Don’t Look Twice Read Online Free Page A

grab the walls, but all she grabbed was metal grating. A moment later she realized that she was in some kind of elevator. She could feel at least two other people in the elevator with her.
    The elevator jerked to a stop, and an arm brushed against hers as one of her captors moved to the front to pull back the elevator door. Someone guided her out, and she smelled an overpowering chemical smell that was familiar. But from where?
    Nancy was pushed down into an overstuffed chair. It was musty smelling, and the springs were broken. Nancy felt herself sink into its depths.
    She heard a door open and close at the far end of the room—and then footsteps. They were slow, deliberate steps, and each one made her heart pound faster.
    The footsteps stopped inches from her chair. The hairs on Nancy’s neck rose as she felt the silent gaze of whoever had just entered the room.
    â€œYou idiots.” She suddenly heard the voice of the newcomer. “You’ve got the wrong girl! Get rid of her.”
    Before Nancy even had time to react, a handkerchief soaked in chloroform was clapped over her mouth and nose. Then everything went black.
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    The first thing Nancy heard when she woke up was the sound of water, of waves pounding against a shore. Her head ached, she couldn’t move her arms, and her face was freezing!
    Where am I? she wondered groggily. What’s going on? Why am I so cold?
    Gradually it came back to her—the kidnapping . . . the nightmarish car ride, blindfolded and gagged . . . the strange voice saying she was the wrong girl . . . and finally, the sweet, nauseating scent of chloroform.
    Lifting her head slightly, Nancy saw that she had been wrapped tightly in blankets. That was why she couldn’t move her arms!
    â€œAt least they didn’t leave me to freeze todeath,” she said out loud. It was comforting to hear her own voice.
    Her eyes began to adjust to her surroundings. She was lying on sand, but she could hear the sounds of traffic coming from close by. She could make out streetlights and a sidewalk path not far from where she was lying. Where was she?
    She struggled to unwind herself from the blankets. She had to roll back and forth to loosen them and found herself giggling in a light-headed way. She must look like a mummy trying to get out of its bandages.
    Finally she wriggled free and immediately looked at her watch. It took a few moments to be able to read the dial in the dim glow of the distant streetlights.
    It was nine-thirty. She had been gone from the restaurant for only forty-five minutes!
    Nancy stood up shakily. Considering how little time had passed, she couldn’t be too far away from Puccini’s. She decided she was still on Chicago’s North Side. She knew she was on the shore of Lake Michigan, so the street to her right must be Lake Shore Drive.
    She walked a short way down the beach to a cement stairway that led to the street. She glanced at the street sign. She had been right—the big, busy street was Lake Shore Drive. Now that she had her bearings, she headed for the next block over. It was brightly lit and had a lot of restaurants on it.
    Standing at the crosswalk to cross over the drive, Nancy watched several cars go by, their headlights sweeping over her as they passed. One woman stared at her from the car window, looking horrified. Nancy glanced down at herself. She was covered with sand, and judging from the tangles she could feel, her hair was a mess. Detective work wasn’t pretty, she often told people. Well, now she was living proof.
    At least she was alive. What about the girl the kidnappers had meant to grab? Would she be as lucky? Nancy wasn’t sure. She was sure of one thing, though.
    She had to do everything in her power to find out who the kidnappers were—and stop them from striking again.

Chapter

Four
    C AN I HELP YOU, MISS ?” asked a nervous hostess. Nancy had walked