The Wrong Chemistry by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Chapter

Nine

WITH A GROWING SENSE of excitement, Nancy read on. The paper suggested some of the same things she had read in the startling article in the library. The student planned an experiment to see if one kind of animal could accept a growth hormone from another kind of animal. Then, at the very end of the paper, she suggested someday trying a human growth hormone. Maszak’s comments were angry and critical, impatiently explaining why the experiment was doomed to fail. He gave the student an incomplete and suggested she pick another topic.

Nancy frowned. If her hunch was correct, the student wasn’t wrong at all—she had simply come dangerously close to copying Maszak’s own experiment. With an eerie feeling, Nancy stared at the fish and mice in the lab. Had Maszak already made a major breakthrough? Had he been using a human growth hormone on animals? Was CLT a human growth hormone?

The floorboards in the hall creaked loudly. Quickly Nancy scattered the papers across the counter again. She ducked into a closet and held her breath.

The lab door opened. She could hear someone moving around. At the same instant, she realized her walkie-talkie wasn’t with her. She had left it on Maszak’s counter. What an amateurish thing to do! She could kick herself.

Concentrating, Nancy pictured the counter in her mind, trying to remember where she had left the walkie-talkie before taking refuge in the closet. Hopefully, it was buried under the stacks of papers. If it wasn’t hidden, the thief might realize someone was there. Even worse, Nancy realized as her stomach took a sickening plunge, there was no way now for her to contact Ned.

Pressing the light on her watch, Nancy saw it was nine o’clock. An hour had passed since she last checked in. Ned might come down to see if she was all right. Together, the two of them might be able to overpower the thief—if it was the thief out there.

Whoever it was, he was taking his time in the lab. Nancy heard footsteps pacing. Then there was a grunt and something fell to the floor near the closet door. Nancy froze. Pressing her ear against the door, she could hear faint scratching sounds. The seconds passed like minutes. Finally she heard the lab door open and close. Fine, she told herself. I’ll just let another minute pass to make sure it’s safe to come out.

But before the minute went by, a faint smell of smoke wafted through the bottom of the closet. Nancy put her hand against the closet door. It was warm to the touch. The closet door was on fire!

Nancy yelled for Ned as she snatched some lab coats off the hangers around her. Wrapping one of them around her head to protect her face from the smoke, she grabbed another pile of coats to smother the flames. Taking a deep breath, she leaned against the door. It resisted her efforts. The smoke was getting thicker now. Choking, she leaned against the door, even harder.

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