A Secret in Time by Carolyn Keene

still any longer. Creeping toward her bedroom door, she slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open a few inches. Her eyes, already used to the dark, made out the shadowy stairway. A shaft of moonlight, shining through the dining room window, made a diagonal stripe across the front hall floor. What was happening? Where was the thief ?
    Suddenly Officer Brody’s voice broke the stillness again. “Stop or I’ll shoot!” he warned.
    Sergeant Rudinsky must have grabbed the microphone, because her voice now rang out loud and clear. “You are in violation of the U.S. Penal Code for criminal trespassing, breaking and entering, attempted robbery, and resisting arrest. If you don’t stop right now, you’ll just make it worse for yourself.”
    Nancy jumped as a gunshot shattered the night.
    Then the whole house sprang to life. Nancy saw Hannah’s bedroom light come on, immediately followedby Carson’s. Fully dressed, the housekeeper and Nancy’s father ran into the upstairs hall, where Nancy was already standing.
    â€œI heard the footsteps,” Hannah said anxiously. “Do you think they caught him?”
    â€œThere’s only one way to find out,” Nancy said, leading the way down the stairs.
    â€œDon’t go outside,” her father warned. “There could be more shooting.”
    Nancy rushed to the dining-room window and peered out into the street, followed by her father and Hannah. By the light of the moon and the streetlights, they could see the police officers in front of their car. But there was no intruder in handcuffs.
    Going to the front of the house, Carson Drew opened the door. “Is it safe to come out?” he called.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Sergeant Rudinsky yelled back. “The intruder left the area. It’s safe to come out now.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Nancy asked, as she, her father, and Hannah joined the officers.
    â€œIt’s more like what didn’t happen,” the sergeant muttered. Officer Brody looked crushed, and his partner turned to Nancy. “We saw the suspect approach the house from the back. He entered the house by way of a side window. If my partner hadn’t spoken so soon, we might have trapped him inside.”
    Sergeant Rudinsky faced Brody. “Why did you say that the house was surrounded?” she asked. “We hadn’t even radioed for backup yet.”
    â€œI thought if we scared him, he’d be too afraid to come out,” Officer Brody said, looking down at the ground.
    â€œNot only were you mistaken,” the sergeant told him, “but you also violated procedure.”
    â€œWait a minute,” Nancy said to Officer Brody. “You said ‘him.’ Does that mean you at least got a look at the suspect? Was it a man?”
    â€œWe don’t know,” Sergeant Rudinsky answered briskly. “Those bushes near the house made it difficult to see the suspect clearly. It could have been a woman.”
    Nancy sighed in frustration. After all the trouble they’d gone to, they didn’t know anything more than they had before.
    The sound of engines caused Nancy to turn. Two police cars were cruising slowly up the street, their headlights out. They stopped half a block away, and several dark figures emerged from each car.
    As the figures approached, Nancy recognized Chief McGinnis’s familiar silhouette. When she waved, the police chief hesitated. Sergeant Rudinsky, also spotting the chief, gave him a hand signal, and the chief came forward.
    â€œHe got away?” Chief McGinnis asked as he and the other officers rushed forward. Nancy recognized Officers Walker and Daniel among them.
    Sergeant Rudinsky nodded.
    â€œHow did this happen?” the police chief asked.
    Nancy saw Officer Brody glance nervously towardhis partner. He was probably waiting to see if she would reveal his mistake.
    â€œThere was a lot of confusion,” Sergeant Rudinsky