Carolyn Keene - Trial By Fire

“Sure thing.”

“He’s a nice man,” Ann said as they went back to the parking lot. “He had no idea what he was getting into.”

Nancy wondered what she had gotten into and what was on the lower level of that garage that she’d have to investigate.

“Nancy Nickerson” made even more money her second night on the job because she turned in her cab at twelve. To her surprise, another man was sitting in for Brownley. “He had some business,” the stranger told her.

Perfect, Nancy thought. She went back to her locker to get her other jacket before deciding what to do next. When she got there, she ran into Jim Dayton.

“Hi, remember me?” Nancy said.

“How could I forget?” he said, obviously happy to see her. “Just getting off?”

“Yes, how about you?”

“Yep. I worked late tonight, and boy, am I beat,” he said. “Don’t have to keep it up for much longer, though. Only two more weeks.”

“Well, I hope you make it,” Nancy said as she closed her locker door. And she meant it-in more ways than one. She wondered what would happen to him if the Gold Star management discovered that he was Tom Tyler’s grandson.

“Good night now,” she said.

“So long,” he said.

Nancy returned to her car to wait until she was sure the cabs on the midnight shift had all left.

She sat in the car for forty-five minutes. Then, rather than walk all the way around the block to Gold Star, she cut through the dark alley separating it from the car wash.

Back on the street she saw that the rollup door was down. The office was empty, and the inside parking area appeared to be dimly lit. The midnight shift had hit the streets.

As Nancy sneaked into the building, she heard voices in the back of the parking area. Brownley’s was one of them. The other brought goose pimples: Reston! She’d never forget his voice. Scurrying between two parked cabs, Nancy got as close to the two men as she could and peeked over the cars’ hoods. She could also see someone hiding in the shadows.

It was Jim Dayton!

Reston was opening the rear door of a cab whose engine was running. “A beautiful sight, isn’t it?” he said, pointing to something in the back. Nancy tried, but she couldn’t see inside the cab.

Brownley grinned. “I’m just glad you didn’t have any trouble. From here on, we’re in clover. Which reminds me, Chicago’s been holding a big shipment for us, waiting for us to clear up this mess. Okay if I tell them to send it?”

“Might as well. After Granger talks-and I promise, she will-our troubles will be over.”

Nancy smiled grimly. If they thought Ann would tell who her source was, they were in for a surprise.

“We can get back on schedule,” Reston was saying. “Open the door. The sooner I get downstairs, the better.”

Brownley removed a ring of keys from his belt as Reston got back into the cab. “What about the Drew kid?” the dispatcher asked.

“What about her? We don’t need to worry about her. She hasn’t found out anything yet, and she never will. We’re too smart for her.”

Nancy wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted.

“Call me when you’re ready to bring the cab up again,” Brownley said. “Oh, Mac may show up while you’re down there, but he always comes the back way.”

Nancy heard the jingle of keys, then watched as a section of the side wall at the rear slid open silently. A peculiar odor started wafting through the garage, but Nancy was too busy plotting her next step to identify it. There was a back way to the lower level! She had to find it!

She saw Jim slip outside, and as soon as the cab disappeared through the doorway, she made her move. Hurrying back outside and slipping around the side of the building, she cut through the alley again.

She patted the concrete wall as she moved toward the rear of the garage. The other door must be at the back. She took another step and walked smack into Jim Dayton.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Suddenly Nancy froze. There was someone directly behind her! Were they both going to be caught?

“Shhh! It’s just me,” came a whisper behind her. “Would you please tell me what you’re doing groping around walls in the dark?”

Nancy spun around. “Ned! What are you doing here? What-what are you wearing?” The whole length of him was a soft white blur.

“A uniform. I’ve got a job at the car wash. This is my second night. I saw you last night when you took your cab through.”

Nancy was so stunned that she spluttered. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I’m not supposed to chat with the customers. ‘Get ’em in, get ’em out,’ they told me. I knew you wouldn’t be satisfied with a simple ‘Good evening. Can I interest you in the hot wax?’ So I ducked you.”

“Okay. But why a job there , Ned?”

“Somebody’s got to keep an eye on you. You keep sticking your head into nooses. I’m here to make sure no one slaps the horse out from under you.”

“My hero,” Nancy said and gave him a quick kiss.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Jim cut in.

“Oh, Jim, this is my boyfriend, Ned.”

“Why are you investigating this place?” Jim asked, truly puzzled.

“It’s a long story. All I can say now is that I’ve spoken to your grandfather.”

“Did he send you out here to spy on me?” Jim asked. He was beginning to get angry.

“Not at all,” Nancy said. “I’m looking out for something else…

But this was not the time for polite chatter.

“Look, this is getting more dangerous by the minute, so be careful,” Nancy said. “Brownley and Reston have something going on in the basement.”

“Hey, that’s my line. I was going to tell you in the morning,” Ned responded.

“Tell me what?”

“There’s a lot of traffic in and out of there, especially after midnight. Guys driving in. And starting around one-it’s almost that now-you can hear odd sounds from inside.”

“What kind of odd sounds?” Nancy asked.

“Some kind of machine,” Ned said. “It reminds me of a power mower, the same kind of buzz.”

“It’s probably the air compressor,” Jim put in.

“Ann and I talked to Tom Tyler, Jim’s grandfather, who used to be the mechanic here,” Nancy said to Ned. “He told us about the lower level.”

Ned nodded. “I should have remembered that myself. I used to park here when I was taking CPR at the Y. I could always find a spot on the lower level because most people went up instead of down.”

“Mr. Tyler said Brownley and Reston closed it off and something fishy’s been going on down there ever since,” Nancy said.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Jim told them. “My grandfather just can’t seem to forget all this. And I thought, while I’m working here, maybe I could put his suspicions to rest.”

“Hey!” Ned grabbed Nancy’s shoulders. “Before I forget, guess who uses the other half of the street level? Right next to Gold Star? Fleet’s Courier Service. It’s one of the businesses that uses white vans! And Gold Star’s mechanic takes care of the cabs as well as the vans.”

Nancy’s mental wheels began to spin. “How very convenient,” she said dryly.

“I think they have a basement level. If they do, it may be possible to get into Gold Star’s basement through Fleet’s,” Jim suggested.

“I’ve thought about that, too. Want to take a look?” Nancy asked.

“I’d love to, but I have to get home-and right now,” Jim said as he glanced at his watch. “Sorry, you guys. Look, maybe we’ll get a chance to work together on this before I have to go back to school. Nice to meet you, Ned.”