Nancy Drew: 2 . The Hidden Staircase

A Brand New Determination

"Thank you! And send Emily my love when you see her!"

"We will! Bye!" chorused Nancy and Helen. They waved and quickly walked out of the Inn.

Helen let out a breath as soon as the car doors were closed. "Um, Nancy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Chief McGinnia would be able to send an officer over to watch the house?"

Nancy smiled as she pulled out her phone. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Helen sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness, great minds do think alike."

"Speaking of great minds, how about you contact the rest of the gang and see if any of them can come with us. If I know how Chief McGinnis thinks, he's going to want us out of the house."

"On it," said Helen, pulling out her own phone.

"Thank you," said Nancy before dialing Chief McGinnis's office. The phone rang a few times before McGinnis picked up.

"Nancy! Where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Chief," said Nancy slowly, wondering what the heck was going on. "I'm sitting outside Lilac Inn in my car with Helen Corning. Can I ask you to send another man to the house, please?"

"Where is everyone else?" Nancy explained the situation, including her suspicions of Nathan Gomber in Carson's kidnapping, and that it would be just her and Helen spending the night. "Nancy, I want you to go home."

"But Chief!"

"Please go home. I promised your father that I would make sure you are safe. And since he has been kidnapped by whom you consider your prime suspect in your own case, it would be wise for you to spend the night away from Twin Elms where it's already been established that there are tunnels between that and Lilac Inn. I will still send an officer over there, but I want you and Helen out of the house. At least for tonight, please, Nancy, just tonight. Your friends will definitely be back tomorrow?"

Nancy sighed. "Yes, they will."

"Alright, wil that work for you, then? Just tonight, Nancy, that's all I'm asking, just for tonight."

Nancy placed her hand over the mouth piece and turned to Helen. "Any body?" she whispered.

Helen pursed her lips and shook her head. "No one can come tonight."

Nancy sighed. "Alright." She took her hand off the moutpiece. "Fine, just for tonight."

She could hear the immense relief in McGinnis's sigh. "Thank you Nancy. If you'd like, I can come over and give you what we've found on your father's disappearance."

Nancy bit her lip. "Oh, alright Chief."

"Alright, I'll be at your place at eight. That should give you enough time to get your things together and get to your house."

"Alright, we'll see you at eight."

"Thank you Nancy. See you at eight." He hung up the phone.

Nancy sighed as she too hung up the phone. "We're going to get our things and go to my house, just for tonight. But the Chief will send an officer to watch the house all night long."

Helen patted her shoulder. "Chief McGinis is just looking out for your well-being. He did promise your dad to look after you. And I think a little break from the house is a good thing, for the both of us."

Nancy sighed as she started the car. "I hope so." The two got to Twin Elms and quickly went about packing their things. They straightened everything up and put Ida's, Izzy's and Emily's clothes in the closets. Nancy and Helen also went around taking pictures of everything. If anything was out of place in their absense, they would know. The officer showed up right as they were walking out the door with their bags.