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argued.”
    “It was nothing compared to what I wentthrough at the office!” Nancy exclaimed. As they climbed into Ned’s car and headed for the suburbs, she told him what had happened, from Brenda Carlton and David Bowers to Mick and his sick sense of humor and Sondra’s apology.
    “Sondra sounds nice,” Ned commented when Nancy had finished.
    “I guess she is,” Nancy admitted, “but I have a feeling she doesn’t want to make things any easier for me. She seems to think I’m Yvonne’s latest pet.” Nancy rolled down the car window and let the spring air blow through her hair.
    “You can’t really blame her for that,” Ned said.
    “No,” Nancy agreed. “Anyway, this case is a little frightening—but very intriguing.”
    “I don’t know, Nancy.” Ned was doubtful. “I’d say the accent is on dangerous. I mean, Mick may already be on to your true identity. Maybe we should just go to the police and let them handle it.”
    “No,” Nancy argued. “Right now, a crime hasn’t even been committed. There’ve been a few nasty letters, a few ugly fights, a practical joke. None of that’s very out of the ordinary for a high-pressure office like Flash.”
    “Right,” Ned said sarcastically. “People leave severed heads in office closets all over Chicago.”
    “Come on, Ned, you can’t expect me to give up the case before I’ve found even one concrete clue, can you?”
    “But, Nancy,” Ned protested, “this Mickcharacter might be a real nut case. You could be putting your life on the line.”
    “If I thought that,” Nancy answered, “I’d have you pull over at the next roadside diner and I’d call the police immediately. You know, you’re making the most simple mistake a detective possibly can—you’re assuming the obvious. Mick might be the person behind the threats, but it could be just about anyone at Flash.”
    “Great! So there are a bunch of violent lunatics over there, not just one,” Ned muttered.
    “By the way,” Nancy said, “I asked Yvonne about hiring you as another intern. It was funny, but she was pretty hesitant at first. Anyway, I convinced her that I really needed you, and she said okay.”
    Ned sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. “I still think we’d be better off at my parents’ cabin.”
    Nancy caught her breath. “So that’s what all this is about. You’re just upset about missing our trip!”
    “Hey,” Ned said, getting annoyed, “I happen to want to spend a little time with the girl I love. What’s wrong with that?”
    “I don’t know,” Nancy replied, her temper beginning to flare. “It seems as if you’re being selfish. I mean, who cares about some stupid vacation when a person’s life might be in danger?”
    Ned took his eyes off the road just long enough to give Nancy a look of disbelief. “Andwho cares about some stupid boyfriend,” he said, returning his eyes miserably to the highway, “when you could be running around, getting yourself killed by an art director with an ax to grind? You know, Nancy, I don’t think you appreciate me very much.”
    “Look, I need to do this, Ned. Okay?” Nancy said shortly.
    Ned frowned. “No other guy in the world would put up with this, Nancy. And sometimes, I wonder why I do.”

Chapter

Six
    N ANCY STARED AT the floor numbers over the elevator door as they lit up, one after another. It was a gray Thursday morning, and she was about to begin her second day of work at Flash. The weather suited her state of mind—dark and cool.
    Her fight with Ned had upset her, and she hadn’t slept well. She was in no mood for the fighting and nastiness that had gone on at the magazine the day before.
    Luckily, Ned would be there now to help handle any really sticky situations. In spite of their argument, he was going to work at the magazine, just as he’d promised.
    Or maybe that wasn’t luck. Ned hadn’t been the greatest conversationalist on the train ride into the city that morning. Obviously, he wasstill