No Laughing Matter Read online

  Bianca could have, but could such a petite woman have dragged her across the room to the closet? Had it been Tony? Or Peter Sands? She had to get downstairs to ask Bess if she had seen anyone go up the stairs.

  Glancing at her watch, Nancy saw that she had been gone for ten minutes. Jenny was probably wondering where she was, and Bianca could return to the office at any second.

  Nancy took a deep breath to steady herself, then carefully made her way back down the stairs. Tony was at the bar area, she saw, but Peter was gone. Nancy didn’t see Bess, either. She must be backstage, getting ready for the second show.

  As she headed back out to her station, Nancy flashed Tony a bright smile. Someone at the club was onto her, and she had no idea who it was! Her nerves were buzzing.

  Nancy forced herself to concentrate on serving the customers, but her head was still throbbing. It seemed to take forever before the second show ended and the customers finally left. Then Nancy and Jenny had to put all the chairs up on the tables so the floors could be washed. It was after eleven before Nancy could take off her apron and count out her tips.

  “What a night!” Bess exclaimed, appearing from backstage.

  You don’t know the half of it, Nancy added silently as Bess came over and sat down at the table with her and Jenny. Nancy introduced Bess to Jenny, and the girls talked about nothing in particular until Jenny said good night. As soon as she was gone, Bess leaned across the table.

  “Did you get a look at the accounting book?” she asked quietly. “I’m really sorry I couldn’t keep watch on Tony and Peter, but Rusty called me backstage.”

  Nancy glanced around to make sure no one could overhear them. When she told Bess what had happened, Bess’s mouth fell open. “Nancy, you could have been seriously hurt!” she said in a horrified whisper. “I can’t believe I didn’t see who went upstairs. I feel awful!”

  “It’s not your fault,” Nancy reassured her. “We’ll just have to be more careful from now on. Did you get a chance to talk to any of the other comedians?”

  Bess nodded. “I asked Rusty a few leading questions, but he said he was busy with the acts and never paid much attention to anything else. None of the other comedians even worked here when Matt was the accountant.” Bess got up from the table and helped Nancy put the last four chairs up. “I’ll keep nosing around, but I don’t expect to find out much.

  “Oh, one more thing,” she added. “Before Rusty called me backstage, I did manage to get Peter and Tony talking about how well the club was doing. I got Tony to tell me how much he sells in drinks on an average night.”

  “Bess, you’re incredible!” Nancy said after Bess told her the figure. “And I know how much we brought in from the food, from adding up the checks at the end of the night. If I could just get a look at that accounting book, I’d be able to see if the numbers matched up.”

  Nancy stifled a yawn. “Let’s go home, Bess. I need a good night’s sleep to think clearly about all this.”

  The two girls grabbed their parkas from the coat check, then said good night to Tony and Rusty, who were having a soda at the bar. Rusty gave Bess a warm hug.

  “You’ve got real talent,” he said, smiling at her.

  Bess blushed and grinned back at him. “Beginner’s luck,” she mumbled. “But thanks for the vote of confidence. See you tomorrow.”

  As she and Nancy stepped out into the cold night air, Nancy raised an eyebrow at Bess. “So what’s the story between you two?” she asked, zipping up her parka. “Are we talking major romance?”

  “Rusty’s great, but he’s just-friend material,” Bess said. She giggled, crinkling up her nose. “I’m sort of surprised to hear myself say that, but it’s true.”

  “Well, even if he isn’t going to be the love of your life, I’m glad you’re having fun with him,” Nancy said. “You really were great tonight. Maybe you’ve found your calling.”

  Bess rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a ham all the time, but for now it’s fun.” She paused next to her Camaro. “So what’re you going to do tomorrow?”

  Nancy had just been asking herself the same question. “Well, the accounting book and receipts were up in Bianca’s office,” Nancy said, thinking out loud. “I didn’t have much luck investigating her here. Maybe it’s time to check out what she does in her free time.”

  • • •

  “Incredible timing, Nickerson,” Nancy said when she opened her front door the next morning. “Breakfast is just about ready.” When she kissed him, his lips were cool from the morning’s chill air.

  “Mmm,” Ned said. “I hope you made a lot. I’m starving.”

  Nancy led the way into the kitchen. As she filled both their plates with cheese omelettes, hash browns, and wheat toast, she told him about the box of receipts she’d found and about her suspicions. She also told him about the attack, glossing over it so it didn’t seem serious.

  “I don’t like the sound of that, Nan,” Ned said across the kitchen table from her. “I know that I’m not supposed to show my face at the Rainbow, but I don’t like the idea of your being there alone.”

  “Bess is there, too,” she reassured him. “Besides, I can’t just back off a case, not after finding those receipts.”

  “Uh-oh, I know that look,” Ned said skeptically. “What kind of mess are you about to get me into, Nancy?”

  Nancy grinned at him. “Nothing dangerous. Just a little stakeout of Bianca Engel’s apartment. I got her address from the phone book, and my binoculars are in my bag.” She took a sip of her coffee. “But before we head over there I’d like to try to track down Gleason’s and Fantorelli, Inc.,” she added. “It’s possible that they provide gambling equipment and liquor to the gambling operation.”

  “If there is one,” Ned reminded her.

  When they were finished eating, Ned rinsed the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher while Nancy checked in the phone book for the numbers for the two companies. She held a paper towel over the mouthpiece to muffle her voice, then dialed the number for Fantorelli, Inc.

  Pretending to be Bianca Engel, she asked to speak with someone regarding the last order she had put in for champagne. The man on the other end of the phone didn’t seem to recognize the name. When Nancy explained that perhaps Tony Fry had called in the order, she drew a blank there, too.

  After she hung up, Ned tried his luck with Gleason’s. He got almost the same response, although the person there did ask for an invoice and account number. Ned mumbled an excuse and hung up the phone.

  “If Bianca and Tony are buying from these people, they aren’t using their real names,” Ned said to Nancy.

  “Mmm.” Checking her watch, Nancy saw that it was after nine. “I guess we should head over to Bianca’s.”

  Ned drove to the brick apartment building near downtown River Heights where Bianca lived. Ned parked across the street, a short distance up from the building’s entrance. After about twenty minutes, Nancy grabbed Ned’s arm.

  “We’re in luck!” she said, pointing to Bianca, who was just leaving the building. She got into a sporty blue car parked in front of her building and pulled away.

  “Well, she doesn’t drive a white compact van,” Ned commented.

  “Which means someone else is probably involved,” Nancy said as Ned pulled out after the blue car, keeping a safe distance between them. “Like maybe Tony Fry.”

  Ned sighed, keeping his eyes on Bianca’s car. “I forgot to tell you that I didn’t have much luck at the library yesterday. I got a lot of background information for my project, but nothing to back up Matt’s claim that he was set up or that there’s money laundering going on at Over the Rainbow.”

  “Still, my hunch is that Matt is right on both counts. We just need some hard evidence,” Nancy said determinedly. “Any ideas where to search for an illegal gambling operation?”

  Ned shrugged. “Keep your eyes open at the club. If gambling receipts are being dropped off there, the operation could be
close by.”

  They followed Bianca into a more residential area. When Bianca pulled into a driveway, Ned stopped about half a block away.

  “She’s picking up Tony,” Nancy murmured as the bartender emerged from the house and slipped into the passenger side of Bianca’s car.

  Ned tailed them as they drove to the industrial area and stopped in front of a warehouse. He and Nancy waited for Bianca and Tony to go inside before parking across from the building. From there they could keep an eye on the entrance.

  “It’s Gleason’s!” Ned exclaimed, pointing to the name printed on the warehouse facade.

  “Let’s see what they come out with,” Nancy said. Now that the car had stopped and the heater was off, her hands were getting cold. She looked for her gloves, but didn’t see them at first. Then she noticed they had fallen off her lap and lay wedged between the seat and door. When she opened the door to get them, the gloves fell to the ground and slid under the car. Nancy had to get out of the car to pick them up.

  In that second Tony came out of the warehouse with a large cardboard box. Before Nancy could get back into the car his eyes met hers.

  Nancy cringed. Tony had spotted her and there was no way she could pretend otherwise. As he took a few steps toward her, Nancy’s heart stopped beating.

  If Tony came over, he might recognize Ned and her cover would be blown!

  Chapter

  Eight

  NED! Put your head down!” Nancy whispered urgently out of the side of her mouth. “Tony spotted me.”

  Plastering a bright smile on her face, Nancy jogged across the street to head Tony off. “Tony. Hi!” she said brightly. “I thought I recognized you.”

  “Uh, hi, Nancy.” Tony didn’t quite meet her eyes. He shifted the cardboard box in his arms and glanced around nervously. A moment later Bianca walked out of the warehouse.

  “Nancy!” Bianca said, her face going pale. “What are you doing here?”

  It sounded more like an accusation than a question. “I was just out for a drive,” Nancy answered vaguely. “I love this part of town—the old warehouses are so interesting. There’s a lot of history here.” Keeping her tone casual, she asked, “So what brings you here?”

  Bianca flushed slightly. “Just some stuff for the club.” Shooting a sideways glance at Tony, she added, “Well, we’ve got to be going. See you later.”

  Nancy waved to them as they got into Bianca’s car and drove away. Then she poked her head into the warehouse.

  “Can I help you, miss?” a gruff voice asked.

  Nancy blinked until her eyes adjusted to the dim interior. A short, gray-haired man with a sour look on his face was standing about ten feet in front of her. Cardboard boxes lined the wall next to him.

  “I was wondering if I could buy some cards and poker chips,” Nancy said. It didn’t sound believable that someone would try to buy a deck of cards at a warehouse, but the short man didn’t bat an eye.

  “We sell only in bulk, young lady—to companies,” he said. “Sorry, but I can’t help you.”

  Nancy thanked him, then left and crossed to Ned’s sedan.

  “The coast is clear,” she told Ned, who was still hunched down in the driver’s seat.

  “What did you find out?” he asked, straightening up while Nancy got in the passenger seat.

  “Nothing for sure,” she replied. “But I can tell you that Gleason’s definitely sells cards and poker chips. And Tony and Bianca had a big box of something. It could have been gambling stuff, which would explain why they acted so nervous.”

  “Right,” Ned agreed. “I mean, if they were just running an errand for Over the Rainbow, there wouldn’t be any reason to act so weird.” He let out a low whistle. “So maybe they’re in on the gambling operation!”

  “We still have no concrete proof,” Nancy cautioned. “Peter probably has the accounting ledger from Over the Rainbow now. Maybe we can try to sneak a peek when he goes out to lunch.”

  Ned checked his watch. “It’s only eleven-thirty. What do you say we stop by the bank first,” he suggested. “Didn’t you say that the teller who testified against Matt was due back at work today?”

  • • •

  Fifteen minutes later Nancy and Ned were sitting in two matching leatherette chairs, waiting for the bank manager. The stern-looking, dark-haired woman bustled up to them, letting her glasses fall off her nose to her chest, where they were suspended by a silver chain.

  In answer to Nancy’s request to speak with Carla Jones, the bank manager pointed out a very tanned young woman with a mane of blond layers falling about her face. The young woman was lounging in one of the chairs behind the teller’s windows.

  “She’s on break,” the manager said. “I guess it’s all right if you talk to her.” She walked with an efficient stride over to the teller area to summon Carla, who sauntered over to Nancy and Ned and plopped down in a leatherette chair facing them. She smiled at Ned.

  “The manager said you guys wanted to ask me something?” Carla said, pulling a candy bar out of her purse. “I’ve only got a few minutes left on my break. Anybody want a piece?”

  “No, thanks,” Nancy and Ned said at the same time.

  Nancy got straight to the point. “Carla, I was wondering if you could tell me about the account you opened for Matt Goldin.”

  “Oh, not this again,” Carla said, frowning. “He came in and opened an account under the name Gold Enterprises. He signed a signature card and deposited one check.” She sounded as if she were reciting a shopping list, not talking about events that had put a man behind bars.

  “And you identified him at the trial?” Nancy probed.

  “Yes, I did,” Carla said. “Smallish guy, with a beard.”

  She wasn’t exactly bursting with information, Nancy noticed. Was that because she had something to hide?

  “You must have handed him a deposit record for the check, right?” Nancy said. She was hoping that the more detailed her questions were, the more likely that Carla would get nervous—if she was lying.

  “Look, we went through all this at the trial,” Carla said abruptly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

  “Sure,” Nancy said pleasantly. “Oh, by the way, how was Hawaii?” If Carla wouldn’t talk about Matt’s account, perhaps she’d give away information about who had arranged her trip.

  The teller’s expression immediately softened. “Oh, it was great. Three whole weeks, all expenses paid. I wish I could have stayed forever.”

  Ned smiled. “Maybe you’ll get another chance.”

  “No, the trip was a gift from my uncle. I don’t think you get that kind of present twice.” With that, Carla walked back to her teller station.

  “That’s strange,” Nancy said, turning to Ned. “Yesterday on the phone the bank manager told me that Carla had won the trip, but Carla just said that her uncle paid for it.”

  “I guess somebody got the story wrong,” Ned said with a shrug.

  “Or Carla got a free trip to Hawaii for lying at a trial,” Nancy speculated.

  “You don’t have any proof of that,” Ned pointed out.

  “Not yet,” Nancy answered. “Not yet.”

  • • •

  “It’s after twelve-thirty,” Ned said as he pulled up outside the GS Accounting office. “Do you think Peter’s gone to lunch?”

  Nancy grabbed Ned’s arm. “There’s our answer,” she whispered, nodding toward the door. Peter Sands was just leaving the office.

  They hunched down in Ned’s car, watching as Peter climbed into a Geo and drove away.

  “We’re in luck,” Ned said as he and Nancy made their way toward the entrance.

  Through the glass window, Nancy could see the receptionist at her desk, reading a magazine. “What are we going to do about her?” she murmured.

  “Never fear,” Ned said, grinning at her. He looked at the businesses and restaurants near where GS Accounting Associates was located. “The Nickerson cha
rm is about to pay off. I’ll bet anything she won’t be able to resist the opportunity to have a quick soda with a charming guy like me—at that luncheonette,” he added, pointing across the street.

  Nancy giggled. “You gigolo,” she teased. “Okay, I’ll wait in the car.”

  Sure enough, a few minutes later, Ned and the receptionist emerged from the building. As soon as they went into the luncheonette, Nancy hurried to the GS Accounting Associates office. Pulling her lock-pick from her bag, she went to work on the door. Within a minute the lock had clicked open and she slipped inside, turning the deadbolt behind her.

  In Peter’s office the desk was still piled as high with papers as it had been the day before. It took Nancy a few moments before she spotted Over the Rainbow’s accounting book. Next to it was a pile of files, the top one labeled, ‘Rainbow: Travel Receipts.’

  Nancy flipped open the manila file folder. Inside were various hotel receipts and a receipt for an airline ticket. Studying the receipt, she saw that it had been issued to J. Spector. The destination was Hawaii.

  A small shiver ran down her spine. The departure date was three weeks before—about the time Carla Jones had left on her vacation to Hawaii! Clipped to the ticket was confirmation of a hotel reservation under the same name, at a hotel on Maui, one of the islands making up Hawaii. Was she holding the receipt of the ticket Carla had used for her trip?

  Hold it, Nan, she cautioned herself. Maybe Johnny had used the ticket himself. When she checked the return flight from Hawaii, she saw that it was for the day before. Nancy hadn’t noticed a tan when she saw Johnny at the comedy club the night before. No one at Over the Rainbow had mentioned that he had been out of town, either, nor did he mention it himself. That definitely seemed out of character for him. He probably would have mentioned a trip to Hawaii.

  Nancy thought hard. She could call the hotel and get them to describe J. Spector. If they described a woman like Carla, then Nancy could be almost positive that someone had bought Carla a free trip to Hawaii, using Johnny’s name and the Over the Rainbow account.