"What are you two doing here ?" he repeated, a threatening tone in his voice . "Who told you that you could snoop around like this ?"

"Now, Jack," Eleanor said in a quavering voice, holding out a restraining hand toward him, "I just wanted to show Nancy that article about Nila stealing from the poor old woman, and I remembered it was here, in that box on your desk," she finished, her voice tapering off to a mere whisper . "I did have the key you gave me --- so --- I --- we --- um . . ."

Jack grunted huffily, but the explanation Eleanor had given him ---- that they were investigating Nila, not him ---- mollified him a bit . "Well, I see you found what you were looking for," he said, eyeing the article in Nancy's hand . "Now get out . You can take it with you, but don't ever let me catch you sneaking into my house again, understand ?"

"Of course not, Jack," Eleanor assured him .

"And give me back my key while you're at it," he said, grabbing it out of her hand roughly ....