The Clue of the Gold Doubloons Read online

  had wanted to meet her here. Then she spotted a

  whaler chugging toward the wharf, Police written in

  huge block letters on the center console. Maybe he was

  making a grand entrance by boat.

  Nancy was raising her arm to wave, when she felt

  something cold and hard press into her ribcage. The

  same instant, an arm stole around her shoulders.

  “Oh Nancy, I'm so glad I ran into you!” a woman

  gushed in her ear, the arm around her shoulder

  tightening as the person added in a hoarse whisper,

  “This time don't try to get away from me like you did at

  the aquarium because I'll shoot. And in this rowdy

  crowd, no one would even notice.”

  13. Cat and Mouse

  What felt like a gun muzzle poked Nancy again,

  bruising her ribs. “Head to your right along the wharf,”

  the woman ordered, and this time Nancy recognized

  the voice.

  “Selena,” Nancy said, imitating her fake-happy tone.

  “How nice to see you, too.”

  “Shut up,” Selena retorted, “and get moving.”

  “Not until you tell me where we're going,” Nancy

  said, stalling. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried to

  catch sight of the police boat. But it had disappeared

  behind a cruise ship slowly making its way to the dock.

  “Look. You might have outwitted other criminals in

  your so-called detective career,” Selena snapped. “But

  you're not pulling stupid stalling tricks on me.”

  Her cold tone sent shivers up Nancy's arm. How did

  Selena know Nancy was a detective? Was she the

  accomplice working with Chance? What else did she

  know?

  Reluctantly, Nancy started walking to the right, her

  eyes scanning the crowded walkway. If only she could

  make a run for it. But Selena kept her arm around

  Nancy's shoulder as they wove through the crowds. She

  also kept up a constant stream of happy chatter in her

  ruse to make it look as if they were friends.

  “I'll bet you never guessed it was me,” Selena said.

  “All this time you've been hounding clueless Harold

  and stupid Karl.” She snorted. “Like they had the

  brains to pull off countless heists.”

  “So you're the cat burglar's accomplice,” Nancy said.

  “No!” Selena's fingers dug into her shoulder like

  claws. “I'm not the flunky accomplice,” she spat in

  Nancy's ear. “I am the cat burglar!”

  Nancy gasped in astonishment. Selena gave a low

  chuckle of satisfaction. “Don't worry. You're not the

  only one I've fooled. Let me see, how many police

  departments are after clever little ol' me?”

  “You're Chance Curran?” Nancy exclaimed.

  “No way. Chance is my accomplice. Do you think I'd

  be stupid enough to leave fingerprints behind? Ten

  different heists up and down the East Coast, and the

  cops don't have a clue I exist. I plan on keeping it that

  way.”

  “Only they do know you exist,” Nancy said. “They

  have you on videotape.”

  “They have George and Daniel on videotape,”

  Selena corrected her.

  “Oh, right,” Nancy said, realizing Detective Weller's

  con had worked. George and Daniel had tricked Selena

  into believing they were still suspects. That meant she

  didn't know the police were still searching for the real

  burglars.

  As Selena propelled her along, Nancy's mind raced

  to put the pieces together. Selena had been in a perfect

  position to frame George and Daniel. She knew what

  they wore, she had access to the doubloons, she knew

  about the pirate flags. And Nancy had never suspected

  her of being anything other than a publicity-hungry

  actress.

  “If you're in the clear, why risk everything by

  kidnapping me?” Nancy asked.

  “Because you've gotten entirely too nosy. I don't

  make many mistakes,” Selena said, “but I did make one

  when I framed your friend. When I picked George for

  a fall guy, I didn't know you were a detective. Then

  when I found out you were trying to clear her, I

  couldn't take the chance you'd blow our plans.”

  “Plans?”

  “Big plans. Chance and I have one last heist before

  we leave the City of Pirates, and I want you out of the

  way until we've pulled it off and cleared out. So get

  moving.”

  She shoved the gun in Nancy's back, propelling her

  forward. Looking around, Nancy tried to get her

  bearings. They'd passed the science center and were

  heading along a darker stretch of walkway that led to

  rows of docks jutting into the river. Each dock had at

  least ten pleasure boats moored to each side.

  Had Selena's accomplice been living on a boat all

  this time? Nancy wondered. Was it Karl? Eli? Or one

  of the nameless extras on the film who blended into the

  crowd?

  “What's the big robbery you're pulling off?” Nancy

  asked.

  Selena chuckled. “You're not getting that out of me,

  Drew. I've planned it too carefully. I will tell you it'll

  be big enough that it'll bankroll my retirement.”

  Nancy shrugged. “Gee, and give up such a

  promising acting career?”

  “Oh, I don't know. I may head to Hollywood.

  Obviously, I've got the talent. I fooled everybody on

  the ship as well as that gullible Mascelli.”

  Mascelli. Nancy bet the reporter had a police

  contact and had been feeding Selena information. “Is

  that how you knew I was a detective?” Nancy asked.

  Selena leaned so close that Nancy could smell her

  perfume. “I've got so many men wrapped around my

  fingers, I forgot who gave me that bit of information.

  Still, I'll have to think about it so I can thank whoever

  he is.”

  Selena prodded her in the side. “Take a left and

  walk to the end of the dock. And don't try anything

  funny.” She laughed ruefully. “Contrary to my earlier

  performance today, I'm a great shot.”

  “So you knew the pistol was loaded all the time,”

  Nancy fumed as she headed down the dock.

  “Of course. I set the whole thing up. Just like I set

  up every theft, planning every move so Chance and I

  blended into the environment. Sometimes we work at

  the place we hit, sometimes we work nearby. That way

  no one ever suspects us when we finally strike.”

  At the end of the dock, Nancy halted in front of a

  small yacht. My Treasure was written on the stern.

  “Appropriately named, don't you think?” Selena

  commented. “Since we collected a boatload of treasure

  from those hotel rooms.”

  “How did you get a master key card?” Nancy asked.

  “Easy,” a male voice answered from the boat. “I just

  swiped it from the gullible manager of housekeeping.”

  Chance Curran! Heart thumping, Nancy stared into

  the shadows. A guy stepped onto the deck of the stern,

  and Nancy inhaled sharply.

  It was Scott Harlow.

>   Nancy stared at Scott, her brain numb. How could

  the nice guy she knew as a bumbling waiter be Chance

  Curran? Though, now that she saw him, it all made

  sense. A hotel employee would be able to find out

  information about guests and security as well as slip in

  and out of rooms without attracting too much

  attention. Partnered, Selena and Scott made a

  formidable team.

  “You seem surprised,” he said. He was holding a

  soda can. Dressed in jeans, deck shoes, and a black

  windbreaker, he looked like a weekend boater—not a

  burglar.

  “I'm only surprised they let you off work early,”

  Nancy said, her voice clear and calm though she felt

  anything but. No wonder he'd acted so funny and

  clumsy. Who would have suspected such a clown? “The

  restaurant was crowded.”

  Shrugging, he took a sip. “I told them I had an

  emergency.”

  “And that's the truth,” Selena said abruptly. “We

  need to pull our last heist, then hightail it out of

  Baltimore. Get in the boat, Nancy.”

  Nancy hesitated. Could she make a run for it?

  Scream for help?

  “Get in the boat,” Selena repeated.

  “Do what she says,” Scott told her.

  “Do you always do what she says?” Nancy asked in a

  mocking tone. “Because she's the boss and you're the

  lowly accomplice?”

  “She's not my boss,” Scott said, only Nancy could

  see the spark of anger that flared in his eyes when he

  glanced at Selena.

  I've touched a nerve, Nancy thought. Maybe she

  could use his anger to her advantage.

  “Cut the chatter, you two.” Selena squeezed Nancy's

  shoulder. “This isn't a date. Get in the boat, detective.”

  She shoved Nancy in the back, sending her flying

  forward. Nancy landed awkwardly beside Scott, who

  grabbed her upper arm to steady her.

  As graceful as a cat, Selena jumped into the boat

  beside them. “You've got the rope?”

  Chance nodded toward the bow. “Coiled up front.

  Once we tie her up, we can stash her in the cabin.”

  Alarmed, Nancy cast her gaze about. She had to

  make a break before they tied her up. But the other

  boats moored on the dock were quiet and empty. And

  the water beyond looked cold and dark.

  Behind her, at the far end of the dock, a few people

  still strolled along the wharf. “Don't even try it,” Selena

  warned as if she could read Nancy's mind.

  “Hurry and get that rope before she gets any stupid

  ideas,” Selena barked.

  “Yeah, do what she says, Chance,” Nancy said.

  “After all, she's the mastermind and you're just the

  lackey.”

  “You're wrong,” Chance said forcefully, but he

  didn't move. “We've planned every heist as a team, and

  we've shared everything fifty-fifty.”

  “You haven't shared everything,” Nancy pointed out.

  “The evidence is all stacked against you. The police

  found your fingerprints in the hotel room. In fact,

  they've found them at several different heists. Selena

  made sure of that.”

  Chance glanced sharply at Selena. “You told me

  you'd wiped everything clean!”

  “I did. Don't listen to her. Can't you tell what she's

  doing? She's trying to pit us against each other so she

  can escape.” Selena jerked her head to the doorway

  leading into the cabin. “Forget the rope and get that

  duct tape. We need to seal her mouth to keep her from

  blabbing.”

  “That's right, Chance,” Nancy said. “But before you

  do, call Selena's puppy dog, Mascelli. He obviously has

  a snitch in the police department. He'll tell you the

  truth—Detective Jackson Weller's got your prints and

  your name. You'll be the one they pin the thefts on.

  Selena's made sure she's never been identified.”

  “Shut up!” Selena roared, pushing Nancy so hard,

  she slammed into the wall of the cabin.

  Striding across the deck, Scott grabbed Selena's

  wrist. “She's telling the truth, isn't she?”

  “No.” Selena glared at him, taking her eyes off

  Nancy, who saw her chance. In two strides she reached

  the side of the boat and, without hesitating, jumped

  over the stainless steel railing into the cold, murky

  water of the harbor.

  It was so black, Nancy couldn't see a thing. Panic

  shot through her, but she fought it off. She had to

  concentrate on one thing—getting away from the boat.

  Propelling herself forward with a strong kick, Nancy

  swam underwater until it felt as if her lungs would

  burst. She broke the surface, trying to keep quiet, but

  automatically, she gasped for air.

  “I told you she was trying to escape,” she heard

  Selena screech. “There she is!”

  Frantically, Nancy pushed her wet hair from her

  face and glanced around. Should she swim to open

  harbor? Or try to hide among the boats and work her

  way to the wharf?

  The harbor stretched in front of her like a sheet of

  black glass, the lights from shore reflecting

  mysteriously on its shimmering surface. Nancy

  shuddered. It was at least a mile to the other side. She

  might get run over by a cruise ship.

  Diving again, she swam in the direction of the dock,

  hoping she didn't bump into something first. The water

  was so dark, it was impossible to see.

  She surfaced beside the boat moored on the other

  side of My Treasure. The sound of feet landing heavily

  on the dock told her that someone was already hunting

  for her.

  Hiding behind the other boat, she held her breath.

  “You go down the dock,” she heard Selena say. “We

  can trap her between the boats. She'll never get away.”

  Nancy's heart skipped a beat. She'd never make it to

  shore before they caught her. She'd have to head

  toward the open harbor.

  Reaching down, she took off her shoes. Then she

  held on to the edge of the boat and threw them toward

  shore, hoping to send Selena and Chance in that

  direction. When she heard them splash, she dove and

  swam underwater away from the dock.

  She was a strong swimmer, and she knew the wharf

  by the science center wasn't too far away. Nancy just

  hoped she could make it.

  Nancy broke the surface, took several gulps of air,

  and was about to go under again when she heard the

  roar of a boat motor behind her.

  Selena and Chance were coming after her, and there

  was no place to hide!

  14. A Daring Rescue

  Swim! Nancy told herself. Don't look back! Hand over

  hand she propelled herself through the cold, black

  water. The lights of the science center were getting

  closer.

  But the roar of the boat was getting closer, too. Soon

  Nancy would be in plain sight. She didn't think Selena

  would hesitate to shoot.

  Diving under, Nancy switched direction, hoping to<
br />
  lose Selena and Scott. When she came up for air, a

  bright light illuminated her head. “There she is!” she

  heard Selena shout. “Steer to the right.”

  Nancy filled her lungs with air and dove. But her

  time and her energy were running out. When she came

  up again, the roar of the boat was so deafening it

  sounded as if it was right on top of her. Then she heard

  another sound—the whir of a siren.

  The police boat! Nancy twisted, catching sight of the

  flashing blue light on the whaler's center console.

  Selena and Chance must have spotted it, too. Their

  boat careened sharply and took off.

  “Nancy!” Jackson Weller, dressed in a slicker, waved

  to her from the police boat. “I'm throwing you a life

  ring. Grab hold and we'll pull you to the ladder.”

  Nancy nodded. Her teeth were chattering, and now

  that she'd stopped swimming, she could feel the cold

  seep to her bones.

  The police boat slowed, and Weller threw her a life

  ring attached to a rope. Holding on, Nancy kicked

  while Weller pulled her to the ladder mounted outside

  the stern.

  She was trembling so hard, he had to help her up.

  “Put this on!” he shouted over the noise as the police

  boat sped up. He held out a waterproof coat with

  Police written on the back in white letters.

  “Thank-k-k y-y-you,” Nancy said, her teeth

  chattering. “How did you find me?”

  “Karl Kidd, believe it or not. The gambler's boat was

  docked over on this side of the harbor. Karl said that

  one evening he saw Selena coming down to a boat

  named My Treasure, which was docked near the

  gambler's boat. When he came in to talk to us about

  the gambling stuff, he mentioned it.”

  “That was your hot tip?”

  “Right. We were going to pick you up, then take you

  over to check out the boat, when we spotted you with

  Selena walking along the wharf.” He grabbed hold of

  the railing as the police boat swerved sharply. “When I

  looked at the two of you through the binoculars, I

  could tell by your expression and actions you weren't

  happy to be with Ms. Ramirez.”

  “She had a gun on me.” Nancy shuddered.

  “How'd you get away?” Weller asked.

  “When Chance and Selena started arguing, I

  jumped overboard.”

  “Chance?”

  “Also known as Scott Harlow, a waiter at the