Carolyn Keene - An Instinct for Trouble

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Nancy was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"We had a spare that we kept hidden under a rock near the door-in case we lost the others." Brad laughed. "I guess it wasn't such a great place to hide it, because one morning about two weeks ago we couldn't find it."

Nancy's eyes widened. Just then a nurse came in to change Brad's bandages. Nancy got up and said, "Well, I guess I'd better go. You've been a great help."

As she drove back to the inn, Nancy's mind was spinning. Who'd taken the key to the command post? Was it someone unconnected to the study group-like the two maintenance men. Piker and Richard?

She felt uneasy every time she thought of them, especially since she'd caught them in the parking lot at the hotel with the Turkowers.

Was it possible that the professor, Piker and Richard, and the Turkowers were all involved somehow? It seemed a strange group of people to be working together. Still, she needed to keep her eye on them all.

When Nancy opened the door to her room, she found Bess, bubbling over with enthusiasm. "I had a fabulous morning! Upper Geyser Basin was amazing. Did you know that Yellowstone sits in the middle of the crater of a gigantic volcano?" She paused and glanced around. "You don't suppose it could erupt again, do you?"

"I doubt it, Bess." Nancy laughed. "What did you find out about the Turkowers?"

Bess wrinkled her forehead. "Gerald must have shot about a hundred pictures, and Edith never stopped talking about her neighbors back in California. But I don't think they're tourists at all. In fact, I'm now betting they're in charge of kidnapping the marmots."

Nancy turned that around in her mind. She had been thinking of the Turkowers as buyers who might lead her to the poaching ring. What if Bess was right, though, and they were the sellers instead?

"But wait," Bess added. "I haven't told you my most exciting news. Guess who's coming to Yellowstone Park?"

"Smokey the Bear?" Nancy suggested.

Bess threw a pillow at her.

"Okay," she said. "I give up."

"You'll never believe it," Bess cried, her eyes wide with excitement. "Randy Dean!"

Chapter Seven

Really ? Randy Dean here ?" Nancy said. "Are you sure?"

Bess nodded emphatically. "Uh-huh. The ranger told us this morning. He's coming to make a television special about the importance of leaving animals in their natural environments."

"Oh? What about all those marmots of his?" Nancy asked.

Bess shrugged. "He must have had a change of heart." Her face lit up again. "And not only that, he's going to be staying right in this hotel. We might even meet him! Wouldn't that be awesome? George is going to be so jealous when she hears."

"We haven't met him yet," Nancy pointed out. To herself, she wondered about the rock star's change of heart. Was it for real or simply a good excuse for a TV special? "I had a rather eventful morning myself, Bess."

She told her friend about what Brad had said and the attempt to run her off the road.

"Nan, that's terrible!" Bess exclaimed. "You could have been killed!"

"Well, I wasn't. And the main thing is, this attack shows that we're on the right track. The poachers are getting desperate."

"So what's our next move?" Bess asked.

"Lunch," Nancy said firmly. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

Downstairs, they found the dining room crowded. As they were waiting by the hostess station, Edith and Gerald Turkower came in.

"Well, hello again," Edith said with a smile. Just then the hostess came over. "I have a table for four by the window," she announced.

"Wonderful," Edith said brightly. "Why don't we all eat together?"

"Sure," Nancy replied. Here was a perfect opportunity to find out more about the Turkowers.

The hostess led them to a round oak table near the window and handed them menus.

"The cutthroat trout caught in the Yellowstone Lake are supposed to be the best in the world," Gerald told them, placing his cameras on the windowsill.

"Really?" Bess closed her menu. "I'll try it."

"So will I," Nancy said.

"I'll just have the vegetarian platter," Edith said. "It's a little chilly in here, don't you think?" she added, slipping into a beige sweater with a fur collar.

The waitress came and took their orders. As she left, Nancy asked casually, "How's the hunt for whistling marmots going?"

Edith made a face. "Not very well. We haven't even seen one yet."

"What about you, any luck?" Gerald asked.

"Why, yes," Nancy replied. "There's a research group here studying the marmots. I visited their camp yesterday and saw a couple of them at one of the feeding stations. They're every bit as cute as I expected, too."

Nancy paused as the waitress placed bowls of green salad in front of everyone. Nancy picked up her fork and took a bite of salad. Then, leaning forward, she lowered her voice. "A guy from the group told me that some of the marmots are missing."

She scrutinized the Turkowers and thought she saw an uneasy expression in Gerald's eyes.

"Do you think someone is stealing them?" he asked.

Nancy shrugged. "I have no idea."

Gerald put down his fork. "I suppose it's possible that someone on the Emerson team might be stealing marmots," he mused. "College students are always short of cash."

Nancy's breath caught in her throat. She had never mentioned Emerson College! Had Gerald noticed her reaction? With a wary expression, he added, "I think I saw an article about that research project. Maybe we should pay them a visit. Edith won't be happy until she's had a chance to watch the little critters in action." He beamed fondly at his wife and winked.

Edith smiled back at him. "In some ways," she began, "a marmot would be better off with us than in the wild. We'd give it such a good home," she cooed. "Gerald and I are strong animal rights supporters. Why, I've even become a vegetarian."

Nancy noticed the startled expression on Bess's face, but before she could figure out what caused it, their broiled trout had arrived.

After lunch the Turkowers excused themselves, saying they planned to drive to Yellowstone Lake.

"That couple is definitely phony," Bess said in the main lobby.

"What makes you say that?" Nancy asked.

Bess rolled her eyes. "If Edith is so into animal rights," she demanded, "why was she wearing a sweater with a mink collar?"

"Maybe it was fake fur," Nancy suggested.

"No way!" Bess scoffed. "I can tell the difference, believe me."

"Come on, Bess. I just saw the Turkowers head out the front door. I want to check out their room."

Nancy led the way to the house phones and asked the switchboard for the Turkowers. After half a dozen rings, the operator said, "Sorry, Room three twenty-six doesn't answer."

Nancy and Bess climbed the stairs to the third floor. At the Turkowers' door. Nancy rapped lightly, then tried the knob. It was locked. After a quick glance up and down the hall, she pulled a small case of lock picks from her shoulder bag and went to work. A few moments later the door sprang open.

"Bess, you stand guard while I search the room," Nancy said. Bess nodded and Nancy slipped inside.

Like the room Nancy and Bess were sharing, this one had rough-hewn plank walls, brass beds, and an old-fashioned washstand complete with porcelain bowl and pitcher. The window looked out onto a steaming geyser field.

Nancy opened the oak wardrobe in the corner. The right side held women's clothes. To her amazement, there were only three outfits hanging there. Nancy had expected Edith to be like Bess and bring virtually everything she owned.

She moved to the dresser and started pulling drawers open. Quickly, she riffled through a pile of men's shirts and sweaters. She came up empty-handed.

As she pushed the drawer closed, she noticed that it seemed to be sticking. She pulled it all the way out and held it up so she could see the underside. There was a manila envelope taped to the bottom of the drawer.

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