Close Encounters (Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective Book 21) by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2012-05-22T04:00:00+00:00

10

Close Encounter

Addie May Nichols, you’re making no sense. Slow down. Tell me exactly what happened.” Officer Cargill tried to take the woman’s arm, but she shook him off.

“If I knew exactly what happened, I wouldn’t be here, would I?” she replied testily.

“Probably not,” he said. I could see he was trying to humor her. “But start from the beginning. What’s all this about your brother going missing? More to the point, what in the world does this have to do with one of your dogs?”

Upon hearing the officer’s words, I instantly realized two things. This woman was Aldwin’s sister. And while the mayor knew about the dognapping, the officer didn’t.

I found that latter bit decidedly odd. Almost as odd as seeing who chose that moment to slide out of the driver’s side of the pickup truck.

I recognized him immediately as Nathan Blackman. That’s when I remembered where I’d heard of the Nichols farm. Blackman was renting one of the farm’s chateau cabins.

He leaned back against the cab of the truck. His expression was decidedly amused as he watched Addie May begin her story.

She explained how Aldwin discovered Sherlock had been dognapped. “Then, after the troopers left, Aldwin came into the house. I was in the basement doing laundry. When I came back upstairs, he was gone. At first I thought he’d headed off to look for Sherlock, but then I found his cane on the porch. He couldn’t have gone far without it.”

“Probably those aliens teleported him clear off the porch,” Nathan said, his voice mocking.

Though I still wasn’t sold on the alien abduction scenario, I couldn’t stand Nathan’s sarcastic tone. “And exactly what do you think happened to Aldwin?” I challenged.

He shrugged. “Beats me. First a dog goes missing, then the dog’s owner. Maybe it really is aliens, or . . . who knows? So many new folks in town could mean some foul play.”

I found Nathan’s suggestion curious. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the guy was up to no good. Then again, maybe I was being unfair. Just because he looked scruffy and eccentric didn’t mean he was up to no good.

I had learned a long time ago to trust my instincts, though—and my gut feeling about Nathan Blackman said there was more to him than met the eye.

The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed that a science fiction writer might very well benefit from living in a town where aliens were rumored to abduct people and their pets. It was the perfect place to write an eyewitness report. With the publicity he’d boost his chances of getting a more lucrative deal for his next book.

Since he lived on the Nichols farm, it would be a cinch for him to lure Sherlock away. As for Aldwin . . . I shuddered at the thought. Luring either of them might be easy, but keeping them hidden would be nearly impossible—unless he had done them some real harm.

I decided I had to get back to the farm and somehow check out his cabin when he wasn’t around.

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