Poison Pen by Carolyn Keene Page A

and girders. Wind moaned through the steel web and whipped her hair into her eyes.
    She risked a cautious peep downward—and immediately wished she hadn’t. A hundred feet below, the Muskoka sent back a faint reflection of the bridge’s lights. One small slip, and she’d be history!
    The wind gusted, pulling at Nancy’s entire body. Her heart jumped as she felt her fingers slip a fraction of an inch. She wouldn’t be able to hang on much longer. Think clearly, Drew, she ordered herself.
    Above her there was a confused babble of voices. Nancy tried to cry for help, but all that came out was a faint croak. Swallowing to moisten her dry throat, she tried again. “Help me!”
    â€œNancy?” Rick Waterston’s blond head poked out over the rail. “Oh, no!” he cried as he spotted her. In an instant he had swung his long legs over the rail and was climbing down the girders. “Hang on! I’m coming!” he shouted.
    Nancy’s hand slipped again, until she now clung by just the tips of her fingers. “Hurry!” she called back frantically. “I’m about to fall!”
    The wind gusted again, and Nancy’s heart lurched as the metal bar slipped away from herfingers. Just in time Rick’s strong hand closed around her left wrist.
    â€œI’m going to pull you up,” Rick told her. “Trust me—I’ve done a lot of climbing.”
    Nancy’s breath came in heaving gulps. Talk about close calls! But she still wasn’t out of trouble. Looking up she could see the strain in Rick’s face as he hauled her up. At last she was high enough that her feet found a ledge to support her weight. Slowly, with Rick guiding her every inch of the way, she climbed up the web of metal and over the lip of the bridge. Finally she lay collapsed on the road, gasping.
    â€œThanks,” she said to Rick when she could speak again. “You saved my life.”
    â€œDon’t thank me. I blew it,” he said gruffly. “And our man clobbered Ned and got away before I could grab him.”
    â€œIs Ned hurt?” Nancy asked anxiously.
    â€œI don’t know. Brenda’s checking,” Rick said.
    â€œBrenda?” Nancy repeated, suddenly wary. “What’s she doing here?”
    At that moment Brenda herself appeared from the shadows, supporting a limping, scowling Ned.
    Jumping to her feet, Nancy ran to him and threw her arms around him. “Ned, are you okay?”
    â€œI’m all right.” Ned held her close. He spoke lightly, but Nancy heard a tremor in his voice. “I thought you were a goner, though, Nan.”
    â€œI’m fine,” she assured him. “Now, tell me what happened.”
    Ned’s face immediately darkened again. “Ask Brenda. She’s the only one who saw anything, after that stupid camera flash of hers blinded me.”
    â€œBrenda!” Nancy exclaimed.
    Beside Ned, Brenda flipped her dark hair back defiantly. “I was only trying to help,” she muttered. “I thought it might be a good idea to come and get a picture, in case you guys let the crook get away.”
    â€œHe wouldn’t have gotten away if I had been able to see him!” Ned retorted furiously. “But I couldn’t see a thing. The guy swung out of the trees and attacked you,” he told Nancy. “I was running for him when Brenda popped up behind him and clicked her camera. The flash went off in my eyes, and the guy bolted. On the way he took time to flatten me.” Ned rubbed his jaw and winced.
    â€œBrenda, how did you get here?” Nancy asked, facing her.
    Brenda’s eyes flicked toward Rick, who stepped up beside Nancy.
    â€œI brought her,” Rick confessed in response to Nancy’s questioning glance. “She really wanted to come, and I didn’t think it would do any harm as long as she stayed in the car.” He gave Brenda an angry look. “You promised