026 Playing With Fire by Carolyn Keene

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

Chapter

Nine

HANG ON, EVERYBODY!” Nancy yelled, gently pumping the brakes.

The curve was littered with loose gravel. Nancy felt the car skidding and sliding sideways toward the edge of the cliff. She eased the steering wheel in the direction of the skid, trying not to panic—and hoping to regain control before they crashed through the low guard rail. Then, just as it seemed they were going to spin off the road and crash onto the rocks below, Nancy turned the wheel and the car responded. She swung it into a scenic overlook.

George whistled. “That was close!”

“What were they trying to do?” Bess demanded when she caught her breath. “Kill us?”

Nancy fell back against the seat and stared at the windshield. “It sure seems like that’s what they were trying to do.”

George opened the door and got out to look at the black oil on the windshield. “One thing’s for sure—this isn’t the kind of stuff you’d just happen to be carrying while you’re driving around. They were definitely trying to kill us!”

Just after they cleaned the windshield and were climbing back in, the car phone rang. Nancy picked it up to hear Mr. Talbot, his voice tense and strained.

“Mrs. Malone, the clerk who checks the money into the vault, has just been taken to the police station for questioning,” he said. “Apparently the insurance company’s convinced that there’s been some kind of monkey business about last week’s cash receipts.” His voice broke. “I can’t believe she’s got anything to do with what’s happened. She’s one of my oldest and most trusted employees. And the D.A. has just told me that a grand jury may be convened. If that happens, Nancy—if this ugly business gets into the newspapers—I stand to lose everything!”

“Don’t worry,” Nancy told him, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of this soon.”

“I hope so,” Mr. Talbot said. “It’s not just the reputation of the hotel any longer—it’s my whole future and the futures of all my employees that’re at stake!”

• • •

Sheik Hassan Karim Abdullah’s mansion was palatial and overlooked the ocean. The front courtyard, cooled by tall palms and filled with blooming flowers, had a waterfall that bubbled down over rocks into a pool. It looked like something out of a movie.

“The set’s beautiful,” George whispered as the three girls followed the sheik’s male secretary through the courtyard. “But I can’t say much for the cast.” Two mustached and fierce-looking men had stopped them at the gate, and two others stood guard at the door to the house.

The secretary overheard George and smiled at her. “Of course,” he said in a clipped British accent, “we must be very careful, for security. Sheik Abdullah has a priceless art collection.” He opened the door and ushered them in.

Nancy swallowed. The hallway was like a museum, with huge oil paintings flanking both walls. Massive sculptures stood in each corner. A case at the middle of the hall held the most beautiful jewelry Nancy had ever seen. On the top shelf was a golden diadem studded with pearls and diamonds.

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