The Mystery of the Masked Rider Read Online Free PDF

go with you to the International Horse Show.”
    For a second Colleen looked confused. Thenshe burst out laughing. “Oh, I get it—you mean I should take you and Nancy!”
    â€œRight!” Bess cried. “The only thing we’d be missing out on this weekend is a Halloween party Nancy and I were invited to.”
    â€œI don’t have a costume, anyway,” Nancy added. “And I’d rather see the show.”
    Colleen’s face broke into a big smile for the first time since they’d discovered that Nightingale was lame. “Wow. I can’t think of anything I’d like more. It’ll be fun.”
    Seeing Colleen so happy, Nancy had to smile, too.
    Just then an earsplitting br-r-ring, br-r-ring pierced the air. Bess jumped a foot off the lounge chair, spilling her chips. “What was that?”
    Colleen laughed. “The driveway alarm. I left it on this morning. Someone must be coming. Maybe my mom’s home from work early.” Standing up, she squinted through the row of white pines. A green sports car was zipping up the drive. “It looks like Phil,” she said happily.
    Nancy and Bess started to get up, too, but Colleen gestured for them to stay seated. “You guys relax. I’ll bring him over.”
    She ran to meet Phil. Nancy could see his tall figure getting out of the car. Colleen met him in the drive and gave him a big hug.
    â€œI’d say they made up,” Bess said under her breath.
    â€œLooks that way,” Nancy said, her tone grim.
    Bess gave her a curious glance. “You still think he’s guilty, don’t you?”
    Nancy shook her head. “I don’t know for sure, but—”
    Colleen’s cheerful voice cut off her sentence. “Nancy, Bess, I’d like you to meet Phil Ackerman, the love of my life.”
    â€œThe second love of her life,” Phil interjected with a playful grin. “I think Colleen’s first love is Nightingale.”
    â€œNo way.” Colleen punched him gently on the arm.
    Nancy stood up. She could see why Colleen was crazy about Phil Ackerman. He was tall and dark, with a slim yet muscular build and a dazzling smile.
    â€œIt’s nice to meet two of Colleen’s oldest friends,” Phil said, reaching out to shake Bess’s hand. Then he turned to Nancy. “You must be Nancy Drew, the famous teen detective.”
    â€œI don’t know about the famous part,” Nancy said with a smile. Taking his hand, she shook it firmly. When she did, she glanced down. On the top of his wrist was a reddish-brown stain.
    A shiver ran up Nancy’s spine. The spot on Phil’s arm was the same color as the stain on Colleen’s fingers after she’d touched the blister. That meant one thing—Phil Ackerman must have put the blister on Nightingale’s leg!

5
Sharp Moves
    Nancy couldn’t believe it. The stain seemed to be proof that Phil was the one who’d sneaked into the barn last night and applied the blister. Colleen had said the reddish-brown color lingered even after it was washed off.
    Phil turned back to Colleen and threw his arm around her shoulders. “How’s Nightingale today?”
    Colleen rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t believe what happened,” she said. Pulling him down next to her on the lounge chair, she began telling him about the morning.
    Nancy looked up at Phil Ackerman. His dark brows were drawn together in what seemed to be genuine concern.
    Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, Nancy thought. Maybe he got a trace of the blister on him from hugging Colleen.
    â€œAt least there wasn’t any permanent damage to Nightingale,” Bess said when Colleen had finished.
    â€œThank goodness.” Colleen let out a sigh of relief, but her smile had turned into a small frown. “But that doesn’t mean something else won’t happen to her.”
    Phil took Colleen’s hand. “Well, I have some