Swiss Secrets Page 3

  Nancy felt uncomfortable and didn’t know what to say, but Erich didn’t seem to care what he said. “Speaking of cleaning up, Franz,” he continued, “have you taken care of the Monaco question?”

  Franz winced, and Nancy didn’t know whether it was from pain or the sting of his cousin’s words. “I’ve been busy,” Franz said. “I will get to it tomorrow.”

  “Forget it,” Erich muttered. “I will take care of it myself. You should get some rest after what happened to you tonight.”

  This sounded like a longstanding family quarrel, and Nancy wished she and her friends hadn’t gotten caught in the middle of it. Mick must have felt the same way, for he suddenly glanced at his watch and said, “Time for me to go, or I’ll turn into a pumpkin.” He looked at Nancy, Bess, and George. “Would any of you like to catch a cab back to the hotel with me? Or shall I head out all alone into the dark, cold night?” he asked, his voice pulsing with mock tragedy.

  “It’s eleven!” Nancy said quickly. “I had no idea. I think I’ll head back, too, Mick. The jet lag is starting to hit me.”

  Bess and George quickly chimed in their agreement. Nancy was sure that they, too, wanted to escape from this awkward situation. Still, it had been nice of Franz to invite them, and the four of them thanked him heartily.

  “Take it easy with that nose of yours,” George said jokingly as they turned to leave. “Don’t walk into any walls.”

  “I’m sure he will,” Erich put in. “He’s good at getting into trouble—or hadn’t you noticed?”

  • • •

  “Whew!” Bess said when she, Nancy, and George were finally back in their hotel room. “That got kind of heavy, didn’t it? I hate family quarrels. Erich seems like a loser, especially compared to Franz.” Letting out a long sigh, she added, “I guess Monique realizes how wonderful Franz is, too. Too bad. I guess I’ll have to find a fabulous European romance somewhere else.”

  “I’m not sure Erich’s a loser, exactly, but he certainly wasn’t much fun to be around,” George said, kicking off her heels. “I wonder how he and Franz can stand working together if they get on each other’s nerves like that.”

  “Judging from their performance tonight, they can’t stand it,” said Nancy. She slipped off her dress and changed into her nightshirt, then went into the bathroom to wash up. “Did you notice that Erich seems to have a crush on Monique?” she called out to her friends.

  “Always the detective,” Bess teased. “I was too busy noticing what a crush Mick has on you to think about the Haussmans.”

  Nancy felt a little embarrassed. “He’s a nice guy,” was all she said. She splashed water on her face, relieved that her friends couldn’t see the blush she felt rising to her cheeks.

  “And cute,” George put in slyly.

  “And cute,” Nancy agreed. “But don’t get any ideas, you guys. Just because I had a few dances with him doesn’t mean I’m in love.” She dried her face, then went back into the bedroom. “We’re almost forgetting about Franz getting attacked,” she said, hastily changing the subject. “Bess, what exactly did the man who hit him say?”

  Bess squinted as she tried to remember. “All I heard were a few words. The music was really loud at that point. But how much did he have to say? ‘I’m going to kill you’ gets right to the point, doesn’t it?” She shivered. “The Montreux family must be horrible! Can you imagine hiring someone to beat up your daughter’s boyfriend?”

  “No, I can’t,” Nancy said, frowning. “Especially after hearing Monique talk about her father. Maybe that’s not what happened.”

  George stared at Nancy blankly. “Well, what do you think did happen?”

  “I wish I knew,” said Nancy. “Franz acted a little weird when I asked if there was anyone else who might want to hurt him. I have a hunch there’s something he’s not telling us.”

  Suddenly Bess let out an enormous yawn. “Can—we—talk—about—this—tomorrow?” she asked groggily. “I’m so tired I’m ready to fall asleep standing up.”

  “Good idea, Bess,” said Nancy. “I’m beat, too.”

  After they had all climbed into bed, Nancy tried to organize her thoughts. Was there any pattern to the events at the club? What was going on between Erich and Franz and Monique? And who on earth had attacked Franz so viciously?

  Strangely, though, Nancy couldn’t keep her thoughts focused on Franz. Try as she might, they kept drifting away. Her last thought before she fell asleep wasn’t about Franz or the attack. Her last thought was of a funny, extraordinarily cute guy from Australia.

  Chapter

  Four

  VOICI VOS petits déjeuners, mesdemoiselles.”

  “What did she say?” Bess asked in a whisper. It was Monday morning, and the girls were sitting in the hotel’s cheerful, sunny dining room.

  “She said our breakfast is here,” Nancy replied as the waitress put their breakfast down on the table—fresh, flaky croissants, a pot of butter, a little dish of jam, and the richest-looking hot chocolate Nancy had ever seen.

  “So, guys, remind me what’s on the agenda for today,” Bess said, heaping jam on her croissant. “That walking tour, right?”

  Before Nancy or George could answer, the waitress reappeared at their table and handed Nancy an envelope. “C’est pour vous, mademoiselle. L’enveloppe vient d’arriver.”

  “Merci,” Nancy said. “This just came,” she said, translating for her friends. Curious, she opened the envelope and skimmed the brief message inside. “Hey, change of plans, guys!” she said. “Franz has invited us to go water-skiing on Lake Geneva at his parents’ summer house.”

  “Fantastic!” George exclaimed. “What time?”

  “As soon as we’re ready to leave, he says. And he says we should bring Mick, too.”

  “That will be even more fun,” said Bess, shooting Nancy a sidelong glance. “Won’t it?”

  Nancy hesitated, but just for a second. After all, Ned had passed up the chance to come along on this trip. Besides, she and Mick were just friends. Weren’t they?

  “It will definitely be more fun with Mick along,” she decided. “I’ll go call Franz right after breakfast to say we’re coming. Maybe one of you could track down Mick?”

  “I’ll ask the concierge for his room number and give him a call,” George offered. “And after I’ve totally confused her with my terrible French, we can try to dig out our bathing suits. I don’t have any idea where I packed mine.”

  • • •

  “Franz told me someone would be picking us up,” Nancy said half an hour later as she, Bess, George, and Mick walked out of the hotel. “I don’t see anyone here, though. I wonder if—”

  “You are Miss Drew and friends?” interrupted a man with a German accent. Turning toward the street, Nancy saw a sleek limousine parked at the curb. “Monsieur Haussman sent me.”

  “A chauffeur!” Bess whispered as soon as they were all in the limousine. “I knew I shouldn’t have brought that old Mickey Mouse towel with me.

  Even Nancy couldn’t help feeling awe a little later when the limo pulled into a long driveway lined with poplar trees. Ahead of them was a huge stucco house with gabled windows. The deep blue waters of Lake Geneva glittered behind the house.

  “Wow,” George commented. “I was expecting more of an A-frame or cabin, not a mansion. I thought you said this was a summer house, Nancy.”

  “It is their summer house,” the chauffeur said as he pulled up to a graveled expanse on one side of the house. “The Haussmans have several estates. This one has been in the family for over two hundred years. Franz’s father and his uncle and their families share it.”

  “It’s certainly big enough for that,” Mick said dryly. “Franz’s uncle. Is he Erich Haussman’s father?”

  The chauffeur nodded. “Yes. Pascal Haussman.”

  “Oh, no,” George groaned. “Are we going to have to watch Erich and Franz argue again? I’m on vacation!”

  Both cousins were waiting for them at
the massive front door of the house, and Nancy was relieved that Erich was smiling as broadly as Franz. He seemed nothing like the tense and angry young man they’d met at Le Monde the night before.

  “Hello!” Franz called. “Welcome to our—well, not-so-humble home. Come in!” He pulled open the front door and ushered them inside. “Would you like a tour of the house before we head down to the water?”

  Everyone nodded. As he led them around, Nancy saw that the house was a spectacular blend of old and new. It was clear that every item in it was the best of its type. There were medieval tapestries in the drawing room, four-hundred-year-old tiles in the kitchen, and crystal vases filled with fresh flowers everywhere. Nancy had never seen anything like it.

  “I’m afraid the second floor is too messy to show you today,” Franz explained as he led the group back toward the drawing room. “I overslept. Celine!” he called to a maid down the hall. “Would you bring us some citrons pressés? We’ll be in the drawing room.” In answer to Bess’s puzzled look, he explained, “That’s French lemonade. You put in the sugar yourself.”

  When they were all settled in the drawing room with tall glasses of lemonade, Franz suddenly leaned forward and said, “There is an outdoor concert tonight. Why don’t you all come? I wanted to make sure to invite you. A great rock band is playing—the only Swiss band that is any good, really. And the concert is being held outdoors at the Parc de la Grange, which you must see.”

  “Sounds like fun,” said Nancy. “We can—”

  “I see you have guests,” broke in a man’s gruff voice. “Would you like to introduce me?”

  Startled, everyone turned to the drawing room doorway. Standing there was a thin, stern-looking man dressed in a gray suit and narrow striped tie. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes had a cold glitter as he surveyed the group.

  Erich jumped to his feet. “Bonjour, Papa. These are some new friends from America,” he said, his voice cracking nervously. “And—and Australia. Mick is from Australia.” Turning to Nancy and her friends, he stammered, “Th-this is my father, Pascal Haussman.”

  “And my uncle,” Franz added. “My own parents are out of town.”

  “As we can deduce from the fact that neither you nor Erich is at work today,” Pascal Haussman snapped. “Were you planning to go in to the office?”

  “We don’t need to go in today, Papa,” said Erich, his voice strained. “We are working on a presentation at home.”

  “With your new friends?” Mr. Haussman asked, flicking a dubious glance at the group.

  “Well, no,” Franz replied. “We do keep flexible hours, you know.”

  “A bit too flexible,” his uncle replied. “If you spent more time in the office, perhaps you wouldn’t need to waste time—and embarrass your family—by getting into fights with men like Yves Petiau. That newspaper article was a disgrace.”

  “It won’t happen again,” Franz promised.

  The sound Mr. Haussman made could only be called a snort. “Always so reliable,” he said.

  There was an awkward pause, and Bess leaped in to fill it. “Oh, he really is, you know,” she gushed. “We just got here yesterday, and when we saw Franz at the airport, he just kind of helped—”

  “The airport?” interrupted Pascal Haussman, his eyes narrowing. “What was Franz doing at the airport?”

  Bess’s eyes widened. “Why, he’d just come back from Monaco, and—”

  This time Erich and Franz jumped into the conversation simultaneously.

  “You know, the boat’s waiting for us—” Franz began.

  “We really should decide where to meet for that concert—” Erich said on top of his cousin’s words.

  They broke off and stared sheepishly at each other. Nancy was sure they had been trying to cut off Bess. But why?

  Erich’s father seemed to be wondering the same thing. He stared impassively at the two young men for a second, then turned and walked out of the room.

  “Uh-oh,” Bess said. “Did I put my foot in it somehow?”

  “You could never do that,” Franz told her gallantly. “Now let’s all go down to the lake. I very much feel the need for some fresh air.”

  Nancy knew what he meant. Under the disapproving eye of Franz’s uncle, the beautiful house suddenly turned unwelcoming.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when they made their way out onto a large brick patio and then onto the lawn. They headed down a gentle slope toward the lake, which was filled with sailboats, speedboats, and dozens of swimmers on various beaches. A wooden dock jutted out into the water. Next to it was a charming flagstone terrace where guests could sit and enjoy the magnificent view. Nancy saw a row of white-painted wooden cabanas at the water’s edge for changing.

  “Wow!” George exclaimed, pointing to a slick white speedboat about twenty feet long that was moored to the dock. “That’s a Sonata, isn’t it? They can go, like, a million miles an hour!”

  Erich chuckled. “Almost. Let’s change, and you can see for yourself.”

  Franz, Erich, and Mick were already in the Sonata when the girls came out of the cabana. Erich was at the wheel, and he waved at the girls to hurry. “Let’s go!” he called. “The water is perfect today!”

  When the girls were sitting down—Nancy next to Mick, George next to Franz, and Bess up in front with Erich—Erich switched on the motor. The Sonata shot out into the water, and within seconds they had left the shore far behind. When they were so far out that Nancy could no longer see the Haussmans’ dock, Erich switched off the motor. “Pretty powerful, huh?”

  “It’s a great boat,” George agreed, leaning forward to trail her fingers in the clear water. “And the water feels good, too. I’m dying to go skiing.”

  Nancy laughed as she handed George a life preserver from under the seat. “The athlete in you calls. Why don’t you go first?”

  George vaulted over the side of the boat and quickly slipped on the skis Franz handed her. Then she grabbed the long towrope that was fastened to the rear of the boat. Mick watched her with an eager expression on his handsome face.

  “I bet you want to get out there, too,” Nancy guessed. She pointed to the second towrope that was affixed to the boat’s stern. “Look—two people can ski at once. Why don’t you hop in?”

  She didn’t have to ask twice. “Love to,” Mick said, jumping up.

  As the boat started up again, George and Mick broke into broad smiles. They were both expert skiers, and it was a pleasure to watch them as they cut steadily through the water. When they finally surrendered their skis to Nancy and Franz, Nancy joked, “You pros better not watch me while I’m out there. There’s no way I can measure up to you.”

  Still, it felt great to be on water skis for the first time that summer—and to be in Geneva on top of it all. Nancy leaned back contentedly as spray foamed up into her face and the wind whipped her hair. This is perfect! she said to herself. She turned to her left to smile at Franz.

  Suddenly she heard a deep hum that was even louder than the Sonata’s motor. With no warning at all, a black cruiser cut in front of the Sonata with murderous speed.

  “Hey!” Nancy heard Erich shout from his place at the steering wheel. Waves from the cruiser began to chop up the water around the Sonata, and Nancy had to struggle desperately to keep her balance. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Franz was having the same trouble.

  Nancy gasped as Franz dropped the rope and fell face forward into the water. Before she had time to react, the Sonata veered abruptly, causing Nancy to lose her balance!

  She screamed, but the deafening noise of the black cruiser drowned out the sound. Horrified, Nancy realized that the cruiser hadn’t slowed down as it turned. Instead, it was going even faster than before. And it was heading straight for her and Franz!

  Chapter

  Five

  NANCY TRIED TO TWIST to the right, out of the path of the cruiser, and fell into the water. When she surfaced, a wave hit her in the face, sending her under a
gain. Choking and gasping, Nancy tried desperately to right herself.

  Where was the boat? Which way was up? Where was Franz? The deadly roar of an engine told her the cruiser was on her, then the noise died abruptly and her life jacket buoyed her to the surface. Pushing her wet hair out of her eyes, Nancy saw the cruiser speeding away from them.

  Horrified, Nancy realized that she couldn’t see Franz anywhere. Panic coursed through her until she finally spotted him bobbing in the water on the far side of the Sonata.

  Then there was a splash, and Mick was in the water next to her. “You’re all right,” he murmured as he guided her toward the boat. Finally she and Franz were back aboard the Sonata, staring silently at their friends.

  Mick broke the silence. “That wasn’t an accident,” he said grimly. “Whoever aimed that boat at you meant to hit you.”

  “Or maybe just to scare us,” Nancy said in a shaky voice. She turned to Franz and asked, “Did you see who was driving that cruiser? It was on us so fast that I didn’t notice.”

  Franz shook his head. “I saw nothing,” he said. “When I realized what was about to happen, I just closed my eyes and waited for the end.”

  “None of you saw?” Nancy asked the others.

  Erich bit his lip thoughtfully. “The Montreux have a cruiser, but I couldn’t tell if that was it. I was watching you and Franz, not the boat.”

  Bess shuddered. “Can we go back to shore?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Erich agreed. “We’ve all suffered a shock. Let’s go back at once.”

  They were silent during the ride back to the dock and were subdued as they changed into dry clothes. The festive mood of just a short time earlier was gone. It wasn’t until a servant had brought a picnic lunch out to the dock that any of them could bring themselves to talk about what had happened.

  “Franz, I can’t help wondering if this has anything to do with that attack on you at Le Monde last night,” Nancy said, making herself take a bit of bread and pâté, even though she wasn’t hungry.