Power of Suggestion Read Online Free

from you.”
    When Nancy, Ned, and Dr. Cohen got to the entrance hall of the building, Parker and Bess were leaning against a wall. Parker still seemed dazed, but Bess was holding his hand reassuringly. Her parka was draped over his shoulders.
    Nancy and Ned drew Bess aside while Dr. Cohen approached Parker. In an undertone, they told Bess about finding Wayne Perkins’s body.
    â€œOh, no!” she gasped. “Poor Parker! No wonder he’s so upset—he must have seen something!”
    Nancy wasn’t sure if that was the real reasonfor Parker’s confusion. She turned her attention back to Dr. Cohen, who was bending close to Parker.
    â€œHello, Parker, I’m Dr. Cohen,” he said in a calm, reassuring voice. “Do you remember what happened?”
    Nancy could see that Parker’s pupils were dilated and his gaze unfocused. He looked past the doctor and shook his head in confusion.
    Dr. Cohen felt Parker’s pulse and looked into his eyes. Then he turned to Nancy, Ned, and Bess.
    â€œYour friend seems to be suffering from a mild case of shock,” he told them. “Keep him warm and sitting here. I’ll be back in a moment.”
    Glancing through the heavy wood and glass doors, Nancy saw that another campus security car and two Emersonville police cars had just pulled up, their lights flashing. An ambulance was right behind them. A small crowd was beginning to gather outside, and one of the campus security guards moved to keep the onlookers from entering the building.
    As Dr. Cohen went outside, hurrying over to the ambulance, three uniformed police officers burst into the building, accompanied by a rumpled middle-aged man in a trenchcoat who was chewing on the remnants of a foul-smelling cigar. With them was one of the biggest men Nancy had ever seen. He wore a campus security uniform with gold braid on the cap and shoulder.
    â€œThat’s Captain Marcus Backman, the newhead of campus security,” Ned whispered to Nancy as the group hurried past, toward the stairway. “He was the greatest linebacker Emerson ever had!”
    The group of officers was followed by a medic team from the ambulance. They also hustled past Nancy and her friends, accompanied by Dr. Cohen. As Parker watched the parade of officials race past, he started looking more and more confused.
    â€œWh-what’s going on?” he finally asked.
    Nancy exchanged an uncomfortable look with Ned and Bess. Could he really not know what had happened? Nancy wasn’t sure what to tell him. If he was already in shock, telling him about Wayne Perkins’s death probably wouldn’t help his condition.
    Nancy looked up as Dr. Cohen returned. Captain Backman and the man in the trenchcoat were with him.
    â€œI’m Lieutenant Easterling, homicide, Emersonville PD,” the man in the trenchcoat said, speaking around his cigar stub. He focused on Nancy and Ned. “Dr. Cohen tells me you two found the body.”
    â€œBody?” Parker repeated, suddenly looking scared. “Wh-what body? Is s-someone dead?”
    Captain Backman put a hand on Parker’s shoulder. “Take it easy, son,” he said in a deep voice. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
    Turning back to Nancy and Ned, Lieutenant Easterling repeated, “Now, you two found thebody.” When they nodded, he asked, “You’re both students here?”
    â€œI am—I’m Ned Nickerson. This is my girlfriend, Nancy Drew. And this is Bess Marvin. They’re visiting for the weekend.”
    Captain Backman turned to Nancy, a surprised expression on his face. “You’re Nancy Drew?” he asked.
    â€œSo, who’s Nancy Drew? Someone special?” Easterling asked, chomping on his cigar.
    â€œMiss Drew is a very talented amateur detective.” Backman turned back to Nancy. “I reviewed the security department records when I took this job. You’ve been a great help to the