Fatal Attraction by Carolyn Keene Page A

all.”
    â€œToo bad,” Nancy muttered. “Now we’ll never find out who—”
    â€œHang on a sec,” Dirk interrupted. “The print belongs to somebody named Felix Frankson.” His voice was grave. “Frankson is an escaped murderer, Nancy. He’s wanted by the FBI!”

Chapter

Fourteen
    W OW !” N ED WHISTLED shrilly when Nancy hung up the phone and told him what Dirk had said. “It sounds like this man Frankson has a lot on the line. No wonder he was willing to go after you!”
    The door opened and Chief Saunders came in without knocking, his hat in his hand. He stood for a minute in the door, looking at Nancy, his blue eyes carefully guarded.
    â€œAll right,” he said finally, “I’ve decided to let you go. Whenever the doctor releases you, you can leave.”
    Nancy nodded. “Did you hear what Dirk Bowman told me?”
    â€œI heard,” the chief said. “I aim to get on this in a hurry.” He glared at Nancy. “And I don’t want you to try to pull any funny stuff. This is serious business— police business. I don’t need any kids messing things up.” He jammed his hat on his head. “You stay out, you hear? I won’t be responsible if you get yourself hurt again.”
    â€œListen, Ned,” Nancy said urgently as soon as the chief had left the room. “Mr. Carlton ought to know what’s going on. There’s no proof, but it looks as if Felix and Mike killed Darla. Brenda could be next. Let’s call him at home.” She picked up the phone and began to dial.
    â€œIsn’t it risky calling the house?” Ned asked. “Brenda might answer.”
    â€œYou’re right,” Nancy said. “But it’s Saturday, so Mr. Carlton won’t be at the office. If Brenda answers, I’ll hang up.”
    But it was the Carlton maid who answered the phone and told them that Mr. Carlton was still out of town. “He’s not expected back until later today,” she said. “Is there any message?”
    Nancy bit her lip, frowning. “No, no message,” she said. She had to talk to Mr. Carlton himself.
    â€œThe next step,” she told Ned as she hung up the phone, “is getting out of this hospital.”
    â€œYou’re sure you’re okay?” Ned asked. Nancycould see the worry in his eyes, and she squeezed his hand. It was wonderful to know that Ned cared for her.
    â€œI’m sure,” she said confidently. “All we have to do is to convince the doctor.”
    That was harder than Nancy thought. The doctor came in with an X ray in his hand to tell her that she could go home the next day.
    â€œTomorrow!” Nancy exclaimed. “That’s just not possible. And anyway,” she fibbed, “once I get home I’ll go straight to bed.”
    The doctor held up the X ray and looked at it for a long time. Finally he said, “Well, I guess I don’t see any real damage. If you’ll promise to get plenty of rest, you can go.”
    â€œI promise,” Nancy said. She would get some rest, she told herself, except that it probably wouldn’t be right away.
    Ned and Nancy drove back to River Heights in Ned’s car, leaving Nancy’s Mustang in the Ford shop in Batesville for repairs to its front end. On the trip back, Nancy tried to puzzle out the complicated relationships in this case, but after a while she dozed a little, still feeling the effects of the bump on her head.
    â€œWake up, Nancy,” Ned said, shaking her gently. “We’re home.”
    Nancy stretched and blinked, looking at her watch. “It’s five. Let’s call Mr. Carlton.”
    But Mr. Carlton was calling her, as Nancy discovered the minute she came in the door.
    â€œNancy, are you okay?” Hannah demanded. She was in the hall, the phone in one hand.
    â€œI’m fine,” Nancy said. She nodded at the phone. “Is that for