Nancy found some paper towels in the kitchen. In the bathroom, she turned on the old-fashioned spigot and began to clean her shoe.
Over the running water, she thought she heard the sound of a ringing telephone. She turned off the tap. Yes, it was definitely the phone. But where was it?
Dashing to the kitchen, Nancy finally found a black, wall-mounted rotary phone. The dial was labeled with Braille numbers. She picked it up. “Guiding Eyes,” she said breathlessly. “May I help you?”
“Who is this?” a man’s voice asked.
“My name is Nancy Drew. I—”
“Where’s Marisa?” he asked.
“She’s outside. Would you like to speak with her?”
“Yes, please,” he said, sounding relieved. “This is Eric Pavlik—I’m a friend of hers.”
“I’ll get her for you,” Nancy said.
Nancy raced back down the hill and found Marisa helping Bess put on Casey’s collar. “Marisa, it’s Eric on the phone,” she said.
“I wonder why Eric’s calling me here,” Marisa said as she and Misty entered the inn with Nancy. “I hope nothing’s wrong.”
Nancy returned to the kitchen for her shoe and the paper towels as Marisa picked up the phone.
“Hi, Eric,” Marisa said. “What’s up?”
Marisa listened for a moment, then Nancy saw her face grow pale. Marisa grasped the edge of the counter, and her knuckles were white as she grasped the receiver. “You’re in jail?”
2
On the Money
Marisa sank into a chair, and Misty lay down at her feet. “Okay,” she said into the phone. “Tell me what happened.”
Nancy decided to give Marisa some privacy. She headed back toward the bathroom with her shoe.
“Listen,” she heard Marisa say, “the first thing you need to do is hire a good lawyer.”
Nancy stopped. Her father was a criminal attorney—an excellent one. Maybe she should tell Marisa, in case Eric wanted to hire him.
“I’ll meet you at the police station right away.” Marisa hung up the phone, and Nancy returned to the kitchen.
“Oh, Nancy,” Marisa said. “I guess you heard what happened.”
“Sort of,” Nancy said. She told Marisa about her father’s experience as a criminal defense lawyer.
“Carson Drew,” Marisa said. “Of course. He was a guest speaker in one of my classes. He was great.”
“Would you like me to call him?” Nancy asked gently.
“That would be wonderful,” Marisa said. “Eric Pavlik is one of the nicest guys in the world. You know how I met him? He volunteered through the library as a reader for the blind. He read me all the law school assignments that weren’t available on talking books or in Braille. Someone that kind is not capable of being a criminal.”
“It doesn’t sound like it,” Nancy said. “What happened?”
“Eric was buying something at the mall. He says he was arrested for using two counterfeit twenty-dollar bills.”
“I read in the paper that the police have found a lot of counterfeit money in River Heights recently,” Nancy said. “What else did Eric tell you?”
“Not much, but he swore to me he’s innocent. And I believe him. Eric’s totally trustworthy.” Marisa rubbed Misty’s neck. “You like him, don’t you, Misty?” Misty wagged her tail.
Nancy smiled. “Misty’s a good judge of character, huh?”
“The best,” Marisa said.
“Is it okay if I use this phone to call my father?” Nancy asked.
“Please do.” Marisa and Misty stood up. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Nancy made her phone call and finished cleaning her shoe. She and Marisa then returned outside. Nancy saw George running up and down the hill.
“What are you doing?” Nancy asked.
“I’m in training. Penny Rosen talked me into signing up for a 5K run. One of Westmoor University’s fraternities is sponsoring it to raise money for the Guiding Eyes.” George slowed to a walk. “Unfortunately, the race is in two days. There’s no way I’ll be in peak form.”
“I think the Guiding Eyes will understand,” Marisa said. “You were a good sport to volunteer. And if you’re taking pledges, sign me up.”
“Me, too,” Nancy said.
“Me, three,” Bess said. She stood at the bottom of the hill with Amber, Devon, and Casey. “Not that I have a lot of money to spare after buying all those dog toys.”
