Nancy Drew: 2 . The Hidden Staircase

A Call for Sanity's Sake

"Nancy?" whispered Helen worriedly.

Nancy couldn't speak for a hot second. When she did finally find her voice again, it was alternating between a shrill shriek and a shuddering whisper, trying her hardest to stay calm, but deep down, she knew, something terrible had happened. "Wh-what? Are, are you sure? You know he would have called us if he was on his way back."

"That's what I mean, Nancy! He didn't call me! I was hoping he had called you, but it sounds like he didn't!" Hannah paused and sounded like she was beginning to hyperventilate a bit. "Oh, Nancy, this could only mean something happened to him before he left Chicago!"

Nancy gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. A tear fell down her cheek as a name seared itself into her brain. Nathan Gomber. "H-Hannah, when, when did they say Dad was supposed to call them?"

"Yesterday! They only waited until now to call because they wanted to let him rest a bit! But now . . . oh Nancy, and to think we were just talking about this!"

"Y-yeah, sounds like your instinct was right on this one." Nancy pinched her nose. "Hannah, did you call Chief McGinnis?"

"No, I wanted to call and let you know right away. If Chief McGinnis should call you away from Twin Elms . . ."

"Oh Hannah, he can't! I think Nathan Gomber is behind this, and he could be holding Dad hostage in the secret tunnels under the house!"

Helen gasped as her eyes widened. "What?"

Nancy held up her hand, Helen had only been listening to her side of the conversation, but she was sure to figure it out soon. If she hadn't by now with that statement. "Please Hannah, if he does insist, please let him know that I can't!"

Hannah sighed. "Alright, alright, maybe with you and the police looking, you'll find him much faster. Speaking of, I should call them and let them know about this. I just, I had to call you first and let you hear it from me before the police called you."

Nancy sighed. "Thank you Hannah. I love you."

"I love you too, darling." Hannah hung up the phone. Nancy also hung up and walked towards her car as if in a daze.

"Nancy, Nancy! Wait! I don't think you should be driving!" called out Helen. But Nancy got into the driver's seat. Helen quickly got into the passenger side. "Nancy, talk to me."

"Hannah said that, that Dad was supposed to have been back yesterday," whispered Nancy as a few tears trickled down her face. "The, the company was waiting for a call from him." She sniffled. "And Gomber came this morning and threatened to harm him if I didn't lay off my investigation!" She gripped the wheel until her knuckles began turning white. "I, I didn't know at that time! I didn't know! Oh Dad!" She fought to keep the tears from coming, but a few still contined to trickle out. "I have to . . . I have to . . . oh, I have to do something! But what?" Her lips quivered. "Maybe, maybe I should stop investigating, if Gomber really has my Dad."

"No, Nancy! You have to find him! You can still find him!" exclaimed Helen.

"I don't know if I can! I can't find that stupid tunnel!" shouted Nancy. She burst into tears. "I couldn't do it, I couldn't find it! If I had found it by now, Dad wouldn't be there!" She buried her head in her hands. "Oh what can I do now? What can I do?"

Helen tried her best to hold her friend. "What you can do now is find that tunnel. It's your Dad's best chance! We know it's got to be in Gomber's room!"

"But he's not going to let us get in there again. They must know we were in there!"

"You can't know that. Besides, there's still the opening in Aunt Flora's room."