Sisters in Crime Page 2

  “No.” Susan shook her head. “Not here. I think she had somebody she liked last year in high school, but he’s at Berkeley this year. She talked to him on the phone every once in a while. I don’t think it was a really big deal. Not like you and Ned,” Susan said, referring to Nancy’s boyfriend of many years. “How are you two doing, by the way?”

  Nancy smiled as she thought of Ned Nickerson. “You know, it’s kind of amazing that after all these years, I still think he’s the greatest.” Folding her legs under her, Nancy added, “Sometimes it’s hard with him away at school—he goes to Emerson College—and me traveling around so much, but we manage to stay in touch.” Quietly Nancy added, “And in love. We’re doing just fine.”

  Susan smiled back. “When you talk to him, tell him I said hi. I do miss the old gang.”

  Nancy nodded and absentmindedly picked up a pencil that lay on the desk in front of her.

  “There was this one guy that Rina was friendly with,” Susan said. “But they weren’t dating or anything. He’s a part-time student. He works for the San Diego Institute of Oceanography and takes care of all their underwater equipment. From the way she talked about him, I think they were good friends.”

  “What’s his name?” Nancy asked.

  “Ira.” Susan closed her eyes, obviously searching her memory. “Ira—Ira something. I can’t remember his last name. Sorry.”

  “Did you ever meet him?”

  “No. He never visited her here.” Susan thought for a minute before she added, “I have a feeling that Rina might have been afraid that he wouldn’t have ‘the right image’ either, so she never brought him around. Maybe that’s why. I don’t know.”

  Nancy tapped the eraser end of the pencil against her teeth. “And the place he works, the Oceanography Institute, do you know where it is?”

  “Yeah. Not far from here. We could drive out there tomorrow. I don’t have any classes until eleven o’clock on Mondays.”

  “Good,” Nancy said.

  “So, with her classes and diving and being treasurer of the sorority, she was pretty busy,” Susan said, continuing her description of Rina’s life.

  “Treasurer?” Nancy looked startled.

  “Didn’t I mention that?” Susan asked.

  “No. You said she was in with Lori and the other officers, but you didn’t mention that Rina was elected treasurer.”

  “Gosh, I’m sorry, Nance. Actually, she wasn’t elected. Lori appointed her after the last treasurer got mono and had to go home. It was supposed to be just until we could hold an election. As a pledge, she really couldn’t be an officer.”

  “So that must mean that Rina had access to sorority bank accounts and financial records?” Nancy inquired.

  “I suppose so,” Susan said apologetically. “It never occurred to me that that could be important. Do you think it is?” Susan asked.

  “Could be,” Nancy stated simply. “Could be. But we’re just beginning, so I have no way of knowing yet what’s really important.”

  “Rina kept her paperwork in a green file box that was right there,” Susan said, pointing to an empty spot on Rina’s desk. “But even before her body had been found, Lori came and got it.”

  “Hmm,” Nancy said. “I hope I’ve got more than three days to figure this one out.”

  • • •

  Every type of underwater animal greeted Nancy and Susan as they entered the experimental aquarium early the following morning.

  The girls went straight to the diving facility, hoping to find someone named Ira. At the overhaul and repair area was a young man fixing some rubber tubing that was attached to a breathing regulator.

  “Excuse me,” Nancy said.

  Without looking up, the young man answered, “Be with you in a minute.”

  As Susan watched him work, Nancy examined the well-organized area. On one wall hung many different styles and sizes of fins, snorkels, and diving masks. Lined up on the floor were the air tanks. Taking a pressure gauge that was attached to a tank she had picked up, Nancy looked at it carefully. Could Rina think there was more air left, but really be out? she wondered. She turned the gauge over and examined it, looking for any way to tamper with it.

  “Yes. Can I help you?” the man turned to Susan and asked.

  “We’re looking for someone named Ira,” Susan said.

  “I’m someone named Ira,” he answered. “And you are someone named—”

  “Susan Victors,” Susan said. Nancy could tell that Susan immediately liked Ira. Despite her shyness, Susan was smiling at him warmly. Ira was small and muscular, with sandy-colored hair and sparkling dark brown eyes. He looked about twenty years old. Nancy could see an instant attraction between him and Susan.

  “This is Nancy Drew,” Susan said, introducing her. “My, uh, cousin. We wanted to talk to you if you have some time.”

  Ira nodded hello to Nancy and said, “I’ve got a class coming in soon, but until they show up, I’d be happy to talk.”

  Susan took a breath, then said quietly, “Rina Charles was my roommate and friend.”

  “Oh, that Susan,” Ira said. “I’m glad to meet you, Susan. Rina was my friend, too. I guess you know that,” he added.

  “Yes.” Susan nodded.

  “I’ve thought of her every day since her death,” Ira said sadly. “Rina was a fine diver and a safe diver,” he added, shaking his head. “Not like some other people around here. That’s why her accident was so outrageous.” Pointing out the opened window, Ira said sadly, “It happened just south of the pier, beyond the seawater pumps. I look at that spot all the time.”

  Nancy listened quietly and then asked Ira, “Could it have been an error in the air pressure gauge? That’s what Susan told me the police say.”

  “I guess it’s possible,” Ira said to Nancy. “But Rina always checked her equipment out carefully. She even had me look things over. She was very thorough.”

  “How did her equipment look to you that day?” Nancy asked.

  “She didn’t come by here that day, so I can’t say for certain what equipment she used. She was a responsible diver, though, I can say that for certain!

  “Oh, no,” Ira exclaimed as he looked out the window. “Here comes my next class. Why do beginners always look like they’ve never seen the ocean before?”

  They all laughed as they watched a small group of students approach the diving facility. “You know the thing that gets me, though, the part I really don’t understand?” Ira said, thinking of Rina again.

  “What?” both girls asked at the same time.

  “Where was her partner?” Ira asked angrily as he reached over to the pile of fins and began sorting them for the incoming divers. “When Rina didn’t come up, why didn’t her buddy report it? That’s the part I can’t understand.”

  “Maybe she dove alone,” Susan suggested.

  “Never!” Ira insisted. “That’s rule number one of scuba diving, and Rina was too smart and careful to ever go out there alone.” He was gripping a fin with both hands as he said, “There was someone with her that day, I can promise you that. At least, when she began the dive, anyway.”

  “You mean—” Nancy began to ask Ira.

  “I mean Rina Charles would never dive alone!” Ira said emphatically.

  Nancy could see the shocked look on Susan’s pale face. They both were amazed by this piece of information.

  Ira turned to Nancy and Susan as the other people entered the small area. “I need to get to work. I’m really glad I met you both.” Looking at Susan, Ira added, “I hope I’ll see you again soon.”

  Silently Susan looked up at Ira, then she and Nancy headed out the door. Nancy saw that all her friend had managed was a nod and a slight smile.

  Outside, Susan put her hands up to her face. “Someone knew Rina was underwater and never reported it!” she said.

  Nancy placed her hand gently on her friend’s back. “That’s the person we have to find,” she said with determination.

&n
bsp; Susan shoved her hands into the pockets of her khaki shorts as she looked at Nancy. She was greatly upset. “Someone knew Rina was there underwater, and never even checked to see if she was alive or dead.”

  “Maybe they did,” Nancy said sadly. “Maybe they checked to make sure she was dead.”

  Chapter

  Four

  HOW WILL I find out who the other swimmer was? Nancy asked herself as she strolled around the SDU campus while Susan was in class.

  As Nancy returned to the sorority house, Jan Miller, whom Nancy remembered Susan describing as Lori Westerly’s best friend, was sitting on the front steps reading a book. “What do you think so far?” Jan asked as Nancy approached.

  “The campus? It’s beautiful,” Nancy replied truthfully. She took a seat on the bottom step near Jan. “I went over to the ocean this morning.”

  “The Pacific is terrific, eh?”

  Nancy nodded. “Do you do any diving?” she asked Jan.

  “Deep-sea diving, or from a board?”

  “Deep-sea. Scuba diving.”

  “Not me. And if I ever had, I don’t know if I’d be interested in it now after what happened to poor Rina Charles.”

  Nancy didn’t want to sound anxious to talk about Rina’s death. Casually, she agreed, “Yeah, that was really terrible. Was Rina a good friend of yours, too?”

  “Of mine?” Jan sounded surprised. Nancy knew that Jan was a member of what Susan called the “inner circle,” the group that Rina had gotten friendly with for a short time. “I liked her okay, I guess. But I wouldn’t exactly call her a friend. I got to know her pretty well because she followed Lori around.” Jan closed the book that was on her lap, and she looked as if she were about to leave.

  “They say it was an accident,” Nancy said, leaning back on the stairs and trying to sound only slightly interested. “Maybe a faulty air tank, or maybe Rina’s error.”

  “Probably Lori didn’t tell Rina to put air in the tank,” Jan said, stretching. “So she didn’t.”

  “Was Rina very dependent on Lori?” Nancy asked innocently, ignoring Jan’s nasty sarcasm.

  “Very!” Jan said, standing. “Rina worshiped Lori.”

  Nancy, too, stood up and walked up the front steps to stand next to Jan.

  “Rina was nice and all,” Jan added, clutching her book close to her body. “I don’t mean to say anything unkind about her, but she just didn’t know her own mind.” As the two of them headed into the sorority house, Jan said, “And that can get you in trouble in this world.”

  Several people were filing into the dining room, and Jan explained, “Lunch is always buffet. You can just go in and help yourself.” Then she started up the stairs.

  “Thanks.” Nancy said, and suddenly realized that she was very hungry from her morning walk around campus.

  In the dining room, a dozen or so of the sorority sisters were eating, some were chatting, some were sitting alone and reading. Nancy helped herself to cold cuts and salad, glanced around, and wondered a little self-consciously where to sit. But before she finished filling her plate, Patty came by and invited Nancy to join her.

  Patty, dark-haired with glasses, believed that Nancy really was visiting the campus. She was generous in giving Nancy advice about good instructors. In a few moments Pam and Ellen, two of Lori’s inner circle, sat down with them. Interesting, Nancy thought, this clique wants to check on me as much as I want to check on them.

  Lori herself passed by the table and said hello to her friends. Then, addressing Nancy, she said, “I don’t know if you’re busy this afternoon, but I’m going for a swim at about two o’clock, if you’d like to join me.”

  “I’d love it. Thanks,” Nancy said, delighted to have the opportunity to spend time with Lori.

  “Meet you on the porch then,” Lori said, and waved goodbye.

  Lunch finished quickly as people raced to go to their afternoon classes. Nancy was walking out of the dining room alone when Fran Kelly approached her. “You’re so obvious,” Fran said with a scowl.

  “Pardon me?” Nancy asked.

  “Obvious,” Fran repeated, standing in front of Nancy. “I know what you’re up to.”

  Looking directly into Fran Kelly’s cold gray eyes, Nancy asked, “And what am I up to?”

  “Coy, aren’t we?” Fran said back like a shot. “Okay, I’ll tell you, Nancy Drew. You’re trying to impress just the right people, so you can get into this sorority.”

  “I’m not even in the school yet, Fran,” Nancy said calmly.

  Fran squinted her eyes and gritted her teeth as she said in a whisper, “Well, you can just watch it, because I’m on to you. I know your type, Nancy Drew.”

  As Nancy watched Fran walk away, she understood Susan’s mistrust of the girl. Fran sure doesn’t want me around, Nancy thought as she headed upstairs, wondering if Fran had felt the same about Rina Charles.

  Nancy remembered her dad quoting another famous attorney. “There’s a big difference between being glad someone is dead and killing them.” Nancy reminded herself of this as she entered Susan’s room to change into her swimsuit.

  • • •

  “Thanks for inviting me,” Nancy said as she got into Lori’s car at two o’clock.

  “I’m happy to have the company,” Lori said. “I do this swim nearly every day—two miles. And I almost never get anyone to join me. If it’s too much for you, just do what you can.”

  Nancy glanced at Lori’s beautiful face. She was wearing only a dark blue racer’s bathing suit and shorts, and Nancy could see how muscular her legs, arms, and back were. Lori was in excellent physical shape. She was, Nancy knew, one of the finest high board divers on the SDU swim team.

  “I don’t get the regular workout you do,” Nancy said modestly. “But I’m pretty sure I can keep up for the swim.”

  “You look like you can keep up with just about anything,” Lori exclaimed.

  Glancing at Lori as she pulled into the parking lot, Nancy said, “Thank you—I guess.”

  “Oh, it’s a compliment!” Lori insisted, getting out of her car and grabbing a bright green beach bag from the backseat. “You’re in great shape. I had a feeling you’d join me for a swim.”

  Nancy picked up her backpack and hopped out, too. Lori seemed warm to her and quite different from what she would have expected from Susan’s description of her.

  “I think I’m good at reading people,” Lori said. “During rush week, I can say hello to someone and know if she’s right for Delta Phi. Something either clicks or it doesn’t.”

  The two girls began to walk down the clean sandy beach toward a spot just south of the pier beyond the seawater pumps—the place where Rina Charles’s body had been found.

  As Nancy was thinking about how to bring the conversation around to Rina, Lori did it herself.

  “This is where they found my friend,” she said sadly.

  “I was sorry to hear about her death,” Nancy said sympathetically. “Susan told me about Rina.”

  “Yeah. It was rough,” Lori murmured. “I miss her. She really supported my dreams.”

  “How?” Nancy asked.

  Tossing her bag over her shoulder, Lori explained, “There’s this one diving coach who everyone knows is the best in the country. His name is Lee Logan Marlow. He’s been training Olympic divers for ten years now. If you get accepted into his summer training camp, you’re just about assured a place on the U.S. team. Rina was the one person who really understood how important it was for me to work with him.” Lori stopped and looked out at the dark, still ocean as she said, “It’s more important than anything else in my life.”

  “How do you qualify to train with him?” Nancy asked.

  “I try out in April. I tried out two summers ago and didn’t get in.”

  “That must have been hard,” Nancy said, feeling sympathy for Lori.

  “They said that my form was good,” Lori explained. “But I didn’t have the strength. Now I do. I’ve been lifting w
eights and swimming regularly, and I’ve really built up my power. I get pretty good training on the SDU team, too.” Walking down on the hard, wet sand now, the waves touched the girls’ feet. It felt cool and wonderful, and Nancy was looking forward to getting into the water.

  “I was naive last time,” Lori said.

  “What do you mean?” Nancy asked.

  “I didn’t realize that it’s who you know that gets you in places. And,” Lori said with a grin, “money helps—a lot. Plenty of divers have good skills. Plenty.”

  Lori pointed to a rocky area on the sand, and she said, “We can put our stuff down over there.”

  “I wish you luck with all this, Lori,” Nancy said, dropping her backpack in the sand behind the rocks. She felt a great respect for Lori and enjoyed talking to her. Lori was right. Sometimes things just clicked between people.

  After pulling her green hooded sweatshirt over her head, Nancy felt a hand circle her wrist, a strong hand, gripping her hard. She followed the hairy arm up and found herself looking at a large swarthy guy, his face partially covered with a black swimming mask. With one painful jerk he twisted Nancy’s arm behind her back and reached for her other wrist. Just before he turned her all the way around, Nancy saw a large fraternity ring on his right hand.

  Behind Nancy, Lori screamed. Nancy wrenched around for a second to see Lori being attacked by a second man. “No,” she screamed. “No!”

  Nancy went on the offensive then, delivering two powerful karate kicks to her attacker’s knee joints. He cried out in pain but didn’t loosen his viselike hold on her arms.

  Lori had been more successful and wrenched herself free, taking off running down the beach.

  Lori’s attacker then turned his rage on Nancy. She felt the jarring pain of his fist against the side of her face and saw flashes of red and yellow light before sinking into unconsciousness!

  Chapter

  Five

  NANCY WAS FIRST aware of the cool sand against her back and head and the feeling of nausea in her stomach. Then, in one burst, she was fully awake and felt nothing but the pulsating pain along the side of her face and in her head.