005 Hit and Run Holiday by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online

voice shouted. “I see you survived your encounter with the deadly man-of-war!”
    Wishing he’d keep his voice down, Nancysmiled at the boy who’d helped her up the day before. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said softly.
    “Great! I gotta hand it to you, you said you’d be back and here you are!” The boy didn’t lower his voice a notch.
    “Right,” Nancy replied, watching as Ricardo turned his head and looked straight at her. Without a word to Bess, he dropped her hand and trotted down the beach, through the mass of sunbathing bodies, and out of sight. Here I am and there he goes, Nancy thought.
    Bess looked at Nancy, her expression puzzled. Nancy waved goodbye to the boy and went to join Bess.
    “Gosh,” said Bess. “That was weird. That guy took one look at you and left.”
    Nancy started to explain that his name was Ricardo, and that he was the one she’d seen snooping around Kim’s hotel room. But Bess was off on another subject.
    “You’re back awfully soon,” she remarked. “Didn’t your date with Dirk work out?”
    “As a matter of fact, it was a real washout,” Nancy admitted. “I shouldn’t have gone with him. He didn’t know a thing about the case.”
    “So now I guess he’s through with you, right?” Bess said sarcastically. “Gee, maybe I still have a chance.”
    “Come on, Bess.” Nancy sighed. “I’m sorry things got messed up for you, but you know I’m trying to find out what happened to Kim.”
    “Oh, and speaking of Kim,” Bess said, “she still hasn’t come to. While you were off with Dirk I was at the hospital. George is there now, but she has to leave in about an hour.” Bess waded out of the water and onto the hard-packed sand. “Maybe you should go visit her. . . . So this Ricardo is really the same guy you saw in Kim’s hotel room?”
    Nancy nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Bess, but be careful around him, okay?”
    “Okay,” replied Bess, wide-eyed.
    “All right. I’ll see you around. I’ve got more investigating to do.”
    For a while, Nancy wandered along the beach, hoping she’d see Ricardo. But after an hour had gone by, she realized she was wasting her time. He probably wasn’t on duty that day, and she knew he wouldn’t put in an appearance unless he had to, not if he thought she was hanging around.
    Nancy gave up and decided to go to the hospital. Maybe Kim would be awake by then. That would solve everything, she thought hopefully.
    When she got to the hospital, Nancy saw Mrs. Baylor standing outside Kim’s room, and for a moment, Nancy really was hopeful—Mrs. Baylor wasn’t crying.
    Keeping her fingers crossed, Nancy rushed down the hall. But as she got closer to Kim’s mother she realized that if Mrs. Baylor wasn’tcrying, it was only because she was too shocked and frightened for tears.
    “Mrs. Baylor?” Nancy was breathless, afraid of what she might hear. “Is Kim . . . is she . . .?”
    “She’s worse,” Mrs. Baylor whispered. “She’s growing weaker, and the doctors are worried she might slip into a coma or . . .”
    Or die, Nancy thought. And if that happens, then you’ll be trying to solve more than a hit and run. It will be murder!

Chapter

Seven
    I T WAS EARLY evening when Nancy let herself into her room at the Surfside Inn. She felt slightly guilty about leaving the hospital, but Mrs. Baylor had insisted. “You’ll help Kim more by finding out why this happened to her,” she’d said. And Nancy knew she was right; what she didn’t know yet was how to solve the case. She had two leads—Ricardo and Rosita—and so far, she hadn’t been able to follow either of them.
    Maybe a shower will help clear your head, she thought, as she flicked on the lights. She stepped into the bathroom and was peeling offher clothes when she noticed the note stuck in the mirror.
    Nan—I promised Bess I’d go with her on the party-to-nowhere boat, so that’s where we are—nowhere! Bess still likes Dirk, which is why