Free Out of Bounds by Carolyn Keene Page A

assumed she had the answer to her question. She slid down in her seat as he glanced around.
    Now Nancy faced a dilemma. She could wait to see if anyone she knew showed up possibly to claim the money, or she could follow Pete to see where he was going now. She had no idea which mailbox Pete might have used, so Nancy decided she had to follow Pete.
    She glanced at her watch before starting her car. It was twelve-thirty.
    â€œStealing from your own restaurant?” Nancy whispered. “Is that where you got the money?”
    From a safe distance Nancy followed as Pete drove to a modest neighborhood on the west side of town. He pulled up in front of a small white house that needed a paint job. In front of the house was a mailbox with the name Shepard in large gold letters. Pete checked the mailbox and, finding it empty, went inside.
    Nancy was frustrated that all she’d found out was where Pete lived. Hardly big news.
    Glancing into her rearview mirror before pulling away from the curb, Nancy froze. A battered Chevy puttered down the street and parked several cars in front of her. Sliding down in the seat, Nancy peeked out as a tall, birdlike figure slid out of the car and strode up Pete’s front walk.
    Nancy squinted against the glare, then blinked to make sure she was seeing correctly.
    Edgar Chessman!
    Opening Pete’s storm door, Edgar dropped anenvelope between it and the main door, then loped back to his car and drove off. The whole sequence had taken maybe twenty seconds.
    Nancy knew she shouldn’t, but she walked briskly up the walk and slipped the envelope out from between the doors, praying that Pete wouldn’t catch her.
    The envelope was sealed shut and had no address or any other writing on it. Shoving the envelope into her jacket pocket, Nancy ran back to her car to head back to River Heights.
    At home she could steam the envelope open. That way if it needed to be sealed again, no one would be the wiser.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    Nancy raced into the kitchen, where she filled the blue enamel kettle with water and turned the fire on under it. Then she went to the phone and dialed Bess’s number.
    â€œBess?” she said when her friend picked up. “Can you and George come over right away?” she asked. “I think I may have found something that’s going to help us break this case.”
    â€œYou’re kidding!” Bess said excitedly. “I’ll get George, and we’ll be there in five minutes.”
    The water was bubbling inside the kettle. Soon white steam was pouring out of the spout. With Hannah’s kitchen tongs, Nancy held the envelope over the stream of hot vapor until the glue came undone.
    Inside was a single sheet of plain white paper, folded once. The message on it was composed of glossy letters cut from magazine ads.
    â€œYou’re still short five thousand,” the message said. “Have it at the post office by Friday noon, or kiss your dreams goodbye!”

Chapter

Eleven
    E DGAR C HESSMAN ?” George said after Nancy filled her in on what had happened. “A blackmailer?”
    â€œI know. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? But I saw him.” With a shake of her head, Nancy laid the blackmail note down on the kitchen table.
    â€œâ€Šâ€˜Kiss your dreams goodbye,’ ” Bess read, focused on the letter still. “What dreams?”
    â€œI wish I knew,” said Nancy, sitting down at the table and leaning back in her chair.
    â€œWhat’s next, Nan?” asked George, pulling up a chair for herself and sitting down next to her friends. “Are you going to put this back in Pete’s doorway?”
    â€œNot right away,” Nancy answered, lightly fingering the letter. “I have a feeling I can learn more by not delivering it. I want to see what Edgar does when Pete doesn’t come up with the money.”
    â€œBut wouldn’t it be the perfect trap to return the