A Talent for Murder Read online

Ned whistled. “This Marty Prince sounds like bad news. How does he get away with it?”

  Evan scowled. “He’s clever. We can’t prove anything. When he started Top Flight, he bought ads and sent out mailings to attract clients. That got him some talent, but not top money-makers. So he went after people like Ursula, who were always working.”

  “Tina, who else was threatened?” Jane asked.

  “They’re too frightened to say,” Tina said.

  “What about you?” Nancy wanted to know.

  “Me?” Tina gave Nancy a sad smile. “I don’t rate that attention. I don’t work that much.”

  “Tina,” Evan said, looking at her earnestly, “you need to report this to the police.”

  “The police?” Tina stiffened. “I couldn’t! What if Marty found out? If he knew Ursula talked to me, he might . . . no, I can’t.”

  “They’ll keep your name out of it,” Ned assured her. “You want the people responsible for Ursula’s death to be caught, don’t you?”

  Tina nodded. “Of course, but—”

  “If you don’t tell them, you could be in trouble,” Nancy said. “You’d be withholding evidence of a crime. That’s a crime, too.”

  Tina bit her lip, looking terrified. “I don’t know what to do,” she protested.

  “The sooner the police get this information, the better,” Nancy urged. “Why don’t we call them and ask to speak to Lieutenant Antonio?”

  “No!” Tina insisted, standing abruptly. “I mean . . . I’ll tell the police, but give me time to calm down first. I’ll call later, I promise.”

  “Just don’t put it off,” Nancy warned the frightened girl. “This information could be the key that helps the police find Ursula’s killer.”

  Tina nodded, backing toward the door. “I’ll call that lieutenant, what’s his name?”

  “Antonio,” Nancy said.

  “Right. As soon as I get home,” she said. “Thanks for your help.” Tina wiped the tears from her eyes, then slipped out of Jane’s office.

  Just then, Holly appeared in the doorway. “Excuse me, Jane. I know you wanted me to hold your calls, but there’s a Lieutenant Antonio on the line. He wants to meet with you and Evan.”

  “Tell him we’ll be here all day,” Jane replied. Her eyes were dark with worry as she turned to Nancy. “Thanks for talking to Tina.”

  “Were Tina and Ursula close?” Nancy asked.

  “I’ve seen them together a few times, having lunch in a coffee shop near here,” Evan said. “I guess they were pretty tight lately.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking,” Nancy said, “has Marty Prince hurt your business badly?”

  Jane sighed and leaned back in her desk chair. “Marty has taken some valuable talent, and income is down. I’ve laid off two employees, and we’re still struggling. Yes, he’s hurt us. And I think he’d do anything to stop Ursula from signing up with us again—which she would have done if she hadn’t been killed.”

  Evan drummed his fingers on the table. “If we can expose Marty’s illegal activities, we’ll stop the drain of talent and turn things around.”

  “Maybe I could help,” Nancy said.

  “I hate to ask when you’re on vacation,” Evan said, “but Laurel says you’re good.”

  “So I’d be looking for proof that Marty Prince is engaging in criminal activities to pressure people to sign with his agency,” Nancy said. “We don’t know if he was involved in Ursula’s death.”

  “I’d be surprised if he wasn’t,” Evan said.

  Ned reached over and squeezed Nancy’s hand. “I guess it’s going to be a working vacation for both of us.”

  Nancy was surprised at Ned’s willingness to go along with the case. As she stared into his warm brown eyes, an idea struck her. “Why don’t you work as my undercover source? If you sign with JZA, you’ll be an insider. You might be able to find out who’s getting pressured.”

  “Good idea!” Evan exclaimed.

  “I’m game,” Ned said, “if you think I can help.”

  “Definitely,” Nancy said, squeezing his hand.

  Jane nodded happily in agreement. “Come in tomorrow and I’ll have papers for you to sign. We’ll also set up a session for your head shots.”

  “Head shots?” Ned asked.

  “Photos to show casting directors,” Evan explained. “It’s standard procedure. We’ll send you to Mario, a photographer who shoots a lot of our people. He might be a good source of information, come to think of it.”

  “A wardrobe fitting, contracts to sign, and a photo session,” Ned said, ticking them off on his fingers. “It’s going to be a busy day.”

  Nancy smiled at Ned. If they couldn’t spend the week relaxing together, at least they’d be working together. Maybe this vacation would stir up the excitement their romance needed.

  Evan checked his watch. “If you two want to take off, you can use my car. Jane can drop me off later.”

  “Fine,” Ned replied as he and Nancy rose. “It’s probably just as well if we miss Antonio. We didn’t exactly score points with him.”

  Nancy and Ned had just reached the reception area when Freddy Estevez called, “Ned! Got a minute?”

  Turning, Nancy saw Freddy and Amanda peering out of the door to the offices. “The fitting is at eleven tomorrow,” Freddy said. “Be here at ten-thirty, and I’ll drive you over.”

  “No problem,” Ned told him. “I have to come in tomorrow to sign a contract with JZA, anyway.”

  Amanda hooked an arm through Ned’s. “You’re signing here?” she asked. “Terrific. That means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on.”

  Nancy wasn’t surprised by the melting look Amanda gave Ned. What really bothered her was the glowing smile that lit Ned’s face.

  Chapter

  Five

  AREN’T THERE ANY BRAKES on this roller coaster?” Nancy asked as the car swooped around a dizzying curve.

  “Sorry,” Ned said, hitting the brakes. “I’m not used to driving on such steep streets.”

  As they drove back to the Chandlers’ house Ned kept his eyes on the road. The streets of San Francisco snaked up pitched hills and down steep slopes lined with Victorian houses and tiny gardens.

  “Tomorrow I’ll get the word on Top Flight,” Ned said as he turned onto the Chandlers’ street. “The photographer might have heard rumors. And I can talk to Amanda.”

  “I’m sure she’d be happy to talk to you about anything,” Nancy said, then regretted the comment the minute it slipped out.

  Ned looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he pulled into the Chandlers’ driveway. “What was that all about?” he asked, pulling to a stop. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Amanda?”

  “That’s not it,” Nancy said, hesitating. “It would be silly to get jealous just because a beautiful girl starts batting her eyelashes at you.” And you smile right back, she thought.

  “It was your idea for me to go undercover at JZA,” Ned said. “There are lots of pretty girls I’ll have to talk to—in the line of duty. Are you going to get upset each time?”

  Nancy felt foolish. “Of course not. I’m sorry for making a fuss about it.”

  “How do you think I feel when you’re surrounded by great-looking guys?” Ned asked as he unbuckled his seat belt and turned to her. “It happens all the time when you’re working on a case. But I trust you to handle them. I can handle Amanda.”

  “I know you can,” Nancy said. Her worries faded as Ned reached over and wrapped his arms around her. She felt a little silly for being jealous, but at the same time she wasn’t sure where she stood with Ned. Only time would tell.

  • • •

  “Would you buy something from a guy in this tie?” Ned asked as Nancy sat down at the breakfast table. He wore a navy blazer and a silk tie with diagonal stripes of red and black.

  “I’d buy anything from you,” Nancy said, pouring a glass of juice. “But I’m prejudiced.”

  The ev
ening before, the Chandlers had taken Nancy and Ned across the Golden Gate Bridge for dinner in a restaurant tucked in a grove of huge redwoods. The delicious food and spectacular view had made for a magical evening.

  “Is that all you’re eating?” Laurel asked as Nancy took a spoonful of scrambled eggs and a slice of toast.

  A petite woman with delicate features, Laurel Franklin Chandler wore her black hair in a short, pixie cut. Nancy had immediately hit it off with Ned’s cousin, who looked eighteen, though she was twenty-four.

  “After that gourmet dinner last night, I could swear off food for a week,” Nancy assured her. “Besides, we have to get going soon.”

  “That’s right,” Ned agreed. “It’s the first day of my new career, and I’d better be on time.”

  Evan had left for work, so Nancy and Ned would use the car they’d rented at the airport.

  “Nancy, I’m so glad you’re going to check out Marty Prince,” Laurel said. “Poor Evan has been losing a lot of sleep over the problems at the agency.”

  “I hope we can help,” Nancy said, draining her glass.

  Ned stood up and put his breakfast plate in the sink. “Ready when you are, Ms. Detective.”

  It was a typical San Francisco morning, cool and cloudy. As they passed Golden Gate Park, Ned glanced over at Nancy from behind the wheel.

  “What are your plans today?” he asked.

  Nancy had been considering her next steps. “I’d like to check out Ursula’s apartment—if it hasn’t already been sealed off by the police.”

  “Can you do that without getting in Lieutenant Antonio’s way?” Ned asked.

  “I’ll do my best,” Nancy said. “Then there’s Top Flight Artists. I want to get a handle on Marty Prince. I’ll need a plausible cover story before I approach him, though. I don’t want Marty to know I’m checking him out.”

  Ned nodded. “Makes sense. And I’ll nose around for any inside information.”

  At JZA they were whisked into Jane’s office, where a stack of forms awaited Ned’s signature.

  “I thought I’d be signing just one contract,” he said, staring at the pile of papers.

  Jane laughed. “There are different contracts for each kind of work: commercials, film, TV, and so on. And three copies of each.”

  Ned was working his way to the bottom of the pile when Freddy Estevez popped in. His dark hair was slicked back and his expression was exuberant. He studied Ned’s outfit and grinned. “Looking good.”

  After Ned signed the last contract, Jane stood up and shook his hand. “Welcome to our JZA family,” she said brightly.

  “You’ve signed?” Freddy asked. “Terrific. Listen, Amanda’s here. I’ll drive you to the fitting in just a minute, okay?”

  “Sure,” Ned replied. “I’ll be outside.”

  Back in the reception area, Nancy and Ned found Amanda. She was wearing a dazzling gold lamé jumpsuit and a smile to match. “How’s my new partner?” she asked, strolling over to Ned.

  “Uh, fine,” Ned said. He touched his collar as if it were uncomfortably tight. “Amanda, did you meet my girlfriend, Nancy Drew, yesterday?”

  “Yeah—hi.” Amanda gave Nancy a brief look before turning her attention back to Ned.

  “You heard about Ursula Biemann?” Ned asked, lowering his voice. “The model who—”

  Amanda’s smile faded. “Wasn’t it awful? I knew Ursula. I mean, we weren’t friends, but we saw each other around.” She leaned close to Ned and spoke in a hushed voice. “I’ll bet that weird boyfriend did it. He’s kind of scary.”

  “Oh?” Ned asked. “I heard talk about someone from a rival talent agency threatening her. Is it possible? Does this business get that rough?”

  Ned caught Nancy’s eye, and she gave him a hint of a nod. Then she realized that subtlety was unnecessary because Amanda was paying her no attention at all.

  “That’s silly,” Amanda said, frowning. “I’ve heard those stories, too, but I don’t believe them. The people at Top Flight Artists are interested in me, too, but nobody’s ever threatened me.”

  “No kidding?” Ned asked. “How did Top Flight approach you?”

  “They called,” she said with a smug grin. “Twice. The first time it was an assistant, and then Marty himself. And he wrote a note, saying he hoped I’d think about their offer very seriously.”

  “Are you considering it?” Ned asked.

  Amanda looked around to make sure no JZA agents were within earshot. “Maybe,” she replied. “You have to look out for yourself, right?”

  As Freddy and Jane emerged from the office, Tina Grayce entered the reception area.

  “Let’s go,” Freddy said, opening the door and waving Ned and Amanda toward the elevators.

  “Tina,” Jane said cheerfully as she took her arm, “Ned has just signed with JZA.”

  “Really?” Tina stared at Ned. “Great.”

  “And he landed the very first commercial he was tested for,” Jane added proudly.

  “Congratulations.” Tina looked impressed.

  “We’d better be off,” Freddy said. Waving goodbye, he shooed Amanda and Ned out the door.

  Nancy was glad to see Tina. This would give her a chance to find out how the police had reacted to her information. Nancy turned to Jane and Tina. “Can we talk?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Jane replied, gesturing toward her office.

  Inside, Jane sat at her desk, and Nancy and Tina sat facing her. Nancy was relieved to see that Tina looked less frantic than yesterday.

  “How did it go with Lieutenant Antonio?” she asked the thin redhead.

  “Okay, I guess,” Tina said, looking annoyed. “He made me come to the precinct and give him a statement. I told him everything I told you. Then he asked if I ever saw the anonymous notes, and I told him no. He wanted to know if I ever actually heard Ursula threatened over the phone. I said no. Then he started to glare at me and asked if I had seen or heard the threats from Marty Prince of Top Flight Artists. I said no. Then he frowned and said rumors were no help at all.”

  Nancy didn’t care for the lieutenant’s style but made no comment on it. “I’m sure he’ll question Marty about the letters and calls. The main thing is, you did what you had to do.”

  Tina stood up. “I just wanted to let you know that I saw the police.”

  Jane smiled warmly at Tina. “Thanks for stopping by. By the way, I’ve got some odd jobs for you this week, say twenty hours. Maybe you can fix that copier again, all right?”

  Tina’s face brightened for the first time since Nancy had met her. “Sure! I can use the money. I’ll check with Holly to see what hours would be best.” Then she left.

  As Tina closed the door behind her, Jane sighed. “I feel sorry for her sometimes.”

  “Does Tina have a future in acting?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Jane answered, leaning back in her chair. “She wants so much to succeed, but her desperation turns people off. Oh, she’s done a few small jobs, the kind that wouldn’t interest our busier people. And I give her work here whenever I can. She’s great with machines. She’s always fixing intercoms, cameras, duplicating machines. It’s amazing! The girl has talent, but not the kind of talent she wants so badly.”

  Nancy felt sorry for Tina. “It’s a tough business, isn’t it?”

  “Some people can’t handle it,” Jane agreed.

  “Why do you keep her under contract?”

  “She’s not under contract. She’s registered here, which means we keep her pictures on file, but she’s free to sign elsewhere. When you’re not signed with an agent, you can register with anyone who’ll have you.” Jane had begun tapping a pencil nervously on her desktop. “So, what do you plan to do next as far as this case is concerned?”

  “I’d like to look through Ursula’s place—if the police haven’t sealed it off.”

  Jane looked doubtful. “The lieutenant won’t be happy if he finds out. Does that worry you?”

  “I’ll tr
y to avoid him, but I can’t do much if I’m not willing to risk crossing his path.”

  “I suppose not,” Jane said, flipping through her Rolodex and jotting down a few lines. “Here’s her address. She has—had—a pretty little place in North Beach. I’ll give you directions.”

  Thirty minutes later, Nancy was squeezing through the narrow streets of North Beach, following Jane’s instructions. She parked in front of a white stucco building set on the side of a hill. Nancy climbed the stairs to the third floor, hoping that Ursula hadn’t believed in tricky locks.

  She reached the third floor landing and saw with a jolt that the door wasn’t locked at all. In fact, it stood ajar. Someone had gotten there first. If the police had sealed the apartment, the seal was gone. Someone else had been there, someone not authorized to enter.

  The intruder might still be inside!

  Standing motionless, she listened carefully for a full minute. The apartment was silent. Very slowly, she pushed the door open.

  She looked into a cozy living room, well furnished but now in disarray. Books had been tossed from shelves and lay strewn across the floor. The drawers of a desk stood open, and papers were scattered everywhere. Careful not to touch any of the clutter, Nancy checked the rest of the apartment. Whoever had been here was gone. Had the person found what he or she was looking for?

  Nancy closed the apartment door and quickly began looking for hiding places that the first searcher might have missed. She checked under drawers and tables and searched the pockets of Ursula’s coats, but found nothing.

  In the bedroom, Nancy spent another ten minutes searching. Then she caught her reflection in a heavy mirror hanging over the bureau. Lifting the mirror’s carved frame away from the wall, Nancy probed behind it. Something was attached to the backing! She pried loose a manila envelope that had been taped on.

  Nancy examined the contents. On top was a note, typed in capital letters on plain paper, which read, “Put your name on the line, or put your life on the line.” There was no signature. Other typed notes were equally menacing. Some of the letters, which were handwritten on gray parchment paper, had “From the desk of Marty Prince” printed on top. The notes urged Ursula to meet him, saying that it would be to her advantage.