Seth Cooper was back!
Chapter
Thirteen
NANCY’S MIND RACED. Seth was back early. Either Ned hadn’t seen him—or, more likely, the foghorn had drowned out Ned’s whistle.
Slowly Nancy turned around. Act cool, take him off guard, she told herself. Assuming that Ned was on the alert outside, she could afford to go on the offensive. If Seth tried anything violent, Ned would be there to help.
“I’ll explain what I’m doing in your cabin, Mr. Cooper, if you’ll explain where you really were last Friday night, or why your footprint was on the dock in Bob Smithson’s boat shed,” she said in a brisk tone.
“What?” Seth took a step backward. He looked utterly confused. Nancy felt a moment of uncertainty. Could he be that good an actor?
She realized she’d gone too far to back down now, though. She stood up, brandishing the sheaf of documents. “And while we’re at it, can you tell me what’s in these very suspicious-looking legal documents? Or why you never bothered to tell my aunt that you’re married?”
Seth’s face darkened with anger. “What are you—oh!” And then, to Nancy’s immense surprise, he threw back his head and let out a great roar of laughter!
When his amusement finally subsided, he looked at Nancy and wiped his streaming eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said weakly, “but I think we’ve misunderstood each other for too long, Nancy. We need to talk. Come out on deck and sit. It’s less stuffy outside.”
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Nancy followed him outside and sat on one of the cushioned cockpit seats. She suspected she’d just made a fool of herself again.
Spotting Ned, she beckoned to him. He came over, with a questioning glance at Seth.
“I whistled, but the foghorn drowned me out,” he told Nancy in an undertone.
“So you’re the lookout man,” Seth said. “Have a seat. I’m about to clear myself of Emily’s kidnapping—you might as well hear, too.”
Nancy took Ned’s hand and pulled him down on the seat beside her.
“Is this big goof number two?” he murmured.
Nancy nodded ruefully.
Seth sat opposite them and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Let’s start with where I was Friday night, and why I lied,” he said. “And by the way, Nancy, I checked the movie listings when I got home last night and saw how you tripped me up. That was good.”
Nancy didn’t know quite how to react. “Thanks, I guess,” she replied.
“Anyway,” Seth went on, “I was in New York City on Friday night. Because the weather was so bad, I stayed the night in a hotel. I didn’t get back here until eight Saturday morning. I came back early for the regatta.”
That must have been why he was so annoyed that it had been postponed, Nancy thought. If he was telling the truth, he’d probably gotten up at five in the morning to get back for it.
“Why were you in the city?” she asked.
“I was having dinner with my lawyer,” Seth responded. “My divorce lawyer.”
“Oh,” Nancy murmured as the truth hit her.
“That’s right.” Seth clasped his head in his hands for a moment, raking his fingers through his iron-gray hair. “The woman in that photograph is—was—my wife. As of this morning, when I received the official divorce papers, she is my ex-wife.”
“But why did you lie about where you were?” Nancy asked. “I don’t see the point.”
Seth scowled. “My divorce is nobody’s business but my own. As it happens, I ran into Claudia—that’s my ex-wife—in the city later that evening. There was an unpleasant scene, and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t feel like talking about the evening, especially not with your aunt Eloise around.”
“I guess there are plenty of witnesses to back up your story,” Ned said. Seth nodded.
“Does my aunt know about your wife, and the divorce, and everything?” Nancy asked. She might as well get that straight.
“Of course she does,” Seth said, sounding indignant. “Not in great detail, but I did tell her what my status was—probably within the first half-hour after we met. After all, it’s one of the biggest parts of my life at the moment. I don’t like to harp on it, but I don’t make a secret of it, either.”
Nancy had one last question. She showed Seth the napkin with the print.
“Can you explain how this footprint, which matches the pattern and size of your deck shoe, got to be in a boat shed near Montauk? The same boat shed where we think Emily was held captive?”
Seth examined the napkin carefully, then sat back and shrugged. “You’ve got me there. But may I point out that I wear a size-ten shoe, which is not an uncommon size, and that I bought my deck shoes in the shoe store right here in town. There are probably dozens of men in this area with the same kind of shoes, walking around making prints just like mine.”
Nancy nodded. She’d known all along the shoeprint wouldn’t be conclusive evidence. Seth had seemed guilty for other reasons as well, but his story had the ring of truth.
She sighed. “Mr. Cooper, I feel awful. I broke into your boat, invaded your privacy, and accused you of a crime you couldn’t have committed. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”
“Well spoken,” Seth said, holding out his hand. “I do accept. And I hope we can be friends, Nancy, because if I have anything to say about it, I’m going to be seeing a lot more of your aunt.”
“I’ll put in a good word for you.” Nancy grinned, feeling a lot better. “I’ll tell her how neat and tidy you are. Good night, Mr. Cooper.” Seth’s booming laugh followed Nancy and Ned as they walked up the dock.
Ms. Hanks was getting ready to lock the big gates. “Wait, let us out first, please!” Nancy called.
Ms. Hanks looked at them in astonishment. “I never saw you two come in,” she said. “Well, at any rate, good night. I’m off to bed. It’s nearly eleven o’clock.”
As they got into the car, Nancy yawned. She suddenly realized what a long day it had been. “I’m exhausted,” she murmured. “It’s a good thing you’re driving, Ned. I’d probably fall asleep at the wheel.”
“We’ll be home in five minutes. Then you can fall asleep in your own bed,” Ned promised.
“Mmmm.” It was Bess’s night for the futon, Nancy thought with relief. After a day like today, she could use a soft bed. Her love life was in chaos, and her investigation was at a dead end. She was definitely feeling sorry for herself.
• • •
When Nancy came down to breakfast the next morning, she found Bess, George, Ned, and Eloise already gathered at the kitchen table. Eloise looked at her as she walked into the room.
“Ned told us what you two did last night,” she said. “If only you had asked me about Seth.”
Nancy poured herself a glass of juice. “I’m really sorry,” she replied contritely. “I was afraid you’d be upset that I even suspected him. But I should have talked to you.”
“Well, I hope you’ll know better the next time,” Eloise replied. “But I suppose it all ended well enough. I take it Seth is no longer on your list of suspects?”
“That’s right,” Nancy agreed.
“Where does that leave you?” her aunt asked.
Nancy had thought about that while she took her morning shower. “I’ve got to go back to our first suspect—Keith Artin,” she said. “I stopped pursuing him when I heard he was in the hospital because I didn’t see how I could find out anything from him.”
“Well, what can you do?” Bess asked. “I don’t think he’s regained consciousness yet.”
“I can talk to his parents and his friends,” Nancy answered. “And it might be a good idea to try to get a look at his car. He had the accident the same day I found Emily. If he is involved, maybe there’ll be some clues in the car.”
“Smart girl,” George said. “Need any help?”
“No, but I wouldn’t mind company.” Nancy smiled at Bess and Ned. “Does either of you feel like coming along?”
“Let’s all go,” Bess suggested. “And then we can go to the beach. Emily wants to organize a picnic and a volleyball game this afternoon.”
It was settled. After breakfast the four friends drove over to Keith Artin’s house. However, when Nancy rang the doorbell of the opulent- looking stucco building, no one answered. No one seemed to be at home.
Next they headed for the repair shop right outside of town. Keith’s car had been towed there after the accident. Nancy had noticed it once or twice as she drove by. The once-jaunty red sports car was in sad shape, its sleek body battered and its windshield smashed.
The mechanic at the shop didn’t mind them poking around at all. “If you see anything you like, let me know,” he called after them. “A lot of these babies are for sale.”
Nancy peered through the spiderweb of cracks on the windshield, but the interior of Keith’s car appeared to be empty.
“Let’s try the trunk,” she suggested. Opening the door, she found the trunk release on the dashboard and pulled it.
“This trunk’s going to be hard to open,” Ned cautioned. “It’s pretty badly dented.”
He hooked his fingers under it and pulled up, grunting with the effort. The lid moved about an inch, then stuck.
Nancy got on one side of Ned, and George got on the other. On the count of three, they heaved together. The lid rose with a reluctant creak.
Nancy peered inside. A yellow slicker and a pair of muddy deck shoes lay on the floor. And there was something else—a faint, sickly-sweet odor. She reached in and felt around for a second, then pulled out a scrap of gauze. The smell of chloroform still clung faintly to it.
“Jackpot,” she said with quiet elation. She took out the napkin with the shoeprint and compared it to one of the shoes in the trunk. It fitted. More proof.
Nancy looked around at her friends. “We’ve got him,” she announced. “Keith Artin is our culprit!”
Chapter
Fourteen
HURRAY!” BESS CHEERED. “Case closed. Do we go to the police now?”
Nancy nodded. “I guess we do.”
After a brief silence George spoke up. “I don’t know why this doesn’t seem complete to me. I mean, this is solid evidence, isn’t it? Keith did threaten Emily. I heard him,” she said. But there was a hesitant note in her voice.
“It seems weird to be pinning a crime on a guy who’s lying in a hospital bed, unconscious,” Ned put in. “He can’t defend himself.”
Slowly Nancy lowered the lid of the trunk. “Let’s face it, none of us likes this solution,” she said. “I still think that if Keith were trying to get revenge on Emily, he wouldn’t do it this way. But the evidence says he did do it.”
“So?” Bess prompted.
“So maybe there’s more to the story. Maybe there’s something we don’t know about. If so, I’d rather find out what it is before I go to the police with this evidence.”
Bess sighed with relief. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad you’re not giving up, Nan. Even if he is a jerk, I can’t believe anyone as cute as Keith could be a kidnapper.”
They all laughed. “Bess, you’re a lunatic,” Nancy told her friend affectionately. “Come on, I’ll drop you guys at home. Take my stuff to the beach, will you? I’m going to the hardware store to see if Keith’s boss can tell me anything.”
When they got back to the house, Ned opted to go to the beach with Bess and George. Nancy tapped her fingers worriedly on the steering wheel as she drove away.
She still couldn’t tell whether or not Ned had forgiven her. He was acting friendly enough, but he wasn’t being affectionate. Nancy felt as if there was still a barrier between them. Even though she didn’t like it, she knew she couldn’t break it down. Ned would have to do that—when he was ready.
She parked in front of the hardware store and went in. It was humming with activity. Old Mr. Engel, the proprietor, hurried from customer to customer, and Nancy had to wait quite a while before there was a lull to speak to him.
When the store finally emptied out a bit, she approached the grizzled owner. He was bending over several piles of nails on the counter, sorting them out.
“Wouldn’t you know it, the shelf collapsed this morning,” he complained, “and all my nails got mixed together. Can I help you, young lady?”
Nancy introduced herself. “It looks awfully busy in here,” she added. “I guess you really miss having Keith Artin around to help you.”
Mr. Engel snorted angrily. “Don’t talk to me about that good-for-nothing,” he grumbled. “I hear he spoke a few words last night. I’m glad to know he’s getting better, but I wouldn’t hire him back if he got down on his knees and begged me!”
Keith had come out of his coma? Nancy’s eyes widened in surprise. “I hadn’t heard,” she said.
“Heard what? That that young Judas quit on me, without so much as a day’s notice?” Mr. Engel was working himself into a towering rage. Slightly alarmed, Nancy took a step backward.
“No, I meant I hadn’t heard that he was getting better,” she replied. “But I didn’t know he quit, either.”
Mr. Engel swept a pile of tenpenny nails into an empty box and labeled it. “Monday morning he calls and tells me he won’t be in anymore,” he said, jabbing his pen at Nancy for emphasis. “Didn’t have the nerve to come in and say it to my face. If he doesn’t like honest hard work, then good riddance to him!”
Monday morning? Nancy was suddenly alert. That must have been right after Keith set Emily adrift in the Swallow. He set her adrift, rowed ashore, and then phoned in to quit his job. What was the connection?
“Did Keith say why he was quitting?” she asked Mr. Engel.
He shook his head. “Just said he didn’t need it. What reasons could he give? It’s a good job.”
The door opened to admit another customer. Mr. Engel gave Nancy a harried look. “Excuse me. I’ve got customers to attend to. Now, was there something you wanted to buy?”
Nancy was afraid he’d get upset if she said no, so she bought some light bulbs. Pondering what she’d learned, she drove back to the beach.
When she got there, Emily’s picnic was in full swing. There was quite a crowd. Emily, Bess, George, and Ned were there, of course, and Nancy spotted some other people she knew, too. Gary had come by on his lunch break and was helping Jeff and Tommy set up a volleyball net.
Nancy’s stomach turned over when she saw Sasha down by the water’s edge, but she was relieved to see that his Soviet dance partner, Marina, was with him. Maybe she’d keep him busy. Nancy didn’t feel like resuming their talk right then.
Unlike Sasha, Marina didn’t often mix with nondancers. In fact, she didn’t seem to do much besides practice, but she was a nice girl, and she and Sasha were good friends.
She was also quite a beauty, with thick dark hair and a lithe, slender figure. Nancy wondered why Marina and Sasha had never become an item, but they didn’t seem interested in each other that way.
“Hi,” Emily called. She beckoned Nancy over. “Join the party. Did you see that Marina’s here? I couldn’t believe it when I saw her. Oh, and I should warn you—she looked very interested when I introduced her to your boyfriend, Ned.”
“Did she?” Nancy laughed. “He probably didn’t even notice. He has no idea how cute he is.”
She turned to look for Ned, but he wasn’t where he had been a moment ago. Nancy scanned the beach—and blinked in surprise. Ned was down by the water, with Sasha and Marina!
They looked like they were having a great time, too. Sasha scooped up some water and splashed Marina, and in a few seconds the three of them were having a tremendous splash-fest.
“Look at that.” Emily sounded amazed. “I’ve never seen Marina actually have fun before. I don’t know, Nancy. If I were you I’d keep an eye on Ned. I think she’s after him.”
“Ned can take care of himself,” Nancy said with a smile. But privately she was a little bothered. She watched Ned make a playful gr
ab for Marina’s arm. He did seem to be responding to the Soviet girl rather enthusiastically, didn’t he?
Shrugging off her annoyance, Nancy went over to Bess and George. They were lying on a blanket, baking themselves in the sun.
Nancy dropped down on the blanket. “Hi,” she said, peeling off her shorts and T-shirt. She had her green two-piece on underneath. “Bess, can we persuade you to go swimming today?”
“Maybe.” Bess looked up at the waves. “It does look tempting,” she conceded. “Hey, Ned and Sasha are getting to be buddies, aren’t they? What’s going on? And who’s that girl with Sasha?”
“You mean Marina?” Nancy asked.
“No—I know Marina. I mean that tall blond girl. The one who’s flirting with Sasha.”
Nancy looked where Bess was pointing. A leggy girl with shining ash-blond hair had joined Ned, Marina, and Sasha at the water’s edge. They were all sitting on the sand now, talking. And the blond girl was definitely flirting with Sasha, reaching out to tap his knee playfully, tossing her hair so that it glistened in the sunlight.
Nancy’s eyes narrowed. She recognized the girl from a couple of parties, but she didn’t know her name. Sasha looked as if he was enjoying her attention, though.
“I can’t believe Sasha’s responding to that,” Nancy muttered, annoyed.
Suddenly Bess gasped. “Don’t look now,” she said, “but Marina’s all over Ned!”
Nancy’s head snapped around. It was true! Marina was kneeling behind Ned, running her hands up and down his muscular back.
“Oh, she’s just putting sunscreen on his back,” Bess said after a minute. “Sorry, false alarm.”
“False alarm? She’s after him! Of all the nerve,” Nancy fumed. “Doesn’t she know it’s rude to flirt with other people’s boyfriends? And Ned! He’s grinning like an idiot.” Steaming, she turned around so that her back was to Ned’s group. “I don’t want to watch this.”
“Fine,” Bess said. “I’ll watch for you.” Then her eyes widened again. “You should see what that blond girl is doing to Sasha! I swear, she’s draped around his neck like a feather boa!”
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