097 Squeeze Play Read online

"Of course," Nancy said, glancing at her watch. "Why don't we try for breakfast together since we didn't get pizza tonight? We can meet at the Gilded Cage, say at nine-thirty?"

  Her friends agreed, and Bess gave Nancy a knowing look as George walked to Luke's car. Luke held the front door for George so she could sit beside him.

  "Why don't I drive your Mustang home?" she whispered to Nancy. "I really think George and Luke would like to be alone."

  Nancy grinned. "You're right," she said, handing over her keys to Bess.

  Nancy followed Sean to his car. Soon they were headed down the street, through the intersection where she had the close call that morning, toward the mall. Nancy checked behind them, but saw no one following.

  When they reached the parking garage at the mall, Sean lowered his window and took a ticket from the attendant.

  "McGinnis said he'd find us," Nancy said as Sean started up the ramp.

  They cruised slowly up the various levels of the garage. Nancy was looking carefully for the familiar face of the chief when she heard the squeal of tires in front of her.

  "Look out!" she cried.

  A battered blue sedan was backing out from its parking space directly in front of them. Sean slammed on his brakes, barely avoiding a collision.

  The car stopped and a dirty, bearded man emerged from the passenger side of the vehicle. He started toward them. As he rounded the sedan, his camouflage jacket opened a few inches. Nancy saw the leather strap that she knew was part of a shoulder holster.

  "Watch it," she said tensely. "He's got a gun."

  Chapter Six

  "Sean cautiously rolled down his window. "I'm a friend," the man with the gun said as he leaned on the edge of the open window. "Mc-Ginnis sent me."

  Nancy relaxed slightly and noticed that the man's clothes were dirty and ragged, and he wasn't much taller than she was. He had dark eyes and skin and acted calm and businesslike.

  "There's an empty parking space on your right," he said, his voice low. "Park there." He raised himself up from the side of the car and motioned to his partner in the beatup sedan.

  Sean glanced at Nancy, his eyes questioning her.

  "Do what he says," Nancy advised.

  As Sean pulled forward and into the empty parking spot, she saw Chief McGinnis behind the wheel of an unmarked car beside them.

  The stranger had already climbed into the backseat of McGinnis's car. His partner had pulled the battered sedan into the spot on the opposite side of Sean's car. The chief motioned for Nancy and Sean to join him.

  "Meet Chief McGinnis," Nancy said as Sean got into the front seat and she slid into the back. Sean nodded.

  "This is Victor Delgado," McGinnis said, motioning toward the backseat. He was watching Sean carefully. "Victor is in charge of the area office of the FBI."

  Nancy felt a chill run through her. She had thought of the FBI but hadn't expected McGinnis to call them without consulting her or Sean. She was watching Sean as his hand came down with a slap on the padded dash of the car.

  "You promised this would be kept quiet," he said fiercely to Nancy. "Now the FBI is in on it. Maybe we should just write a press release!"

  "I've been doing this for ten years, and I haven't been burned by the press yet," Victor said, his voice firm with authority. "When you say FBI to the press, they start looking for men in three-piece suits. They'll never know we're here."

  "We," Sean muttered in exasperation. "How many FBI agents are in on this?"

  "We'll call in as many people as we need to do the job," Victor said patiently.

  For the second time that day, Nancy saw Sean's anger rise toward the boiling point.

  "It's okay," McGinnis said reassuringly. "The FBI is the best agency to handle a kidnapping. They have the experience and the technology, and they can work fast. Besides ..." His voice trailed off and his gaze shifted away for a moment before he faced Sean again and continued. "I had to notify them."

  "The Lindbergh Law," Nancy said quietly. She had heard about it from her father, the well-known attorney Carson Drew. It had been passed after the kidnapping of the small son of a famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh. "It says the FBI can take over any kidnapping case after twenty-four hours."

  "The girl knows her law," Victor said evenly.

  Sean sank back into his seat with a sigh. "All right," he said at last. "But promise you won't let the press get a hold of this."

  "You got it," Victor said. "Now tell us everything."

  He and McGinnis listened as Nancy and Sean relayed the day's events and handed over the note and list. When they had finished, Victor leaned back in his seat and looked out the car window as though deep in thought.

  "There has been no ransom demand?" Delgado asked Sean.

  Sean shook his head.

  "No telephone calls after the first one? No instructions, except to lose the game?" Victor pressed.

  In answer to each question, Sean shook his head slowly.

  "The kidnappers may be taking their time, or there may not be a ransom request," Victor said. "If that's the case, we're going to have to catch these guys some other way,"

  "Most kidnappers are captured when they try to pick up the ransom money," Chief McGinnis explained. "There are all sorts of ways to set traps."

  "So we're at a dead end?" Sean asked helplessly.

  "No," said Victor. "It's just going to be harder."

  "You'll want to go through his house," Nancy said. "There may be prints there."

  "Yes," said Victor with a nod. "But the kidnappers could be watching the house and might have already tapped the phone. We don't want to tip them off that we're involved."

  "How about a disguise?" Nancy asked.

  Victor's eyes flashed at Nancy. "That's exactly what we'll do."

  He handed Sean a card with a phone number written on it. "When you get home tonight, call this number and ask for emergency plumbing service. Say you have a broken pipe. If the kidnappers are listening in or watching, they won't know that the plumbers are really agents. My men will check your house for fingerprints and install a recorder on your phone. We'll sneak one in, and he'll stay and watch the house and monitor the machine while you're away."

  "You're treating this like it's the work of professionals," Nancy said grimly.

  Victor paused a moment. "It could be just about anybody—including professionals/' he said. "That means we have to be extra careful."

  Nancy thought about her first call to McGinnis from Sean's house. She was glad he hadn't been home.

  "My office will be working with the FBI on this," McGinnis said. "But you won't see any of our officers either. Everybody will be in plain clothes."

  "We'll see what we can find out from people in the neighborhood, but it won't be easy because we'll have to do it without letting on that there's been a kidnapping. It's mostly a matter of watching, listening, and waiting for the kidnappers to make another move," Victor said to Sean. "You'll have to be patient."

  "Catching the kidnappers will be secondary to getting Caitlin back," McGinnis broke in. "We won't do anything to put her in more danger without consulting you, even if it means letting the kidnappers get away."

  Sean let out a long breath. "What if they ask me to throw another game?"

  "I can't tell you what to do there," Victor said. "That'll be up to you."

  Sean's frustration boiled over. "Okay, Mr. FBI," Sean said, raising his voice. "If it were your kid and you were pitching, what would you do?"

  Victor's expression didn't change as he answered, "I'd throw the game."

  Sean's shoulders sagged in defeat. "What if I get another phone call?" he asked at last.

  "Well, if we're lucky, it will come to your house and we can trace it," Victor said reassuringly. "We can't put recorders on the phones at the ballpark without tipping off management to the kidnapping. So if you get another call there, try to remember everything you can about what's said and any background sounds. Report it immediately to the agent staying at
your house, or call the police with the information."

  Sean nodded, acting somewhat reassured.

  "What about the note and the shopping list?" Nancy asked.

  "We'll check them out," he said. "From what you've told me, I'd guess Rebecca was taken along with Caitlin. But it's possible she helped with the kidnapping. We'll see what we can find out about her."

  "Clothesline is one of the items on the list," Nancy began. "If the list was dropped by the kidnappers, they could have used the line to tie the victims up."

  "You have sharp eyes, Nancy Drew," Victor said, leaning back against the car seat. "But you can relax now. We won't need you anymore."

  Nancy was about to protest when McGinnis came to her defense. "Nancy's no novice. She's helped me on a lot of cases," he said. "In fact, just a couple months ago she solved a murder up at the Riverfront Amusement Park."

  Nancy saw Victor's mouth open, but before he could speak, Sean jumped in.

  "You said you'd consult me," he said firmly. "I say Nancy's in."

  Delgado's mouth closed and he let out a sigh. "All right," he said.

  "I don't like that guy," Sean said when he and Nancy were back in his car. "He scares me, even though he does act like he cares about Caitlin."

  Nancy shared Sean's feelings, though she was reluctant to say so. "But McGinnis seems to trust him, so he must be good."

  "Yeah, I know," Sean said as he steered his sports car out of the parking garage and toward Nancy's house. "I keep thinking that this is just a bad dream, that when I get home, Caitlin will be there."

  "We all wish it would happen that way." Nancy glanced at Sean and was struck once again by his deep brown eyes and how much Caitlin's were like his. She desperately hoped she'd see the two of them together someday.

  When Sean pulled up in front of Nancy's house, she opened the passenger door and started to get out.

  "When will I see you again?" Sean asked.

  "Tomorrow," Nancy promised. "I'll figure out a way to get in touch with you, maybe through

  Luke. Try to get some rest. I know it'll be hard, but you'll need it."

  Nancy walked toward the lighted front porch. Her Mustang was in the driveway, where Bess had left it. She unlocked the front door and found the house dark except for the entry and hall lights. Her father and the housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, had already gone to their rooms. Though she'd missed dinner, Nancy found she wasn't hungry. The kidnapping had ruined her appetite.

  But she was exhausted. Up in her bedroom she'd barely pulled on her nightgown when she dropped onto her bed and fell asleep.

  The sun had already warmed the sidewalk when Nancy left her house the next morning on her way to the Gilded Cage restaurant. She was just reaching for the door handle on her Mustang when a sleek, black sedan pulled up and parked behind her. Nancy's hand dropped away from the car door as she watched an attractive woman step out of the car. Her short hair was carefully styled and almost as dark as the black skirt and jacket she wore.

  "Excuse me," she said as she closed the car door. "Are you Nancy Drew?"

  "Yes," Nancy said somewhat cautiously.

  "Madeline de Grasse," the woman announced as she handed Nancy her business card.

  Nancy glanced at the card, her curiosity piqued. Attorney at Law, it said under the name.

  "I understand you were at the residence of Sean Reeves yesterday evening/' the attorney probed.

  Nancy was instantly wary. "Do you have some interest in Mr. Reeves?" she asked.

  The woman studied Nancy. "Some time ago I was retained by Bert and Stella Zabowski," she said tersely. "They called me early this morning with new information, which compelled me to get right on the case."

  Nancy struggled to avoid showing the shock she felt when she heard the names of Caitlin's grandparents.

  "I need to talk to you about Mr. Reeves's inability to care for his daughter," Ms. de Grasse said.

  "I don't know what you mean," Nancy said. She felt her back stiffen.

  "I mean his failure as a father," Ms. de Grasse went on. "The Zabowskis feel that the girl's disappearance proves he is an unfit parent. They have asked me to file a petition with the court requesting custody of the child."

  Chapter Seven

  Nancy's mind reeled. "When will a petition be filed?" she asked. She knew that reporters would jump on a custody battle involving a well-known pitcher. And if the petition included mention of Caitlin's disappearance, Sean's secret would be out.

  "As soon I have enough information," Ms. de Grasse said. "The Zabowskis feel that the sooner they get Caitlin away from her father, the better it will be for the child."

  Nancy fought back an urge to beg the woman to wait, to remind her of how much danger it would put Caitlin in if word of her kidnapping was made public. She feared such an approach might play into the attorney's hands.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Nancy said. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

  The attorney raised her hand as though ready to make a point. Nancy reached for her car door and swung it open quickly. She was in the car with the door closed again before Ms. de Grasse could speak.

  Nancy smiled broadly through the window at the flabbergasted attorney. She started the engine and waited, watching Ms. de Grasse frown and go back to her car. When she pulled out, Nancy followed her down the drive. Fortunately, the attorney wasn't the persistent type, she thought.

  Five minutes later she was turning into the lot at the Gilded Cage, a favorite hangout for River Heights sports fans.

  Inside, to the right of the doors, was a batting cage. A gold-painted backstop stood behind a home plate, facing a pitching machine. The whole thing was surrounded by heavy netting. Here diners sometimes got to watch Falcon players hit a few balls.

  Nancy surveyed the half-full restaurant and walked to the front counter. "Fm here to meet some friends," Nancy told the hostess, and was directed to a booth in the back corner of the restaurant.

  George smiled brightly at Nancy. She was sitting beside Luke, and Nancy couldn't help noticing that the two made a great-looking couple. His arm was draped casually across the seat behind George.

  "Tell us what McGinnis said," Bess urged as Nancy slid into the booth beside her.

  Nancy told her friends about the meeting with Victor Delgado and about Madeline de Grasse. She stopped only once when a waitress came to take their order.

  "I knew the Zabowskis would be trouble," Luke said tensely.

  "If those court papers get filed, the press will find out about the kidnapping for sure," Nancy replied.

  "I can't help but wonder whether the Zabowskis could be the kidnappers," George said after the waitress delivered their food. "Cait-lin's disappearance seems too convenient. It gives them a perfect reason to try to take her away from her dad."

  "I know," Nancy said. "And that could explain why they're not worried about anyone finding out she's gone."

  "It's just hard to believe they'd kidnap their own granddaughter," Bess said, breaking off a piece of a huge cinnamon roll.

  "True," Nancy answered. "Still, we have to consider them suspects."

  "Right now they're about the only suspects," George said, spreading strawberry jam on an English muffin.

  "What about Stormy Tarver?" Bess said. "If she really is broke, winning the series could be especially important. Besides, who cares more about the Rangers winning than their owner?"

  "I agree," said Nancy. "I'm going to have to find out more about Stormy. The rumor that she's having financial problems is not much to go on."

  "All right," said George. "Who else?"

  Nancy paused for a minute before answering. "Rebecca," she said simply.

  "But wasn't she kidnapped?" Bess asked.

  "It looks like it," Nancy said, cocking her head to one side. "But looks can be deceiving."

  "You mean Rebecca could have kidnapped Caitlin and then made it look like someone else was involved?" Luke asked.

  "I think
someone else was involved," Nancy said. "Even though the tracks outside Caitlin's window were smeared, they seemed to be too large to be a woman's, and they seemed to stop at the doorway to Caitlin's room. Maybe they just petered out there. Or maybe someone trashed the family room to make it look like there had been a struggle."

  "Someone like Rebecca," George said, brushing Luke's arm as she leaned back in the booth.

  "Could be," Nancy said, and pushed her empty plate to one side. "Whatever role Rebecca played in the kidnapping, we know she's important to the case. Then there's Bill Barrows."

  "Is he a suspect?" George said in quiet surprise.

  "Well," Nancy said, lacing her fingers together thoughtfully. "I remember looking for him after Sean tackled the mascot. He wasn't on the field. And when we saw him at the park last night, there was a blue feather on his shirt."

  "But he was wearing a Falcon button," George replied. "The feather could have been from that."

  "Besides," Bess added, "he would be the last person to ask Sean to throw a game, wouldn't he?"

  Nancy was watching Luke. She had never thought of him as good-looking in high school, but that description definitely fit him now.

  "Barrows would do anything to win," Luke said. "There's no way he'd make Sean throw a game. It just doesn't make sense."

  "I guess not," Nancy said with a sigh. "But I want you to keep an eye on him, Luke."

  "No problem," Luke said with a grin. "We tend to hang out together a lot these days."

  Nancy laughed lightly. With three more games scheduled that week, Luke would be seeing his manager every day.

  "What now?" Bess asked as Nancy slid out of the booth.

  "I'd like to learn more about Stormy Tarver," Nancy said, leading the way to the cash register.

  "We could stop at the library," George offered. "I remember an article about her in Profiles magazine, and I'm sure the library will have it."

  "Good idea," Nancy said as the group left the restaurant. "I'll meet you there."

  "I'll ride with you," Bess volunteered, raising an eyebrow at Luke and George for Nancy's benefit.