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something under her jacket.
    Nancy stiffened as she spotted a flash of metal in Charity’s clenched hand. It was a knife!

Chapter

Four
    N ANCY STARED at Charity. In her peripheral vision she could see that Gaetan had frozen. She held her breath for a moment, wondering what Charity would do.
    â€œCharity, don’t,” Gaetan spoke softly. At the sound of his warning, Charity blinked, uncertain what to do.
    Nancy seized her chance. Her foot flew out in a lightning-swift kick, knocking the knife out of Charity’s hand. The knife skittered onto the concrete pavement beside the carousel and spun to a halt about five feet away.
    Charity stared at Nancy. “I wasn’t going tohurt you,” she said sullenly. “I was just trying to scare you so you’d leave us alone.”
    Nancy hopped off the carousel, picked up the knife, and hurled it far away. “You shouldn’t be playing with knives, Charity,” she said furiously. “Lonnie told me you threatened to get revenge for being fired, and your behavior just now makes me believe you’re capable of it. If you know anything about Bess’s abduction, you’d better tell me.”
    Charity’s eyes grew round with surprise. “You think I kidnapped your friend Bess? That’s a laugh!” she scoffed. “I bumped into her earlier tonight when I sneaked into the club to pick up some of the things I’d left when I quit. We talked, and I even told her about this party. She said she was going to try to come after she finished working.”
    â€œYou say you quit that job? I thought Lonnie fired you,” Nancy said.
    Charity shook her head. “He wouldn’t give me a raise, so I walked. He told you I threatened him?” she asked. When Nancy nodded, her scowl deepened. “I hope that jerk falls off a cliff,” she fumed.
    Nancy sighed. Charity was saying Lonnie lied to her about the reason for Charity’s leaving theclub. The girl’s stormy temperament did make her an unreliable source of information, though, Nancy reasoned.
    â€œWas Gaetan with you when you saw Bess?” Nancy asked. Charity paused, then shook her head. “No, Gaetan was practicing with his band all evening,” she said. “He was never at the club.”
    Gaetan stepped forward and took Charity’s hand. “Let’s leave, Charity,” he whispered.
    Charity looked at Nancy. “We’re out of here,” she said, edging away. The couple vanished into the night. This time Nancy let them go. It would be useless to press Charity for more information, she thought.
    At that moment Etienne and George arrived at Nancy’s side. “There you are, Nancy! We lost you back there in the crowds.” George sounded slightly out of breath. “We ran all over looking for you. Did you catch up with Charity and Gaetan?”
    â€œYes,” Nancy said. “Charity explained that she hadn’t been fired and that she’d met Bess earlier tonight. I felt as if she and Gaetan were hiding something, though.” She then described how Charity had pulled a knife on her.
    â€œI told you Charity has a quick temper.”Etienne shook his head ruefully. “She may have acted that way because Gaetan is hiding from the police.”
    â€œThe police?” Nancy echoed. “Why?”
    Gaetan was from the African country of Angola, Etienne told her. “His visa expired months ago, and he’s been avoiding the immigration authorities ever since.”
    â€œThat’s probably why he looked so nervous when I mentioned the police,” Nancy remarked as they climbed back over the fence to leave the park. The DJ’s rusted old car was still parked close by. “How did you meet Gaetan?” she continued. “Through Charity?”
    Etienne shook his head. “Gaetan and I have known each other for years. I met him in Paris, which is my hometown,” he explained. “We came to