004 Smile and Say Murder by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online

Nancy. This afternoon I’d like you to help Leslie do a preliminary layout for the next issue. Think you can handle it?”
    “I’ll do my best,” Nancy said. “See you later.”
    Nancy left Mick’s office and walked toward the reception desk. She felt that she’d made some important discoveries about the case.Now if she could just figure out what it all meant!
    Nancy entered the reception area. Scott was nowhere in sight, but Ned was there, talking to Sondra and acting very interested in what she was saying. They were standing close. In fact, it looked to Nancy as though her tried-and-true boyfriend were flirting! At that moment, Sondra let out a peal of laughter and Ned broke into a charming smile.
    How could Sondra make a play for Ned? Nancy wondered indignantly. Then she remembered Sondra had absolutely no way of knowing she was going after Nancy’s boyfriend. But Ned should know better!
    Still, Nancy had to give Ned the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was just trying to get information and pick up clues from Sondra. But there was no reason for him to stand so close to her in order, to do it. No way was she going to stand around and watch her boyfriend flirt with another girl!
    Nancy took two steps forward. And at that moment, two piercing screams cut through the morning calm.

Chapter

Seven
    T HAT WAS Y VONNE !” Nancy cried. She made a dash for the publisher’s office, Ned and Sondra momentarily forgotten. What could have happened?
    Nancy threw open the door. Yvonne was standing by her desk, staring horrified into one of its drawers.
    “Yvonne!” Nancy exclaimed. “Are you all right?”
    “I—I thought it was just a toy until it moved,” Yvonne gasped.
    Nancy glanced around. Most of the Flash staff had followed her into Yvonne’s office. Ned and Sondra were right behind her. Mick looked on uncertainly and David’s steel-gray eyes surveyed the commotion impassively.
    Nancy crossed the room and peered intoYvonne’s desk. At first she didn’t see what had scared the publisher. Then something started to crawl. It was a huge, hairy black spider with pinkish legs—a tarantula!
    “Where did this come from?” Nancy asked softly, leaning closer to examine the spider.
    “I d-don’t know,” Yvonne sputtered. “I just opened the drawer and there it was!”
    Nancy picked up an empty coffee mug and laid it in the desk drawer, its rim facing the spider. She prodded the creature with the end of a pencil until it began crawling into the cup. “We’d better save this for evidence.”
    But Yvonne pushed by, a paperweight in her hand. “No way am I going to leave that thing hanging around here!” She brought the weight down on the spider.
    Nancy stared for a second. But by that time Sondra had already begun yelling at her brother. Of course, Nancy thought with a little mental shrug. This is Flash. Why did I expect to get through the morning without at least one major fight?
    “Mick, how could you?” Sondra was crying. “Yvonne might have been bitten! You are taking these practical jokes way too far. They’re not funny anymore!”
    A look of confusion, fear, and hurt crossed Mick’s face. “Wait a minute, Sondra. Are you saying I’m responsible for this? You think I’m crazy or something?”
    “Well, who else could it be? No one else around here pulls creepy jokes.”
    “I’d never get near that miserable spider.” Mick shuddered. “The rubber ones you brought in for Danielle Artman were bad enough. Besides, I’m not into dangerous jokes. You know that!”
    Nancy watched the exchange closely. Mick really did seem shocked that his sister would assume he was responsible. Then again, maybe he was just a very good actor.
    Suddenly Nancy remembered that David had just come back from South America. Isn’t it interesting, Nancy thought. That’s one of the areas where you can find tarantulas. With his connection to MediaCorp, the editor in chief was beginning to look more than a little suspicious.
    In