Sisters in Crime Read Online Free PDF Page A

said, lifting her to her feet. “You can tell me about this there.”
    Nancy nodded and stood bent over, leaning on Ira for support. Just then Lori came sprinting down the beach toward them.
    â€œNancy, are you okay?” she called. Looking at Nancy’s swollen face, Lori said, “Oh, no. They hurt you.” Lori glanced quickly at Ira and then back at Nancy as she apologized, “I’m sorry I ran away, Nancy, but I thought I’d be of more use if I got help. But when I got up to the pier, I saw those two guys, still wearing their swim mask, running away,” Lori explained. “So I turned around and came right back to you.”
    â€œYou did the right thing,” Nancy said, reassuring her. As she started to stand fully upright, she let out a loud groan. Her head was pounding.
    â€œHow badly are you hurt?” Lori asked with concern.
    Nancy answered, “Not very. I’ll live, I’m afraid. Oh, Lori, this is Ira.”
    â€œHi, Ira,” Lori said hastily, then turned again to Nancy. “I better take you back to the house to get something cold on that bruise.”
    â€œWe can do that right over at the diving facility.” Ira pointed to his building. “We were just going to head that way.”
    â€œAre you sure that’s okay?” Lori questioned Nancy.
    Nancy nodded. “Fine.”
    Hesitating, Lori asked, “Do you mind if I take that swim we were planning? I really have to swim every day, and as long as you’ll be okay—”
    â€œNo problem,” Nancy said. “I sure don’t have two miles in me now. But I’ll wait for you upthere,” she said, gesturing in the direction of Ira’s shop.
    Holding Ira’s arm, Nancy tried to move without jarring her head. Even so, the pain was excruciating. When they reached the repair shop, Ira helped Nancy down onto a chair, gave her a cool cloth and a warm blanket, then pulled up a chair to sit across from her. Nancy leaned her aching head against the wall.
    â€œHow do you feel?” Ira asked gently.
    â€œTerrific, from the neck down,” Nancy answered.
    â€œI think maybe I should take you to the emergency room to let a doctor take a look at you.”
    â€œNo thanks.” Nancy moved her jaw, checking to see if she had full mobility. “I’m sure nothing’s broken. Just a shock to my system. As long as I keep this on it and get some rest, I’ll be fine.”
    â€œIf you change your mind, let me know. It’s no problem,” Ira offered kindly. “How about something to drink? A soda? Juice?”
    â€œEither,” Nancy said as Ira went into the back room.
    â€œWhat did you see?” Ira asked as he handed Nancy a paper cup full of apple juice and sat back down across from her.
    â€œNot much,” Nancy answered between sips. “Two guys, wearing swimmers’ masks and trunks. Big and strong. One with dark, curly hair. Lori and I were just taking off our shorts and jackets—”
    â€œThat’s Lori Westerly?” Ira asked, interrupting.
    Nancy nodded.
    â€œRina talked about her a lot,” Ira said quietly. “Rina was very attached to her. Sorry, go on.
    â€œOut of the blue, these two guys appeared. They must have been following us, but we were totally unaware.”
    Ira looked upset. “So much violence on this beach!” Standing up, he said to Nancy, “I had told myself to stop thinking that Rina’s death wasn’t an accident, but after talking to you and Susan this morning, and now this”—Ira gestured to Nancy’s face—“I’m ready to go to the police and insist they open the investigation again!”
    Nancy wanted more time to investigate on her own, to live in the sorority, and to understand Rina’s life. She knew that sometimes she could learn more undercover, from people her own age, than the police could.
    As she sipped her apple juice, Nancy wanted to