Hotline to Danger by Carolyn Keene Page A

and Bess chorused.
    Nancy checked her watch. “It shouldn’t take me very long. See you in ten minutes.”
    Nancy watched from the car as George and Bess walked up the steps to the front door. When they rang the bell, she bent low in the car seat.
    Almost immediately Nancy heard the murmur of voices and the front door slamming shut. She waited a few seconds, then opened the car door on the side away from the house and slipped from the Mustang. The grounds were well landscaped, but since the leaves weren’t out on the trees yet, Nancy had to be careful not to be seen.
    She reached the garage in a few seconds and darted around the side, where she found a window. Rising on tiptoes, she peered inside. The blue sedan was parked closer to her, but next to it was a second car.
    Nancy’s heart skipped a beat.
    It was a silver Mercedes!

Chapter

Eleven
    S O M RS. T HACKETT’S CAR might have been at the scene of the crime, Nancy thought. Or it could just be a coincidence. Hers certainly wasn’t the only silver Mercedes in River Heights. Besides, she’d been seen at the theater. Could someone else have been driving her car?
    Ducking low, Nancy made her way back to the Mustang, slid into the driver’s seat, and settled down low. Bess and George did not return as quickly as Nancy had hoped, however. Her muscles were beginning to cramp when the front door of the Thacketts’ house finally flew open.
    â€œGoodbye! Thank you!” Nancy heard Bess and George call. Once Nancy heard the front door close behind her friends, she sat up. She quickly started the car as Bess and George jumped in.
    â€œWhew,” Bess gasped when they were halfway down the circular drive. “That woman is obsessed with her daughter.”
    â€œThat’s for sure,” George agreed. “Mrs. Thackett has lived her life around Rachel. The house is a monument to her. Every wall has pictures of Rachel performing—”
    â€œBallet, horseback riding, gymnastics,” Bess added, leaning on the back of George’s seat. “She even brought out the photo albums.” Bess rolled her eyes. “Honestly, if we hadn’t told her we had a lunch date, we would have been there all day.”
    â€œIt’s no wonder Rachel split,” George said. “If my mom acted like that, I’d feel totally smothered.”
    â€œDid she say anything about where Rachel was?” Nancy asked.
    George and Bess exchanged glances. “She told us Rachel was in New York, visiting friends,” George said.
    â€œEven though I knew she was lying, I felt sorry for her,” Bess added.
    â€œDon’t feel too sorry. There’s a silver Mercedes in her garage,” Nancy told them.
    Bess gasped. “You mean she killed Paul?”
    â€œNo, it means a car the same make as hers drove onto that field by the tracks.”
    George whistled. “Sounds like pretty solid evidence to me.”
    â€œOnly if the police can prove it was the samecar,” Nancy said. “If B.D. gets a warrant, they can scrape the tires for mud samples and compare it to the dirt around the tracks.” She turned the car onto Main Street. “Look for a phone booth. I need to call B.D., then let’s head to the teen center and see if Rachel’s called.”
    â€œTony would have tried to contact you,” Bess said. “He’s very responsible.”
    â€œAnd good-looking, smart, sensitive . . .” George teased her cousin.
    Bess rapped her on the arm. “I hadn’t noticed,” she stated firmly. “After all, I’m still dating Kyle.” Dropping her chin onto her arms, she sighed dejectedly. “Until he leaves in three days.”
    â€œThree days!” Nancy exclaimed.
    Bess nodded. “Yeah. He’s taking the job right away. Although I really think he just wants to get out in the sun and surf and date California girls.”
    â€œOh, come on, Bess,”