Hotline to Danger by Carolyn Keene Page A

couldn’t blame him for wanting to get out of the basement as quickly as possible. Crouching down, she pushed her way behind the furnace as close to the recorder as she could get. Then she aimed the beam of light onto the tape inside the recorder. There probably wouldn’t be any sound, so she’d have to watch and see if the reels were activated.
    While she waited, she wondered who could have bugged the lines. Since anyone could come into the center, the suspects were limitless, although it did have to be someone who had knowledge of wiretapping and knew there was a basement.
    And someone who desperately wanted to find Rachel—which meant whoever set up the recorder was probably Paul’s killer.
    Nancy was deep in thought when she heard a creak on the top step. Startled, she jerked upright, then held her breath to listen.
    The basement was silent.
    Nancy clicked off her flashlight, plunging the room into darkness. A moment later she saw abeam of light at the top of the stairs. Her heart pounded with fear as she watched the light dancing on the steps.
    Someone was coming down the stairs, slowly and furtively. Nancy’s breath caught in her throat as a terrible thought shot through her mind.
    It could be Paul’s murderer!

Chapter

Thirteen
    N ANCY GRIPPED her own flashlight tightly. She had to find a hiding place.
    Quickly, she racked her brain, trying to remember what the rest of the basement looked like. An image of boxes stacked on the far side of the furnace flashed into her mind.
    As the beam of light moved downward, it faintly illuminated the basement. Nancy could see the dark shape of the boxes.
    Ducking low, she crept from behind the dusty furnace. Then she flattened herself on the floor and inched her way behind a wide box on the other side.
    Just in time.
    The beam of light swung toward the furnace, then in the direction of the tape recorder. Nancy held her breath. Whoever was in the basementhad to have been the person who bugged the phone!
    Nancy heard a click. She peered around the box, trying to get a glimpse of the person’s face. But the furnace was in the way.
    Then the light swung back toward the steps, and moving swiftly, the person made his or her way upstairs. Nancy jumped up, but all she could see were two shadowy feet disappearing up the steps. Then she heard the door close.
    Snapping on her own flashlight, Nancy pushed past the boxes. When she reached the furnace, she aimed her light on the tape recorder. The person had taken the reel of tape!
    â€œJust great,” Nancy muttered. Turning, she tiptoed upstairs. Maybe she could catch a glimpse of whoever it was.
    When she reached the top step, she paused. She heard the footsteps in the hallway. Quickly, she banged open the door.
    â€œOw!” The door caught Tony on the elbow. “What’s going on?” he asked when he saw her face.
    â€œDid you see anyone?” Nancy asked as she glanced down the hall to the foyer.
    â€œNo. Why?”
    Without answering, Nancy raced to the front door, which was slightly ajar. But when she jerked it open and ran outside, there was no one on the sidewalk or street.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Tony asked from the doorway.He was staring at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
    â€œSomeone came down into the basement and took the tape,” Nancy said as she came back inside. “Was anyone around when you came upstairs?”
    â€œNo. But since I was on the phone in the rec room, I couldn’t see,” Tony explained.
    Nancy blew out her breath. “Then we lost him—or her. It does tell us one thing, though. Whoever bugged the phones knows when the hotline closes down. That must be why the person took the tape. He or she knew Rachel wouldn’t call after eleven.”
    Turning, Nancy headed up the stairs. “We’d better tell Bess and George what happened.”
    â€œAnd I need to lock up the hotline office,” Tony said, following