Free Club Dread by Carolyn Keene Page A

your friends don’t have other plans this afternoon, there’s going to be a barbecue on the beach today. I could give them both surfing lessons.”
    â€œSure,” Bess and George yelled out. Thatcher gave me a thumbs-up as the elevator doors closed. Looks like we all had big plans for this evening!
    Finally, lunchtime rolled around. We were headed out the door when Bess called my name.
    â€œYou forgot something, Nancy.” In her left hand, Bess was holding my sandals. I looked down at my bare feet and blushed. It was a sure sign I was on a case when Iwas too distracted to remember to put on my shoes. I was thankful for my friends at moments like these.
    At the Courtyard Café, Frank and Joe were wearing normal clothes, not their uniforms. Today was their day off, and they were free to try and find some answers. Quickly, they told us all about what had happened to them last night.
    â€œWow, I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” said Bess, reaching out to put her hand on Frank’s shoulder. Frank blushed beet red and seemed to swallow his own tongue. He coughed and took a big drink of water.
    â€œLuckily, I came along just in time to save him,” said Joe, but Bess was too busy patting Frank on the back to notice Joe. Once Frank stopped choking, I told them everything I’d learned the night before at the spa.
    â€œSo I think Petrovitch is in on it—maybe he’s even Nikitin’s partner,” I summed up.
    George showed them the article she had found about Jasmina’s attack. It felt like we had all the pieces of the puzzle in front of us, but for whatever reason, it still wasn’t coming together.
    â€œWe need something to link Petrovitch and Nikitin,” said Frank. “But until we figure it out, Nancy, you might need to lie low for a while.”
    George laughed and mumbled something under her breath that sounded like “fat chance.” She knew me too well.
    â€œYeah,” Joe added. “This is getting a dangerous. If you had been the one out on your balcony—”
    â€œExactly,” I cut Joe off. “ Our balcony. Whoever set that trap already knows we’re involved. If we back off, that just means fewer people trying to solve this case. Besides, I think I know just the person we need to talk to—and I have plans with him tonight.”
    I told Frank and Joe about Mr. Thorton’s invitation. They didn’t much like it, but they didn’t have a choice. As lowly busboys, there was no way they would ever get to talk to him. And if anyone knew more about the robberies or the employees at the Wetlands than Mr. Thorton, I would be amazed. I’d try to find out as much as I could about both Andrew Nikitin and Petrovitch.
    â€œAll right,” Frank said. “But leave Petrovitch to us.”
    â€œBe careful,” I told them. Petrovitch was bigger than both of the Hardys combined. He could have bench-pressed them!
    â€œDon’t worry.” Joe grinned. “I can take care of Frank.”
    Well, I thought, Frank and Joe can take care of themselves. Most of the time.
    Bess, George, and I decided to head out to the beach for the rest of the afternoon. There didn’t seem to be anything more we could do around the hotel. I had the feeling that, by the end of the day, we’d have some answers, one way or another.
    I was standing to go when Matthias came running up out of nowhere. His hair was messy and he looked upset. His face was red and he was breathing hard. His uniform was soaked with sweat.
    â€œWhere have you been?” he barked at Joe and Frank. Then he noticed George was sitting with us and tried to smile.
    â€œI’m sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I’ve just been looking for Joe and Frank all morning.”
    â€œWe had the day off, so we decided to sleep late,” Frank said.
    â€œFor once,” Joe mumbled after.
    â€œWell, even on your day off you’re supposed to