Without a Trace by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online Page B

food, we put all mysteries aside and focused our minds on digging in.
     
    For a few hours the next morning I almost forgot about both of the mysteries I was trying to solve. The River Heights Animal Shelter where I volunteer one morning a month is always busy on Saturdays, but today it was chaotic. People come from all over the city and the surrounding counties to adopt dogs and cats and the occasional rabbit or guinea pig. All morning I was running around and filling out paperwork, scrubbing cat cages, hosing down dog runs, and answering people’s questions. There was no time to think about anything else.
    But as soon as I headed toward home, the previous day’s events came flooding back into my mind. Simone’s party didn’t start for about six hours, and I didn’t want to wait that long to get back to my investigation.
    I found Hannah in the kitchen, scrubbing out a saucepan in the sink. “Hi, Nancy,” she greeted me,turning and wiping her hands on a dish towel. “How was the shelter today?”
    “Fine,” I replied. “We adopted out eleven cats and seven and a half dogs.”
    “Seven and a half?” Hannah repeated in surprise. I smiled. “The Harrison family picked out the dog they want, but they’re going away for a couple of days next week. So they’re going to pick up their new pooch next weekend.”
    “Ah, that sounds nice,” Hannah said. “I made some chili with the tomatoes and beans Evaline Waters gave us from her garden. Would you like a bowl for lunch?”
    “Sure, thanks, Hannah. That sounds great.”
    I walked to the cabinet to grab a glass while Hannah pulled a tureen out of the refrigerator. A few minutes later I was seated at the round oak kitchen table with a bowl of hot chili and a cold glass of milk.
    “Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked Hannah.
    She slid the tureen back into the refrigerator and turned back to face me. “I already had a bite earlier with your father,” she said. “He had a meeting downtown this afternoon, so we had an early lunch before he left.”
    “Oh.” I was a little disappointed to hear that Dad wasn’t home. I had been hoping to talk over my cases with him. Scooping up a hot spoonful of chili, I blew on it before putting it in my mouth. Yum. “Mm, thischili is delicious, Hannah!” I took another bite. “Did anyone call this morning while I was out?”
    “Just Bess,” Hannah said. “She wants you to call her. Something about dressing for a party? I think she’s planning to come by, and she wanted to know what time you’d be home.”
    “Okay, thanks.” I told Hannah about the party so she wouldn’t hold dinner for me. As she bustled off to take care of the laundry, I finished my lunch and put the dishes in the dishwasher. After that I wandered out into the hall, wondering what to do next.
    I glanced at my watch. Still several hours until party time. I was counting on figuring out a lot at that party, but that didn’t mean I was going to let the rest of the afternoon go to waste.
    Heading into the living room, I picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. It rang only once.
    “Hello,” a crisp female voice said. “River Heights Police Department. How may I help you?”
    “Hi, Tonya,” I said. “It’s Nancy Drew.”
    “Oh, hello, Nancy. What can I do for you today?” Tonya Ward is the receptionist at police headquarters. She’s efficient, smart, and tough. She’s also a very helpful friend for me to have, since her boss, Chief McGinnis, isn’t always thrilled to find out about my amateur investigating.
    “Is the chief in?” I asked.
    “Hold on a sec, I’ll find out.”
    The line went quiet for a moment or two. Then it clicked back on, and a different voice spoke. “Hello?”
    “Hi, Chief McGinnis,” I said. “It’s Nancy Drew.”
    “Yes, I heard.” The chief sounded slightly weary. “What is it, Nancy?”
    I switched the phone to my other ear and picked up a pen in case I needed to take any notes. “I was just