Nancy Drew: 2 . The Hidden Staircase

Another Attempt

Nancy smiled. "That's what having a group of people helping me is all about. We could split up in teams and have each team handle a clue. With all of us working on it, we'll narrow things down and surround the culprits."

"Oh yeah, I like the sound of that," said Izzy with a huge grin.

Ida squealed and clapped her hands. "This is going to be so much more fun than catching the guy back at the museum!"

Helen turned in her seat slowly and glanced at the twins in shock before turning to Nancy. "Well, you've found the perfect pair of sidekicks."

Nancy chuckled. "I have the best group of friends in the whole world!" She paused for a moment. "Well, except for the Hardys. They have a great group of friends too."

Izzy laughed. "Then we had better meet up one of these days and become the best group in the entire world for sure!"

Helen let out a low whistle. "That's going to be a lot of people. There's, what, ten, fifteen people that they know?"

Nancy shrugged. "And they might be meeting more." She smiled at the twins in the rearview mirror. "Like I am."

Helen scoffed. "We might need a stadium by the time you three are done meeting people."

Nancy laughed. "That might be true. But we'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, we have to plan our next move, and I think we'd better start planning in the car, who knows if our ghost is present for some of these meetings."

Helen shivered. "No kidding. And now I'm agreeing with you Nancy, we really should have had that opportunity to capture him. It would have made things so much easier for Grandma and Aunt Flora!"

Nancy nodded. "Right, but it's long gone now, and as Izzy pointed out, it's no use getting upset over what could have been. We just have to keep looking for clues and hopefully end this all quickly."

The others nodded. "Right!"

Nancy grinned at each one. "Great! Now all we have to do is call in Jenny and the guys, and we'll be set!"

Ida squealed and clapped her hands. "Ooh, yes, this really will be fun!"

Izzy laughed. "I think it will be too! But for obviously different reasons." Her brown eyes sparkled.

Nancy chuckled. "Obviously."

Helen sighed. "Well I'm glad some of you are going to enjoy this. I'll just be glad when this is all over and grandma and Aunt Flora can get back to their normal way of life."

"Oh believe you me, I want that for them too, but first . . ." Here Nancy paused. She was pulling into the driveway at Twin Elms and there was an unknown truck parked in the driveway. Had Nathan Gomber come by, hoping to swindle the sisters while Nancy was out? Then she saw the logo on the side of the truck and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Why, that's a truck from the Matthews' farm! Why are they here?" said Helen.

"Oooh, maybe that handsome farm hand is here too!"

Helen sighed. "Richard Matthews is the eldest son of William and Nadia Matthews, not just a farm hand." Then she smirked. "But he is definitely handsome." She winked at Nancy. "Wouldn't you say so too? Even though dark-haired guys are more your type."

The twins snickered while Nancy blushed. "Helen, really, now's not the time!" she hissed. She had parked and was unbuckling. "Let's find out what's going on."

Helen nodded, becoming serious, though a playful twinkle lingered in her eyes "Yes, let's." The four got out of the car and walked towards the front door, right as the two Matthews brothers and Richard came out of the house, followed by Rosemary and Emily. Everyone was smiling.