wasn’t surprised. “Well, thanks
anyway, Michelle.”
When Nancy hung up, George and Bess looked at
her expectantly. “Well?” they chorused.
“Darci said I should go jump in a lake,” Nancy
repeated.
“At least that proves she’s home,” George pointed
out.
“Except Michelle said she wouldn’t open the door.
Maybe Darci had just sneaked back into the house.”
“That’s possible,” Bess said. “The Edwards live in a
ranch house, and Darci’s bedroom is in the back. I
remember from when I went to visit Shana years ago.
Lawrence could’ve picked Darci up on the road and
brought her home.”
Nancy nodded. “That’s one possibility. The other is
that we’re still on the track of the wrong person.”
Scooping up her gloves and hat, Nancy started out to
the parking lot. “I think we need to change clothes and
do some more snooping around at the dance academy.
Maybe I’ve overlooked something important.”
The dance school parking lot was deserted except
for Madame’s small foreign car and the school van.
“Oh, good,” Bess said from the passenger seat.
“Maybe Mrs. Wolaski went home. I’m just not in the
mood for pinning and hemming.”
“So what’s our reason for being here?” George asked
Nancy as they got out of the car. “What are we going to
tell Madame?”
Nancy held up two small cans. “We’ll tell her the
truth. We’re going to paint candy cane stripes on the
pillars.”
Bess groaned. “Suddenly, hemming sounds fun.”
George and Nancy laughed as they went up the
steps, through the front entrance, and into the hall.
Madame’s office door was shut. When they stopped in
front of it, the girls could hear someone moving around
the room.
“She must be working,” Bess said, knocking lightly
on the door. “There aren’t any classes till two today,
but she’s probably here already. Madame?” she called.
“It’s Bess. Nancy, George, and I are going to be
working in the prop room.”
Bess knocked again, but there was no answer. The
sounds had stopped. She gave Nancy a worried look.
“Do you think everything’s okay?”
Nancy turned the door knob. It was locked.
“Madame?” she called loudly. “Are you all right?”
“Listen.” George hushed them.
Nancy held her breath. Inside the office, she could
hear a faint scraping sound. “Someone’s opening the
office window,” Nancy whispered.
Spinning around, she dashed down the hall and
pushed open one of the double doors in the back of the
building. It swung open an inch, then clunked to a
stop.
“What’s the matter?” George asked.
Nancy peered through the inch-wide opening. “The
doors won’t budge. Someone stuck a pole in the
handles. Whoever was in Madame’s office is getting
away!”
“What’s going on here?” a voice called from down
the hallway. Madame Dugrand and Mrs. Wolaski were
standing on the top of the basement steps.
“We heard someone in your office,” Bess explained.
“But the door was locked.”
“And whoever it was jumped out the window, then
barricaded the back door,” Nancy added.
“What are you talking about?” Madame strode down
the hallway, a key in her hand. “My door shouldn’t be
locked.” Unable to keep up, Mrs. Wolaski hobbled a
few steps behind the directress.
Inserting the key into the lock, Madame swung the
door open and gasped. Drawers had been pulled out
and dumped. Files and papers were scattered across
the floor.
Stepping into the office, Nancy glanced at the front
window. It was wide open. She dashed to the window
and peered out. She could see footprints leading
through the snow and around to the back of the
building. “I’m going after our culprit,” Nancy said.
“Give me a boost, George.”
Placing a hand under Nancy’s knee, George lifted
her friend onto the window sill. Nancy slid through,
swung her legs around, and plopped into the snow.
Then she raced to the back of the building.
But
anyway, Michelle.”
When Nancy hung up, George and Bess looked at
her expectantly. “Well?” they chorused.
“Darci said I should go jump in a lake,” Nancy
repeated.
“At least that proves she’s home,” George pointed
out.
“Except Michelle said she wouldn’t open the door.
Maybe Darci had just sneaked back into the house.”
“That’s possible,” Bess said. “The Edwards live in a
ranch house, and Darci’s bedroom is in the back. I
remember from when I went to visit Shana years ago.
Lawrence could’ve picked Darci up on the road and
brought her home.”
Nancy nodded. “That’s one possibility. The other is
that we’re still on the track of the wrong person.”
Scooping up her gloves and hat, Nancy started out to
the parking lot. “I think we need to change clothes and
do some more snooping around at the dance academy.
Maybe I’ve overlooked something important.”
The dance school parking lot was deserted except
for Madame’s small foreign car and the school van.
“Oh, good,” Bess said from the passenger seat.
“Maybe Mrs. Wolaski went home. I’m just not in the
mood for pinning and hemming.”
“So what’s our reason for being here?” George asked
Nancy as they got out of the car. “What are we going to
tell Madame?”
Nancy held up two small cans. “We’ll tell her the
truth. We’re going to paint candy cane stripes on the
pillars.”
Bess groaned. “Suddenly, hemming sounds fun.”
George and Nancy laughed as they went up the
steps, through the front entrance, and into the hall.
Madame’s office door was shut. When they stopped in
front of it, the girls could hear someone moving around
the room.
“She must be working,” Bess said, knocking lightly
on the door. “There aren’t any classes till two today,
but she’s probably here already. Madame?” she called.
“It’s Bess. Nancy, George, and I are going to be
working in the prop room.”
Bess knocked again, but there was no answer. The
sounds had stopped. She gave Nancy a worried look.
“Do you think everything’s okay?”
Nancy turned the door knob. It was locked.
“Madame?” she called loudly. “Are you all right?”
“Listen.” George hushed them.
Nancy held her breath. Inside the office, she could
hear a faint scraping sound. “Someone’s opening the
office window,” Nancy whispered.
Spinning around, she dashed down the hall and
pushed open one of the double doors in the back of the
building. It swung open an inch, then clunked to a
stop.
“What’s the matter?” George asked.
Nancy peered through the inch-wide opening. “The
doors won’t budge. Someone stuck a pole in the
handles. Whoever was in Madame’s office is getting
away!”
“What’s going on here?” a voice called from down
the hallway. Madame Dugrand and Mrs. Wolaski were
standing on the top of the basement steps.
“We heard someone in your office,” Bess explained.
“But the door was locked.”
“And whoever it was jumped out the window, then
barricaded the back door,” Nancy added.
“What are you talking about?” Madame strode down
the hallway, a key in her hand. “My door shouldn’t be
locked.” Unable to keep up, Mrs. Wolaski hobbled a
few steps behind the directress.
Inserting the key into the lock, Madame swung the
door open and gasped. Drawers had been pulled out
and dumped. Files and papers were scattered across
the floor.
Stepping into the office, Nancy glanced at the front
window. It was wide open. She dashed to the window
and peered out. She could see footprints leading
through the snow and around to the back of the
building. “I’m going after our culprit,” Nancy said.
“Give me a boost, George.”
Placing a hand under Nancy’s knee, George lifted
her friend onto the window sill. Nancy slid through,
swung her legs around, and plopped into the snow.
Then she raced to the back of the building.
But
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