Choosing Sides Read Online Free

on their way to the Today’s Times office in Nancy’s blue Mustang. Bess was staring at a copy of the article that Nancy had taken from Caroline’s campaign headquarters. “I mean, I know it’s a fake, but how did the person who made it get it to look so convincing?”
    â€œBobby Rouse must have posed for a picture where he was accepting money from another woman,” Nancy said. “Then someone took an old photo of Caroline and cut out just her head, pasting it over the other woman’s body in the photo. That way, it would look as if Caroline were the person handing the money to Rouse.”
    â€œBut wouldn’t that look obviously fake?” Bess asked, giving Nancy a dubious glance.
    Nancy nodded as she turned her Mustang left onto the main drag of downtown River Heights. “Yes. But if someone took a new photograph of the pieced-together picture, they could easily touch up the negative to make it look natural. That way the person could make another, almost perfect-looking print with the new negative.”
    â€œWow.” Bess shook her head in amazement. “It sounds as if someone went to a lot of trouble to frame Caroline.”
    â€œThat’s for sure. I just hope we can find out who.”
    â€œBut how can you be sure Rouse actually posed for the photo?” Bess asked. “I mean, he has a record. Isn’t it possible someone got hold of an old photograph of him accepting a bribe, then put Caroline’s head on the woman’s body? Maybe Rouse himself had nothing to do with this picture.”
    â€œI thought about that, too,” Nancy said. “But it looks set up. It’s been taken right out in the open, and the woman has her arm stretched out so that no one could miss the fact that she’s giving him a wad of bills. I’m positive the photo was staged.”
    Nancy pulled into the Today’s Times parking lot and found a spot. Then she and Bess headed into the brick building and took the elevator up to the newsroom. Reporters sat at their desks, clicking away on their computers and talking on phones. Brenda was at her desk near the far end of the room.
    â€œCheck it out, Nan,” Bess said in a low voice. “It looks as if Brenda has adopted the Serious Journalist look.”
    Brenda’s long, dark hair was pulled back in a neat bun, Nancy saw. She wore a tailored wool suit with a crisp white blouse instead of her usual, more feminine clothes. Brenda was talking on the phone, but when she saw Nancy and Bess, she motioned for them to sit down in the two chairs by her desk.
    â€œThis scoop is already opening doors for me,” Brenda said into the phone. “You won’t believe who I’m interviewing on Friday: Mayor Filanowski! I’m the only one who’s managed to get an interview with him. He was genuinely impressed by my story.” Brenda paused. “Well, he did set conditions. He still won’t discuss the election or the candidates, but I’m sure I can get him to.”
    â€œThat’s Brenda,” Bess whispered in Nancy’s ear. “Humble as always.”
    Brenda hung up the phone and gave her visitors a smug smile. “I’m glad you stopped by,” she said. “Being congratulated by Nancy Drew, ace detective, means a lot to me.”
    â€œActually, Brenda,” Nancy said, ignoring the reporter’s arch tone, “Bess and I are here to ask you to print a retraction to your story. I’m sure you didn’t—”
    â€œA what!” Brenda shrieked.
    Glancing at Brenda’s desk, Nancy saw a copy of the article about Caroline Hill. “That photo is a fake,” she said, pointing to it. “Caroline Hill has worn a medical ID bracelet constantly for years, but the woman in this photo doesn’t have one. That woman isn’t Caroline Hill at all—the photo’s just been doctored to make it look as if she is.”
    â€œYou’re making