Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 Nellie's jaw dropped. "You're giving me the window seat?" she said, incredulous. She was momentarily stunned by their generosity but didn't hesitate to snatch up this rare gift. She settled into the seat and rested her head against the window. After takeoff, Dan reached over and plucked the earbuds out of her ears. "Dude!" she said. "What are you doing?" "Right question," Dan said. "What are you doing?" He pulled the cord out of the iPod and held the earbuds out of her reach. Amy took the earbuds from Dan and wound the cord neatly, away from Nellie's swiping hand. "Nellie, cut it out," she said. "We— we really need to talk." Nellie felt a prickle of unease, which she

covered with an exasperated sigh. "What's the problem now? You said Europe, I took you to Europe. You said Japan, so I took you there, and then Egypt and Russia and— and I don't even know where else, I can't keep track— and now you said the Bahamas, so we're on our way. What's to talk about?" Dan crossed his arms sternly. For a fleeting moment, Nellie almost wanted to pat him on the head; with his face so serious, he looked younger somehow. "How's this for starters," he said. "You somehow magically get us permits to go to Tibet when it takes months for most people. You make one phone call, and all of a sudden we have access to the only helicopter in the world that can get to the top of Everest. The Holts found out that we're going to the Bahamas when no one else but you knew. And in Russia, we heard a message on your phone, asking for a 'status report.'" Nellie had known this moment would come sooner or later; she'd been praying it would be later.

Well, here goes, she thought. Maybe she could distract them…. She tossed her head. "Great. I leave school to look after you guys; I leave the country and go wild–goose–chasing all over the world, which has my parents just thrilled, thank you very much; I even save your necks more than once, and this is the thanks I get?" Amy looked miserable. Nellie felt a surge of pity. Poor kid. Even with an au pair around, Amy had been shouldering burdens that would crush many adults. "Nellie, it's not that we don't trust you," she said. "Except that Mr. McIntyre told us not to trust anyone. And what Dan said— well, can't you see how it looks kind of fishy to us?" When the going gets tough, the tough go to the bathroom. Nellie unclasped her seat belt. "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Neither of them budged. "Ah," she said. "So that's why you gave me the window seat. I should have known something was up." Dan twisted in his seat so he was blocking her way even more.

Nellie bit her lip and stared down at her lap. Thoughts were racing through her head. That secrecy clause in my contract— fifty thousand dollars extra if I make it through without telling them. Fifty thousand! But I never thought things would get so complicated… and it's probably going to get way worse before this is over. Without looking up, she could feel their eyes boring into her. They wouldn't be fooled easily. The truth, then. But not the whole truth. Not who I'm really working for. Just enough to get them off my back for now. She made up her mind. "Okay," she said. "I shouldn't be doing this, but I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to tell you everything." She pushed the button to recline her seat its full three–quarters of an inch. "Get comfy, kids," she said. "This is a long story." Amy felt almost like she was falling. It was as if someone had yanked out the rug she was standing on and thrown her completely off balance. Even though she was sitting down.

Nellie, whom they had trusted and relied on and confided in all these weeks… she wasn't who they thought she was. She wasn't a random college student hired by Aunt Beatrice to be their au pair. Not even close. Nellie had just told them that she was being paid by Mr. McIntyre, to look after them— and that all along, she had been sending him reports about their activities. Without realizing it, Amy took hold of Dan's hand. She looked at him and saw that his face was pale, his lips almost colorless. He didn't pull his hand away. Nellie was just getting started. "It was Grace who hired me," she said. "When she made out her will, she must have guessed that you would go after the clues. And that the other teams would have grown–ups or money or both. So she planned it out carefully. She wanted you to have someone along who could help you with all the travel stuff and drive and everything. She told me you'd be hunting for clues and that things might get a little tricky. But she sure as heck

didn't tell me what I was really getting into!" Nellie shook her head. "I had to interview three different times. For hours— man, did she grill me. I knew I had a good shot when I told her that I knew how to fly a plane. And when I finally got the job, she told your Aunt Beatrice that if she fired me, she wouldn't get anything in the will. Your grandmother was one smart lady." Dan cleared his throat. "No wonder you've lasted so long," he said slowly. "Before you, Aunt Beatrice got rid of au pairs like they were cockroaches or something." "I swear I've never told any of the other teams a single thing," Nellie said. "I tell McIntyre, and he decides what to do with the information. So like with the Bahamas? Yeah, I told him. But I didn't tell the Holts. He must have told them, and he must have had his reasons, but he usually doesn't tell me what they are. Otherwise, my only job is to keep you safe." Silence. "Don't you get it?" Nellie asked, sounding a