A Will to Survive Read Online Free Page B

checks.”
    â€œDoes everybody know about these secret cabinets?” asked Joe. “I mean, that they exist.”
    â€œIt is part of the lore of the place, like the servants’ stairs,” Tanya told him. “It’s not a secret, exactly, but an unusual and interesting feature.”
    â€œHmm.” Frank scratched his chin. “Is there a blueprint of the building that would show us where they are?”
    â€œWe have the plans that were drawn up when we converted the mansion,” Tanya replied. “But they indicate only those compartments that our architects knew about. This one, for example, is not shown.”
    â€œStill, we should look at the plan in the morning,” Frank said. He added, “I don’t know that we can do much more now. And we don’t want the others to wonder what we’re doing down here.”
    As Frank and Joe started up the stairs, Joe stopped his brother. “I didn’t want to tell you this with the others around. When I got out of bed, I was careful not to wake Sal. But the moonlight coming in the window was shining on his bed . . . and he wasn’t there.”
    â€œYou think he—” Frank began.
    Joe finished the thought. “Was downstairs hunting for the secret compartment? Could be. We’d better keep a careful eye on him.”
    â€œAnd who better to do that than his roommate?”Frank said, slapping Joe on the shoulder. “Starting right now!”
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    After breakfast only a few hours later, Frank and Joe joined the other interns in the seminar room. The speaker was a marine biologist from the state university. She spoke about the many life-forms that make their home on the strip of beach between the high-tide and low-tide marks. Colorful slides and videos illustrated the talk. By the end Frank knew he would never look at a beach the same way again. It was so much more than just a place to lie on the sand and bag some rays!
    Bruce caught up to Frank and Joe as they left the seminar. “Wendy is leading a junior-high-school group around the indoor exhibits this morning,” he said. “I’d like you two to join the group. You’ll get a good introduction to the center and pick up some pointers on handling this kind of assignment at the same time.”
    â€œSounds good,” Joe said.
    They found Wendy in the entrance hall, talking to a guy of about seventeen with shaggy brown hair and a round face. For some reason he made Frank think of a cocker spaniel. Maybe it was his earnest brown eyes.
    Frank explained to Wendy about the assignment Bruce had given them. “I hope that’s not a drag for you,” he said apologetically.
    â€œNo problem,” Wendy said. “Hey, this is a friend of mine, Dylan Silver. He’s coming on the tour, too.Frank and Joe are new interns. This is their first day.”
    â€œYou’re not in the program?” Joe asked Dylan.
    â€œNo,” Dylan replied. “It seems really interesting, though.” From the look on his face when he glanced at Wendy, Frank thought he could guess what Dylan’s main interest was.
    A group of about fifteen junior-high-school students came in. It was time for the tour. Wendy guided the group through the rooms on the first floor, explaining the maps of bird migration routes and pointing out rare specimens on display. Frank only half-listened. He was busy examining the walls for clues to the location of hidden compartments. He spotted several possibilities that he planned to come back and check out later.
    The students were trying an ecology computer game when Tanya came into the room. She beckoned Frank and Joe over. “Can I see you in my office?” she said.
    They followed her out. Frank was aware of curious glances from Wendy and Dylan. They probably thought the Hardys were in some sort of trouble.
    Tanya closed her office door, then went to her desk. “Listen to