Danger on Parade by Carolyn Keene Page B

have initialed it, Nancy thought. After thanking the saleswoman for her help, Nancy started to leave the area. Bess lingered behind, a sober expression on her face.
    â€œWhat is it, Bess?” Nancy asked.
    Bess blinked, then looked at Nancy. “I was justthinking about Jules. Do you think he saw something before he was hurt in the explosion?” she asked. “I mean, maybe he’s feeling well enough today to talk to us.”
    â€œGreat idea, Bess!” Nancy said. “Let’s find out!”
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    â€œWow, this building is beautiful,” Bess said a short while later, staring up at a building with an impressive carved stone facade.
    Bonnie, Jill’s assistant, had told the girls that Jules had been released from the hospital that morning and was recuperating at his family’s apartment. When Nancy called him there, he readily agreed to talk to them. They immediately hopped into a taxi, which had just let them off in front of his building on Riverside Drive, on the Upper West Side. Across the drive a park stretched along the Hudson River. Nancy could see the George Washington Bridge in the distance, stretching across the river to New Jersey. A cold wind whipped up from the river, causing Nancy to pull her coat more tightly around her.
    She and Bess hurried into the lobby and gave the uniformed doorman their names, saying that they were there to visit Jules Langley. After announcing the two visitors over the intercom, he directed them to the penthouse. When the girls stepped out of the elevator on the top floor, Jules was waiting in the open doorway.
    â€œHi, Nancy, Bess,” he greeted them with a smile. “Come on in.” His arm was in a sling, and there were some scratches and a dark bruise on his forehead. Still, he seemed to be in good spirits.
    He led them through a spacious entry hall and on the living room, which was filled with antique furniture, a large oriental rug, and oil paintings. A large picture window provided a spectacular view of the Hudson River.
    â€œHow are you, Jules?” Nancy asked, sitting in a high-backed chair, while Jules and Bess settled on the couch.
    â€œI’m a little bruised but basically okay,” he replied. “Jill told me that the explosion was sabotage,” he added, frowning. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
    â€œYes,” Nancy said. “We’re trying to find out who’s responsible. Did you see anything unusual before the blast?”
    â€œNot that I remember,” he replied. “After I dropped you two at Jill’s office, I went to the parade studio and watched them unwrap a few more balloons. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital.”
    A look of disappointment crossed Bess’s face. “Is there anyone you can think of who might be trying to sabotage the parade?” Bess asked Jules.
    Jules looked down, and the color drained from his face.
    â€œJules, what is it?” Nancy asked. “If you knowsomething about the sabotage, you’ve got to tell us. It could save the parade.”
    He hesitated a moment before speaking. “My father is a . . . difficult man,” he began. “When he first bought the store, over a year ago, he actually fired my two brothers—his own sons—when they voted against him in a board meeting.”
    Nancy couldn’t imagine her own father doing something like that. It sounded to her as though Howard Langley was more than just difficult.
    Jules raked a hand through his curly blond hair. “Dad didn’t want to have the Thanksgiving Day parade. It costs so much money, and the store isn’t doing very well,” he went on. “About eight months ago, when we were launching our new cosmetics line, I made a deal with him. Dad agreed that if the new cosmetics brought in enough money, we’d go ahead with the parade.”
    â€œThe line was a success, right?” Bess