Strangers on a Train (Nancy Drew Diaries #2)(11)

“Okay.” Becca checked her watch, then glanced toward the door. “But listen, Omar will be back any second, and I want to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?” I asked, a little distracted by my own thoughts.

“It’s Tatjana. She’s been acting, well, kind of strange lately.”

Instantly I snapped back to attention. Even though Tatjana had been on the original suspect list, I hadn’t been thinking much about her lately, mostly because my suspicions of her were based on the way she seemed to keep turning up whenever I was discussing the case with Becca. Which really wasn’t all that suspicious, given that Becca was her boss.

“What do mean, acting strange?” I asked.

Becca twirled her straw in her iced tea, her expression troubled. "It’s probably nothing. It’s just that she hasn’t been answering calls or texts right away lately. And a couple of times I haven’t been able to find her where she was supposed to be—it’s like she just disappears now and then. It’s not quite enough to put my finger on, but...”

“Okay. I’ll look into it,” I said. "As a matter of fact, Tatjana is—”

I cut myself off as I heard rushing footsteps. Glancing at the door, I expected to see Omar returning. Instead I saw that Hiro had just burst in, red-faced and breathless.

"Hi,” he said, looking startled to see us there. "That is, um...”

"What are you doing here?” Becca blurted out.

I was surprised to see him too. “I thought you were herding kids at the gold-panning place,” I said with a smile.

"That wrapped up a few minutes ago.” Hiro returned my smile, though it looked a bit forced. "The passengers are on their own for the rest of the afternoon. Even the little kids.”

Becca stood up. "Excuse me,” she said, looking strangely uncomfortable. "I just remembered I’m supposed to take care of something before the passengers get back. I’d better go. Talk to you later, Nancy.”

"Wait,” I said. "I—”

It was too late. She was gone. And Becca had never answered my text about Hiro.

I glanced at Hiro, who was shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking as agitated as one of the hyper little kids he was paid to entertain. Maybe this was another opportunity for some impromptu interrogation.



“Were you looking for Omar or something?” I asked. “He should be right back, if you want to sit down and wait.”



"Oh!” Hiro glanced at me with that same forced smile. "That’s okay. I was just looking for, um, someone else. Thanks, though.”

With that, he darted out the door. I shrugged. Oh well, so much for that. But what was up with Becca? Her behavior reminded me that this wasn’t the first time she’d reacted oddly to seeing Hiro. What was that all about?

My phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. It was George calling.

"Where are you? Never mind, don’t tell me—just get over to the ice cream parlor near the gold-panning place pronto,” she hissed. "Alan’s driving us crazy asking where you are, and we’re running out of excuses. Bess can only distract him for so long by fluttering her eyelashes and laughing at his lame jokes.”

I sighed, all thoughts of snooping around the nearly empty ship fleeing my mind. “Be right there,” I promised.





******





“Do we really have to change for dinner?” George complained as we walked down the carpeted hallway toward our suite a few hours later. "I’m starved. And if we don’t get there soon, Babs will snarf all the rolls.”

"Yes, we do,” Bess told her. "We’ve been walking around all day in summer weather, and we all could use a shower and some fresh clothes.” She wrinkled her nose. "Plus I think you spilled half the gold dust you panned down your shirt.”

"Really?” George plucked at her T-shirt, trying to get a look at it.

I, for one, was looking forward to showering and changing. After I’d rejoined my friends at the ice cream parlor, we’d spent an hour or so wandering around seeing the sights. Then we’d returned to the ship, where Alan had insisted on finding a spot on one of the upper decks so we could watch the ship pull away from Skagway. By now we were all sunburned and hungry.

Bess reached for the door, but it opened before she could touch the knob. Our butler, Max, stood in the doorway, grinning at us. He was short and wiry, with thick blond hair, dancing blue eyes, and seemingly boundless energy. Upon first meeting him, he’d reminded me of a golden retriever in human form, and my impression hadn’t changed since.

"Welcome home!” he exclaimed. “How was Skagway?”

“Great,” Alan said. He started telling the butler all about our day as we entered the suite.



I didn’t hear much of what he said as I headed for my bedroom. My stomach grumbled as I yanked open a dresser drawer. I was so busy puzzling over everything that had happened that day that it took a moment for me to register that the drawer was empty.



“Huh?” I mumbled, blinking at the sight. Hadn’t I folded and put away some shirts in there just that morning?

I opened another drawer above the first one, wondering if I’d stuck the shirts in with my underwear by mistake. Stranger things had been known to happen when I was distracted by a case.