Free A Secret in Time by Carolyn Keene Page A

street.” She nodded toward the dark blue sedan. “Speaking of which, I’m going to check and see how they’re doing. Thanks for the ride.”
    â€œGood luck tonight, Nancy,” Bess called as Nancy got out of the car.
    Nancy waved as George’s car took off. Checking first to see that no one was watching, she crossed the street and approached the unmarked police car.
    Sergeant Rudinsky, bleary-eyed and wearing Bermudashorts and a tank top, sat behind the wheel. Next to her, Officer Brody sat sipping coffee out of a paper cup.
    The sergeant’s head jerked up when she saw Nancy. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, relieved.
    â€œI was just wondering if you’d seen anything,” Nancy said.
    Sergeant Rudinsky grabbed her notebook off the front seat and read from it quickly. “At four forty-seven P.M., a Caucasian female, late sixties, gray hair, no visible scars or birthmarks, pulled up in a late-model station wagon with bags of groceries. Since the female had keys to the house, we assumed she was a resident.”
    Nancy laughed. “That was Hannah, our housekeeper.”
    Suddenly Officer Brody threw himself across the front seat and waved Nancy away from the car. “Someone’s coming!” he cried.
    Startled, Nancy turned as a second car pulled into her driveway and a man in his forties got out. “That’s my dad,” she said, laughing. “I assure you he’s authorized to enter the house. So when is your shift over?”
    â€œMidnight,” answered Sergeant Rudinsky. “Then Walker and Daniel take over. They’re a good team.”
    â€œI know,” Nancy said, remembering the efficient officers who’d helped her on the bridge earlier that afternoon.
    Officer Brody looked at Nancy with curiosity. “You sure seem to know a lot about the police department.”
    Nancy tried to explain. “I’ve lived in River Heights a long time,” she told Officer Brody. “Detective work is a hobby of mine.” Then she turned to leave. “Thanks for your help,” she added, and went into her house.
    As Nancy set the table for dinner she explained to her father and Hannah why the police officers were guarding the house.
    â€œHere we go again,” Hannah said as she tossed the pasta salad. “Nancy, after all your cases, I still don’t know whether you go looking for trouble or it finds you. You’re telling me we’re supposed to sit in the house and wait for someone to break in?”
    Carson Drew sat down at one end of the dining room table and helped himself to a piece of chicken. “I don’t feel too comfortable about this, either,” he said to his daughter.
    Nancy put down a basket of rolls. “The police are right outside,” she said. “They’ll probably spot the intruder before we do. But just in case, we can call 911, and the station will radio the officers. We’ll be protected either way.”
    â€œWhy don’t I feel reassured?” Hannah asked, shaking her head.
    Nancy looked back and forth from Hannah to her father. They were both worried about the case already, so Nancy decided not to tell them about theaccident on the River Heights Bridge. Besides, everything had turned out all right.
    â€œIt’s a good thing the brooch is in the safe,” said Carson, “in case the thief does manage to steal the clock.”
    Hannah frowned. “I’d just as soon have the clock out of the house,” she said. “It started you off in this detective business, and ever since, you’ve been in one dangerous situation after another.”
    â€œWe always end up okay,” Nancy said, giving the housekeeper a warm smile.
    â€œSo far, but who knows if your luck will run out?”
    Without thinking, Nancy said, “That’s funny. Bess said the same thing today.” Then she remembered Bess had been talking about the bridge incident, the one