084 Choosing Sides Read online

  "I'm also concerned that you could be in danger. If Rouse's murder is related to my being framed, that means someone is willing to kill to make sure I'm not elected. He might hurt you, too, Nancy."

  A knock on the door made them look up. Bess was standing in the doorway. "Nan," Bess said, '*rm still working on Greenwood, but I did find out who owns the car we saw at Steve's house. It's someone named Anna Dimitros."

  "Anna Dimitros!" Caroline burst out, sitting forward. "Are you sure?"

  Bess nodded. "Positive. Why? Who is she?"

  "The former owner and president of Helen of Troy Cosmetics," Caroline explained. "She was charged with manslaughter when three of the workers in her manufacturing plant died after they were exposed to lethal doses of formaldehyde. That plant was one of the most dangerous workplaces I've ever seen. I prosecuted Dimitros, and I won. She got a five-year prison term, and her business went bankrupt. She must have gotten out on parole recently."

  Nancy let out a low whistle. "So basically her whole life went down the tubes. Is she the kind of person who would try to get back at you?"

  "And why would she be at your ex-husband's house?" Bess added. "Unless they're both plotting to frame you."

  "Why not?" Nancy said, growing excited. "We should definitely check out Anna Dimitros, that's for sure." She glanced at her watch and frowned. "I have to meet Ned for lunch now, but maybe you could do some checking, Bess."

  "Anything," Bess said, grinning. "Kyle should be here soon, too, so he can help me."

  "Maybe you two could go to the library and look up back articles about Dimitros's trial. Make copies of anything you find, okay? And see if you can find out any connection between her and Greenwood, too."

  "No problem!" Bess sang.

  Ned was answering phones when Nancy walked into Gleason's headquarters a half-hour later. He waved at her and signaled that he'd be off in a few minutes.

  Trying to act casual, Nancy glanced around the room. She didn't see Gleason, but Steve Hill jumped up from a table as soon as he saw her.

  "What do you think you're doing here?" he snapped, stopping inches from her face.

  "I'm here to meet my boyfriend, Ned, for lunch," she replied evenly. "And to find out what you think about Bobby Rouse's murder."

  "I never met the guy," Steve told her, "Why would I think anything about it?"

  Nancy decided to try a different tack. "What about Greenwood?" she asked. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

  Steve Hill shook a finger in her face. "Look, even if I knew anything about this Greenwood, I wouldn't tell you." His voice dropped to a menacing growl. "But I will tell you that you'd better watch out. All your snooping could get you into deep trouble!'' With that, he turned and stalked off.

  Nancy was still staring after Steve Hill when Ned came up behind her and gave her a quick hug. "Have you been harassing the enemy?" he asked jokin^y.

  "We've been harassing each other," Nancy told him. "Let's go eat. I'm starved!"

  As Ned and Nancy walked down the block to a pizza place, they discussed the paint-throwing incident.

  "Gleason held a staff meeting to condemn the attack," Ned said, after they had settled into a booth and ordered.

  "Great, but that makes it harder for me to ask you to do me a big favor," Nancy said.

  "Try me," Ned said. He looked up as the waitress delivered their pizza, then picked up a slice.

  Nancy took a deep breath. "I want you to help me search Patrick Gleason's office this afternoon, during the debate. I have to find out if there's anything about the frame-up in Gleason's papers."

  "You still think that Gleason might have something to do with that?" Ned asked, studying her. When Nancy nodded, he took a huge breath and let it out slowly.

  "Okay, I'll do it," he finally said. "But only because I want Gleason's name cleared. I'll try to fix it so I'm the only one there during the debate."

  "Thanks, Ned," Nancy said, reaching over the table to squeeze his hand.

  After they had finished eating, Nancy left Ned at Gleason's campaign office and returned to Caroline Hill's headquarters. She found Bess and Kyle sitting at a table covered with photocopies and containers of Mexican food.

  "Hi, Nan!" Bess called out, biting into a tortilla chip.

  "Here, Nancy, try a nacho," Kyle chimed in, handing her a chip dripping with cheese. "These are the best in the universe."

  Nancy popped it into her mouth. "Not bad," she admitted. "Any luck at the library?"

  Bess handed Nancy a photocopied newspaper article. "We struck out with Greenwood, but we did find this."

  "It's an article that came out the day after Anna Dimitros was found guilty of manslaughter," Kyle explained. "Read the part that's highlighted."

  Nancy skimmed down to the paragraph outlined in yellow. "'A hostile crowd followed Dimitros and her laywers out of the courthouse and surrounded her as she got into a waiting limousine,'" she read aloud. "'Responding to their taunts, Dimitros stated in a ringing voice,

  "I have done nothing wrong. Caroline Hill is the one who should be ashamed. Someday, she will have to pay a price for ruining my life.'''"

  "Wow!" Nancy exclaimed, setting the article down. "Anna Dimitros blames everything on Caroline. The question is, what sort of price does she want Caroline to pay?"

  "I'll bet anything that Anna Dimitros is getting her revenge by framing Caroline Hill!" Bess exclaimed.

  Chapter Eight

  KYLE WHISTLED SOFTLY. "In a sick way, it makes sense that Dimitros would try to get back at Caroline this way."

  "Maybe Anna Dimitros figured that since Caroline destroyed her career, her best revenge would be to ruin Caroline's career."

  "But I still don't get how Dimitros could know Steve Hill," Kyle said. "Or how she knew Bobby Rouse."

  Nancy shrugged. "We'll definitely have to do more investigating. But if Anna Dimitros was willing to let people die in her factory, maybe she was willing to kill Bobby Rouse to keep him from spilling the beans about her being responsible for the story framing Caroline."

  The conversation was interrupted by a door slamming shut. They looked up to see Hector stomping out of Caroline's office. 'Hector, what is it?" Nancy asked. I've been trying to get through to Sam Filanowski to ask him if he'll speak out against these attacks on Caroline," Hector replied. "He won't even give me the time of day. I'm starting to think that what people are saying is true."

  "What's that?" Bess asked, dabbing at a spot of hot sauce on her shirt.

  "I guess you didn't read the editorial page of the Morning Record, " he said. "One columnist commented on how strange it was that the mayor isn't supporting Caroline when in the past he's always sung her praises. The article said that by not supporting her, Filanowski is actually telling people they should vote for Gleason."

  "But that's crazy!" Bess exclaimed. "The mayor isn't supporting Gleason, either."

  "But the mayor doesn't really know Gleason," Hector explained. "Everyone assumed that Filanowski would come out for Caroline."

  Nancy frowned. "Why would he turn his back on her?"

  "I'm not sure." Hector threw up his hands. "A year or so ago, he lost a lot of money in a risky real estate deal, and Caroline was one of the only people he told. But since his heart attack several months ago, he's become more and more distant. Now he won't even talk to her on the phone!"

  "I wish we could just walk right into Filanowski's office and ask him what the deal is," Kyle remarked.

  Bess shook her head as she started collecting the food wrappers on the table. "It makes me sick that Brenda Carlton is the only person the mayor will talk to."

  Nancy stared at her friend. "That's it! Bess, you're a genius!"

  "I am?" Bess asked, looking up in surprise.

  "Yes," Nancy replied, grinning. "I'd forgotten all about Brenda's interview. Maybe there's a way we can make it work for us. Hector, what's Mayor Filanowski's office number?"

  Hector, Bess, and Kyle gathered around as Nancy dialed the
number Hector gave her. When the mayor's secretary answered, Nancy tried to make her voice sound like Brenda's. "Hello, this is Brenda Cariton, of Today's Times." In a teary voice, she explained that she'd made a horrible scheduling mistake and would it be possible to interview the mayor the following day instead of Friday? If not, she'd miss her deadline and lose her job. To Nancy's relief, the secretary bought her story. She rescheduled the interview for the next morning.

  "Talk about sneaky," Kyle said with a big grin. "I love it!"

  "Way to go!" Hector shook Nancy's shoulder. "Maybe you can convince Filanowski to help Caroline out a little."

  "I hope so," Nancy told him. "In the meantime, I'm going to be busy. First, I want to go to Anna Dimitros's and see what I can find out. And if there's time before the debate, Vd like to take another crack at getting into Steve Hill's house to look for evidence there."

  After checking his watch, Kyle said apologetically, "Sorry, but Til have to pass. Vd hoped to be able to spend all afternoon here, but I could only get away for a long lunch hour. Your dad needs me to do some research, Nancy.''

  "But you can count me in," Bess said brightly. "Let's go!"

  The information Bess had gotten from the Motor Vehicle Department listed Anna Dimitros's address in a slightly run-down neighborhood on the outskirts of River Heights. Nancy had called ahead, pretending to be a journalist for the high school paper. When she told Anna Dimitros that she and Bess were doing an article about local businesswomen, Dimitros had readily agreed to talk to them.

  It was just before two when Nancy pulled her Mustang up in front of the brick apartment building, and she and Bess got out and looked around.

  "Yuck!" Bess exclaimed as she stepped around an overflowing garbage can on the sidewalk.

  "My sentiments exactly," Nancy said, walking up to the front door. The building had no elevator, and she and Bess were breathless by the time they climbed the five flights of stairs and knocked on Anna Dimitros's door.

  "Those stairs will be the death of me/' Anna Dimitros greeted the girls. An unlit cigarette in hand, she waved them into the narrow hallway. In her late forties, Anna wore heavy makeup, and her hair was dyed an unnatural shade of red. Still, Nancy thought that she was a striking woman. She swept ahead of Nancy and Bess in her flowing silk kimono and led them into a tiny living room furnished with a couch, a chair, two end tables, and a typewriter on a small table.

  "Please excuse my living quarters,'' Anna said, lighting her cigarette and settling back into a chair. "But it is an improvement over cell block A." She threw back her head and gave a short, throaty laugh.

  Nancy and Bess sat down on the sagging sofa.

  "How exactly can I help you two lovely girls?" Anna went on, exhaling a thick stream of smoke.

  "Well, Bess and I are writing a series about local businesswomen," Nancy began. "We'd like to hear about how you built up your successful cosmetics company."

  "We both have loads of admiration for you," Bess gushed, beaming.

  Anna narrowed her black-rimmed eyes at them. "You do know how I lost my company, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "That Hill woman ruined my reputation, destroyed my business, and wrecked my life all in the name of ruthless ambition! Bringing down a powerful person like me was a real feather in her cap, you know.''

  "Are you talking about Caroline Hill, the mayoral candidate?" Bess asked with wide, innocent eyes.

  "The mayoral candidate," Anna repeated disdainfully, "What a joke! Let me tell you, I know some things about Caroline Hill that the public doesn't."

  "You mean like the fencing ring story?" Nancy asked.

  Anna waved her cigarette dismissively. "That's nothing. I know worse secrets about Caroline Hill."

  Bess exchanged a quick look with Nancy, then leaned toward Anna and asked, "Like what?"

  "No, no, no!" Anna replied coyly. "That will have to wait. You see, I, too, am a writer." She pointed to the typewriter set up in the comer of the room. "I began working on a nonfiction book while I was in prison, and now I'm writing the final draft, with the help of a dear friend."

  Nancy wasn't sure what this might have to do with her case, but she decided to find out all she could. "Oh? And who is helping you?"

  "He's Steve Hill, Caroline's ex-husband," Anna said, her voice softening for the first time. "I wanted some information on his wife, and I asked him if he'd be willing to be interviewed.

  We became friends, and our friendship has blossomed into a wonderful romance."

  So maybe Dimitros and Steve Hill were working together. Nancy thought.

  "That's so cool!" Bess breathed. "And you're a real writer! Would you mind showing me around? I'd love to see how a writer lives."

  Nancy flashed Bess a congratulatory smile as Anna stood up. Now Nancy had a chance to look at Anna's notes by the typewriter. "Um, if you don't mind, I'll stay here. I want to write down all you've told us before I forget."

  Nancy took out her notebook, but she put it aside as soon as Anna led Bess out of the living room. Nancy hurried over to the typewriter and shuffled through the notes stacked on and around it.

  "Hmm. what's this?" Nancy murmured, thumbing through a stack of notecards. She paused at one card. It was a list of names and phone numbers. Next to some of them, Anna had written the word "interviewed" and a date. Steve Hill had been interviewed a few months earlier, Nancy noted as she ran her finger down the list.

  Farther down, Nancy stopped again. Bobby Rouse was on the list! Anna had talked to him just one month eariier. So there was a connection between Rouse and Anna Dimitros. Hearing Anna's voice drifting toward the living room, Nancy quickly returned the card to the stack. She rushed back to the couch just a second before Anna and Bess reentered the room.

  "Gosh, Bess, it's after two-thirty!" Nancy exclaimed, jumping up. "I just realized that we're late for our next interview." She put out her hand for Anna to shake. "Thanks for being so generous with your time, Ms. Dimitros."

  Anna seemed disappointed that they were leaving so soon. "But I haven't had a chance to talk about my start in business," she protested.

  The girls promised to call again, then left. Back in the car, Nancy told Bess about the notecard listing Steve Hill and Bobby Rouse.

  "Wow. So if Dimitros knew Rouse, she could have hired him to pose for the photogiaph," Bess said as Nancy pulled out into traffic. ''Maybe she even killed him!"

  We still don't know for sure," Nancy said. But maybe we'll find more evidence at Steve Hill's house."

  Bess shot Nancy a worried glance. "Nan, how are we going to get into his house without getting caught this time?"

  "Ned told me that Mr. Hill is working in Patrick Gleason's campaign office all day," Nancy explained. "Then he's going to the debate. We'll just have to be careful that none of the neighbors see us."

  Fifteen minutes later, the two girls were in Steve Hill's yard, checking his windows.

  "Everything's locked up tight," Nancy said, yanking on the back door of the house. "I'll have to pick the lock."

  After taking a narrow metal instrument from her shoulder bag, she inserted it into the keyhole. A few moments later, the lock clicked open.

  "I keep expecting someone to jump out of the bushes," Bess said nervously, glancing around. "Let's get inside fast."

  Nancy opened the door and stepped into a small room that held a washer and dryer. With Bess right behind her, she quietly walked through the laundry room and into the dimly lit kitchen.

  Suddenly she cocked her head to one side. From far off in the house, she heard a faint scrabbling sound.

  "What's that?" Bess asked behind her.

  A split second later, a black Doberman came through the kitchen doorway. The dog let out a terrifying, deep-chested growl. Nancy's heart seemed to leap into her throat.

  In the next instant, the Doberman ran straight at Bess and Nancy, his sharp white teeth bared.

  "He's going to kill us!" Bess screamed.

  Chapter Nine

>   NANCY FROZE as the dog ran across the kitchen floor.

  With the dog just a few feet away, Nancy forced herself to move. She whipped off her denim jacket and threw it at the dog, covering his head. Before the dog could shake the jacket off, she jumped forward to hold him still.

  "Quick, Bess!" she said urgently, "Help me get him into the laundry room.''

  Bess's eyes were wide with fear as she jumped behind the dog and pushed on his haunches, while Nancy pulled him through the doorway. The Doberman locked his legs and tried to buck out of their grasp, his furious snarls barely muffled by the jacket. When they got him just inside the laundry room, Nancy took her jacket, and she and Bess jumped backward through the doorway, then slammed the door shut, A second later, they heard the dog jump at the door, barking with fury.

  Bess shuddered. "I can't believe I just did that," she breathed, leaning against the kitchen wall.

  "Me, either," Nancy replied as she sank into a chair at the round kitchen table. "I had no idea Mr. Hill had a dog."

  Bess took a few deep breaths. "I guess we'd better start looking around before a neighbor hears that barking and decides to call the cops!"

  "Good idea," Nancy said. "I'll search downstairs, and you check the bedrooms."

  "Find anything?" Bess asked a half hour later, joining Nancy in the den.

  Nancy held up some press clippings she'd found on the desk. "Just these. They're articles about Caroline's run for mayor. But I haven't found anything linking Steve Hill to the frame-up."

  "I couldn't find anything, either," Bess said, letting out a sigh of frustration. "I can't believe we've hit another dead end."

  Checking her watch, Nancy said, "Yikes, the debate's starting in just fifteen minutes! I'll drop you off there, then call Ned to make sure he's the only one at Gleason's ofl&ce. We'd better get going."