asked.
“Probably not till very late,” Nancy said, wishing that the words were true, that she was expecting him to arrive. “I’ll want you to hold the room, anyway, just so it will be ready for him.”
The clerk nodded. “I’ll get a map of the area and show you where the lodge is located,” he said.
Nancy watched his drawing and listened attentively to what he said, but all the time she kept wondering if it was important. Tod hadn’t seemed to think so, yet Alana had mentioned something about the secret of the Tundra being found at the Firebird. It was the only clue she had.
“I’ll check it out in the morning,” she told herself as she got into the elevator. At the moment she was so tired she wasn’t sure she could make it down the long hall to her room. It had been an endless day.
And there was still the notebook, she reminded herself. Though she’d gone through it once, she realized that she hadn’t known what she was looking for, so she might have missed something. Sighing, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, flipping on the light.
She gasped in horror at the sight that greeted her: the contents of her suitcase lay in a shambles. “I should have taken it with me,” Nancy chided herself as she picked up the sweater within which she’d hid the notebook. The notebook was gone, of course.
Tears of frustration welled up. For a moment she was furious enough to call the authorities to report the break-in, but then she remembered the cold voice on the telephone and she knew she couldn’t risk it.
“All right, you’ve won this round,” she murmured to the empty room, “but I’m going to win the fight. I’m going to find Alana and learn this secret and then I’m going to get Dad and the Tundra back.”
The words were brave, but they echoed in the empty room, underlining how alone she was. Nancy looked around and knew she couldn’t stay.
Her eyes went to the map she still held. Could she find the place at night? She looked at the phone, then rejected the idea of calling ahead. “I hope you left me some clues, Alana,” she said as she pulled on a jacket and prepared to leave the hotel again.
When she stepped out into the hall, however, she hesitated, suddenly realizing something. For anyone to have searched her room, they had to know she’d left the hotel. Were they watching her? She looked up and down the hall. It was empty and quiet. Someone in the lobby? That seemed more likely.
Nancy moved away from the elevators, following the hall to the far end where the stairs were located. She used them and smiled as she stepped out at the side of the hotel only a few yards from where her car was parked. “Now all I have to do is find Firebird Lodge,” she told herself. “I just hope the desk clerk knew what he was drawing on this map.”
The drive through Victoria was calming and gave her time to do a little thinking about all that had happened; The trouble was, her thoughts weren’t very conclusive. Everyone seemed to have secrets. Alana, her uncle, Tod— they had all asked her to help; yet none of them had trusted her with the whole truth.
But what about her father? Nancy asked herself. Why kidnap him? She frowned at the night beyond her car windows. Obviously, he had been abducted before she went to Victoria; otherwise he would have arrived at the Haggler Estate.
Suddenly Nancy became aware of headlights behind her in the darkness. At first they were approaching quickly, then they seemed to slow until they were maintaining the same distance between their car and the rental one she was driving.
“Well, well, well, they must have been watching the car instead of the lobby,” she murmured, wondering if they had followed her to the hospital, too. It would have been impossible to tell in the city traffic.
Nancy allowed the car to slow, trying to decide what to do. She couldn’t just lead them to the lodge.
Should she return to the hotel? Her heart sank at the thought. She spread
“Probably not till very late,” Nancy said, wishing that the words were true, that she was expecting him to arrive. “I’ll want you to hold the room, anyway, just so it will be ready for him.”
The clerk nodded. “I’ll get a map of the area and show you where the lodge is located,” he said.
Nancy watched his drawing and listened attentively to what he said, but all the time she kept wondering if it was important. Tod hadn’t seemed to think so, yet Alana had mentioned something about the secret of the Tundra being found at the Firebird. It was the only clue she had.
“I’ll check it out in the morning,” she told herself as she got into the elevator. At the moment she was so tired she wasn’t sure she could make it down the long hall to her room. It had been an endless day.
And there was still the notebook, she reminded herself. Though she’d gone through it once, she realized that she hadn’t known what she was looking for, so she might have missed something. Sighing, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, flipping on the light.
She gasped in horror at the sight that greeted her: the contents of her suitcase lay in a shambles. “I should have taken it with me,” Nancy chided herself as she picked up the sweater within which she’d hid the notebook. The notebook was gone, of course.
Tears of frustration welled up. For a moment she was furious enough to call the authorities to report the break-in, but then she remembered the cold voice on the telephone and she knew she couldn’t risk it.
“All right, you’ve won this round,” she murmured to the empty room, “but I’m going to win the fight. I’m going to find Alana and learn this secret and then I’m going to get Dad and the Tundra back.”
The words were brave, but they echoed in the empty room, underlining how alone she was. Nancy looked around and knew she couldn’t stay.
Her eyes went to the map she still held. Could she find the place at night? She looked at the phone, then rejected the idea of calling ahead. “I hope you left me some clues, Alana,” she said as she pulled on a jacket and prepared to leave the hotel again.
When she stepped out into the hall, however, she hesitated, suddenly realizing something. For anyone to have searched her room, they had to know she’d left the hotel. Were they watching her? She looked up and down the hall. It was empty and quiet. Someone in the lobby? That seemed more likely.
Nancy moved away from the elevators, following the hall to the far end where the stairs were located. She used them and smiled as she stepped out at the side of the hotel only a few yards from where her car was parked. “Now all I have to do is find Firebird Lodge,” she told herself. “I just hope the desk clerk knew what he was drawing on this map.”
The drive through Victoria was calming and gave her time to do a little thinking about all that had happened; The trouble was, her thoughts weren’t very conclusive. Everyone seemed to have secrets. Alana, her uncle, Tod— they had all asked her to help; yet none of them had trusted her with the whole truth.
But what about her father? Nancy asked herself. Why kidnap him? She frowned at the night beyond her car windows. Obviously, he had been abducted before she went to Victoria; otherwise he would have arrived at the Haggler Estate.
Suddenly Nancy became aware of headlights behind her in the darkness. At first they were approaching quickly, then they seemed to slow until they were maintaining the same distance between their car and the rental one she was driving.
“Well, well, well, they must have been watching the car instead of the lobby,” she murmured, wondering if they had followed her to the hospital, too. It would have been impossible to tell in the city traffic.
Nancy allowed the car to slow, trying to decide what to do. She couldn’t just lead them to the lodge.
Should she return to the hotel? Her heart sank at the thought. She spread
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