Jo had agreed to be my lookout while I set up the taping equipment. I'd have had a stroke if I had to do it alone. Rob could come and go at any time, and I couldn't fiddle with the plug and recorder in my bedroom and be my own lookout at the same time.

I stopped at the office and brought Jo home with me. She sat upstairs in the family room, looking out the wall of windows where she could see all the way down the long driveway. If Rob were to drive up Jo would give me plenty of notice.

"This might be a stupid question," Jo posed, stopping dead still, hands on both hips, to ask,"but have you checked to see if he beat us to it?"

I looked at my friend, whom I towered over, and a little smile came over my face. "Not a bad idea, Nancy Drew," I replied. We both began to laugh - "howl" was the word Jo would use. "Wouldn't that be a stitch!"

First, we checked every phone in the house, to see if Rob had indeed beat me to it. He might want to know what I knew. He'd be able to find out what I was telling my friends and sister. There was nothing. He probably didn't care enough to think about doing such a thing.

All through the inspection of the six phones in the house, Jo and I continued our peals of laughter. It may have been to relieve the tension of the moment.

Satisfied that no Hardy boy had been at work on the phones, I returned to the dastardly deed. Jo sat down again by the family room windows, peering intently down the driveway.

"I need help," I wailed, even though I knew that Jo would have to leave her post in order to be my technical assistant. She came, but it made both of us nervous.

Jo let out a combination of a laugh and groan. "You go to the windows now to be Nancy Drew," she said, "and I'll look this over." I did as I was told, relieved that one of us could keep an eye on the driveway. Just knowing that Rob could come and go at will, although unlikely on a weekday afternoon, heightened the drama, which was already almost unbearable.

That evening, I went to a mall store. No one bothered me as I read the packages and found the multiple outlet plug.

The next morning was a Saturday, and I was happy to see Rob drive away early. I called Jo at the office where she waited at a window to watch Rob drive by before she came over.

This time, it was easier. Jo and I tested the system while she sat looking out the windows, more nervous on this Saturday than on the weekday when Rob was less likely to appear.

It worked. We tested each and every phone and it worked! Jo was greatly relieved when I pronounced it ready to "tap" and she was able to get back to the office, safe and sound.

I waited eagerly for Rob to return home, then left immediately, hoping he would call Kitty when alone.

After a few hours, I returned to find him riding the tractor. I raced upstairs, closed my bedroom door, nervously locking it. I knelt down quietly, lifting up the dust ruffle of the bed cover, and gently pulled the tape recorder out from under the bed. I saw the tape was well advanced. My heart was beating fast and, I was certain, audibly.

I ran to the window, saw that Rob was still mowing. Returning to the recorder, I turned the volume down and rewound the tape to the beginning. This time I pressed the play button. Immediately, I knew I had something. I removed the tape, inserted another and reset the recorder.

I hid the tape in my purse, unlocked the bedroom door, and walked directly to my car, hoping Rob would not have stopped mowing and come to the house while I was leaving. I was certain my face would give me away. It had to be a criminal crimson by now.

I was careful to drive out slowly and steadily. My office was less than three miles away, but it seemed to take me three hours to get there.

Jo had a tape recorder in her office. I raced in and fumbled with the tape - afraid that I might erase it, but finally saw it begin to slowly unwind until I heard Rob's voice.