Free A Secret in Time by Carolyn Keene Page B

she hadn’t mentioned to her father and Hannah, and Nancy fell suddenly silent.
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Hannah asked with alarm.
    â€œEr, nothing,” Nancy said, pushing her plate away. “I’m going up to my room to wait.”
    Hannah looked at Nancy’s plate. “You haven’t touched your chicken.”
    â€œI’ll tell you what,” Nancy said. “I’ll take my plate up to my room and nibble tonight while I’m waiting.”
    Hannah sighed. “If you get hungry later, there’s a fresh-baked chocolate cake in the refrigerator. I made it from scratch.”
    â€œMmmm, my favorite.” Nancy rose from her chair and picked up her plate with one hand. With theother, she gave Hannah a squeeze. “You’re the greatest, Hannah,” she said. Then she blew her father a kiss. “And you’re not so bad, either.”
    Plate in hand, Nancy took the stairs to her room two steps at a time. She put the plate on her desk and glanced at the old clock on her dresser. The clock, now running smoothly, showed that the time was seven-fifteen. The wait would probably be several hours at least. Nancy flipped open her pad and studied her notes. She hoped her mind would make some connection it hadn’t before, but there were still so many missing pieces.
    Sometime later Nancy raised her head from the desk and rubbed her eyes. She must have dozed off. After all she’d been through that day, it wasn’t surprising. Nancy looked at the mantel clock and saw that it was ten. She should get ready for bed or at least make it look as if she were asleep.
    Without changing out of her jeans and T-shirt, Nancy got into bed, pulled the sheet over her, and turned out the light. The thief wasn’t going to break in if he or she thought someone in the house was still awake.
    Nancy awoke again, suddenly, thinking she’d heard a loud noise. She wasn’t sure whether she’d actually heard the sound or just dreamed it. Sitting up slowly in her bed, she listened carefully. The only sound was the crickets chirping outside her window.
    Then she heard it again. A bumping sound, as if someone had tripped over a piece of furniture down-stairs.The thief had broken in! Not daring to turn on her light, Nancy fumbled in the dark for her phone.
    She had just managed to grab the phone cord when she heard the sound of footsteps creaking on the stairs. Where were the police? Nancy thought frantically. Hadn’t they noticed the break-in? The footsteps grew louder and nearer. Nancy could hear her heart pounding in her chest. The thief was heading right for her room!

9
Midnight Getaway
    Hoping it wasn’t too late, Nancy pulled the pushbutton phone toward her. She lifted the receiver as quietly as she could, grateful that she’d chosen a model with glow-in-the-dark numbers. Hurriedly she pressed 911 and waited, her heart still pounding.
    â€œEmergency assistance, may I help you?” said a loud male voice.
    Nancy heard another creak on the staircase. The thief was getting closer.
    â€œHello,” she whispered. “This is Nancy Drew in River Heights. Someone has broken into my house.”
    â€œEmergency assistance,” the voice repeated. “Is anyone there?”
    He couldn’t hear her, but Nancy was afraid to speak any louder.
    Officer Brody wasn’t, however. At that moment, his voice came blaring over a loudspeaker outside. “We know you’re in there,” he called. “The house is surrounded. Come out with your hands up.”
    Nancy heard the footsteps retreat quickly down the stairs, followed by another thud as the intruder hit a piece of furniture. There was silence. Nancy replaced the receiver in its cradle and waited. Since she didn’t know whether the thief was still inside the house, she didn’t dare leave her room. He or she might have a weapon.
    After several minutes, Nancy couldn’t bear to keep