A Race Against Time (13 page)

“Aaaaaschwhewww!”
The loudest, longest sneeze I’d ever heard punctuated the stillness. When I looked around, the light flicked on in the boat’s cabin. Through the window I could see Rainey stretch and stand up. Then he walked toward the steps leading up on deck.

For a minute I couldn’t move. It was like one of those dreams in which you
want
to run, but you can’t. I looked around for a hiding place.

I saw a shed halfway up the hill and raced for it.
The slapping of my full pack against my back spurred me on. I darted into the shabby wooden shed and closed the door.

Through a crack between the boards I watched Rainey pad around the deck of the boat. He had brought some kind of food with him—I was too far away to tell what it was exactly. He sat on a box and began eating.

Just watching him eat made me hungry again. For a second I dreamed about Hannah’s banana bread. Then I forced myself to focus on the present.

I knew I didn’t dare leave, or he’d see me. I stood there watching, waiting, my senses picking up on my immediate environment. The inside of the shed smelled really weird. It was a musty smell, sort of earthy, combined with another scent. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

I could hear Rainey’s footsteps on the boat deck. He seemed restless, not content to just sit on the box. As I watched, he’d get up and pace around every few minutes.

Then I heard another sound—something shuffling around behind me. My whole body jumped. I wasn’t alone in the shed.

No light penetrated the little structure at all. The moon was low in the west, and the sun hadn’t begun to rise yet.

At first I was afraid to turn on my penlight—afraid Rainey would see the light moving inside the shed. But after a few more shuffling, slithering sounds, I didn’t have any choice. I had to have light.

I swung my backpack around to get at the front pocket, and this brought on a flurry of noises. It was as if someone was sweeping a large broom across the floor. I unzipped the pocket. More sounds.

I turned my back to the door to try to shield what I was about to do from Rainey. Then I flashed my light onto the floor at my feet. I moved the arc of the light beam out around the floor.

I was sharing the shed with dozens of snakes! All sizes and several varieties coiled and crept away from the light. Yuck! I could feel the packets of cash in my backpack as I pressed backward into the door, trying to get as far away from the slithering creatures as possible.

My mind flashed on what Jasper had told me about wanting to start a snake business, and what Susie had overheard him say about catching snakes.

The snakes I saw in the light were the garden variety of nonpoisonous snakes. But they were still not something I’d choose to share a shed with at night—or even in the daytime, for that matter. Which was worse, I wondered: being trapped in the shed with snakes, or letting Rainey know I was there?

I sent Rainey a strong telepathic message to leave. Jump in the speedboat, I pleaded silently. Go! Head for the city. Head for Brazil. Anywhere. Just get out of here!

I craned my head around, nervous about turning my back on the slithering assembly. Either Rainey had picked up on my plea, or his restlessness had come to a head. He went down into the cabin and came back out, carrying the panniers. He obviously didn’t know his saddlebags were full of newspapers.

“Come on, come on,” I whispered. I was reaching the height of restlessness myself. I
had
to get out of that shed!

I swept the light across the floor again, startling my roommates back into their coils. Then I turned to watch Rainey, my fingers firmly gripping the door handle.

Rainey turned off the light in the cabin of the fishing boat, threw the panniers into the speedboat, and jumped in after them.

The sound of the speedboat motor zooming into work mode didn’t mask the new sound I heard behind me. It wasn’t the garden variety snake kind of sound this time. This noise I’d heard only at zoos, and once when I was on a case in the California desert. Dry, hollow rattles echoed from the far corner of the shed.

As the speedboat zoomed away, I yanked open the door, dove outside, and slammed the door behind me. Then I raced down to the pier, and tumbled onto the old fishing boat. The key was dangling in the ignition. Yes! I turned on the engine and steered the boat away from the pier. The faint, rosy yellow glow of dawn was just beginning to seep over the trees on my right.

It seemed to take a lot longer to get back up river to the pier where the fishing boat had first been docked. This was mainly because I wasn’t sure exactly where it was, and because it was so small and secluded that I ran into several dead ends before I finally found it.

I moored the boat and went back up the hill to my bike, which was still safely hidden under the brambles. I took off my backpack and fell onto the ground. Lying back on the dewy grass felt
wonderful
! It had been a long time since I’d been able to lie down. I stretched and ate some fruit that I found in my panniers. I had only a few snacks left, and I knew I’d need some later.

I had a bottle and a half of water left, so I allowed myself one-quarter of a bottle. It was positively the
best
water I’d ever tasted in my life.

With a new wave of energy I went back to work. I took the money out of my backpack and stuffed it
into my panniers, followed by my folded empty backpack.

While I worked, I noticed the
DEAD END
sign I’d seen so many hours earlier when I’d first arrived at this hill. I startled myself with a loud giggle. Being trapped in a dark shed full of snakes is bad enough. But when the silence is broken by rattling noises, the words
dead end
take on a whole new meaning.

I stood, stretched again, and checked my watch. It was a little after eight. I figured I was about three hours from town, so it would take at least that long to return. Realistically I knew it might take longer because the energy I felt was mostly mental and emotional. Physically I was exhausted. I was determined, though, to get the money back to River Heights.

I knew it wouldn’t do any good to call my team from where I was; I was still in the wilderness area, too far from town for cell reception. So I strapped on my helmet, hopped on my bike, and started for home. My goal was clear: to get the money back in the bank. Preferably before the race was over.

The sun was warm on my bike. I kept myself going by keeping my mind busy. I visualized my team, and could feel their support and encouragement even though they didn’t know where I was. I
thought about Mrs. Mahoney, Mr. Holman, and all the other supporters and people who’d pledged money for the race. I thought about my dad and Hannah, and how proud they’d be that I’d solved the case. And most of all, I thought about the people who would benefit from the Open Your Heart Fund.

Periodically I dipped into my snacks, and I stopped at a couple of streams to rehydrate and splash water on my face.

At last I reached the road that was the final leg of the racecourse. I knew there was no stopping now. As I approached the edge of town I rewarded myself with the last of my water and my final energy bar.

I felt a rush of adrenaline when I pulled onto Main Street. Ahead I could see the bleachers full of fans. My dad and Hannah were in the front row, right on the finish line. Just seeing that Dad had made it back in time gave me a new burst of energy, and the whole weekend flashed through my mind in quick images. I barreled on, pumped by one final, thunderous cheer.

I grinned and raised my arms for the crowd.

“Nancy! Nancy!” Familiar voices chanted my name as I coasted along. Mrs. Mahoney and Mr. Holman—apparently released from jail—rushed up the street to greet me.

How did they know I had the money? I wondered. Why was everyone so thrilled? I haven’t even told them about it yet. But then I noticed the ribbon trailing back from my shoulders—finish-line tape!

Drew! No
way!”
I
heard Deirdre’s voice shouting behind me. She whammed her bike right into mine, and we both spilled to the pavement.

She jumped to her feet and headed toward me. Her usually pale face was beet red with rage.

“Nancy Drew!” Mr. Holman walked up, beating Deirdre to the punch—literally. He helped me to my feet.

“There’s no way you won this race, Drew,” Deirdre shouted, as she pushed her way through the cheering throng beginning to crowd around me. “I’ve been so far ahead of you I haven’t even seen you! You
couldn’t
have caught up with
and
passed me without my knowing it. You had to have taken a shortcut. You totally cheated.”

“Not exactly,” I said, righting my bike and removing the panniers. “I veered off course all right, but it was hardly a
short
cut.”

“I think you’d better explain yourself, Nancy,” Mr. Holman said. “I’m afraid Miss Shannon is right. The GPS recorders for your team stopped a couple of hours ago.”

“Nancy Drew would never cheat,” Mrs. Mahoney said, joining us. “I’m sure she has a perfect explanation for everything. Don’t you, Nancy?”

“Actually I do,” I said. “Mrs. Mahoney, Mr. Holman, could I please talk with you in private? And would you ask Chief McGinnis to join us?”

“Certainly, Nancy,” Mrs. Mahoney answered. “Let’s go in the bank, shall we?”

“Nancy!” Bess yelled. “Where have you been?” Bess asked, rushing up. George and Ned followed close behind her.

“I’m okay, but what about you three?” I asked. “Mr. Holman says we were wiped off the GPS screen.”

“Why don’t you ask Deirdre?” George said. “I’m sure she can clear it up—right, DeeDee?”

“The only thing to get clear is that I won this race, Georgia,” Deirdre snarled. She had been joined by one of the Jensens—they looked so much alike, I couldn’t tell which one.

Ned pulled me away from Deirdre. “We had all
sorts of problems,” he told me. “Bess wrecked your bike on a treacherous part of the course that was mysteriously covered with slippery gravel. My bike lost half its cogset, and George’s had some weird steering problem that even Bess couldn’t repair. We’re sure Deirdre’s team was behind all of it—but of course, we have no proof. I mean, other than the fact that they were the only other team camped near us. We just drove in to file a report with the judges.”

“I’m going to try something,” I told him. I reached into one of the panniers without opening it all the way. Then I pulled out the brass Gemini medallion and wandered casually back to where Bess, George, Deirdre, and Whoever Jensen stood.

“Now what?” Deirdre said. “If you think you’re going to talk the race judges into taking away our rightful win, you’re way wrong,” she told me.

“Actually, I had a question for your teammate here.” I showed the brass medallion to the twin. “Is this yours by any chance? You mentioned you were a Gemini, and—”

His hand shot toward my palm as he interrupted me. “Where did you find that?” he asked. “I’ve been looking all over for it.” Okay, obviously he recognized the medallion.

“Curiously enough, I found it under Ned’s car seat,” I said, smiling at him.

“Then there’s no way it could be yours, Thad,” Deirdre cut in, glaring at her teammate. “Isn’t that right?”

Thad looked a little surprised, but he pulled his hand back quickly and mumbled a low “Yes, I guess you’re right.”

“I don’t know what you’re up to,” Deirdre said to me, her green eyes narrowed to squinty slits. “But it’s not going to work. Come on, Thad.”

She turned and the two of them marched off in a lockstep of black and blue.

“What about the money?” Bess asked. “Did you find it?”

“It’s cool,” I said with a grin, patting the panniers.

“You got it?” Ned shouted. “Unbelievable!”

“Shhhh,” I warned my friends. “Most people don’t even know that it was gone—let alone that it’s back.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Deirdre and Thad. She had pulled him over to the bench near the birdbath in the park across from the bank. It was the same bench where I had talked to Luther the day before. Deirdre looked like she was in her take-no-prisoners mode and giving Thad a real earful. In the background I could hear an announcer saying that if everyone would just be patient, the winning team would be introduced momentarily.

I handed Ned the panniers. “You three go on into
the bank,” I told my team. “Tell Mrs. Mahoney and the others that I’ll be right there.”

Ned, Bess, and George followed Chief McGinnis, Mr. Holman, and Mrs. Mahoney into the bank. I walked around the crowd and ducked behind a large shrub in the small park. I was just a few yards from where Deirdre sat with her back to me. I could barely see her through the shrubbery, but I could hear every word.

“I can’t believe you’d do something so stupid,” she said. “Nancy was trying to set you up, and you almost fell for it!”