Close Encounters (Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective Book 21) by Carolyn Keene Page A
Authors: Carolyn Keene
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least bit tired. She looked furious. “Are you accusing me of somehow faking all these sightings?”
“With help, of course,” I said, holding her glance.
Dumbfounded, Ellie gaped at me. It took her a second to find her voice. “That’s totally off the wall. Forget the how of it. Why would I do something like that?”
“To rev up business,” George suggested, pointing to Ellie’s display of alien souvenirs.
“Oh, that’s brilliant!” Ellie laughed tightly. “In order to sell more dumb alien masks, I’d try to perpetrate some impossible hoax involving little green men.”
“Not for the masks,” I told her. “For your realty business. UFO sightings promise to turn Brody’s Junction into Vermont’s version of Roswell, New Mexico.”
“Interesting concept,” she said, looking impressed. “But believe me, the last thing I want is to turn this town into a permanent tourist mecca—attracting all the crazies who think they see spaceships ready to invade—”
George broke in. “You’re telling us that you had nothing to do with the sighting this afternoon, and Bess’s kidnapping?”
Ellie looked confused. “Someone besides Aldwin and his prize hound have gone missing?” I watchedher expression morph from shocked to horrified. “Wait, isn’t Bess that blond girl who was in here earlier today?”
“Yes,” I said. I was finding it hard to read Ellie’s reaction. Either she truly was in the dark about Bess or she deserved an Oscar for Best Actress.
“I can’t believe it—who’d do that?”
“We think it’s whoever is behind the hoaxes—and I’m not convinced you aren’t involved with them somehow,” I told her.
“Are you insane?” she practically shrieked. “I have nothing to do with the hoaxes, and I have no idea what happened to your friend—but if someone abducted her, that’s beyond awful. It’s . . .” She was suddenly at a loss for words.
Ellie looked and sounded so dismayed that I found myself sure she was telling the truth: She was certainly in the wrong for sabotaging her former business partner, but the woman seemed totally incapable of perpetrating a UFO hoax, let alone kidnapping Bess—
“Wait,” she said, interrupting my chain of thought. “Not being local, you wouldn’t know this, but Aldwin is famous around here for being a prankster. When he and the dog went missing, I figured he was taking a joke too far. But if your friend has really been abducted, then Aldwin has too.”
“You have me convinced,” I finally told Ellie. “You don’t know anything about how Bess or anyone else disappeared.”
“But you did steal those recipes, and unless you want us to turn you in to the police, you’d better return them to Winnie,” George said firmly.
“No way!” Ellie declared. “I’m not returning them to Winnie, not until I have copies.”
“Then we’ll have to call the cops and tell them about how you’ve harassed Winnie and her café, trying to drive her out of business.” George pulled her cell out of her pocket.
“You can’t do that,” Ellie declared hotly.
“Yes, we can,” I contradicted her. I waited a beat before adding, “Unless you go over there now, own up to what you’ve done, and return the recipes.”
George spoke up. “If you do, I’ll sweeten the deal for you. I’ll input the recipes into her computer and make a disk for you—if Winnie doesn’t object. But only if you include a good, heartfelt apology with your very sincere confession.”
“All right,” Ellie said reluctantly. “I’ll go later.”
“More like now ,” George said. She turned to me. “Ellie can drive me in her van. You go ahead and keep looking for Bess. I’ll meet up with you later at the inn.”
Ellie closed up her shop as I left the store. I pushedthe speed limit and headed right out to the Nichols farm.
When I arrived, I parked in front of the farm stand. The front yard gate creaked as I opened it, and the sound sent the whole kennel
“With help, of course,” I said, holding her glance.
Dumbfounded, Ellie gaped at me. It took her a second to find her voice. “That’s totally off the wall. Forget the how of it. Why would I do something like that?”
“To rev up business,” George suggested, pointing to Ellie’s display of alien souvenirs.
“Oh, that’s brilliant!” Ellie laughed tightly. “In order to sell more dumb alien masks, I’d try to perpetrate some impossible hoax involving little green men.”
“Not for the masks,” I told her. “For your realty business. UFO sightings promise to turn Brody’s Junction into Vermont’s version of Roswell, New Mexico.”
“Interesting concept,” she said, looking impressed. “But believe me, the last thing I want is to turn this town into a permanent tourist mecca—attracting all the crazies who think they see spaceships ready to invade—”
George broke in. “You’re telling us that you had nothing to do with the sighting this afternoon, and Bess’s kidnapping?”
Ellie looked confused. “Someone besides Aldwin and his prize hound have gone missing?” I watchedher expression morph from shocked to horrified. “Wait, isn’t Bess that blond girl who was in here earlier today?”
“Yes,” I said. I was finding it hard to read Ellie’s reaction. Either she truly was in the dark about Bess or she deserved an Oscar for Best Actress.
“I can’t believe it—who’d do that?”
“We think it’s whoever is behind the hoaxes—and I’m not convinced you aren’t involved with them somehow,” I told her.
“Are you insane?” she practically shrieked. “I have nothing to do with the hoaxes, and I have no idea what happened to your friend—but if someone abducted her, that’s beyond awful. It’s . . .” She was suddenly at a loss for words.
Ellie looked and sounded so dismayed that I found myself sure she was telling the truth: She was certainly in the wrong for sabotaging her former business partner, but the woman seemed totally incapable of perpetrating a UFO hoax, let alone kidnapping Bess—
“Wait,” she said, interrupting my chain of thought. “Not being local, you wouldn’t know this, but Aldwin is famous around here for being a prankster. When he and the dog went missing, I figured he was taking a joke too far. But if your friend has really been abducted, then Aldwin has too.”
“You have me convinced,” I finally told Ellie. “You don’t know anything about how Bess or anyone else disappeared.”
“But you did steal those recipes, and unless you want us to turn you in to the police, you’d better return them to Winnie,” George said firmly.
“No way!” Ellie declared. “I’m not returning them to Winnie, not until I have copies.”
“Then we’ll have to call the cops and tell them about how you’ve harassed Winnie and her café, trying to drive her out of business.” George pulled her cell out of her pocket.
“You can’t do that,” Ellie declared hotly.
“Yes, we can,” I contradicted her. I waited a beat before adding, “Unless you go over there now, own up to what you’ve done, and return the recipes.”
George spoke up. “If you do, I’ll sweeten the deal for you. I’ll input the recipes into her computer and make a disk for you—if Winnie doesn’t object. But only if you include a good, heartfelt apology with your very sincere confession.”
“All right,” Ellie said reluctantly. “I’ll go later.”
“More like now ,” George said. She turned to me. “Ellie can drive me in her van. You go ahead and keep looking for Bess. I’ll meet up with you later at the inn.”
Ellie closed up her shop as I left the store. I pushedthe speed limit and headed right out to the Nichols farm.
When I arrived, I parked in front of the farm stand. The front yard gate creaked as I opened it, and the sound sent the whole kennel
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