The Clue on the Crystal Dove by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

10

Surprise at the Door

Nancy forced her gaze upward as she clung to the railing, its metal edges digging into her hands. George leaned over the railing and reached down to help, but no matter how far she stretched, her fingertips remained inches from Nancy’s hands.

Nancy’s palms were slick with perspiration. With every ounce of energy she had, she concentrated on maintaining her grip. Otherwise, she knew her hands would slip and she’d be lost.

“Help!” she heard George cry out from above. “Help! My friend has fallen from the bridge. She’s clinging to the base of the railing. Someone’s got to help us — now!”

Seconds later two young men with dreadlocks peered over the railing at Nancy. “Avery!” shouted the one on the left. “You and this young lady here — you hold my legs as I lean over the bridge. I think I can lift her up if you hold me tight.”

“Okay, John, we’ve got you,” his friend declared.

As George and Avery held on to him, John inched himself over the railing until it pushed against his waist. George’s face turned red with the strain of John’s weight. Cautiously John reached toward Nancy and grabbed her wrists. “Let go,” he gasped. “I’ve got you.”

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Nancy let go of the railing. She felt a momentary relief as she realized that she wasn’t falling.

Tilting his face toward George and Avery, John shouted, “Hold on to me tight — I’m pulling her up!”

Nancy felt John’s powerful arms slowly lifting her. The moment she could get a toehold on the bottom of the railing, she helped him out by pushing herself upward.

Seconds later Nancy was scrambling over the railing to safety. Her legs felt like jelly as she drew in deep ragged breaths of air, but she forced herself to keep her wits about her.

“How are you, Nan?” George asked, her hands on Nancy’s shoulders as she peered at her with concern and relief. “Thank goodness John and Avery came along.”

“I’m okay,” Nancy said gamely. Turning to John and Avery, she added, “Thank you so much for rescuing me. I would have fallen and been killed if you guys hadn’t come along.”

“Did you see who pushed Nancy?” George asked the two guys.

Avery shook his head. “No, I didn’t even notice that someone had fallen until you yelled for help.”

“Same here,” John said.

“I saw this shadow out of the corner of my eye just before I was pushed,” Nancy told them. “But I never got to see who it was.”

Crowds of people continued across the bridge on their way home from work as Nancy, George, John, and Avery stood talking. “Look at all these people,” George commented, “and not one of them came forward to give us any info about your attacker, Nan.”

John frowned. “Maybe no one noticed the attack,” he offered. “It’s crowded on the bridge at rush hour. There’s so much going on in this city that sometimes your senses get bombarded — people have to tune some things out, or else they’d go nuts.

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