A Secret in Time Read Online Free PDF Page A

who was watching the clock at the expo, and if there was ever a time when it wasn’t being watched.”
    â€œLydia and I were both at the booth the entire time,” Gordon said, “except when Lydia took her break, and when I joined you at Brown’s booth after he discovered his brooch was missing.” The antique dealer became thoughtful. “You don’t think Lydia . . .”
    â€œI don’t know,” Nancy answered. “But we can’t rule anyone out.”
    Mr. Gordon stared into space over Nancy’s shoulder, frowning as if trying to make up his mind about something. “You know,” he said finally, “I wasn’t going to mention this, but something very strange happened here at the shop last night after I left. When I arrived this morning, I noticed that some of my papers had been rearranged. And all the boxes brought back from the expo had been opened. Nothing was taken, though.”
    â€œWas there any sign of forced entry?” Nancy asked.
    He nodded. “The window to my office was open. I’m sure I closed it last night before I left.”
    â€œDon’t you have an alarm system?” Nancy asked, glancing at all the valuable things in the store.
    Mr. Gordon shook his head. “Maybe I’m too old-fashioned,” he admitted, “but I still trust people.” Then his expression brightened. “But if someone did break in, that rules out Lydia. She’s got a key.”
    â€œShe could have made it look like a break-in,” Nancy pointed out. What she didn’t say was that Mr. Gordon, too, could have faked a break-in to make himself look less suspicious.
    â€œSpeaking of Lydia,” Bess said, “where is she?”
    â€œShe called in sick today,” Mr. Gordon said. “She has some sort of flu.”
    â€œHmmm.” Nancy couldn’t help wondering if there might be a connection between the break-in and Lydia’s sudden illness. “Do you mind if I take a look at the window?” she asked.
    Mr. Gordon led her and Bess through the store and into his office. Boxes lined one wall, and antique prints hung on the other three walls. The window was just above a small wooden desk.
    Nancy went over and looked at the window. “I see the latch is closed now,” she said to Mr. Gordon. “Did you lock it last night?”
    He gave her a sheepish look. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember. But I can tell you I will from now on. And I’m going to get an alarm system, too.”
    Nancy unlocked the window and opened it, but she didn’t notice any scratch marks on the paint or the windowsill. The entry hadn’t been forced.
    Just then the quiet in the shop was shattered by the ringing of bells. Nearby, a grandfather clock chimed eleven o’clock, and the sound was echoed by smaller timepieces all over the store.
    â€œWe’d better go,” said Nancy. “We’ve got to take the brooch to the police station. I hope you don’t mind if I tell Chief McGinnis about your break-in.”
    â€œNot at all,” Mr. Gordon replied. “Please keep me informed.”
    â€œWe will,” Nancy promised.
    â€œI feel so bad even considering Mr. Gordon a suspect,” Nancy said as she pulled her sports car away from the antique dealer’s shop.
    â€œHow do you think I feel about Lydia?” Bess asked.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Nancy said. “For all we know, Lydia had nothing to do with it. We’ll talk to her as soon as she gets over her flu.”
    At that moment Nancy glimpsed something that startled her. Instinctively she began to put on the brakes, but a loud honk from the car behind her forced her to keep on going.
    â€œAre you okay?” Bess asked, lurching with the sudden movements of the car. “What was that all about?”
    Nancy didn’t want to say anything until she was certain. But she could have sworn she’d just