016 Never Say Die by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Nine

SILENTLY, NANCY SLITHERED from her sleeping bag. Standing up, she tiptoed to the doorway and listened.

Creak!

The intruder was almost at the top of the stairs. She had to do something.

Mentally, Nancy reviewed the layout of George’s room. There was a softball bat in the corner—or was it in the closet? No good. She needed something else. The desk chair! That was it. It was right next to her sleeping bag. Tiptoeing back, she groped in the dark and found it.

She lifted the chair over her head.

Creak!

Once again Nancy tiptoed back to the door. It was very dark. She couldn’t see a thing. The door was ajar, she remembered. Feeling with her foot, she found it and pushed it open. Now the way into the hall was clear.

Anxiously, she peered into the void ahead. Should she attack now? Go for it, she told herself. Whoever’s out there can’t see, either.

Slowly, she took a step forward. Then another. And another. Then—whack! The chair hit the doorjamb overhead! Angry, Nancy tried to lower the chair, but she lost her grip. The chair fell to the floor with a crash.

“What was that?” George exclaimed in a loud voice.

Footsteps hurried down the stairs. The intruder was getting away! Nancy groped for the hall light switch. She flicked it on just as the front door slammed.

“Mr. Fayne! George! Follow me!”

Furious with herself, Nancy raced down the stairs and through the front hall. If she hurried, she could still get a look at the intruder.

Yanking the door open, she dashed out onto the front lawn. She glanced around but didn’t see anyone. Great! She’d let the intruder get away!

“Nancy?”

The front porch lights came on. Nancy blinked. Mr. Fayne’s deep voice called out again. “Nancy, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Mr. Fayne.”

“What happened?”

She walked back across the lawn. “There was an intruder in the house, but he got away.”

Just then, George, Bess, and Mrs. Fayne spilled down the stairs, shouting questions all at once. Mr. Fayne reassured them that everything was all right, but Mrs. Fayne was still frightened.

To calm her, Mr. Fayne made a thorough search of the property.

“I don’t believe you, Nan,” Bess said when Nancy had explained what happened. They were standing in the kitchen. “You actually tried to clobber the burglar with a chair?”

“Actually, I don’t think it was a burglar,” Nancy said. “I think it may have been someone who didn’t know that George had a couple of friends sleeping over tonight.”

“You mean—”

Mr. Fayne walked in, interrupting Bess. “Yes, that’s exactly what she means. And I’m afraid she may be right. Come and look at what I found outside!”

Quickly, they followed him out to the driveway. He pointed his flashlight at the front of the garage door.

Mrs. Fayne gasped. On the door was the picture of George that had been in the newspaper. It was pinned in place with a gleaming butcher knife!

• • •

The next morning Nancy set out for the Imperial Motel. She was angry. The picture on the Faynes’ garage door had been the last straw.

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