old guy? What did he tell you?”

  “Don’t laugh,” Amy said, pouting. “He told me not to worry. He said people like you always landed on their feet.”

  “I don’t know if he meant it as a compliment, but he was right.” Hal grinned cockily at her.

  “Know what else Lester told me?” asked Amy.

  Hal just smiled and shook his head.

  “He said his mother had died and left him a lot of money. He’s going to quit his job in two weeks and just travel and do what he wants.”

  So that was it. That was the conversation Nancy had heard outside Lester’s office. It had been Amy talking. Her words played through Nancy’s memory again. “Soon this will all be over, and you’ll be a rich man.” Of course. “This” meant working for a living.

  “We’re going to do just what he’s going to do,” Hal said. “Travel and do what we want. Only we aren’t going to have to wait until we’re fifty to do it. We won’t even have to wait for two weeks.”

  Amy tipped her head to one side and gave him a puzzled look. “But, Hal, where are we going to get the money?”

  “Yes, Hal,” Nancy broke in. “What’s your next move?”

  For the first time Hal seemed to notice her. “What’s it to you?” he asked, scowling. “I don’t know who you are, babe, but if you’ve messed up getting my money, I’ll have my friend here make you wish you hadn’t.” He nodded at Jed, who winked coyly at Nancy and pushed the gun even closer to her head.

  Now the pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together. “Your money?” Nancy asked thoughtfully. “The ransom money’s coming to you? So that’s it. This kidnapping was all a ploy!”

  “That’s right, smart girl,” Hal answered. He stepped closer to her. “And now that you know so much about me, how about saying a little something about yourself? You can start by telling me who you are.”

  “My name is Nancy Drew,” Nancy said coldly. “I’m a private detective. I was asked by your uncle Lance to investigate your kidnapping.”

  “Good old Lance! Always thinking of me.” Hal chuckled.

  “I was asked to find you and foil the ransom attempt,” Nancy continued.

  “I should have known! Lance would do anything to keep from paying my money.” He smirked at Nancy. “Too bad it’s not going to work the way you two had things planned. I hate him and he hates me,” Hal said. “I don’t know why he didn’t just leave things alone. It was a perfect setup—he would have been rid of me forever. Or at least for a while.”

  Nancy couldn’t understand Hal’s attitude. “Your uncle is worried sick about you,” she said. “What’s your problem, anyway?” She knew it was an unprofessional question, but Hal was really irritating her.

  “My problem?” Hal threw his hands into the air and let them fall at his sides. “My problem is my uncle,” he said. “Lance is the stingiest guardian alive. I have to wait until I’m twenty-five before I can even touch my own money. Who wants to wait that long? I’ve got things to do between now and then, and it’s going to take a little cash.”

  Hal patted Jed on the back. “So I made a deal with three of my friends. I’d pretend to be kidnapped. We’d collect, share the money, and then Amy and I would be off for the sunny California coast.”

  Nancy closed her eyes for a second. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Poor Lance! she thought. How did he put up with a kid like this?

  Sam was still in the chair he’d collapsed into after turning the gun over to Jed. Suddenly he stood up and started walking in agitated circles. He was still shaking, and he looked pale.

  “Something bad is going to happen,” he said to Hal. “We’re all going to get caught. I know it.” He grabbed Hal’s shirt. “We’re going to get caught, and then we’re going to jail.”

  “We’re not—”

  “I don’t want to go to jail, man!” Sam interrupted, kicking a chair violently. “I wish I’d never let you talk us into this!”

  Jed darted a glance over his shoulder at Sam. Quickly he turned back to Nancy and George—but Nancy could tell he was listening hard.

  “We were just goofing around, having some fun,” Sam said. “Now look at all the trouble we’re in.”

  “That’s right!” George said. “You’re not going to like prison,” she added sweetly.

  “No more talking, doll,” Jed ordered.

  “Oh, please excuse me,” answered George.

  Hal took Sam by the shoulders and forced him to stop pacing. “For the last time,” he said slowly and distinctly, “we are not going to get caught. We have the detective and her partner here. They aren’t going to mess up our plans. And Lance is probably too scared to do anything but what we’ve told him to do. Everything’s going to happen just the way we planned.”

  Sam was calmer now. Hal walked with him to the sofa.

  “Once we get our hands on that seventy-five grand, and I give you your share, you’re going to be real glad you were in on this deal,” Hal said.

  Seventy-five thousand? Nancy and George stared at each other.

  “What did you plan to do with the other four hundred thousand, Hal?” asked Nancy.

  Hal turned to look at her. Sam, Jed, and Amy turned to look at him.

  His face had lost a little of its color and a lot of its glow.

  “What four hundred thousand?” he asked.

  Chapter

  Thirteen

  YOU ASKED FOR four hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars in your first ransom note,” Nancy said. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember it, Hal. The one that was done up all nice and neat on your uncle’s stationery?”

  “The one with those cute little photos of you in it,” George added.

  Nancy picked up her purse and started to open it. “Here,” she said. “I’ll show you.”

  Jed’s gun was between Nancy’s eyes before she could get the clasp open.

  “Call off your friend,” Nancy ordered. “I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just thought you might have forgotten what that four-hundred-and-seventy-five-thousand-dollar note looked like. I’ve got it here in my purse to remind you.”

  Hal looked at both girls suspiciously. “Step back and let her get the note,” he ordered Jed.

  But when Nancy pulled the ransom note from her purse, Sam snapped. Leaping to his feet, he lunged at Nancy and grabbed the note from her hand.

  “Hey, give me that!” Hal ordered, reaching for it.

  Sam snatched it out of his way. “You just stay where you are, rich boy!” he said. He showed the note to Jed. Then he read it out loud—slowly, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “Four hundred and seventy-five thousand. She’s right,” he said. He looked at Jed. “I think it’s time to hold the gun on our friend Hal,” he said. “Our cheating friend Hal.”

  Jed finally spoke. “You should have known better than to try and cheat us, man. You had this planned all along, didn’t you? Giving us a measly third of seventy-five thousand to split three ways. One third to me, one third to Sam, one third to Dracula for taking the pictures. Then you take your fifty thousand plus four hundred more.”

  “A real friend,” George said. She looked at Sam. “I think you’ve both been had.”

  Sam shook his head. “No, this deal’s not over yet.” He glared at Hal. “With a payoff of almost half a million, a third of twenty-five thousand isn’t worth getting caught for. I say we up the stakes. How about you?” he asked Jed.

  Hal moved toward his two friends. “You guys have got to believe me. I don’t know where that note came from. I’m not trying to put anything over on anybody but my uncle. I swear!”

  “Notice he didn’t offer to give you any more of his money,” Nancy said, egging them on.

  Jed raised the gun slightly. “Just stay where you are, Hal.”

  Nancy was waiting for the time to make a move. She knew Jed would soon get himself into a position where she co
uld grab the gun without hurting anyone in the process.

  She was also keeping an eye on Amy, who had curled up on the sofa. It looked as though she was trying very hard to keep out of everything that was going on. Maybe Amy really hadn’t known about any of this. Sometimes she looked as shocked as Nancy felt about the things the three guys in the room were saying.

  Just stay out of my way, Amy, Nancy thought. When the time comes we may all get out of here alive.

  Hal turned to Sam. “You were with me when I snuck into the house and put that first ransom note on Lance’s desk,” he said. “Don’t you remember? It was written on notebook paper. Not that fancy stuff.” He pointed to the note in Sam’s hand. “It was like the one we left in the car that day.”

  “I remember,” Jed put in unexpectedly. “We all sat here at the table cutting words out of magazines so we could do both ransom notes at the same time.”

  “Exactly,” Hal said.

  Sam looked at Hal suspiciously. “I remember sneaking back into the mansion to leave that first note. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t have two notes with you when we went in. Maybe you just switched them when I wasn’t looking.”

  “And how would I have done that?” Hal asked. “We had the photos with the notebook-paper note. You both know we didn’t have two sets of pictures. Dracula took only one set. You guys were here when he did it!” Hal shook his head. “I couldn’t take my own picture. Give me a break.”

  He tugged at his hair in frustration. “First there was the ransom note we left on Lance’s desk,” he said to himself. “On notebook paper,” he emphasized to Sam. “Then there was that second note we left on the skeleton in my car.” He was starting to sound more confident. “Remember, Dracula stole that blood from the blood bank and we threw it all over the car?”

  Sam nodded. “Then she”—he pointed at George—“called Lance and told him to meet us at the footbridge.”

  Hal frowned at George. “She didn’t give us away, did she?”

  Jed and Sam both shook their heads.

  Hal started to pace. Then he said, “I know that if we stay calm, everything is going to be all right.”