Hot Pursuit

  She was about to return to her table when she heard a shuffle of feet just on the other side of the oleander bush she was standing next to.

  “There you are,” a voice growled.

  “Good evening, Ricky.” Nancy recognized the smooth voice of Steven Gibbs, but she couldn’t see him or his friend. “You and the other guys in the band are enjoying yourself, I trust?” Gibbs asked.

  “Don’t humor me,” the other one snapped, and Nancy knew then it had to be Ricky Angeles, the Hot Rods’ bass player. “You’ve been avoiding me all night,” Ricky went on. “Stop trying to give me the runaround. I want to know what’s going on—now!”

  Nancy felt uneasy about listening to their argument. She had just decided to walk away when she heard Gibbs say, “Ricky, please, be patient. These things take time. She’ll get here soon.”

  She? Gibbs’s words rang in Nancy’s head. Who were they talking about?

  “I’ve waited long enough,” Ricky snapped angrily. “Where is she?”

  After a pause Nancy heard Gibbs say, “I told you, she’ll be here soon.”

  Nancy shook herself, embarrassed that she had allowed herself to eavesdrop on so much of their argument. She was about to make a noise to let them know she was there, when Ricky’s voice rose.

  “Listen, Gibbs. You’d better make good on your promise, or I’ll tell people what really goes on here at Pineapple Grove!”

  Chapter

  Four

  THAT WAS SOME PARTY,” George said as she buttered a raspberry muffin the next morning. “I’ve heard of making a dramatic entrance. But last night everyone seemed to be competing for the most dramatic exit.”

  The girls were eating breakfast on the main dining terrace next to the beach. A huge blue-and-white-striped canopy covered the entire area, offering guests protection from the sun as they ate from white wrought-iron tables.

  “It was a bit like the plot of a soap opera,” Nancy agreed. “I wasn’t surprised when Woody and Courtney stormed out. But I didn’t think Ricky Angeles was that high-strung.”

  “He’s not, according to the press,” Bess said, spreading orange marmalade on a roll. “He has a reputation for being cool and easygoing.”

  Nancy took a sip of grapefruit juice. “He sounded pretty upset when he was talking with Gibbs. I wish I knew who the woman was they were talking about.”

  “Maybe she’s a musician who’s flying in to join the band,” George suggested.

  “That might explain some of the rumors about tension among the band members,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “But why would Ricky get mad at Steve Gibbs about something like that? Gibbs doesn’t have anything to do with the band.”

  “What if it’s something romantic?” Bess said. “Maybe Ricky is planning a secret rendezvous with a beautiful celebrity, right here at Pineapple Grove.”

  Nancy nodded. “That’s a possibility, too.” She thought for a moment, staring out at the sparkling Caribbean. “I wonder how Gibbs met the Hot Rods in the first place?”

  “Last night at the party Tucker told us that they’d never met Gibbs before yesterday,” George said. “He said that Gibbs approached their agent and offered them the use of the resort for their video, probably just for the publicity.”

  Nancy buttered a slice of toast and took a bite. “That makes sense,” she speculated out loud. “But the Hot Rods do seem to have some secrets. Ricky was really fired up about something last night. I wonder what he meant when he threatened to reveal what’s going on at Pineapple Grove.”

  At that moment Nancy noticed Courtney Brooks standing at the head of the buffet line with a plate of fruit in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Nancy waved, and the singer walked over to join the girls.

  “I have to eat and run,” Courtney said apologetically. “I have a rehearsal this morning.”

  “I’m going to a rehearsal, too,” Bess said, blushing. “I ran into Tucker in the lobby, and he invited me to watch the Hot Rods rehearse in the gazebo. He’s so adorable. Now that I’ve met him, I’m crazier about him than ever.”

  “I’m glad you got to meet the guys in your favorite band,” Courtney said. Nancy was relieved that Bess’s mentioning the Hot Rods didn’t seem to bother Courtney.

  “Actually, we were just discussing them,” Nancy told Courtney. “We were wondering about Ricky Angeles. He mentioned that he was meeting someone here—a girl—and we were wondering—”

  “If he’s dating anyone?” Courtney finished Nancy’s question with an amused smile on her lips. “Not that I know of. But I’d be the last person Ricky would confide in. We never saw eye to eye. He always thought I was trying to steal Woody away from his precious band.”

  “Did you and Ricky argue about that?” Nancy asked.

  Courtney shrugged and spiked a piece of pineapple with her fork. “Not really. Tucker and I went a few rounds. We used to fight like cats and dogs, but Ricky just went off and sulked when he was mad. He’s quiet, keeps pretty much to himself.”

  Nancy frowned. That hardly sounded like the guy who was threatening Gibbs the night before.

  “Unlike Woody,” Courtney continued, “Ricky’s definitely low-key. Don’t you love his dark, exotic eyes? He was born in the Philippines, you know. Woody told me that Ricky’s grandfather brought him to America when he was eight years old. His grandfather died last year, and I don’t think he has any other family left. The guy lives just for his music.”

  Courtney finished off her coffee and ate the last forkful of fruit. “Sorry,” she told the girls, getting up, “but I’ve got to run.”

  Nancy nodded as the blond singer dashed from the table. She was still wondering about Ricky’s threat. “There is something strange going on here,” she said, thinking out loud. “Last night at the party Ricky made an outright threat. If he’s usually a quiet, easygoing guy, then something is really bothering him.”

  Bess shook her head. “I think he’s just so much in love, he can’t control his temper. I wonder who the mysterious she is?”

  “Bess could be right on this one, Nan,” George added. “The guy is probably just crazy about some girl.”

  Nancy shook her head slowly. “I don’t know . . . I just have this feeling there’s a mystery here. A guy like Ricky doesn’t toss off threats without good reason. Something’s going on,” she added decisively. “I just have to find out what it is.”

  “Uh-oh, I sense a new case,” Bess said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not letting a case or anything else get in the way of going to the Hot Rods’ rehearsal.” She got up from the table. “Do you have plans?”

  “Snorkeling this morning,” George told her cousin, “and waterskiing this afternoon. It’s about time we got some exercise.”

  “I could have guessed,” Bess teased. “Well, I guess I’ll see you before dinner.” With a quick wave goodbye, she took off for the gazebo. “Catch you later.”

  Nancy and George went back to their room to change into swimsuits before heading down to the boat landing. They boarded the small motor-boat that was used to taxi swimmers to various parts of the island’s coral reef.

  “You’ll have to dive in teams,” instructed the boat driver. “That way you can keep track of one another underwater.”

  George and Nancy looked at each other and then at the two guys in their early twenties who were sitting across from them in the boat. “Want to be on our team?” she asked.

  “Sure,” one of the dark-haired guys said with a nod. “My name is Juan Cordero, and this is my brother Eduardo.”

  “Call me Ed,” the brother said. The skin beside his warm brown eyes crinkled as he smiled at the girls.

  Nancy found herself staring at the dark-haired Corderos as they all assembled their masks and air tubes. Something about the two young men seemed awfully familiar, but she couldn’t quite place them. She was trying to remember where she might have seen them, when the boat’s driver cut the motor and turned to the swimme
rs.

  “For your own safety, stay close to the other members of your team,” the driver warned them. “Each team will have to choose a captain who’s responsible for getting everyone back to the boat in thirty minutes.”

  George’s strong, athletic build made her a natural choice for the captain of their team. Glancing down at her wrist, George frowned. “I left my watch back in the room.”

  “That’s okay,” Juan Cordero said. “You can borrow mine.” He unstrapped a black waterproof sports watch from his wrist and handed it to her.

  A moment later the swimmers plunged into the water, checked their lightweight gear, then submerged their heads under the waterline so that just the ends of their snorkels stuck out.

  Nancy was delighted by the aquamarine-colored world underwater. It was incredible to be swimming among the brilliantly colored tropical fish. She caught her breath as a glittering school of silvery fish darted around her legs. Beside her, George pointed out three bright orange fish that looked as if they were playing a game of tag. Ed found a clump of coral that was shaped like a huge tree, and Juan moved through the water so calmly that the schools of tropical fish actually followed him around instead of swimming away.

  By the time George motioned that their time was up, Nancy felt as if she’d seen a billion rare, colorful kinds of sea life.

  “That was great!” George exclaimed as soon as she took out her mouthpiece. Turning to the Cordero brothers, who were climbing back into the boat, she said, “I can tell that you guys have done this before.”

  “We did a lot of snorkeling at home,” Juan explained. “The beach was only a stone’s throw from our home in the Dominican Republic.”

  “The Dominican Republic?” Nancy tried to remember her geography. “That’s not too far from here, is it?”

  Ed nodded. “It’s in the Caribbean.”

  “Why did you come here for a vacation?” George asked, climbing into the boat behind the brothers. “I would think you’d want to try something different, like skiing in the mountains or ice-skating.”

  Nancy noticed that Ed and Juan became uncomfortable and acted awkward. Ed played with the strap of his mask as he mumbled, “Maybe we will, someday.”

  Nancy and George exchanged a confused look. The brothers were obviously taken off guard by George’s question, but Nancy didn’t understand why. She didn’t want to seem nosy, though, so she let the subject drop and climbed up into the boat to join the others.

  It didn’t take long for the Corderos to regain their good humor. While the boat cruised back to shore, Juan leaned over and asked Nancy and George, “Are you girls up for a sports challenge tomorrow?”

  Watching George’s face light up, Nancy said with a laugh, “If it has anything to do with sports, George will go for it.”

  “Good,” Ed said, smiling at them. “Then we will meet you at the tennis courts tomorrow morning at ten. And let me warn you, we are very competitive.”

  George returned his smile. “So am I.”

  • • •

  “The Hot Rods are going to start filming their video tonight in the dance club!” Bess came bounding into the room from her spot on the balcony as soon as Nancy and George got back that afternoon.

  “They want the excitement of a live audience,” Bess went on breathlessly, “which means that we could end up in the video! Can you imagine the faces of the kids in River Heights when they see us in the Hot Rods’ new video?”

  George stepped calmly past her cousin and went to hang her wet towel on the balcony railing. “If we get on camera, and if the segment isn’t cut,” she pointed out matter-of-factly.

  Bess placed her hands on her hips and said indignantly, “How can you be so calm about it? Anyway, I have an in with the band, so I’m sure we’ll be on it.”

  “An in?” Nancy repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose that ‘in’ would be the awesomely gorgeous Tucker?”

  From the way Bess blushed, Nancy knew she had guessed correctly, but all Bess said was, “You’d better hurry up and change. We can go straight to the club after we eat.”

  “We have lots of time.” George held up her wrist and noticed the sports watch still strapped on her wrist. “Oh, no! I forgot to give Juan his watch back.”

  “Juan?” Bess wriggled her eyebrows. “I can see that you didn’t waste the day, either.”

  George told Bess about the Cordero brothers. “They’re nice guys,” she finished, shrugging, “but I don’t feel like dropping anything to be with them. I guess I’d rather concentrate on having a good time at the resort than on dating.”

  • • •

  Nancy’s skin tingled from being in the sun, and all the day’s exercise had made her hungry. It felt good to take a cool shower and dig into the dinner of broiled tuna and fresh salad that was served in the terrace dining room.

  George searched the terrace with her eyes as they ate. “I was hoping I’d see Juan so I could return his watch,” she said. “I hate to keep something so valuable. Maybe I’ll stop by his room right after dinner, and I can meet you guys at the club after that.”

  George took off to find Ed while Nancy and Bess climbed the carpeted stairs to Pineapple Grove’s dance club. The club was located in a stucco building next to the dining terrace. Thousands of tiny lights were strung across the side of the building, giving it a festive look.

  “Do you hear that?” Nancy asked as they approached the entrance.

  “Yes!” Bess smiled and began to snap her fingers to the beat. “It’s the Hot Rods—and the crowd adores them. Obviously, they began a little early.”

  Inside, the large room was pulsing with excitement. The crowd was swaying in time to the music, clapping their hands. A few girls shrieked as Woody jumped high into the air at center stage.

  Ricky Angeles stood in a second spotlight at the side of the stage, his dark eyes wide as he sang the harmonies to a rock ballad: “ ‘Will you take the chance? Come on and dance!’ ” Behind him, Tucker threw his drumsticks into the air and caught them without missing a beat.

  “Isn’t he fantastic?” Bess shouted, waving at Tucker and jumping up and down.

  “They’re all great!” Nancy agreed, clapping along.

  One camera was pointed at the band. A second camera panned the room, filming the faces of the exuberant crowd.

  “Over here!” Bess cried, smiling and winking for the camera. She clapped and swayed when the eye of the camera swept over them.

  Nancy turned as she felt a nudge from behind. The crowd was opening to allow someone to enter, and Nancy saw that the late arrivals were Steve Gibbs and Courtney Brooks. Their arms were linked as they walked toward the stage. Gibbs was beaming, obviously delighted to have the Hot Rods performing in his club. With a grin, he watched the camera that was focused on the band.

  Gibbs looked down at Courtney, then flinched when he lifted his eyes and noticed the second camera filming the audience. The expression on his face darkened instantly, and he elbowed his way through the crowd to lunge at the cameraman.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Gibbs demanded, grabbing the cameraman by the arm and shaking him.

  Nancy watched in surprise as the cameraman sputtered, “I’m just doing my job, man—”

  The band stopped playing and the crowd fell silent as Gibbs tore the camera from the man’s arms, knocking him to the ground. “That’s enough!”

  Chapter

  Five

  NANCY STARED at Gibbs, amazed. It looked as if he might hit the cameraman, but Woody jumped down from the stage and stepped between them, helping the man to his feet.

  “Hey, what’s your problem?” Woody asked, staring at Gibbs. Tucker and Ricky were right behind him.

  Gibbs’s blue eyes glittered furiously. He opened his mouth to shout again, then seemed to reconsider as he glanced around at the crowd, now ominously silent. Almost everyone was staring at him, and Nancy could tell that they were shocked by his outburst.

  When Gibbs fin
ally answered, his voice was clipped. “I can’t allow you to film my guests.” With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a waiter and gave him quick instructions. A moment later taped music was switched on, and the camera operator was escorted outside. The mood of the crowd eased as people began to talk and dance.

  Nancy and Bess pressed forward toward the stage, and heard Woody ask angrily, “So what’s the deal, Gibbs? You invite us here to film a video, and then you assault our cameraman.”

  Nancy had been wondering the same thing, but Gibbs shook his head and said firmly, “That’s not the case at all, Woody. Your agent understood that there can be no filming of our guests. Didn’t she warn you? You’re welcome to film any of the facilities here, but I can’t have any of my clients appearing on tape. Many of them come to Pineapple Grove to get away from cameras and nosy reporters. I have to respect their privacy.”

  As he spoke, Nancy saw that Gibbs had regained his composure and was acting with diplomatic skill once again. “I’m sorry if I frightened you and your crew,” Gibbs continued, reaching out to touch Woody’s shoulder. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go apologize to your cameraman right now.” He left the room, with Courtney following uneasily behind.

  Bess stepped forward and tapped Tucker on the arm. “We can’t be in the video? It’s not fair.”

  “I’m afraid he’s right,” Ricky said sheepishly. “Remember how we talked about getting photo releases? Rachel agreed that there’d be too much legal paperwork involved. We can’t use the tape we took tonight without getting a signature from every single person here.”

  “The guy had a point,” Tucker agreed, “but he didn’t have to manhandle our cameraman to prove it.” He shrugged, turning to Bess. “I guess we’re taking a break. Do you want to dance?”

  As the couple went out on the dance floor, Woody turned to Ricky and said, “Gibbs may be right, but I still don’t like the way he operates. Did you see the way Courtney followed him around? I can’t believe she’d fall for a guy like that!”