Free Fatal Attraction by Carolyn Keene Page A

cause of death in the DeCamp case. But more important, we’ve got to keep Mike under surveillance. He’s the only one who can lead us to Felix. And by watching Mike, we can be sure that Brenda’s safe.”
    Ned chuckled. “I never thought I’d see the day when you were worried about Brenda Carlton!”
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    Nancy hung up the phone, feeling confused. “Boy, that sure was a weird conversation,” she said out loud, to the empty living room.
    At that moment, Ned stuck his head in through the open door. “What’s so weird?” he asked.
    â€œI just called the Batesville police,” Nancy replied, still puzzling over the call, which made no sense at all. She picked up her sweater and joined Ned outside. They were using Ned’s car for the stakeout because it was unfamiliar to Mike.
    â€œWho did you talk to?” Ned asked as he backed out of the driveway.
    â€œTo the chief of police—Saunders, his name is. He sure wasn’t very informative. All he would tell me was that the case was still open. He wouldn’t even tell me how the girl died. I guess I’ll have to make a trip to Batesville and talk to him, person to person.”
    â€œDid you tell him you had a lead?”
    Nancy nodded, frowning. “Yes, but even that didn’t seem to interest him.”
    Ned turned a corner. “That is weird—a cop who isn’t interested in a lead on a case.”
    Nancy opened her purse. “But I did learn something interesting from the call. Remember I told you that the old guy made a telephone call from Mike’s motel room?” She pulled out a slip of paper.
    Ned nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t somebody in the telephone company trace it for you?”
    â€œThat’s right.” She held out the slip of paperso Ned could see it. “When I dialed the Batesville Police Department this morning, I recognized the number. It’s the same one that Felix dialed from Mike’s room.”
    Ned looked surprised. “But that’s crazy!”
    â€œExactly,” Nancy said. “Why would a crook—if that’s what this guy is—call the cops?” She shook her head. “It’s totally weird.”
    Nancy puzzled over the problem all day, as she and Ned sat parked across the street from the Ridgeview Motel, watching Mike’s room. But she couldn’t even guess at an answer, so she abandoned the puzzle and concentrated on the stakeout.
    There wasn’t much in the stakeout to concentrate on, either. If it hadn’t been for Ned’s company, the day would have been so boring that Nancy might have dozed off. Apparently Mike was sleeping late, because he didn’t appear until nearly one o’clock, when a pizza delivery man brought a large white box to the door. After Mike paid him, he left. The door didn’t open again until early evening.
    â€œThere he is,” Ned said excitedly as Mike came down the stairs and walked across the lot to his motorcycle.
    Nancy tensed. “It’s about time,” she said. “I was beginning to think the day was going to be wasted.”
    Mike revved the motorcycle and drove ontoRidgeview Road, heading out of town. Smoothly, Ned started up, and they followed him, careful to stay out of sight.
    A mile down the road, Mike turned in at a shabby trailer park. A neon sign said Vacancy. “Remember what that girl told us back in Silver Hills?” Nancy asked as Ned parked on the street and they got out of the car. “Mike’s buddy Felix lived in a trailer. Maybe he’s taking us to Felix!”
    Nancy and Ned made their way through the main gate, scanning the rows of battered-looking mobile homes parked close together on dusty lots. Near the very back, Nancy pointed to a small travel trailer. Mike’s motorcycle was parked out front.
    â€œThere’s the bike,” she said. “He must be inside that trailer.”
    Swiftly