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actually—even in this crowd. Meet you back here.”
    â€œI’ll do my best,” George said.
    They parted company, and Nancy turned off the main mall corridor and started down a hall with a sign that said Security. She walked a few feet down the short, narrow, isolated passageway, going by a couple of storerooms on the way.
    The door marked Woodland Mall Security was ajar. Nancy raised her hand to knock, and at that moment she heard a female voice. “Soon this will all be over, and you’ll be a rich man.”
    The voice was hauntingly familiar. But whose was it? And where was it coming from?
    Nancy stepped closer and tried to peek through the crack in the open door.
    Suddenly she heard a scuffling noise coming from the main mall corridor. She stepped away from the door to listen.
    â€œOh, no!” a woman screamed. “She’s dead!”

Chapter

Five
    N ANCY RACED OUT into the mall corridor. What on earth was going on?
    Once she was out in the open area, she saw a crowd gathered in front of a store across the way. She hurried over and wove her way into its center.
    â€œWhat’s happened?” she asked.
    A young pregnant woman was lying on the floor. She opened her eyes, then looked up at Nancy and the crowd in total shock. “Oh,” she murmured. “I—I must have fainted. I’m so sorry.”
    She tried to get to her feet, but only succeededin raising herself to a sitting position. The people crowding around her began to disappear one by one, apparently disappointed that something more dramatic hadn’t happened.
    Nancy grimaced. That’s crowd mentality for you, she thought. “Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asked the woman.
    â€œYou could help me up,” she said, and laughed.
    Nancy did. Once the woman was on her feet again, Nancy asked, “Can I get you to a doctor?”
    The woman grinned. “No. I’ll be fine now. This happens to me all the time.” She thanked Nancy and walked away.
    Nancy watched for a few seconds to make sure the woman stayed on her feet. Then she looked around to see if George had been in on any of the excitement. There was no sign of her—but who was that disappearing into that expensive shoestore down the corridor? It looked like Monica! Nancy ran down the hall and burst into the store.
    â€œWhere’s the woman who just walked in here?” she asked the haughty-looking salesman who had immediately approached her.
    â€œI’m sorry, miss, but you—” But Nancy had already spotted Monica in the corner, whereshe was trying on an expensive pair of green snakeskin boots.
    â€œMonica!” Nancy exclaimed. “What are you doing here? Did anyone call for Lance while I was at the hospital? Were there any messages?”
    Monica looked incredulous—and disgusted. “You followed me in here to question me?” she asked. “I didn’t stick around after you left, if that’s what you mean. I’m not your personal secretary.”
    â€œI asked you to stay by the phone,” Nancy said angrily. “I’d have thought it was the least you could do, since you were the reason Lance had to take me to the hospital.”
    â€œWell, you’ll just have to think again,” Monica purred. “Get it into your head that I don’t care anything about what’s happened to Hal. All right?”
    â€œBut he’s Lance’s nephew! Don’t you at least—”
    â€œCould you come over here a minute?” Monica interrupted, raising her voice and beckoning to the salesman. In an instant he was at her side.
    â€œThis girl is really pestering me,” she said. “Is it too much to ask that I be allowed to do my shopping in peace? You’d think the least you could do would be to keep people from loitering in here.”
    The salesman turned to Nancy. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave right