Nancy Drew (Lit).
Great, we’Re almost there, Nancy Drew announced, swinging her bright blue Mustang down the interstate’s exit ramp.
In the backseat, Bess Marvin giggled in excitement. All right! Emerson College, look out! Here we come!
You mean, look out, Emerson boys, George Fayne teased, twisting around in the front passenger seat. Admit it, Bess...you came along on this trip mostly to meet a lot of cute undergraduate guys, right?
Wrong! Bess gave her shiny, straw-blond hair an indignant toss. How come you always assume I’ve got boys on the brain? The truth is, I came along to help Nancy with her case.
Yeah, right, George drawled.
I mean it! If I happen to meet some gorgeous hunk...well, that’s just a bonus.
A big bonus. Nancy grinned, glancing at her friend in the rearview mirror. Like George, she knew that unless Bess was seriously in love, meeting guys would always be the curvy, blue-eyed girl’s number-one priority.
Whatever Bess’s motives, though, Nancy was glad she was along. Both Bess and George were a big help whenever she was working on a case.
Smoothly Nancy brought the car to a stop at the end of the ramp, then turned toward the center of Emersonville. From her previous trips there, she knew they would have to drive through the town to get to the college.
Behind her, Bess was mildly ticked off over the ribbing she was getting. You know, I’m not the only one with an ulterior motive for going on this trip, she grumbled.
Are you referring to me? George asked, playfully batting her lashes.
You know it. I mean, what have you been talking about ever since we left River Heights? Nancy’s case? No way! All you’re concerned about is seeing a couple of big-deal basketball games.
Well, can you blame me? George said, suddenly growing defensive. Emerson’s the hottest team in the nation right now. If they win their last three games they’ll grab their division title and go to the Ncaa playoffs!
Nancy smiled. Normally, George had a great sense of humor, but when it came to sports Bess’s slender, dark-haired cousin was deadly serious.
Besides, George added, grinning wickedly at Bess, that’s different. Basketball is what this case is all about.
Maybe, Nancy stressed. Coach Burnett wasn’t too specific about what he wants me to investigate, remember?
The night before Nancy had received a frantic call from Pat Burnett, the head coach of Emerson’s top-ranked basketball team. Because he had been in a hurry, he hadn’t been able to explain much. All he had said was that a highly unusual and extremely serious threat was facing his team. He needed her help badly, he had said.
Unable to resist his plea — or the promise of a new mystery to solve — Nancy had promised to round up her friends and drive down the very next day. It didn’t matter to her that the details of the case were unclear. She’d learn them once she got to the college, she knew.
The three friends rode in silence for a few minutes. Outside the car, houses with snow-dusted lawns gradually gave way to Emersonville’s business district, which was bustling in spite of the below-freezing temperature.
As she drove, Nancy’s thoughts turned to her ulterior motive for taking this case — Ned Nickerson. Her boyfriend was an Emerson student and co-captain of the basketball team. It was going to be great to spend time with him, especially after the separations they had recently endured due to his schoolwork and her sleuthing.
A troubling question hung in her mind, however: Was Ned as excited about seeing her as she was about seeing him? Ordinarily, she would have been positive that he would be, but at the moment she wasn’t so sure. Lately there had been some unsettling signs — letters that were less personal than before, phone calls that were shorter than their familiar talkathons. They were starting to drift apart, she felt, and that had her worried.
Beside her, George was stifling a laugh. What’s so funny? Nancy asked.
Oh, nothing much. You just drove by the main entrance to the college, that’s all.
What! Nancy stomped on the brake pedal and swung the Mustang onto the shoulder. Glancing out the rear window, she saw that George was right: The entrance was at least a hundred yards behind them. She felt her cheeks grow warm. Sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.
Don’t worry about it, Bess said. Even detectives make mistakes.
Especially when they’ve got their minds on other things, George added. Like certain Emerson boys.
You mean the ones whose names are spelled N...e...d?
Now Nancy was really embarrassed. There was ho point in denying that she had been thinking about Ned, though, she knew. Bess and George would see through her in a second.
For a moment she wondered whether to confess her fears to her friends, but quickly she decided against it. They were sure to tell her that she was worrying about nothing. And who could tell? Maybe she was. Anyway, there was only one way to find out. After checking the road in both directions, she gunned the car into a U-turn.
Okay, I confess. Now quit the kidding, you guys, and help me find the sports center.
As it turned out, she didn’t need any assistance. She remembered the way easily. The enormous building was on the far side of the campus beyond a cluster of science labs and next to the football field. Nancy spotted a parking space near the front entrance and turned into it.
All right! George said, zipping up her down-filled ski parka as she leapt out of the car. This is what I like to see!
Yeah, a whole building devoted to self-torture, Bess finished. She pulled on a pair of pink wool mittens. I don’t understand it, George — don’t you ever get tired of working out?
Nope!
Come on, let’s get inside. It’s freezing out here, Nancy urged, locking her door. She was wearing jeans, boots, and a fleece-lined leather flight jacket, but even so the icy winter wind was making her shiver.
Inside, a security guard instructed them to sign the guest register, and a moment later they made their way into the main gymnasium. The basketball team was finishing their practice with a scrimmage. Sneakers squeaked on the polished wood floor as the players ran up and down the court.
It took Nancy a moment to spot her boyfriend...