cliff road. It was Bess and George, in bright-colored sweat suits, jogging together along the street where the gasoline truck had just missed getting blown up. Actually, Nancy noticed, it was George who was doing the jogging. What Bess was doing could only be called a shuffle.
Pulling up to the side of the road, Nancy stuck her head out the window and called, “Hey! Need a ride?”
George, her dark hair bouncing, waved and kept trotting in place, but Bess stopped completely.Her lavender sweat suit was drenched, her blond hair was tangled, and her cheeks were as red as Brenda Carlton’s car.
“Nan,” Bess said breathlessly, “you’ll never know how glad I am you came by. We’ve been jogging for hours, and I haven’t run into a single good-looking guy yet. I’ve been breathing so much dust I’m choking, and I’m totally wiped out.”
“We’ve only been jogging for fifteen minutes,” George told her. “And you said you wanted to keep going.”
“That was before I saw Nancy’s car,” Bess said. “Now that I’ve seen it, I’m ready to collapse.”
“Well, okay,” George agreed as they walked over to climb in. “I guess you shouldn’t go too long the first day out, anyway.”
“First day and last day,” Bess moaned, collapsing into the seat.
Laughing, Nancy told her friends where she was going. Immediately they wanted to come along. As she drove, Nancy filled them in on everything that had happened so far.
“He was waiting for you in the garage?” Bess said, her eyes wide. “I would have panicked.”
“I almost did,” Nancy admitted. “But I had the feeling he wasn’t out to hurt me. Whoever it was just wanted to scare me off.”
“But what happens when he finds out you’re not scared off?” George asked.
“I don’t know,” Nancy said. “I just have to hope I find him first, I guess.”
Nancy didn’t bother going all the way to the iron gates. She pulled the Mustang into one of the small turnaround spaces in the road.
“Don’t tell me we have to hike the rest of the way up,” Bess said.
Nancy laughed. “Actually, yes, but it’s only a short distance. You might have to climb a bit, though,” she told her. “Are your feet up to it?”
“Actually, I’m feeling okay now. And,” Bess added, “with a little food, I’ll be completely recovered.”
“Food?” George asked. “Who’s got food?”
“I do.” Bess reached under her sweatshirt and pulled out a small leather bag that she’d strapped around her waist. “I have two chicken sandwiches in here,” she said. “I always come prepared.”
The three friends got out of the car and followed the wall to the spot where Nancy had seen Todd Harrington’s “second door.” Pulling back the shrubbery, Nancy waved at the crumbling wall.
“This isn’t exactly the way to go to somebody’s house,” George said jokingly.
“I know,” Nancy agreed. “But I don’t want anyone to see me going in. Besides,” she added, “it’s easier than climbing those front gates.”
“That’s fine with me,” Bess said, putting one foot on a rock. “Come on, I’m dying to see this place.”
The wall was easy to climb. In just a couple of minutes, the three girls had dropped softly onto the velvety grass of the Harrington House grounds.
But before any of them could take a step, two dogs came bounding out of a stand of trees, heading straight for them. The dogs were Doberman pinschers, black and lean and fast, and as they got closer, the girls could see that their fangs were bared.
They were ready to attack.
Chapter
Eight
I NSTANTLY THE THREE girls started scrambling back up the wall.
“I just decided I love jogging!” Bess gasped. “In fact, I think I’ll run all the way home!”
“I didn’t know they had attack dogs!” Nancy cried.
“Well, those dogs aren’t going to give up,” Bess said. “They look as though they’re ready to climb right after us. George, why don’t you try one of your judo moves
Pulling up to the side of the road, Nancy stuck her head out the window and called, “Hey! Need a ride?”
George, her dark hair bouncing, waved and kept trotting in place, but Bess stopped completely.Her lavender sweat suit was drenched, her blond hair was tangled, and her cheeks were as red as Brenda Carlton’s car.
“Nan,” Bess said breathlessly, “you’ll never know how glad I am you came by. We’ve been jogging for hours, and I haven’t run into a single good-looking guy yet. I’ve been breathing so much dust I’m choking, and I’m totally wiped out.”
“We’ve only been jogging for fifteen minutes,” George told her. “And you said you wanted to keep going.”
“That was before I saw Nancy’s car,” Bess said. “Now that I’ve seen it, I’m ready to collapse.”
“Well, okay,” George agreed as they walked over to climb in. “I guess you shouldn’t go too long the first day out, anyway.”
“First day and last day,” Bess moaned, collapsing into the seat.
Laughing, Nancy told her friends where she was going. Immediately they wanted to come along. As she drove, Nancy filled them in on everything that had happened so far.
“He was waiting for you in the garage?” Bess said, her eyes wide. “I would have panicked.”
“I almost did,” Nancy admitted. “But I had the feeling he wasn’t out to hurt me. Whoever it was just wanted to scare me off.”
“But what happens when he finds out you’re not scared off?” George asked.
“I don’t know,” Nancy said. “I just have to hope I find him first, I guess.”
Nancy didn’t bother going all the way to the iron gates. She pulled the Mustang into one of the small turnaround spaces in the road.
“Don’t tell me we have to hike the rest of the way up,” Bess said.
Nancy laughed. “Actually, yes, but it’s only a short distance. You might have to climb a bit, though,” she told her. “Are your feet up to it?”
“Actually, I’m feeling okay now. And,” Bess added, “with a little food, I’ll be completely recovered.”
“Food?” George asked. “Who’s got food?”
“I do.” Bess reached under her sweatshirt and pulled out a small leather bag that she’d strapped around her waist. “I have two chicken sandwiches in here,” she said. “I always come prepared.”
The three friends got out of the car and followed the wall to the spot where Nancy had seen Todd Harrington’s “second door.” Pulling back the shrubbery, Nancy waved at the crumbling wall.
“This isn’t exactly the way to go to somebody’s house,” George said jokingly.
“I know,” Nancy agreed. “But I don’t want anyone to see me going in. Besides,” she added, “it’s easier than climbing those front gates.”
“That’s fine with me,” Bess said, putting one foot on a rock. “Come on, I’m dying to see this place.”
The wall was easy to climb. In just a couple of minutes, the three girls had dropped softly onto the velvety grass of the Harrington House grounds.
But before any of them could take a step, two dogs came bounding out of a stand of trees, heading straight for them. The dogs were Doberman pinschers, black and lean and fast, and as they got closer, the girls could see that their fangs were bared.
They were ready to attack.
Chapter
Eight
I NSTANTLY THE THREE girls started scrambling back up the wall.
“I just decided I love jogging!” Bess gasped. “In fact, I think I’ll run all the way home!”
“I didn’t know they had attack dogs!” Nancy cried.
“Well, those dogs aren’t going to give up,” Bess said. “They look as though they’re ready to climb right after us. George, why don’t you try one of your judo moves
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