More angry than frightened, Nancy whirled and
reached for the dagger. In one long stride, Karl crossed
the dressing room and grabbed her wrist before she
could get it.
“In fact, I didn't touch a hair on your head, did I?”
he growled. “Now, why don't you explain why you were
going through my pants pockets?”
Nancy gritted her teeth, angry that she'd been
caught. If Karl was really Curran, she knew she'd
better think of a good answer.
“I didn't know they were your pants,” she said
tightly. “Eli sent me down to get a belt for one of the
extras. He told me the belt was in a pair of jeans. Now
let me go.”
She could feel Karl's hot breath on the top of her
head. Would he believe her?
Using his other hand, he reached up and pulled the
dagger from the wall. Then he let go of her wrist.
Turning, she met his hard stare. His hat was pulled
low on his forehead, his black hair hung lank on his
shoulders, and his lips were curled in a sneer of
disbelief.
“Maybe you need to take a break from playing
Blackbeard,” she said. “You're starting to act like him.”
Karl cocked a dark brow, a wicked gleam in his eye.
“Thank you,” he said. Without taking his eyes off her,
he stuck his dagger in his waist sash.
“What are you doing down here?” Nancy asked,
crossing her arms in front of her.
“I had a minute's break before they shot the third
take. Janie told me I needed to blacken my teeth.” He
flashed her a huge grin. “They were just too white and
pretty whenever I called, Hang the varmints from the
yardarm!' “
Stepping back, he gestured toward the open
doorway with a mock bow. “After you, ma'am.”
Nancy picked up the backpack, squared her
shoulders, and marched past him. When she reached
the passageway, she ran up the steps to the waist. Once
she was safely outside in the sunlight, she exhaled in
relief.
That was a close call. Karl Kidd could easily be
Curran, she thought. Not only was he arrogant and
smart, he had all the right moves. Hadn't he boasted
that the burglaries were the work of a crafty bunch of
pirates? she thought.
As she walked down the gangplank, a slow smile
spread over her face. Of course, he wasn't quite smart
enough to beat her.
Raising her arm, Nancy looked at her wrist. Maybe
she hadn't gotten Karl Kidd's buckle, but when he'd
grabbed her arm, he'd left clear prints on the band of
her watch. As soon as Weller could process the prints,
she'd know for sure if Karl Kidd was Chance Curran.
Riiiiing. The incessant whine forced its way into
Nancy's brain. Reaching out blindly, she flung her
hand in the direction of the bedside table, finally
swatting the top button on the clock radio.
A groan came from the other bed. “Don't tell me it's
afternoon already.”
Opening one eye, Nancy looked over at George,
who'd pulled the covers over her head to keep the
afternoon sun out of her eyes. “Hey, you had more
sleep than I did, so quit complaining,” she said, her
sentence broken by a yawn.
“That may be true, but you didn't have the
humiliating experience of being treated like a common
criminal.” George tossed the sheet off her face. “What
time did you finally get here? I didn't hear you come
in.”
“That's because you were snoring too loud.” Nancy
stifled a grin.
As soon as she'd gotten to the hotel room, she'd
called Weller, showered, and then delivered the
evidence bags to an officer who had met her in the
lobby. Finally, she'd crawled into bed and fallen
promptly asleep. Through all the commotion, George
hadn't budged.
“How was the shoot this morning?” George asked,
sounding more awake. “Did anyone even wonder why
Daniel and I weren't there?”
“You weren't supposed to be there, remember?”
Nancy reminder her. “They aren't shooting your scene
until this afternoon. Still, I told Janie and Andrew
about the arrest. Janie acted totally shocked. Andrew,
on the other hand, wanted to know if you'd make it this
afternoon.”
George snorted. “So much for sympathy.”
“It didn't take long for the story to get around to all
the cast and crew members. I made it sound as if you
and Daniel are still prime suspects.”
Sitting up in bed, George hugged her legs. “Then I
guess we'll see how good an actor Daniel really is. He's
going to have to play the part of the wrongfully accused
victim.”
“I think he'll give an award-winning performance.
Talking about performances—” Nancy told George all
about her encounter with Karl Kidd.
“Wow, if he'd come after me, I would have been
shaking in my Anne Bonny boots,” George said.
“I was pretty scared,” Nancy admitted, then grinned
triumphantly. “But I got his prints! As well as Andrew's
and Harold's.”
“How long will it take Weller to run them?”
“He says there's a backlog, but because Chance
Curran is wanted by several other police departments
in different states, they're making this case a priority.”
Throwing back the covers, Nancy got out of bed, her
energy returning. She grabbed her clothes off the back
of a chair, then went into the bathroom to change and
wash up.
“Janie said Andrew's having a big spread for lunch
on the ship,” Nancy called out to George, “to impress
the Good Morning Baltimore crew. If we hurry, there
might be something left.”
“Then let's hurry!” George called back. “I'm
starving.”
Half an hour later, they were walking down Pier
Three toward the Swift Adventure. Nancy turned to go
up the gangplank when she noticed Selena strolling
across the bridge they'd just crossed. She was walking
arm-in-arm with a man.
“George.” Nancy nudged her friend. “Don't stare,
but can you tell whom Selena is with?”
George nonchalantly glanced toward the bridge.
“He doesn't look like anyone from the film, but
whoever he is, they seem cozy.”
When Nancy reached the main deck, she sneaked a
peek over the railing. Instantly, she realized who the
man was—Joseph Mascelli.
“She's with that reporter I caught in the cargo hold,”
Nancy told George.
George chuckled. “She must be giving him a very
intimate interview.”
“Really.” Nancy furrowed her brow. “This whole
publicity thing has gotten out of hand. I wish I could
figure out how it ties in with the burglaries.”
“On two hours of sleep, I'm surprised you can tie
your own shoes,” George said with a chuckle.
When they climbed up t
he ladder to the
quarterdeck, Nancy spotted Scott Harlow, the waiter
from the hotel dining room. He was talking to Janie, an
earnest expression on his face.
“I'd forgotten Janie invited Scott,” Nancy said,
waving. When he saw them, his eyes brightened.
Nancy pointed to the buffet table, then made a motion
as if she were eating. He nodded as if he understood.
Picking up a plate, she got in line with George.
“Remember to keep your ears and eyes open,” she
whispered as she piled her plate high with homemade
rolls and salads. “The real thief is probably checking
you out right this minute.”
George grinned before popping a grape into her
mouth. “Good,” she said. “Anne Bonny can handle
anything.”
Just then Eli bustled over. “I've got a new costume
for you to try on,” he said to George. “Since the police
took the other one.”
“Nancy!” Lian rushed over. “This next scene
requires a ton of camera angles. You're going to
need—”
As the two rattled on, Nancy and George shot each
other wry looks. The afternoon was going to be a busy
one.
“That's a wrap!” Andrew called four hours later.
“Thank you, everyone. Take the night off and enjoy
yourselves.”
“Whew.” George gasped as she pulled her scarf off
her head. “Did he say take the night off?”
Nancy was bent over picking up muskets, pistols,
swords, and daggers that had fallen during a fight
scene. Before the shoot, she and Eli had laid canvas on
top of the deck so it wouldn't get splattered with the
fake blood.
“Yes, and the words were music to my ears. I'm
going to sleep—” Nancy began.
“Nancy, George,” Janie called. “Lian and I are going
to the aquarium after we pack up. How about coming
with us? It might be our last chance to sightsee.”
Nancy straightened, her arms full of props. “Sounds
like a good idea,” she said. “George, what do you think?
We can still get to bed early.”
“Count me in,” George said. “I just need to change.”
Taking a few swords from Nancy, she headed for the
steerage deck. Lian and Janie went to pack up cameras
and lights.
Nancy looked around the quarterdeck. The cast had
gone to change, the Good Morning Baltimore crew had
finished their taping, and Scott had left to go to work.
Without the extras, the ship almost seemed quiet.
Nancy's gaze rested on Janie and Lian. Weller had
said that Curran worked with a female accomplice.
Nancy realized there was always a chance she was on
the ship right now—working side by side with her.
But could the pair be Janie and Lian? Nancy shook
her head, not wanting to believe either could be
involved. She liked them both. Still, maybe the
aquarium would be a good place to pump them
casually for information.
A girlish laugh drew Nancy's attention to the waist
below. Selena and Joseph were leaving the ship. The
reporter had his arm around Selena's shoulder.
Throughout the afternoon's shoot, he'd stayed
onboard, sometimes taking notes, but usually with his
attention on Selena.
And why not? Nancy thought as she watched Selena
sashay down the gangplank in her spike heels and low-
cut dress. Selena was beautiful, and when Joseph was
around, she played the charming actress. Nancy had to
wonder what other roles she could play. Was thief in
her repertoire?
“Wow, look at that shark!” Lian exclaimed as the
four girls walked up the spiral ramp of the aquarium's
Open Ocean exhibit. “The only thing that separates us
from his gaping jaws is that little bitty thickness of
glass.”
“It really does feel like you're underwater with
them,” George said. “That's because we're surrounded
by water. There are two tanks circling us. The one at
this level holds sharks. Above us is the Atlantic Coral
Reef.”
Janie and Lian had stopped to watch another shark
lazily swimming past. “How do you know so much
about the aquarium?” Janie asked, glancing at George
over her shoulder.
“Nancy and I were here once before on a—”
Nancy poked George in the side with her elbow. “—
on a tour,” she cut in hastily, not wanting George to
mention anything about being detectives.
“Oh, look at that!” Lian exclaimed. The three girls
turned their attention back to the glass-enclosed tank.
Nancy glanced at her wrist, then remembered that the
police had her watch. “What time is it, George?”
“Twenty minutes before the whale and dolphin show
starts.”
“I'm going to find a place to sit down for a minute,”
Nancy told the others. “The lack of sleep is catching up
to me. Meet you by the Children's Cove.”
They waved, and Nancy continued up the ramp,
hunting for a bench. When she reached the Children's
Cove, several groups of kids were clustered around the
touch pool. Nancy walked around slowly, letting her
mind wander. So far, neither Janie nor Lian had said or
done anything suspicious. Perhaps the female
accomplice had nothing to do with the film and ship.
Nancy walked over to the Tide Pool just as a crowd
of children left. She leaned over to check out the
urchins and anemones. Do Not Touch, the sign said.
These sea creatures can sting.
“And so can I,” a voice hissed menacingly in Nancy's
ear as she felt a sharp prick in her side.
10. A Message in Blood
“Don't turn around,” the person whispered hoarsely,
“or you'll regret it.” Nancy winced as the sharp point
pressed against her flesh. “Now walk to the door to
your left that says Employees.”
Without moving her head, Nancy looked at the door.
Knowing the layout of the aquarium, she figured it led
to a stairwell. She knew that it would be crazy to enter
a dark, empty stairwell with a knife-wielding thug.
Nancy spotted the escalator that went up to the rain
forest exhibit. If she could just get to it, she knew she
might be able to get away.
“Mom, look!” Several children pushed their way
toward the Tide Pool. Twisting her body sideways,
Nancy knocked her elbow into the person behind her,
sending the knife clattering across the floor.
Without hesitating, Nancy took off. It was too
dangerous to go after the person or the knife. In the
milling crowd of children, someone could get hurt.
Pushing past two teenagers, she leaped onto the
escalator and started climbing. She glanced behind her,
but the escalator moved her out of view before she
could glimpse her attacker.
When she reached the rain forest exhibit, Nancy
raced along the wooden walkways. The steamy air
made her break into a sweat. Or was it the close call
that had her perspiring? Should she contact security?
They could watch the exits to try to nab the attacker.
Whom would she tell them to look for, though?
Nancy wondered. She'd been so intent on escaping
without anyone getting hurt that she hadn't seen the
person. The only thing she might recognize was the
voice, which was low and hoarse like a man's—or a
woman trying to sound like a man, Nancy thought
ruefully.
Darting around a cluster of tourists, Nancy made
her way from the rain forest, down the escalator on the
other side, and back to the ring tanks. George, Lian,
and Janie should be waiting at the top to meet me, she
thought.
She spotted George staring at the puffins. “Come
look, they're so cute!” her friend called, waving. When
she saw Nancy's face, her smile turned to a frown. “Are
you all right?”
“I'm okay—now. I'll fill you in later. Where are Lian
and Janie?” Nancy said quickly.
“We split up. Janie wanted to get something to drink
before the dolphin show, and Lian headed to the gift
shop. They're going to meet us at the amphitheater.
Why?”
Drawing George aside, Nancy told her about the
person at the Tide Pool.
“What do you think he wanted?” George asked.
“I don't know. Don't you think it's strange that both
Lian and Janie left soon after I did?”
George's eyes opened wide. “Oh my gosh. Do you
think one of them is Curran's accomplice?”
“It's possible.” Nancy paced in front of the puffin
exhibit. “What's really scary is that the thieves
obviously know I'm after them. But how could they
know? We've been so careful!”
George bit her lip. “Weller said that Curran was
smart.”
“But only you, me, the police, and Daniel know—”
Nancy eyes narrowed. “Daniel.”
“No. No way.” George shook her head vehemently.
“Wait a minute, George. I'm not saying he's guilty.”
Nancy put her hand on her friend's arm. “But what if
somehow he let it slip that I'm helping the police?
Think how hard it would be to keep a secret from your
own brother.”
“You still suspect Andrew?” George asked.
“I suspect everybody,” Nancy said. “Come on, we
need to meet Lian and Janie. I want to see which one
looks guiltier.”
Nancy led the way down the ramp to the escalator
The Clue of the Gold Doubloons Page 8