afternoon, I think. He’ll want to get the whole story from Nikki.”
“I’ll be seeing him tonight, then, I guess,” he said, wearily rubbing a hand over his face. “Guess I’d better go home and catch forty winks. I’ve been up most of the night,” he said, throwing her a smile. “Whatever you do, don’t ‘clean up’ my desk, understand? I’ve got my own unique sort of order, believe it or not.”
“Oh, I believe it.” Nancy laughed, sitting down in his chair and getting to work.
An hour later she had gotten to the bottom of the pile of evidence. In front of her was the police photo of the letter N Dan Taylor had scratched into the ground. She stared at it, thinking. The case was just out of reach, inches beyond her grasp. What was the missing link?
Then she realized what she was looking at. In her musings, Nancy had cocked her head, so that she was now staring down at the N from one side. It was a funny-looking N, sort of like a lightning bolt.
In fact, now that she looked at it, she saw the letter was not an N at all. It was a Z!
Nancy ran her hands through her hair, tugging at it in frustration. Z—Z—What did it mean? None of her suspects’ names began with Z, and yet, Nancy knew it had to be an important clue. If only she could make the connection.
The day was flying by, and there was a lot more ground to cover. Nancy filed the Z question away for the moment and quickly went through what was left of the evidence. There was nothing there. In fact, there was nothing anywhere about the envelope Dan had stuffed in Nikki’s purse. The chief thought Nikki was making it up, but Nancy believed—no, she knew—there had been an envelope!
Now it was gone. That meant Dan’s killer had taken it. Now, why would the killer take a love letter? Unless . . .
Unless it wasn’t a love letter at all. And if it wasn’t a love letter, why was Dan giving it to Nikki? There could be only one reason. To keep someone else from finding it!
• • •
Carson Drew arrived home that afternoon. By the time Nancy had briefed him, taken him over to the Masterses’, and left him in charge, it was nearly five. She barely made it to Vanities in time to tail Max Hudson.
Max left work, got into an old sports car, anddrove to what was apparently his apartment. It was in an old, run-down building. Nancy sat in her car and waited.
After fifteen minutes Max emerged from the building, dressed in a freshly pressed shirt and slacks. He seemed to walk taller as he headed for his car. Nancy waited until she could follow unnoticed, then she pulled onto the street behind him.
He drove for about fifteen minutes until he came to the border of Riverview Park. There, he slowed down, and suddenly a figure in a raincoat and floppy hat came out of the dark trees and ran to his car.
Nancy’s eyes widened in surprise. Could this be it? Had she stumbled onto the big break of the case?
Max and the person he’d picked up drove a few miles out of town to a path by the river. There, they parked and got out of the car.
Nancy doused her headlights and quietly followed them on foot. Her flesh was prickling. Who was the mysterious person Max had picked up?
Dodging from tree to tree, she watched as Max and his companion strolled along. Finally, the mysterious stranger took off his hat, and a cascade of curly hair fell.
There, standing in the twilight next to Max, was Charlene Rice!
Max put his arms out and wrapped them around Charlene’s neck. Nancy gasped, and her whole body tensed, poised to leap out from behind the tree to help Charlene.
But as she watched, Nancy saw Max pull Charlene to him. He wrapped his arms around her and overpowered her with a sizzling kiss!
Chapter
Fifteen
S TUNNED, N ANCY WATCHED as Max and Charlene shared another passionate kiss. In her surprise, she forgot she was hiding and coughed.
Charlene’s eyes popped open. Over Max’s shoulder, she saw Nancy. Flying backward out of his grasp, Charlene let
“I’ll be seeing him tonight, then, I guess,” he said, wearily rubbing a hand over his face. “Guess I’d better go home and catch forty winks. I’ve been up most of the night,” he said, throwing her a smile. “Whatever you do, don’t ‘clean up’ my desk, understand? I’ve got my own unique sort of order, believe it or not.”
“Oh, I believe it.” Nancy laughed, sitting down in his chair and getting to work.
An hour later she had gotten to the bottom of the pile of evidence. In front of her was the police photo of the letter N Dan Taylor had scratched into the ground. She stared at it, thinking. The case was just out of reach, inches beyond her grasp. What was the missing link?
Then she realized what she was looking at. In her musings, Nancy had cocked her head, so that she was now staring down at the N from one side. It was a funny-looking N, sort of like a lightning bolt.
In fact, now that she looked at it, she saw the letter was not an N at all. It was a Z!
Nancy ran her hands through her hair, tugging at it in frustration. Z—Z—What did it mean? None of her suspects’ names began with Z, and yet, Nancy knew it had to be an important clue. If only she could make the connection.
The day was flying by, and there was a lot more ground to cover. Nancy filed the Z question away for the moment and quickly went through what was left of the evidence. There was nothing there. In fact, there was nothing anywhere about the envelope Dan had stuffed in Nikki’s purse. The chief thought Nikki was making it up, but Nancy believed—no, she knew—there had been an envelope!
Now it was gone. That meant Dan’s killer had taken it. Now, why would the killer take a love letter? Unless . . .
Unless it wasn’t a love letter at all. And if it wasn’t a love letter, why was Dan giving it to Nikki? There could be only one reason. To keep someone else from finding it!
• • •
Carson Drew arrived home that afternoon. By the time Nancy had briefed him, taken him over to the Masterses’, and left him in charge, it was nearly five. She barely made it to Vanities in time to tail Max Hudson.
Max left work, got into an old sports car, anddrove to what was apparently his apartment. It was in an old, run-down building. Nancy sat in her car and waited.
After fifteen minutes Max emerged from the building, dressed in a freshly pressed shirt and slacks. He seemed to walk taller as he headed for his car. Nancy waited until she could follow unnoticed, then she pulled onto the street behind him.
He drove for about fifteen minutes until he came to the border of Riverview Park. There, he slowed down, and suddenly a figure in a raincoat and floppy hat came out of the dark trees and ran to his car.
Nancy’s eyes widened in surprise. Could this be it? Had she stumbled onto the big break of the case?
Max and the person he’d picked up drove a few miles out of town to a path by the river. There, they parked and got out of the car.
Nancy doused her headlights and quietly followed them on foot. Her flesh was prickling. Who was the mysterious person Max had picked up?
Dodging from tree to tree, she watched as Max and his companion strolled along. Finally, the mysterious stranger took off his hat, and a cascade of curly hair fell.
There, standing in the twilight next to Max, was Charlene Rice!
Max put his arms out and wrapped them around Charlene’s neck. Nancy gasped, and her whole body tensed, poised to leap out from behind the tree to help Charlene.
But as she watched, Nancy saw Max pull Charlene to him. He wrapped his arms around her and overpowered her with a sizzling kiss!
Chapter
Fifteen
S TUNNED, N ANCY WATCHED as Max and Charlene shared another passionate kiss. In her surprise, she forgot she was hiding and coughed.
Charlene’s eyes popped open. Over Max’s shoulder, she saw Nancy. Flying backward out of his grasp, Charlene let
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