The lobster raft drifted past other kids splashing in the pool. Everybody looked so happy—not angry or mean!
“I still don’t get it,” Bess said. “Who would want to ruin such a great party?”
“Maybe somebody who was mad at Deirdre,” Nancy said with a shrug.
“Everybody is mad at Deirdre at some point,” George said. “She’s always yelling at people.”
Yelling? Nancy’s eyes lit up at the word.
“What about the waiters from Crabby Carl’s?” Nancy suggested. “They were mad at Deirdre for yelling at them.”
“And they said something about a secret plan,” Bess added. “Maybe their plan was that icky snake.”
“The waiters are our first suspects,” George declared. “But who else would want to ruin Deirdre’s party?”
“It could have been any of these kids,” Bess said, looking out at the swimmers. “But if we were all in the house at the time of the crime—”
“But we weren’t all in the house!” Nancy cut in. “Remember the sea monster? She didn’t want to come inside!”
“We never saw her again after that either,” George pointed out.
“The sea monster is our next suspect,” Bess declared. “Whoever she is.”
“I want to make a list of our suspects like we always do,” George said.
“Let’s get the Clue Book!” Nancy said. “Come on. I left it in the house.”
The girls left the lobster raft floating in the pool as they stepped out. On the way they passed by Taffy’s topiaries. Nancy’s favorite was the angelfish. But just as she went to get a closer look . . .
“Nancy!” Bess cried. “Watch out!”
SOMETHING FISHY
“What?” Nancy asked. She looked down and gasped. Curled up in the grass just inches away from her feet was another snake!
“Omigosh! Omigosh!” Bess cried.
“Calm down,” George said. “That one is fake too!”
George pointed to the Yuks price tag on the snake’s tail. It was also the same color as the snake in the pool—green and yellow!
“There’s one more!” Nancy exclaimed, pointing to another fake snake by the second topiary. The girls checked out the third one but didn’t find any fake snake.
“Do you think Taffy planted all these snakes?” Nancy asked. “The one in the pool, too?”
“Why would Taffy want to spoil Deirdre’s party?” Bess asked.
“Taffy told us that Deirdre didn’t like her topiaries,” Nancy said. “Then Taffy said she had a surprise for Deirdre.”
“Maybe Taffy’s surprise was the fake snake in the pool!” George said. “I guess Taffy is our next suspect.”
“Do you still want to write down the list of suspects in the Clue Book, Nancy?” Bess asked.
“I’d rather go back to the party,” Nancy admitted. “Even detectives need a break once in a while.”
“Especially after finding those snakes!” Bess shuddered.
The rest of the party was awesome. The girls didn’t find any more fake snakes. Deirdre seemed happy too as she thanked her guests for coming to her “perfect” super sweet half-sixteen party.
After the party Nancy, Bess, and George helped Mrs. Fayne and the caterers pack up all the leftover food and supplies. They were happy to snack on some extra cookies and mini quiche while Nancy listed all their suspects in the Clue Book. At the top of the list she wrote:
1. Crabby Carl's waiters
Then she wrote:
2. Taffy of Taffy's Topiaries
3. Sea monster
“I’d like to stop off at Crabby Carl’s,” Mrs. Fayne said as she drove the girls home in her catering van. “Those waiters worked so hard that I think they deserve some cupcakes.”
Nancy, Bess, and George traded looks. The waiters at Crabby Carl’s were suspects!
“Um, we can drop off the cupcakes, Mrs. Fayne!” Nancy blurted. “We want to visit Crabby Carl’s anyway.”
“Why?” Mrs. Fayne asked, sounding surprised.
“Er, to visit Crusty the lobster,” George said quickly. “You know, the lobster that’s been in their tank for years and years.”
“We love Crusty!” Bess added.
“Okay, okay.” Mrs. Fayne chuckled. “Crabby Carl’s is within five blocks of our house.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Fayne!” Nancy exclaimed.
Nancy, Bess, and George had the same rule: They could walk anywhere without an adult as long as it was within five blocks of home and as long as they were together.
“Be careful with those cupcakes,” Mrs. Fayne warned as she dropped off the girls at Crabby Carl’s. “And say hi to Crusty for me!”
“We will, Mom!” George called as she carried the big box of cupcakes.
Nancy, Bess, and George walked through a pair of swinging doors into the restaurant. Tables were filled with people eating fish, hush puppies, and Nancy’s favorite popcorn shrimp!
“Can I help you?” someone with a gruff voice asked.
Nancy, Bess, and George turned to see Crabby Carl, the owner of the restaurant. He got his nickname because he hardly ever smiled, but his food was great!
“What are those? Cupcakes?” Carl asked, staring through the box’s cellophane cover. “We serve our own desserts here.”
“I know,” George said. “My mom is a caterer.”
“And she wants the waiters who worked at Deirdre Shannon’s party to have these cupcakes,” Nancy added.
“Cupcakes for the waiters?” Carl growled. “What about for me? I own the place!”
“If they’re nice, they’ll share!” Bess said.
“Okay,” Carl said. He nodded to the back of the restaurant and said, “You can bring the cupcakes to the waiters’ break room. The ones who worked at the party are busy serving customers now, but they should be taking their break any minute now.”
“Thank you, Mr. Crabby,” Nancy said.
The girls were about to head to the back when they noticed something strange. For the first time the lobster tank in the restaurant was empty.
“What happened to Crusty?” George asked.
“I don’t know.” Crabby Carl sighed sadly. “One minute Crusty was in the tank; the next minute he was gone!”
As the girls headed to the back, Bess whispered, “You don’t think someone ate Crusty, do you?”
“Who would want to eat Crusty?” George demanded. “He’s like a celebrity here!”
The waiters’ break room was next to the kitchen. George opened the door, and the girls stepped inside. They looked around and saw a lumpy brown sofa, table, TV, fridge, and a wooden room divider that looked like a screen.
“The waiters aren’t here yet,” Nancy said as George placed the cupcake box on the table. “Let’s look for clues!”
“What kind of clues?” Bess asked.
“Start searching for fake snakes,” George suggested. “Maybe there’s a box of them around here somewhere.”
Nancy, Bess, and George searched the room until they heard voices outside the door.
“The waiters are coming!” George whispered. “Let’s hide so we can listen to what they say.”
The three friends darted behind the screen. They peeked out through the screen’s wooden slats. Four waiters were stepping into the room wearing fish headdresses.
“That’s them,” George hissed. “The same waiters from the party!”
“I hope they don’t find us snooping,” Bess whispered.
The girls were as quiet as mice as they listened. Nancy couldn’t resist taking out the Clue Book. She wanted to make sure to write down anything important that the waiters said.
“Mission accomplished, you guys,” a boy said. “And nobody had a clue it was us!”
Nancy shot her friends a sideways glance. Was their mission putting the snake into Deirdre’s pool?
“Now it’s on to Plan B!” the boy went on.
“Plan B?” Nancy whispered. “What’s Plan B?”
The girls peered through the slats again. This time they all gasped. The waiters were walking toward them! One of the waiters carried a big white container, which she placed on the ground just a few inches from Nancy.
Another waiter suddenly stopped. She pointed to the table and said, “Cupcakes! Let’s have some before we get started on our plan.”
As the waiters helped themselves to the cupcakes, George tugged on Nancy’s elbow.
“Look!” George whispered. She nodded toward the white container. “Maybe the fake snakes are in there!”
Nancy, Bess, and George gathered around the container. Cold air blasted out as George pulled off the lid. Inside was a pile of ice and something else. . . .
“Holy cannoli,” George whispered.
“It’s a giant cockroach!” Bess cried.
“That’s not a cockroach!” Nancy said. She stared down at the dark red creature waving its claws. “That’s Crusty !”
TOENAILED
The girls shrieked as Crusty tried crawling out of the container. They ran out from behind the screen one by one.
When the waiters saw the girls, they froze with the cupcakes still in their hands. Nancy could see their names stitched on their aprons: NICOLE, KIERAN, TODD, and JESSICA.
“Um . . . hi.” Nancy gulped.
“What are you kids doing here?” Nicole demanded.
“We brought those cupcakes you’re eating,” George said.
“Yummy, huh?” Bess asked.
“If you just brought cupcakes,” Todd said, “why were you hiding?”
“We wanted to find out who threw the fake snake into Deirdre’s pool,” George said bravely. “Was it you guys?”
“There was a fake snake in Deirdre Shannon’s pool?” Todd asked, sounding surprised.
“I’m sorry we missed that!” Nicole chuckled.
“You should be sorry,” Bess said. “It almost ruined Deirdre’s party.”
“I am sorry about that,” Nicole admitted. “But it wasn’t us.”
“We left right after Deirdre’s grand entrance,” Jessica said. “We didn’t see any snakes in the pool.”
“But we know Deirdre yelled at you,” Nancy said. “We also heard you talking about some secret plan.”
The four waiters began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” George demanded.
“Our secret plan is to free Crusty before his sixtieth birthday,” Jessica explained.
“Free Crusty?” Nancy repeated.
“Carl doesn’t know it,” Jessica said in a hushed voice. “But I’m going to take Crusty on our family vacation to the sea tomorrow.”
“You mean you’re going to throw him back into the ocean?” Bess asked, wide-eyed.
“Sure thing,” Kieran replied. “Crusty is going to love it!”
Nancy understood it now. So that’s why Crusty wasn’t in his tank. He was about to be freed!
Suddenly, Kieran pointed over Nancy’s, Bess’s, and George’s shoulders and cried, “There’s Crusty!”
Nancy, Bess, and George whirled around. Crusty the lobster had escaped the container and was scrambling across the floor!
“Crusty can’t be out of that container for long!” Kieran exclaimed. “We’ve got to put him back on ice now!”
But Crusty had other plans. The lobster picked up speed and took off. Nancy, Bess, and George watched the waiters chase Crusty through the room.
“The waiters seem nice,” Nancy whispered. “But how do we know they really left after Deirdre’s grand entrance?”
“I know how we can find out,” George whispered. “Follow me.”
The waiters were still chasing Crusty as the girls walked over to a clock on the wall.
“This is called a time clock,” George explained. “The waiters stick a card inside, and it prints the time they got to work.”
A rack of time cards hung next to the clock. Quickly and quietly the girls found the cards for Nicole, Kieran, Todd, and Jessica.
“Deirdre’s grand entrance was at one o’clock sharp,” Nancy whispered. “These cards show that the waiters got to work at one thirty.”
“So they did go straight to work,” Bess whispered.
Suddenly—
“Gotcha!” Jessica shouted as she grabbed Crusty. The waiters cheered until someone else burst into the room. It was Carl . . . and he looked crabby!
“What’s that racket back here?” Carl said. His eyes flew wide open when he saw the lobster in Jessica’s hands. “Cheese and crackers! Is that Crusty?”
“Um . . . ,” Todd started to say.
Nicole stalled. “Well . . .”
“Time to go,” Nancy murmured to Bess and George.
The girls left the break room and the restaurant. As they stepped outside, George said, “So the fish are off the hook. What next?”
“It’s getting late,” Nancy said. “Let’s work on the case tomorrow.”
“Good idea, Nancy,” George said. “I’m getting hungry for dinner—even after all that party food.”
“What are you eating tonight, George?” Bess asked.
“Anything but lobster!” George groaned.
• • •
“Would you like grilled veggies with your burger, Nancy?” Mr. Drew called from the grill in the backyard. He was wearing the DUDE WITH THE FOOD apron Nancy had given him for Father’s Day.
“Yes, thanks, Daddy!” Nancy said. “I’d also like some help with the Clue Crew’s new case, please.”
“One order of mystery advice coming right up!” Mr. Drew declared.
As Nancy played on the grass with her puppy, Chocolate Chip, she explained the case of the fake snake in the pool. She had already crossed off the waiters’ names from the list of suspects in the Clue Book:
1. Crabby Carl's waiters
2. Taffy of Taffy's Topiaries
3. Sea monster
“The waiters didn’t do it,” Nancy said. “We already figured that out.”
“Do you have any other suspects?” Mr. Drew asked.
“We have two more, Daddy,” Nancy replied. “One is Taffy the garden designer. The other is that mysterious kid in the sea monster costume.”
Hannah Gruen smiled as she carried a bowl of fruit salad into the backyard. Hannah was much more than the Drew’s housekeeper; she was almost like a mother to Nancy. That’s because Nancy’s real mother died when she was only three years old.
“Do you know the sea monster kid’s name?” Hannah asked.
Nancy shook her head and said, “All we know is that she likes pink toenail polish, Hannah. That’s not much.”
Chip’s ears suddenly perked up. She wagged her tail, then raced away and around the side of the house.
“Chip, come back!” Nancy called. “You’re not on a leash!”
Nancy chased Chip to the front yard. Chip was still wagging her tail and barking toward the sidewalk. Walking past the Drew’s house was Shelby Metcalf.
“Hi, Shelby,” Nancy said, holding on to Chip’s collar. Her puppy seemed to know all of Nancy’s friends!
“Oh, uh, hi, Nancy,” Shelby said. She didn’t look like she wanted to talk but stopped anyway. “Um . . . how was Deirdre’s party?”
Nancy had totally forgotten that Shelby hadn’t been invited to Deirdre’s party. What could she say that wouldn’t make Shelby feel bad?
“Um . . . it was okay,” Nancy said with a shrug.
But as Nancy lowered her eyes she saw something that made her gasp. Shelby was wearing purple sandals. And her toenails were painted pink!
Omigosh, Nancy thought, her heart pounding. Just like the sea monster!
LITTLE RIDDLE
Nancy looked back up at Shelby’s face.
Could she have been the kid in the sea monster costume? Was she at Deirdre’s party after all?
“Shelby, what did you do today?” Nancy blurted.
“Nothing,” Shelby blurted back. She started walking. “I’ve got to go now.”
Nancy’s
head was spinning with questions as she watched Shelby walk up the block and turn the corner.
Could Shelby have been mad at Deirdre because she wasn’t invited to Deirdre’s sweet half-sixteen party? Did Shelby secretly crash Deirdre’s party so she could throw the snake into Deirdre’s pool?
“I don’t want Shelby to be a suspect, Chip.” Nancy sighed. “But it looks like she already is!”
“Woof!” Chip barked.
• • •
“Are you sure it was the same pink toenail polish the sea monster wore, Nancy?” Bess asked the next day as the Clue Crew headed to Main Street. “There’s cotton candy pink, hot pink, ballet pink—”
“It was pink, Bess!” Nancy cut in. “That’s all I know.”
“I just hope we find Shelby so we can ask her a few questions,” George said.
“We will,” Nancy assured her. “Shelby’s mom told us she had an errand to run on Main Street.”
It was Monday morning. It was also summer vacation, so the girls didn’t have school. Instead they had all day to work on their case. The Clue Book was safely tucked inside Nancy’s bag as she walked along. She had already added Shelby’s name to the list of suspects:
1. Crabby Carl's waiters
2. Taffy of Taffy's Topiaries
3. Sea monster
4. Shelby Metcalf
“Why would Shelby go to Deirdre’s party if she wasn’t invited?” Bess wondered.
“Maybe Shelby was mad at Deirdre for not inviting her,” Nancy figured. “Mad enough to do something not-so-nice.”
“You guys, look!” George said as they reached Main Street. She pointed at Yuks Joke Shop. Coiled in the store window was a green and yellow fake snake.
“That snake looks just like the ones at the party!” Nancy said. “Let’s ask the owner if anyone bought a bunch of them lately.”
A bell over the door jingled as Nancy, Bess, and George walked inside. Sitting behind a counter was a woman wearing a pirate bandana and an eye patch. On her Yuks T-shirt was a badge that read DEBBIE.
“Ahoy, me kiddies!” Debbie greeted in a pirate-like voice. “What brings you landlubbers to drop anchor at Yuks?”
“Snakes,” Bess said.