Lost in the Everglades

  Contents

  ____________________________________________________________

  1 Welcome to the Everglades

  2 A Mysterious Disappearance

  3 A Chase through the Dark

  4 A Strange Clue

  5 A Visit with the Drakes

  6 Danger on the Road

  7 Girl Overboard

  8 Mistaken Identity

  9 A Warning

  10 An Alligator Encounter

  11 Ghost in the Night

  12 Another Mysterious Disappearance

  13 The Search for the Panther

  14 The Truth Is Revealed

  1. Welcome to the Everglades

  “Are we there yet?” eighteen-year-old Bess Marvin

  grumbled. “It feels like we've been driving forever.”

  Nancy Drew glanced into the rearview mirror of the

  rental car and smiled at her friend, who was fidgeting

  in the backseat. “Almost. The sign back there said that

  the entrance to Everglades National Park was coming

  right up.”

  George Fayne, who was sitting next to Nancy,

  spread the map of southern Florida across her lap. She

  smoothed the crinkles and creases with her fingertips.

  “The Everglades is huge. Like millions of acres. The

  place where we're staying, Flamingo, is only a tiny part

  of it.”

  “Flamingo is way at the bottom of the Everglades,

  right on Florida Bay,” Nancy explained.

  Nancy turned off the air conditioner and rolled the

  window down slightly. A hot breeze blew against her

  face and ruffled her reddish blond hair.

  The scenery was the same as it had been for the last

  half hour: dry, flat fields; orange farms; and the

  occasional grocery store, house, or strip mall with

  forlorn-looking For Rent signs.

  The scenery didn't look anything like what Susan

  Bokan had described to Nancy in her many postcards.

  Susan used to be a good friend of the girls back in

  River Heights.

  The girls had met Susan five years earlier. Susan's

  parents owned a fancy inn on the outskirts of River

  Heights. The Bokans were clients of Nancy's father,

  Carson Drew, who was an attorney.

  The girls hadn't seen Susan since she moved to

  Florida a couple of years earlier to work as a volunteer

  for the Everglades National Park. Her parents were

  still in River Heights, although they spent part of every

  winter in Florida to visit their daughter.

  In her postcards, Susan described the beautiful,

  wild, and junglelike Everglades. The photographs on

  the cards showed exotic-looking plants and animals

  with exotic-sounding names like gumbo-limbo trees,

  strangler figs, roseate spoonbills, and manatees.

  In her last postcard Susan had asked Nancy to visit

  her as soon as possible, and to bring George and Bess

  along. Nancy had wondered about the invitation. There

  was something out-of-the-blue and mysterious about it.

  Still, she and her friends were eager to visit the

  Everglades, so it didn't take much to convince them.

  “There it is.” Bess's blond head appeared between

  the two front seats. “There's the sign—Everglades

  National Park. We're here, finally!”

  “I can't wait to see Susan,” George said eagerly. “I

  can't wait to go on hikes and canoe trips and—”

  “I can't wait to have dinner,” Bess interrupted. “It's

  after six o'clock. The last thing we ate were those itty-

  bitty bags of peanuts on the plane, and I'm totally

  starving.”

  Nancy chuckled. Despite the fact that George and

  Bess were cousins, they were as different as night and

  day. It wasn't just that George was tall and slender with

  short, dark hair, and Bess was short and curvy with

  long, curly blond hair.

  Nancy could already anticipate the rest of their

  Florida vacation: George would be off on hikes and

  canoe trips and kayaking expeditions, while Bess would

  be more interested in hanging out in a beach chair,

  working on her tan, and sampling the local cuisine. For

  weeks Bess had been talking about checking out such

  Florida specialties as conch chowder, Key lime pie, and

  blackened grouper.

  Nancy pulled up to the ranger station. A gray-haired

  man in a khaki-colored uniform put down his walkie-

  talkie and smiled at her. “May I help you, miss?”

  “I'm looking for the volunteers' dorm at Flamingo,”

  Nancy explained.

  The ranger scribbled some directions on a brochure

  map and handed it to her. “Follow my red arrows. Be

  there in no time.”

  “Thank you,” Nancy said.

  She waved goodbye to the ranger and drove through

  the gate, into the park. Almost immediately, Nancy

  could see that they were in a totally different world.

  This is the Florida Susan described in her postcards,

  she thought.

  It felt as though they had gone back to prehistoric

  times. Nancy was reminded of the scenery in dinosaur

  movies. The landscape consisted of huge, sweeping

  palm trees, brightly colored tropical flowers, and tangly

  vines that wound around everything. Massive birds

  swooped through the air or perched on branches,

  preening their feathers with their enormous beaks.

  Driving around a bend in the road, Nancy and her

  friends passed a wide field of tall, greenish brown

  sawgrass that billowed in the breeze. Just beyond the

  field was a large, murky pond bordered by tall, skinny

  cattails. Nancy could make out a family of alligators

  sunning themselves on the muddy banks. There were

  tiny white birds perched on their backs.

  Bess pointed at the alligators. “Are . . . are those

  what I think they are?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  “They're alligators,” Nancy said, and then she

  hesitated. “Or are they crocodiles? I don't remember

  what the difference is.”

  “I think crocodiles have pointier snouts,” George

  said. “Plus, they're supposed to be meaner than alli-

  gators.”

  Bess's eyes grew wide. “Which ones eat people?”

  “They both do, if you bother them,” George said.

  “Just stay away from them, and they'll stay away from

  you. That's Alligator and Crocodile 101.”

  “I'm staying way far away from them, believe me,”

  Bess said with a shudder.

  Nancy grinned. “Ditto.”

  They proceeded down the road, past more palm

  trees and marshes and other spectacular scenery. “This

  place is really beautiful,” Nancy remarked. “No wonder

  Susan likes working here.”

  “I can't wait to explore the park,” George said.

  “I can't wait to explore the pool,” Bess said. “Our

  hotel does have one, right?”

  “We're staying in a cabin near Susan's dorm. I kind
>
  of doubt it has a pool,” Nancy replied.

  George began folding up the road map. “I guess we

  won't be needing this anymore,” she said. “You know, I

  wonder why Susan suddenly invited us down here,

  after all this time?”

  “I've been wondering the same thing,” Nancy said.

  “I think she just missed us,” Bess said. “I mean,

  wouldn't you miss us? We're so much fun to have

  around!” She reached into her oversize straw bag and

  pulled out a pair of pink rhinestone sunglasses. “What

  do you think, girls? I got these for the trip.”

  “They're . . . interesting,” George said politely.

  Nancy glanced into the rearview mirror. “They're

  very you, Bess,” she said with a laugh.

  After a few minutes they arrived at what looked like

  a small village. To the left of them was Florida Bay.

  There was a marina crowded with sailboats and

  motorboats. Near the marina was a cluster of buildings,

  including shops and a motel and a visitors' center. A

  flock of seagulls sat on the roof of the visitors' center,

  shrieking and squawking and flapping their wings. The

  colors of the sunset shimmered on the water.

  “Why don't you park, and I'll go ask someone how to

  get to Susan's dorm?” George offered.

  Nancy nodded. “Good idea.”

  She pulled into a parking space, and George hopped

  out of the car. Nancy watched as George jogged over to

  a young guy in a ranger uniform.

  A minute later George jogged back and slid into the

  car. “Go straight a quarter of a mile and to the left,”

  she said. “He says we can't miss it.”

  “Thanks, George.”

  Nancy continued down the road. She was getting

  really psyched about seeing Susan. It had been a few

  years. Would their friend have changed much? Nancy

  couldn't wait to hear all about Susan's experiences as a

  park volunteer.

  They soon reached the dorm building, which was

  surrounded by half a dozen small cabins. Nancy parked

  the car, and the girls got their bags and headed for the

  front door.

  Even though it was late in the day, the air was

  incredibly hot and humid. Nancy was glad she was

  wearing her favorite white shorts and a powder blue

  tank top. Bess was wearing a yellow sundress, and

  George was wearing denim cutoffs and a red T-shirt.

  The climate definitely demanded a summery

  wardrobe.

  The girls walked on a path that was made of broken-

  up seashells. A small, shiny green tree frog hopped

  across the path, just ahead of them.

  “Isn't it cute?” Bess cried out, pointing to the frog.

  “Back home, all you ever see in the yard are squirrels.”

  “We're going to see lots of stuff while we're here,”

  George told her cousin with a grin. “Frogs, lizards,

  snakes, panthers—plus your good friends, the alligators

  and the crocodiles.”

  “Stop it, you're just trying to scare me,” Bess

  protested.

  George wiggled her eyebrows. “Okay, whatever. I'm

  just telling you what I read in my guidebooks.”

  Nancy swung open the heavy wooden door to the

  dorm and went inside. George and Bess followed. They

  found themselves in a lobby with turquoise-colored

  walls and white wicker furniture. A big ceiling fan spun

  around slowly, making a creaking noise. There was a

  bulletin board covered with official-looking memos and

  flyers about upcoming events: “Canoe the Wilderness

  Waterway,” “Back-country Camping Trip to Shark

  Valley!”

  “Yeah, like anyone's going to want to go to some-

  place called Shark Valley,” Bess remarked.

  There was no one around. “Helloooo!” Nancy called

  out. There was no reply.

  “Why is this place so deserted?” George said,

  glancing around. She wandered over to an adjoining

  room and poked her head in. “Looks like the TV

  room,” she called out over her shoulder. “No one in

  here, either.”

  Just then Nancy heard the sound of footsteps

  clattering down the stairs. A woman with a clipboard

  appeared. She had short, bushy gray hair, and was

  dressed in khakis and a pale green T-shirt that said

  Save the Manatees. She wore a pair of tiny gold-

  rimmed glasses.

  “May I help you?” the woman asked with a friendly

  smile. “I'm Mrs. Fitzgerald, the dorm mother. You girls

  looking for someone?”

  Nancy set her suitcase on the floor. “We're looking

  for Susan Bokan. I'm Nancy Drew, and this is Bess

  Marvin.” She turned and pointed to George, who was

  still standing in the doorway of the TV room. “And

  that's George Fay—”

  Before Nancy had a chance to finish her sentence,

  Mrs. Fitzgerald glanced over at George and let out a

  piercing scream.

  2. A Mysterious Disappearance

  Mrs. Fitzgerald let out another scream. Her screams

  sent a chill up Nancy's spine. Nancy didn't understand

  what was going on. Why would George's presence

  cause Mrs. Fitzgerald to react that way?

  “What is it, Mrs. Fitzgerald? Did you see an alligator

  or something?” Bess cried out. Bess didn't seem to

  understand that Mrs. Fitzgerald was screaming at

  George.

  Nancy rushed up to the dorm mother and grabbed

  her arm. “What's the matter, Mrs. Fitzgerald? What's

  wrong?” she demanded.

  Mrs. Fitzgerald stopped screaming and pointed a

  trembling finger at George. “Y-you—wh-what are you

  doing here?” she stammered. “We thought you were—

  —”

  She was interrupted by footsteps rushing down the

  stairs. Nancy glanced up and saw a young woman

  dressed in khakis and a white T-shirt that said

  Everglades National Park. Her long, curly red hair was

  loosely held up in a barrette, and her green eyes were

  enormous as she stared at Mrs. Fitzgerald, then at

  Nancy and Bess.

  “What on earth is going on?” the woman cried out.

  “Ohmigosh. Nancy, Bess! Are you all right? Who

  screamed?”

  Nancy stared at the red-haired woman and realized

  after a second that it was their friend, Susan Bokan.

  Susan was thinner, and her hair was a lot longer.

  “Susan!” Nancy exclaimed. “Hi.”

  “Susan, it's her,” Mrs. Fitzgerald murmured,

  pointing at George.

  Susan glanced at George. She, too, let out a scream.

  “Ohmigosh!” she cried out. “I don't believe it!”

  Bess clapped her hands over her ears. “Why is

  everyone screaming?” she demanded.

  George was still standing in the doorway of the TV

  room. She started to walk toward the group, a puzzled

  expression on her face. “I'm totally confused. Why is

  everyone screaming at me? What are you guys talking

  about? I've never met you before, Mrs. Fitzgerald.”

  Susan's hand flew to her mouth. “Mrs. Fitzgerald,

  that's no
t her. That's my friend George Fayne. She and

  these other girls are visiting me from up north.” She

  laughed nervously.

  “Oh, my word,” Mrs. Fitzgerald said. She peered at

  George over the top of her gold-rimmed glasses. “Oh,

  my word, I guess you're not Jade, after all. You do look

  so much like her, though.”

  “Yes, she does,” Susan agreed.

  Nancy glanced from Mrs. Fitzgerald to George to

  Susan. “Who's Jade?”

  George frowned. “Yeah, who's Jade?”

  “I'll explain everything in a sec,” Susan said. “First,

  let's say a proper hello.” She walked over and gave

  Nancy a big bear hug. “Hi, it's so awesome to see you.”

  Then she turned to Bess and George and gave them

  hugs, too. “George, you've changed since the last time I

  saw you. I'm sorry I didn't—um, recognize you right

  away.”

  “I'm sorry I screamed, girls,” Mrs. Fitzgerald piped

  up. “It's just that George here looks so much like—

  well, with your hair and everything and your

  complexion and even your eyes . . .” Her voice trailed

  off.

  “Let me get you all something to drink, and we can

  sit down and catch up,” Susan suggested. “I think

  there's some iced tea in the kitchen. Then we can go

  over to the cafeteria and grab some dinner.”

  “Dinner, great,” Bess said. She plopped down on the

  wicker couch and took off her pink rhinestone

  sunglasses. “All this excitement has given me an ap-

  petite!”

  “I was just on my way over to the visitors' center,”

  Mrs. Fitzgerald said, holding up her clipboard. “Excuse

  me, won't you? It was nice meeting you all. I'm sorry

  about the mix-up.” She turned to Susan. “You'll explain

  everything, won't you?”

  “Of course I will, Mrs. Fitzgerald,” Susan replied.

  Nancy frowned. She was growing more and more

  curious by the minute. Who was this Jade person

  whom George resembled so much? What was the big

  mystery about her? Why had Mrs. Fitzgerald and

  Susan screamed like that?

  Mrs. Fitzgerald waved goodbye and headed outside,

  letting the screen door slam shut behind her. It was

  starting to get dark. Mosquitoes buzzed against the