her a comforting smile. “Other people have lived through it, Nikki, and you will, too. One thingabout this whole ordeal, it’ll separate your true friends from pretenders.”
“Probably you, Robin, and Lacey will be the only ones who will still talk to me when this is over.” Nikki’s head hung down and she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I don’t believe that, Nikki. There are other good people out there. You’ll find them.”
Nancy bundled Nikki into the Mustang and drove her home.
Nikki’s parents were anxiously waiting for her. “She’s free, for now,” Nancy told them. “They want to see her again when my dad gets back.” Nancy left Nikki in their care and drove off toward Vanities.
By the time she got there, it was almost eleven, and the store was starting to get crowded with Saturday shoppers.
“Nancy!” Trisha waved and came over to greet her from across the store. “Long time no see,” she said with a smile. For some reason, Trisha seemed much friendlier than the last time Nancy had seen her.
“Where’s Charlene?” Nancy wanted to know, looking at the vacant spot behind the cash register.
“Out sick,” Trisha told her. “If you believe her excuses.”
“Dan Taylor was murdered last night,” Nancy said. “Did you know?”
Trisha’s face took on a serious expression. She shook her head sadly. “Yes, I read about it in the papers. They said his girlfriend did it.”
Just the thought of Brenda writing that story made Nancy’s blood boil, but she couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her now. “Is Max around? I want to ask him a few questions.”
Trisha’s eyes widened. “You think he’s the thief?” she whispered. “Really? I don’t think he’s smart enough.”
“I just want to talk to him.” On a hunch, Nancy said, “Oh, by the way, Trisha, I hear you and Dan were rather friendly at one time.”
Trisha gasped. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with an edge to her voice. “He was really a nice kid underneath all the bluster. I felt sorry for him—he had so many big dreams,” Trisha said sadly. “He was always telling me how he was going to be a millionaire by the time he was thirty.” She let out a little laugh.
Nancy ignored Trisha’s malicious joke. “By the way, I’m checking up on where everyone was last night, in case there’s a connection between Dan’s death and the store thefts.”
Trisha looked startled. “What are you talking about?” she exclaimed. “His girlfriend did it. If you’re accusing me, you might as well know I was with Kate Hayes at a dinner with clients from L.A., and we were there until eleven. You can check it out if you want.”
“Just looking at all the angles,” Nancy explained.
“Max is in the back,” Trisha said coldly.
Nancy walked through the boutique to the stockroom. Max Hudson was at work, opening cartons.
“Max, I’m asking everyone the same question. Where were you last night?”
“None of your business!” he snapped angrily.
“Max, let me level with you,” Nancy began delicately. “A few nights ago I saw you at the Sixplex, and then later, at the River Heights Arcade, I saw Dan getting beat up—”
“Okay, okay,” Max said, tucking the utility knife into his shirt pocket and facing her. “So you saw me punching out Dan Taylor.”
“That’s right,” Nancy answered. “Why?”
Max looked scared. Then, he exploded. “That turkey owed me money! That’s why. I’ve been trying to get it back for months, and finally I blew my cool. I got tired of all his excuses about why he didn’t have the money.”
“How much money did he owe you?” Nancy asked.
“Two hundred bucks,” the stockboy complained. “But, hey, I didn’t kill the guy. I’m not so hard up I’d kill somebody for two hundred dollars.”
Taking the knife from his pocket, he went back to work.
Nancy had to admit Max’s point about two hundred dollars not being worth killing for. But if Max and Dan
“Probably you, Robin, and Lacey will be the only ones who will still talk to me when this is over.” Nikki’s head hung down and she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I don’t believe that, Nikki. There are other good people out there. You’ll find them.”
Nancy bundled Nikki into the Mustang and drove her home.
Nikki’s parents were anxiously waiting for her. “She’s free, for now,” Nancy told them. “They want to see her again when my dad gets back.” Nancy left Nikki in their care and drove off toward Vanities.
By the time she got there, it was almost eleven, and the store was starting to get crowded with Saturday shoppers.
“Nancy!” Trisha waved and came over to greet her from across the store. “Long time no see,” she said with a smile. For some reason, Trisha seemed much friendlier than the last time Nancy had seen her.
“Where’s Charlene?” Nancy wanted to know, looking at the vacant spot behind the cash register.
“Out sick,” Trisha told her. “If you believe her excuses.”
“Dan Taylor was murdered last night,” Nancy said. “Did you know?”
Trisha’s face took on a serious expression. She shook her head sadly. “Yes, I read about it in the papers. They said his girlfriend did it.”
Just the thought of Brenda writing that story made Nancy’s blood boil, but she couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her now. “Is Max around? I want to ask him a few questions.”
Trisha’s eyes widened. “You think he’s the thief?” she whispered. “Really? I don’t think he’s smart enough.”
“I just want to talk to him.” On a hunch, Nancy said, “Oh, by the way, Trisha, I hear you and Dan were rather friendly at one time.”
Trisha gasped. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with an edge to her voice. “He was really a nice kid underneath all the bluster. I felt sorry for him—he had so many big dreams,” Trisha said sadly. “He was always telling me how he was going to be a millionaire by the time he was thirty.” She let out a little laugh.
Nancy ignored Trisha’s malicious joke. “By the way, I’m checking up on where everyone was last night, in case there’s a connection between Dan’s death and the store thefts.”
Trisha looked startled. “What are you talking about?” she exclaimed. “His girlfriend did it. If you’re accusing me, you might as well know I was with Kate Hayes at a dinner with clients from L.A., and we were there until eleven. You can check it out if you want.”
“Just looking at all the angles,” Nancy explained.
“Max is in the back,” Trisha said coldly.
Nancy walked through the boutique to the stockroom. Max Hudson was at work, opening cartons.
“Max, I’m asking everyone the same question. Where were you last night?”
“None of your business!” he snapped angrily.
“Max, let me level with you,” Nancy began delicately. “A few nights ago I saw you at the Sixplex, and then later, at the River Heights Arcade, I saw Dan getting beat up—”
“Okay, okay,” Max said, tucking the utility knife into his shirt pocket and facing her. “So you saw me punching out Dan Taylor.”
“That’s right,” Nancy answered. “Why?”
Max looked scared. Then, he exploded. “That turkey owed me money! That’s why. I’ve been trying to get it back for months, and finally I blew my cool. I got tired of all his excuses about why he didn’t have the money.”
“How much money did he owe you?” Nancy asked.
“Two hundred bucks,” the stockboy complained. “But, hey, I didn’t kill the guy. I’m not so hard up I’d kill somebody for two hundred dollars.”
Taking the knife from his pocket, he went back to work.
Nancy had to admit Max’s point about two hundred dollars not being worth killing for. But if Max and Dan
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