could do without more bad news,”
The elevator whisked to a stop on the third floor, and Nancy and George stepped out into the hallway. Nurses and doctors bustled past, looking busy and efficient.
They found Laurie propped up on her pillows, her head bandaged. Her skin was pale and she looked tired, but she smiled when she saw Nancy and George. Her father had already left, and Mrs. Weaver slipped out to go to the cafeteria for coffee.
“Hi,” George said to Laurie, going to stand at the foot of her bed. “How are you feeling?”
Laurie smiled sadly. “Not so good, actually. When I think of what could have happened—”
Nancy touched Laurie’s shoulder. “You were lucky,” she said.
Laurie settled back, lifting a hand to her head and wincing with pain. “That depends on your viewpoint,” she replied. “You’re sure the other driver is all right?”
“He’s fine,” Nancy answered.
“And my car?”
Now it was Nancy who winced. “It’s on its way to the shop. I’m not sure whether it can be repaired or not.”
Laurie smiled sadly. “I guess I really blew it this time,” she said.
Before Nancy or George could answer, a nurse came in with a pill for Laurie to take. It seemed like a good time to leave, so the girls said goodbye to their friend and left the room.
“What now?” George asked.
Nancy sighed. “Adam was the only real suspect I had besides Jon. So I guess that leaves only one choice.”
They took the elevator downstairs and walked out of the building, hurrying across the parking lot to Nancy’s car.
“I think I’ll go for a drive—I really need to sort all this out,” Nancy said, as they pulled out into afternoon traffic. “Want to come along?”
George shook her head. “I’d like to, but I’ve got some stuff to do at home.”
Nancy dropped George off at her house and then set out for the lake. She turned on the radio. A familiar love song rolled out of the speakers, its melody sad and romantic. Now, where had she heard that song recently?
Ahead of Nancy, the traffic light turned red. She coasted to a halt. Why did she feel so completely wrong about this case? Why was it that she couldn’t bring herself to believe—really believe, in her heart—that Jon Villiers could be a cold-blooded killer? All the evidence pointed to him and no one else.
As the light changed, Nancy gripped the steeringwheel tightly. I have to talk to him, she realized. I have to lay it all out, give him a chance to explain.
Taking a deep breath, Nancy swung into a right turn and headed for Moves. She hoped her instincts were right.
Because if she were wrong, she was playing right into the hands of a murderer.
Chapter
Fifteen
T HERE WERE ONLY TWO CARS left in the parking lot at Moves as Nancy arrived. Nancy parked near the kitchen entrance to the club, thinking she’d find Jon in his office. The small room was empty, so Nancy picked her way through the debris of the fire until she reached the dance floor.
Jon was in the sound booth, frowning as he appeared to be examining the expensive equipment. When he saw Nancy, he gave her a weary smile.
“Hi,” he said, stepping out to speak with her.“I’m afraid it’ll be a while before we can open the club for business again. I’ve had to let all the waitresses go temporarily—”
“I didn’t come here about my job,” Nancy broke in quietly, folding her arms. It was time to be honest with Jon. “I have to ask you some serious questions, Jon—and I need straight answers.”
“This sounds pretty important,” Jon replied with a weary grin. “Let’s talk in my office.” He paused to look around at what remained of his club. “It’s about the only place in the building that wasn’t burned to a crisp.”
Nancy led the way back to Jon’s office and sat down in a chair facing him while he took a seat behind his desk. His elbows on the desktop, he made a steeple of his fingers and sat back to wait for Nancy to begin.
She took a deep
The elevator whisked to a stop on the third floor, and Nancy and George stepped out into the hallway. Nurses and doctors bustled past, looking busy and efficient.
They found Laurie propped up on her pillows, her head bandaged. Her skin was pale and she looked tired, but she smiled when she saw Nancy and George. Her father had already left, and Mrs. Weaver slipped out to go to the cafeteria for coffee.
“Hi,” George said to Laurie, going to stand at the foot of her bed. “How are you feeling?”
Laurie smiled sadly. “Not so good, actually. When I think of what could have happened—”
Nancy touched Laurie’s shoulder. “You were lucky,” she said.
Laurie settled back, lifting a hand to her head and wincing with pain. “That depends on your viewpoint,” she replied. “You’re sure the other driver is all right?”
“He’s fine,” Nancy answered.
“And my car?”
Now it was Nancy who winced. “It’s on its way to the shop. I’m not sure whether it can be repaired or not.”
Laurie smiled sadly. “I guess I really blew it this time,” she said.
Before Nancy or George could answer, a nurse came in with a pill for Laurie to take. It seemed like a good time to leave, so the girls said goodbye to their friend and left the room.
“What now?” George asked.
Nancy sighed. “Adam was the only real suspect I had besides Jon. So I guess that leaves only one choice.”
They took the elevator downstairs and walked out of the building, hurrying across the parking lot to Nancy’s car.
“I think I’ll go for a drive—I really need to sort all this out,” Nancy said, as they pulled out into afternoon traffic. “Want to come along?”
George shook her head. “I’d like to, but I’ve got some stuff to do at home.”
Nancy dropped George off at her house and then set out for the lake. She turned on the radio. A familiar love song rolled out of the speakers, its melody sad and romantic. Now, where had she heard that song recently?
Ahead of Nancy, the traffic light turned red. She coasted to a halt. Why did she feel so completely wrong about this case? Why was it that she couldn’t bring herself to believe—really believe, in her heart—that Jon Villiers could be a cold-blooded killer? All the evidence pointed to him and no one else.
As the light changed, Nancy gripped the steeringwheel tightly. I have to talk to him, she realized. I have to lay it all out, give him a chance to explain.
Taking a deep breath, Nancy swung into a right turn and headed for Moves. She hoped her instincts were right.
Because if she were wrong, she was playing right into the hands of a murderer.
Chapter
Fifteen
T HERE WERE ONLY TWO CARS left in the parking lot at Moves as Nancy arrived. Nancy parked near the kitchen entrance to the club, thinking she’d find Jon in his office. The small room was empty, so Nancy picked her way through the debris of the fire until she reached the dance floor.
Jon was in the sound booth, frowning as he appeared to be examining the expensive equipment. When he saw Nancy, he gave her a weary smile.
“Hi,” he said, stepping out to speak with her.“I’m afraid it’ll be a while before we can open the club for business again. I’ve had to let all the waitresses go temporarily—”
“I didn’t come here about my job,” Nancy broke in quietly, folding her arms. It was time to be honest with Jon. “I have to ask you some serious questions, Jon—and I need straight answers.”
“This sounds pretty important,” Jon replied with a weary grin. “Let’s talk in my office.” He paused to look around at what remained of his club. “It’s about the only place in the building that wasn’t burned to a crisp.”
Nancy led the way back to Jon’s office and sat down in a chair facing him while he took a seat behind his desk. His elbows on the desktop, he made a steeple of his fingers and sat back to wait for Nancy to begin.
She took a deep
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