Trial by Fire

by Carolyn Keene

  “Who was she? Why were you supposed to see her?” Nancy asked.

  “I never found out. I was just leaving to see her when this man came in and slapped the court order in my hand.”

  “The grand jury dismissed you and then issued the court order?” Nancy asked with a puzzled frown.

  “Yes. I haven’t gotten anything done since.”

  “What did you tell the grand jury this last time?” Ned asked the reporter.

  “Nothing. I don’t know who gave me that tip to check out Mid-City. Even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell them. They recessed to give me time to think about it.”

  Bess’s eyes widened. “What are you going to do now?”

  “Stand behind my First Amendment rights, which imply that a reporter does not have to reveal a source. If it means going to jail, I go to jail.”

  Nancy stared at her hands. What Ann had told her was interesting—but interesting enough to frame her father? Someone obviously thought so. And I have to find out who, she mused.

  It was late in the afternoon when Carson Drew finally appeared. His face was taut and grim. “Hi, everybody. Sorry it took so long.”

  “What’s happened?” Nancy asked anxiously.

  “I’ve been arraigned and made bail. Let’s get out of here. I’ve had my fill of this place for one day.”

  “What comes next, Carson?” Ann asked as they left the building.

  “A pretrial hearing to decide if the evidence is strong enough for me to be bound over for trial. They’ll let me know as soon as a date is set.” He drew in a deep breath of fresh air. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. All I want to do now is go home. Ann will need a ride,” he said to Nancy.

  “Just to the Record,” the reporter said. “If it’s not out of your way.”

  Nancy dropped off Bess and Ned and headed for the newspaper. Her father was silent during the whole drive.

  When they reached the Morning Record, Ann directed her to the parking lot behind the office, where a battered old Ford was parked against the rear wall. Nancy pulled up behind it.

  Carson Drew unbuckled his seat belt and got out. “I’ll call you in the morning,” he said, helping Ann from the back seat. “We’ll see this thing through together.” He shook her hand, then stood watching as she walked toward her own car.

  “Whatever I can do, I’ll do,” Ann answered earnestly. “Thanks, Nancy. Hope to see you again soon.”

  The sky was dark by then; the parking lot dimly lit. There were only a half-dozen cars on the lot, and none parked near the reporter’s.

  Moving with a long-legged stride to the old Ford, Ann dug into her purse for her key and stuck it into the lock. She seemed to have difficulty getting it to work, so Nancy flipped on her brights, hoping it would help.

  The beam brought Ann’s car into sharp focus. Just under the grimy tailpipe of the Ford Nancy noticed a small square box, so shiny and bright that the Mustang’s headlights bounced off it. It was much too clean to have been attached to the car for long. What could it be? Nancy wondered.

  “Got it,” Ann called as the key finally turned.

  “Ann! No!” Nancy acted without thought for her own safety. She wrenched open her door and hit the asphalt running. Ann stared at her in amazement.

  Without breaking stride, Nancy hurled herself forward and tackled Ann around the waist. They landed just a few feet from the car.

  Nancy’s timing had been perfect. With a deafening roar, the old Ford exploded in an enormous ball of flame.

  Chapter Three

  “NANCY, NAN, GIRL, wake up.”

  Nancy opened her eyes to be greeted by a shaft of sunlight across her face. Rolling over to escape it, she groaned. “Ow!”

  Hannah Gruen, the housekeeper who had been looking after the Drews for the fifteen years since Carson’s wife had died, was perched on the side of the bed. “How do you feel?”

  “As if I’d gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel.” Freeing an arm from under the covers, Nancy peered down at her bruised shoulder. “Now I know how football players feel after a game.”

  Hannah got up and raised the blinds even higher. “At least you’re in one piece.”

  “How’s Dad?” Nancy asked, sitting up and wincing. She had hit the ground harder than she thought the night before.

  “In better shape than you are—physically, anyhow. He left for the office at seven.”

  Tossing the blanket aside, Nancy got up. She glanced at the clock and gasped. “Hannah, it’s after eleven! I should have been up hours ago.”

  Hannah folded her arms in her I-want-no-nonsense-out-of-you stance. “You needed your rest. I wouldn’t have bothered you at all, except that I have a message for you and didn’t want to wait any longer to give it to you.”

  “What’s the message?” Nancy grabbed her robe.

  “Miss Granger called from the hospital.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Just that you were to phone her as soon as you got up, and by noon at the latest.”

  “What time did she call?”

  “About nine-thirty. I told her you two were lucky you weren’t toasted.”

  Nancy had no answer to that, because Hannah was right. They had been just far enough from the Ford to escape the ball of flame.

  Ann had landed even harder than Nancy. She thought she might have cracked a rib, so Carson had insisted that she go to the nearest emergency room. The doctors had shipped her off to X ray and made it clear they wanted her kept overnight.

  Carson had been knocked flat by the force of the blast. But he had been lucky because he escaped all injury. A shard of flying glass had sliced through his coat sleeve but missed his arm. All things considered, the three had been extremely fortunate.

  A few minutes later Nancy went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table to dial the number Hannah had left for her. Ann answered the phone with an anxious “Hello?”

  “Hi. It’s Nancy. Sorry to be so late, but Hannah just woke me. How are your ribs?”

  “Bruised, not broken, but they won’t let me go yet. Tests or something. I think it’s just an excuse to keep me here. How’s your father?”

  “He’s okay. He’s at the office. Do you need anything?”

  Immediately Ann’s voice became edged with excitement. “I’ve heard from my source again,” she said, talking rapidly and softly. “He left a message on my answering machine. But I’m sure it had to be the same man, even though he disguised his voice by whispering.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He has another tip for me, but this time he wants to tell me in person. He asked me to meet him at the Grand Cinema on Shepherd Street at the first matinee. It starts at twelve-thirty.”

  “Uh-oh,” Nancy said. “I guess you’re not going to be able to make it.”

  “I can’t even sneak out. I’ve got a police guard now, and his orders are to see that I stay put. They may even place me in protective custody, if I’m not in it already. Can you make this meeting for me, Nancy?”

  “Sure. I’d be glad to.”

  “Terrific! He said to sit in the aisle seat, left side, next to the last row. And call me back as soon as you can.”

  “If you’re still there, I’ll come by the hospital.”

  “Great. I’ll be waiting for you. And thanks, Nancy.”

  Nancy hung up and sprinted for the bathroom. She’d have to hurry to get to the Grand in time.

  Carson Drew was coming in as she was leaving, his briefcase stuffed to overflowing. “Some reporters followed me to the office,” he explained. “They were driving my secretary crazy. If my being there is going to cause chaos, I decided to work at home.”

  “Any word on the pretrial hearing yet?”

  “Not yet. Where are you off to?”

  “Ann’s heard from her source. She asked me to meet him.” She shoved her wallet into her pocket. “He has another tip, and you never know—maybe he knows something about what happened to you. Have you talked to Uncle Jon?” />
  Her father shook his head. “He’s not in, or not taking my calls. I’m stumped, Nancy. I thought I knew him. Friend for twenty years, card partner once a week for most of that time—it doesn’t make sense.”

  “I’m sure it’s just a big mixup,” Nancy said, although she no longer thought so.

  Her father took her hand and stared into her eyes. “Nancy, before you go, you have to promise me you’ll be very careful. After what happened last night, we know these people are playing rough and for keeps.”

  Nancy nodded. “They must be desperate. I have to find out what they’re so desperate about. But don’t worry. I’ll watch out for myself.”

  “Promise?” Her father peered at her intently.

  “Scout’s honor. See you later.” She kissed his cheek and left, hoping she wasn’t wasting valuable time on this errand for Ann. If the man’s information turned out to be of no use to her in helping to clear her father, her next move would be toward the far side of town. She’d camp on the doorstep of Judge Jonathan Renk if she had to, but she would not leave until she saw him. He held her father’s future in his hands.

  The Grand was an old movie house living out its last days by showing film classics at discount rates to college students and senior citizens. Nancy paid for her ticket and went in. The movie, Sons of the Desert, starring Laurel and Hardy, had just begun.

  Nancy slipped into the aisle seat on the left in the next-to-last row. Then she looked around. There were no more than a dozen people in there, most of them down in front close to the screen. No one moved, and no one checked to see if she had arrived. She hoped Ann’s contact wouldn’t be long.

  Nancy loved Laurel and Hardy, and before long she was caught up in the film. Every now and then she glanced around, but no one approached her. No one seemed the least bit interested in her.

  One-thirty, and Ann’s source still hadn’t arrived. He isn’t coming, Nancy thought. She had mixed feelings. She was disappointed, both for Ann and herself, but she was also a little relieved. It was hard not to be nervous at the thought of what this meeting might have been like.

  Nancy shifted in her seat, relaxed, and gave the two funnymen her undivided attention. The movie was almost over, and she wanted to enjoy the rest of it. So the hand that clamped over her mouth came as a complete surprise. And so did the icy barrel of the gun against the back of her neck.

  “Well, well. Who do we have here?” a voice whispered. “You’re Drew’s kid, aren’t you? I saw you on the TV news this morning. You aren’t who I was expecting—but you’ll do. In fact, you’ll do just fine.”

  Chapter Four

  NANCY TRIED TO slip from the man’s grasp—and instantly regretted it. He tightened his grip painfully.

  “Make the wrong move, and the last thing you’ll see will be one fat guy and one skinny guy hiding from their wives. Understand?”

  Nancy nodded, forcing herself to stay calm. She had to keep cool and carefully watch for a time to escape. Then she realized she wouldn’t be able to watch anything. The man was slipping a blindfold over her eyes. Then he slapped a strip of adhesive tape across her mouth. Pushing her forward in her seat, he tied her hands behind her back.

  “Okay, now, little lady, we’re leaving,” he hissed. “Let’s go.”

  Nancy wondered desperately whether any of the people in the front rows had noticed what was going on, but it seemed that she and her captor weren’t attracting any attention at all.

  Yanking Nancy to her feet, her captor led her up the aisle a few feet and turned right. Nancy had checked out the theater and the surrounding area just after she parked her car. She was sure the man was taking her out a side door to an alley. When a soft breeze brushed past her cheek and ruffled her hair, she knew she had guessed correctly.

  She heard a car door opening. “Head down,” the man barked, and pushed her forward. “On the floor, and no tricks.”

  Moving carefully, Nancy wedged herself into the space between the front seat and back seat. Then her captor slammed the door.

  The floor felt gritty, and the interior smelled musty and old. Nancy struggled to find a more comfortable position.

  “Hope you’re cozy back there,” the man said nastily. “I don’t want damaged goods—yet.”

  Nancy’s mouth went dry. Her mind was racing. Who was this guy? Nancy decided he couldn’t be the same person who had given Ann that first tip. Ann said she didn’t know who that man was, so she was not a danger to him. He’d have had no reason to kidnap the reporter. Ann had just believed him when he said he was the same person.

  The engine coughed, rattled, then roared to life. Nancy waited until she was sure there was no one else in the car with them. Then she began to rub her temple stealthily against the edge of the back seat, trying to move the blindfold enough to see a little. It seemed like ages before she got a glimpse of the worn rubber mat she was lying on. It wasn’t much, barely better than nothing.

  Then she went to work on her bonds. The man had done a sloppy job. One of the knots gave a little, freeing a six-inch length of cord between her wrists.

  Suddenly a radio crackled to life, and Nancy froze. After a few seconds, Nancy realized it was a CB. Her captor began talking so softly that she had to strain to hear.

  “Lucked out. Granger didn’t show, but guess who did? Drew’s daughter.”

  “His daughter! Hey, wait, Wes—”

  “No names! The kid’s not deaf.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Are you sure taking her is smart?”

  “Very. When we call him and offer to exchange his baby girl for the name of Granger’s source, what do you think he’s going to do?”

  Nancy stiffened. How stupid she had been!

  “Suppose Granger hasn’t told Drew the name?” the voice on the radio said. “Reporters are funny about stuff like that.”

  “If she hasn’t, she will now. Especially if she knows this kid’s life is in her hands.”

  Nancy wasted no more time. She hadn’t been sure why she was being abducted—now she knew. There was no way she’d allow herself to be used against Ann and her father. She had to get her hands free and escape!

  Face up on the floor, Nancy arched her spine until she was supporting her weight on the back of her neck and shoulders and the balls of her feet. She lowered her hands past her thighs until her fists were behind her knees. That was the easy part.

  Then, knees to her chin, she inched her hands under her feet and over the toes of her running shoes. After a few minutes of struggle, her hands were in front of her at last.

  “Stop that wiggling around back there, or I’ll stuff you in the trunk!” the man said, warning her.

  She’d have to move more cautiously. Gently Nancy tugged off the blindfold, then stripped the tape from her mouth. She had been right about the condition of the car. The fabric on the back seat was split in several places, and the shield over the ceiling light was broken in half.

  Using her teeth, she loosened the remaining knots at her wrists. Then it was just a matter of waiting for her chance.

  After several minutes the car slowed. Nancy’s heart began to pound. If her abductor had reached his destination, and there were others around . . .

  Inch by inch, she lifted her head just enough to peek out the front window. He had just been caught by a red light! It was now or never.

  Nancy jumped forward and delivered a hard karate chop to the side of the man’s neck. But she must not have hit him squarely. As she opened the back door to jump out, he was fumbling with the handle of his door. She had only stunned him!

  He was scrambling to get out, but Nancy was too quick for him. She threw her full weight against his open door and slammed it on his fingers. She saw his face contort with pain before she took off.

  Nancy looked quickly around. She was somewhere downtown, but she couldn’t tell where exactly. She dashed around the corner, where the traffic was heavier, and scanned the block frantically for a blue uniform or a squad car. But there were none in sight
. Nancy kept running until she saw a man getting out of a cab.

  “Taxi!” she yelled and darted toward it. It seemed like forever before the cab’s passenger retrieved his briefcase from the back seat and paid his fare. Nancy was terrified that she might be seen. But finally the passenger was gone, and she was safely in the cab.

  “Where to?” the driver asked, turning around.

  Nancy found herself staring into the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen, causing her to hesitate. The sunlight streaming through the taxi’s window made the driver’s thick, light hair shine.

  Quickly regaining her composure, her first thought was to go to the movie house, to get her car and then go to the police.

  “The Grand Cinema on Shepherd, please.”

  “You got it.” The driver pulled away from the curb and reached for the mike hanging from the dashboard. “Two-nine-seven,” he said into it.

  “Go ahead, two-nine-seven.”

  Nancy frowned. The dispatcher sounded very much like the man she’d heard over the CB in the other car. Perhaps it hadn’t been a CB, but a two-way radio like this one. There’d been no cab light on the roof of that car, but considering how beatup it had been, it might have been a taxi at one time.

  “Two-nine-seven going to the Gr—”

  “Wait.” Nancy stopped him, speaking softly.

  “Say again, two-nine-seven,” the dispatcher said. “You cut yourself off.”

  “Where would you like to go, miss?” the cab driver asked. He sounded a bit exasperated.

  “Make that Fifth and Cranston,” Nancy said. She listened carefully as the dispatcher acknowledged the driver and signed off.

  She wasn’t absolutely certain it was the same voice she had heard on the radio in the other car, but she couldn’t afford to take the chance. Her kidnapper might have told the man the place she had escaped from. All the dispatcher needed to hear was a cabbie report from that same vicinity that he was taking a fare to the Grand Theater, and he’d know Nancy Drew was his passenger.

  The trip was a long one and the traffic heavy. Nancy kept glancing behind her until she was certain they hadn’t been followed. By the time she got out at Fifth and Cranston, her pulse was normal again.