Make No Mistake (8 page)

Nancy nodded politely. She was curious as to what the argument had been about, but there was another important question she needed answered first. If Loomis had known Matt so well . . .

“You must have been happy to hear that Matt's alive,” George said to Jake Loomis. “It's amazing, isn't it?”

Way to go, George! Nancy thought. You were reading my mind! She quickly added, “Yes, and it must have been a double surprise to you that Gary Page, the reporter who interviewed you, was really the long-lost Matt Glover.” She watched Jake Loomis extra closely as she asked, “Did you recognize him at all when he interviewed you for the article?”

For a fraction of a second, Loomis just stared at Nancy and George. But then his heavyset face took on its smug expression again. “Yeah, well, I did notice the resemblance, but I didn't make much of it since I thought Matt was dead.” Loomis let out a soft chuckle. “It sure was a surprise to see his picture in the paper, though.”

“Oh, a lot of people were surprised, Mr. Loomis,” George put in.

Loomis sat back in his chair and laughed out loud. “I'll bet. I understand a bunch of businesses have been waiting like vultures to get their hands on Glover's money. With Matt back, the hospital and the environmental people and the rest of them are all out of luck.”

Nancy was about to ask Loomis if he'd tried to contact Matt at all since his return. She didn't have time to ask him any more questions, however, because just then the receptionist buzzed to announce another visitor.

“I'm sorry, girls, but I'm afraid I'll have to end our interview now,” Loomis told them, getting up from his desk and showing Nancy and George to the office door. “When is this
Who's Who
coming out?” he asked.

“We'll let you know,” George said hastily as they scooted out.

When they got outside, they saw that it had begun to snow. Nancy turned on the windshield wipers as they drove back to River Heights.

“What do you think?” George asked, popping
a tape in Nancy's newly repaired tape deck. “Was he telling us the truth?”

“I'm not sure, George. It certainly
could
be the truth,” Nancy replied. “He didn't lie about who he'd worked for. But when he talked about Matt, I couldn't decide if he was telling the truth or not. I couldn't read him.”

“Well, I didn't like him. He's too full of himself.” George was tapping her foot to the beat of the music, but there was a frown on her face.

“Yeah,” Nancy agreed. “And there's something else, too. He seemed to know an awful lot about the will, for someone who hasn't seen Matt or Mr. Glover in over ten years.” She sighed. “But all that is supposing that Matt Glover is a phony. And if we're trying to find the most likely person to be an accomplice in a scam, I'd say Mrs. Adams wins. She'd know Matt better than anyone else.”

George shook her head. “Oh, Nan, she's such a nice woman. I'd hate to think she's guilty of anything.”

“So would I, but we can't rule out the possibility. I want to talk to her again.

“In fact, let's make a quick stop for some soup, then head over to Glover's Corners,” Nancy suggested as she pulled up in front of her house.

The snow was falling very heavily and starting to accumulate by the time they set off for Glover's Corners. Switching on the weather report, the girls heard that more snow was expected.
Nancy drove very slowly and carefully. The snow was now almost a blanket of white against the front windshield, and she almost missed the gate to the Corners.

“I'm going to try to get a look at Mrs. Adams's room,” Nancy said, creeping up the long, winding drive at a snail's pace.

“Where do I come in?” asked George.

“I need you to distract Mrs. Adams so I can search. If we're lucky, Matt's still with my father, taking that lie detector test.”

“And how do I distract her?” George was staring at the ledges of snow being pushed off by the windshield wipers.

Nancy shrugged. “We'll just have to play it by ear, I guess.”

Pulling to a stop in front of the house, she and George trudged through the snow to the front door. Nancy rang the bell and then heard it echoing somewhere deep in the old house.

“Listen,” said George.

Nancy cocked her head to the side. She could hear Matt's voice, and it seemed to be coming from somewhere quite close. His tone sounded angry, although she couldn't distinguish his words.

Putting a finger to her lips, Nancy gestured to George to follow her. The snow cushioned the sound of their boots as they backed away from the door and moved toward the left wing of the house, where Matt's voice was coming from.
Walking almost to the screened-in porch at the end of the wing, Nancy could make out Matt standing on the porch. Despite the cold, he was wearing only a button-down shirt and jeans, and he was talking on a cordless phone.

“Nancy! George! What are you doing here?”

The two girls jumped in surprise and saw Bess leaning out a living room window.

Nancy gasped, knowing that Matt must have heard, too.

When she looked back to the porch, she saw that Matt had stopped talking into the cordless phone—and was now staring at her with cold, unwelcoming eyes.

N
ANCY GAVE
M
ATT
a tentative smile and waved at him. Instantly an answering smile spread across his face, making her wonder if she'd just been imagining his angry scowl.

“It's freezing out there,” Bess called to Nancy and George as they made their way back to the front door. “Hurry up and come in!”

As the girls brushed the snow off themselves and stepped inside, Bess asked again, “What are you guys doing here?”

“I guess we could ask you the same question,” said George.

Bess spoke in an excited rush as she explained. “I ran into Matt downtown at the bakery. He was buying a cake for Mrs. Adams. It's some kind of
tradition they have or something. Anyway, he suggested I come back and share it. I thought it would be rude to say no.”

“So you were just being polite, eh?” said George, rolling her eyes. “I don't suppose that the opportunity to spend time with the super-gorgeous Matt Glover had anything to do with your decision?”

“Absolutely not,” said Bess indignantly. Then she blushed. “Well, maybe a little. I mean, I know he's not going to fall in love with me or anything, but I just think he's so
romantic!

“Now it looks like we're getting snowed in,” Bess went on. From the flushed look on her face, Nancy could tell that being snowed in with Matt Glover would be Bess's idea of paradise.

Nancy couldn't help smiling at Bess. It was great that she was so happy. Nancy just hoped she wouldn't be disappointed.

“I hope we're not ruining your romantic afternoon,” Nancy said apologetically. “We really came to see Mrs. Adams.”

“I'm glad you're here.” Bess looked around. “Matt must still be on the phone. I guess we can just go to the kitchen,”

As they walked down the hall, Bess turned to George and Nancy and said, “Oh, by the way, it so happens that Matt passed the lie-detector test with flying colors. I think you owe him an apology, both of you.”

Nancy was surprised. “Did Matt tell you himself that he passed?” she asked. If so, there was a chance he was lying.

“Nope. Your father did. I saw him just as he was leaving his office, before I ran into Matt.”

“Lie-detector tests aren't infallible,” Nancy said, “but passing is definitely a good sign for Matt.” If Matt was an impostor, she would have expected the lie-detector results to be inconclusive at best.

Bess frowned. “ ‘A good sign'? That's all? You're such a skeptic, Nan. When are you going to admit that Matt Glover really is back?”

“When all the evidence is in,” Nancy said, pushing through the door to the kitchen.

Mrs. Adams was sitting at the long oak table. Nancy was surprised to see that her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. She was staring out the kitchen window and didn't even seem to notice that the three girls had come in.

“Anything wrong, Mrs. Adams?” George asked gently.

The housekeeper jumped half out of her seat, then relaxed when she saw Nancy, George, and Bess. “Oh, I am jumpy lately, aren't I?” she said, smiling wanly. “I—I suppose it's all this excitement, what with Matt coming home so suddenly.”

Nancy wondered if Mrs. Adams had heard that Matt had passed the lie-detector test. If so, she didn't seem very happy about it. In fact, she
seemed more depressed than Nancy had seen her since Mr. Glover's funeral.

“Isn't it great news about the lie-detector test?” Nancy said, taking a seat beside the housekeeper at the table. Bess and George sat down opposite.

“Yes, yes,” Mrs. Adams said halfheartedly. “Wonderful news.” She heaved a deep sigh, then rose with effort and went to cut slices from a chocolate cake that sat on the silver server where the pie had been the night before.

“Would you girls like a slice of this lovely cake?” she asked. Her voice sounded even more distraught to Nancy, and there were tears in her eyes now. “Matt was good enough to bring it home from the bakery.”

“No, thanks,” Nancy said. “Maybe later.”

“Speak for yourself, Nan,” George put in. “I'd love a piece.”

“Me, too,” Bess chimed in. In response to her cousin's questioning look, she said, “The first piece I had wasn't very big.”

Nancy and George chuckled, but Nancy noticed that Mrs. Adams didn't even crack a smile as she expertly cut slices for George and Bess, slid them onto two plates, and passed them over. The housekeeper's hands were trembling.

Nancy was about to ask Mrs. Adams what was wrong but stopped herself when she heard Matt's voice, just outside the kitchen.

“Hey, everyone,” he was calling. “The radio says this is a blizzard!”

Matt entered the kitchen like a comet and turned a big smile on Nancy and George. “I'm so glad you're both here,” he said, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm. “I was thinking we could go for a sleigh ride.”

“But there aren't horses at Glover's Corners anymore,” George pointed out between bites of chocolate cake. The estate stables had once held two or three horses, but after Matt's disappearance Mr. Glover had sold them off, Nancy remembered.

“There's a stable a short walk from here, though,” Matt said. “Thurston's. They rent sleighs along with the horses. I just called to check it out. Come on, now. You have to come— it's all set up.”

“In a blizzard?” Bess inquired nervously.

“It's supposed to let up before long,” answered Matt. “And we have plenty of spare scarves and gloves and stuff to bundle up with.”

Bess still looked dubious, but she said, “Well, okay.”

“Let's do it!” said George.

“It'll be fun,” Nancy agreed. She was glad for a chance to see more of Matt. When they came back, maybe she'd be able to check out Mrs. Adams's room and find out if what was bothering her had anything to do with Matt.

“Great. I better get to the stable before we're
completely snowed in.” Before he left the kitchen, Matt looked over at Mrs. Adams. “Have a piece of cake, Addie,” he said warmly. “I got it especially for you.”

Mrs. Adams began to cry as soon as Matt left the room. Nancy put one arm around her shoulders. “What is it, Mrs. Adams?” she asked.

The housekeeper reached for a paper napkin and rubbed at her eyes. “It's really nothing, dear, nothing for you to worry about. I have the most terrible headache—it just won't go away.”

“Can I get you some aspirin?” George offered.

Mrs. Adams shook her head. “No, thank you, dear. I think I'll just lie down for a while.”

“I'll help you to your room,” Nancy said.

“I don't know what's the matter with me,” Mrs. Adams said as Nancy led her up the stairs. “I should be so happy, under the circumstances. . . .” Her voice trailed off.

Nancy wanted to find out what was upsetting Mrs. Adams, but she was afraid any questions would only upset her more. Nancy kept her arm firmly around the older woman's shoulders until they reached her third-floor room.

It was large and comfortable—everything was neat as a pin. The windows had a gorgeous view of the back garden and the pond, even though it was distorted by the thick sheets of heavily falling snow.

Mrs. Adams sat on the edge of her bed and let her head fall into her hands. Moving over to her,
Nancy noticed that there were three photographs on the bedside table. One was of Matt as a little boy, sitting on a pony. Another was of Clayton Glover, and the third was of Mrs. Adams and Matt sitting side by side on one of the benches that circled the pond.

She knew she shouldn't let her emotions get in the way of the case, but she just couldn't imagine that Mrs. Adams would do anything to deceive the Glover family, even after Mr. Glover's death. Obviously, they had been the most important people in her life.