“Really?” Greg said. His face lit up. “Thanks.”
Mrs. Marvin and Bess got into the van, and they started on their way home.
Once Greg had been dropped off, Nancy took out her blue notebook. She crossed two names off the suspect list—Greg’s and Ned’s. But beside Greg’s name, she wrote, “He knows something.”
Bess started biting her fingernails. “Nancy,” she said, “what are we going to do? The party is tomorrow.”
Nancy looked at her suspect list again. There was only one real suspect left: Josh.
“Don’t worry,” Nancy said. “I’m not giving up yet.”
When she got home, Nancy ran to the phone in the kitchen. Quickly she dialed Josh Lemon’s phone number.
The phone rang five times before Josh picked it up.
“Hi,” Nancy said. “May I speak to Josh?”
“Yeah,” Josh said. “This is me.”
“Oh, hi,” Nancy said as sweetly as she could. “This is Nancy Drew. I wanted to ask you—”
But before Nancy could finish her sentence, she heard a loud bang. Then a click.
“I don’t believe it,” Nancy said. “He hung up on me. That means he must know something. But what?”
7
Party Poopers
What am I going to say?” Bess whispered. “What am I going to tell everyone? They’ll hate me.”
Nancy, Bess, and George were standing outside Ms. Frick’s art room. It was Friday afternoon—the day of the party.
Nancy felt Bess’s fingers gripping her arm. They dug in deeper and deeper.
“It will be okay,” Nancy said. “Don’t worry.”
“Yeah,” George said. “I’m sure Ms. Frick will help you explain it to the class.”
Ms. Frick leaned her head out into the hall and raised her eyebrows. “Coming?” she called to the three girls.
“Come on,” Nancy said as she and George pulled Bess toward the classroom. “The bell already rang. We’re late.”
Bess let out a small moan. But she let Nancy and George lead her toward the art room. The three of them took seats at a table in the very back.
Ms. Frick clapped her hands together. “Well, this is it,” she said, smiling. “Party day!”
Everyone let out a cheer.
“Where’s the present?” Brenda Carlton called out. She glared at Bess.
“I’ll explain about that,” Ms. Frick said quickly.
She cleared her throat and waited. When everyone saw the look on her face, they got quiet very fast.
“The money we collected is missing,” Ms. Frick said. “It’s possible it was stolen from Bess’s mother’s car.”
Nancy watched her classmates closely. A few people gasped. Brenda whirled around and glared at Bess again. So did a few other kids.
“That’s terrible!” Lindsay cried out. “What about the cookie jar?”
“It’s Bess’s fault,” Brenda Carlton said loudly. “She should buy the cookie jar with her own money.”
Ms. Frick shook her head. She held up her hands for silence.
“No,” the art teacher said. “Bess’s mother offered to buy it, but I told her not to. It’s not the Marvins’ fault that the money is missing.”
“But the party!” Lindsay cried. “We can’t have a party without a present!”
“Yes, we can,” Ms. Frick said. “We have the food already. And don’t forget—you made a present for Ms. Spencer. I’m sure she will treasure that more than anything you could buy.”
Ms. Frick pointed to the giant wedding cake card. It was standing open on her desk.
“Don’t say a word about the cookie jar,” Ms. Frick went on. Then she glanced toward the door. “All right, class, be quiet. Here she comes.”
Ms. Spencer walked into the art room. “The principal said you wanted to see me?” she said to Ms. Frick.
“Surprise!” everyone in class called out.
Ms. Spencer blinked. Then she saw the huge wedding card and the food.
The table was spread with little cakes, cookies, and punch. There were even special wedding napkins with silver bells on them.
Ms. Spencer looked totally surprised. She had a huge smile on her face.
“How sweet of you!” she cried.
Nancy grinned and gave Bess’s arm a squeeze. “See? Everything’s all right,” Nancy whispered to her friend.
“How? When . . . ?” Ms. Spencer started to say.
Ms. Frick laughed. “It was the class’s idea,” she said. “They wanted to do something special for your wedding.”
Ms. Frick pointed to the huge card.
“Oh, I love it already,” Ms. Spencer said. Nancy and Bess brought it closer.
First Ms. Spencer studied the outside. Then she opened it.
“See the really cool jet planes?” Jason Hutchings called out. “I drew them.”
Ms. Spencer laughed. “They’re beautiful,” she said.
Then she began to read the messages inside.
The first one was a poem from Nancy. It said:
The bride is my teacher.
She’s not only smart,
She’s also quite beautiful
And has a loving heart.
“Oh, Nancy,” Ms. Spencer said, “that’s so nice.”
By the time Ms. Spencer had read all the poems and messages, she had tears in her eyes.
“This is the best wedding present anyone could give me,” she said.
Brenda Carlton cleared her throat. “Well, not really—” she started to say.
Ms. Frick stopped her. “Time for refreshments,” the art teacher called.
Noisily, the class pushed back their chairs. Everyone hurried to the table to get cake, cookies, and punch.
Everyone except Bess. She didn’t move.
“Come on,” Nancy said softly. “Don’t be upset anymore. Ms. Spencer’s really happy.”
“Let’s go get some cake,” George said.
“I’m not hungry,” Bess said.
Nancy and George looked at each other. Bess must have been really upset. She loved sweet things. She always wanted cake—whether she was hungry or not.
Nancy and George went to the refreshment table. They chose an extra big piece of cake for Bess.
Bess wouldn’t eat it. She wouldn’t even look at it. She just sat at a table by herself, looking glum.
Finally the bell rang. The party was over. School was out for the weekend.
Nancy, Bess, and George walked back to their classroom to get their books from their cubbies.
“Hey, what’s this?” Nancy took a folded piece of paper from her cubby.
“Is it a note?” George asked.
“Yes,” Nancy answered. She unfolded the note. “Listen to this.”
I was fooling around with the money in Bess’s car. But I put it back in the envelope. I don’t know how it got lost.
Sorry.
Bess put her hands on her hips. “ ‘Sorry’?” she said, reading the last word. “Hmmph. If the person is so sorry, why didn’t he sign his name?”
8
Happily Ever After
At last!” Nancy cried. She clutched the note in her hand and held it up in the air. “I finally have a clue!”
“Huh?” George asked. “How is that a clue? It isn’t even signed.”
“I know,” Nancy said with a smile. “But I think I know who wrote it. Come on!”
Without waiting for Bess and George, Nancy grabbed her backpack. She nearly ran out of the classroom, down the hall, and out of school. By the time she reached the parking lot, she was out of breath.
Nancy scanned the lot. She spotted the Marvins’ red minivan. Greg was standing beside it.
“Hi,” Nancy said to Greg. “Look what I found in my cubby.” She handed him the note.
Greg looked at it.
“I know,” Greg said. “Josh wrote it.”
Nancy’s eyes grew big. “He did?” she said. “I thought you wrote it.”
?
??No,” Greg said. “It was Josh. He was fooling around with the envelope on Wednesday. He joked about taking it. But he was just kidding. When Mrs. Marvin came to the car, Josh put it back. I know he did. I saw him.”
Nancy closed her eyes for a minute to think.
Josh fooled around with the money. Then he put it back.
“Did you see him put it back?” Nancy asked. “In Mrs. Marvin’s purse?”
“Yeah,” Greg said. “At least I think so. I couldn’t really see where he put it. I was in the backseat. But I know he didn’t take it.”
Nancy closed her eyes again and thought hard. Then she opened them and took out her notebook. There was something she couldn’t remember.
“Oh, yes,” Nancy said when she saw the notes she had written on the page. “Now I remember.”
“Remember what?” Bess asked as she and George climbed into the car.
“The post office,” Nancy said. “You went to the post office on Wednesday. To mail a package to your grandmother. Right?”
Bess nodded.
“Was it that big brown padded envelope? The one on the floor by your mom’s purse?” Nancy asked.
“Yes,” Bess said. “There was a book in it. And some photos.”
“I saw the package,” Nancy said, getting excited. “And it was open.”
“So what?” Bess and George said at the same time.
“So what? Here’s what,” Nancy began. “What if Josh didn’t put the envelope back in your mom’s purse? What if he put it in the package for your grandmother instead—by accident.”
Bess’s mouth fell open.
“Nancy, you’re a genius,” George said.
Nancy smiled. “Well?” she asked Bess. “Do you think it could have happened that way?”
“Maybe,” Bess said. “But then—”
“Then the money would have been mailed to your grandmother!” Nancy exclaimed.
Bess got out and went to where her mother was standing. Nancy watched while Bess told her mother everything. Then Bess climbed back into the van.
“Mom says you could be right,” Bess said. “She didn’t have any staples at home, so she couldn’t seal the envelope. She had them tape it closed at the post office.”
“Yay!” George said, jumping up and down.
“Hey, you really are a good detective,” Greg said.
“Hold on,” Nancy said. “I don’t even know if I’m right, yet.”
“After your mom drives Greg home, we can go to your house and call your grandmother,” George said. “Maybe she’s gotten the package in the mail.”
As soon as Mrs. Marvin parked the car, the girls ran into Bess’s house. Bess made the call. Just as George hoped, the package had arrived that day.
Bess’s grandmother opened it—and found the envelope of money inside.
“Mom!” Bess called from the phone. “Grammy’s got the money. Can we go buy the schoolhouse cookie jar now?”
Bess’s mother came running. She gave Nancy a hug. “Yes,” she said, smiling broadly. “Yes, of course. Oh, thank you, Nancy. You’ve done it again.”
• • •
The next morning Nancy bubbled with excitement. She had never been to a wedding before. She put on her new flowered dress and brushed her hair. Then Hannah helped her tie her hair back with a matching bow.
“You look scrumptious,” Nancy’s father said.
Nancy beamed. “Let’s go, Daddy,” she said. “We’ve got to pick up Bess and George. I don’t want to be late.”
Just as Nancy walked out the front door, Rebecca arrived.
“Oh, thank goodness you didn’t leave yet!” Rebecca said dramatically. “Here.”
She handed Nancy a card.
“What’s this?” Nancy asked.
“Well,” Rebecca said, blushing. “My mom wouldn’t let me buy crystal candlesticks. So I made Ms. Spencer a card myself. With a drawing of candlesticks on the front.”
“That was sweet of you,” Nancy said.
Rebecca pouted. “I wish I could come,” she said softly.
“I wish you could, too,” Nancy said as she hurried to the car and got in. Then, as her dad pulled out of the driveway, Nancy rolled down the window. “I’ll bring you some of the mints,” she called.
“Mints?” Carson Drew said. “How do you know they’ll have mints at the wedding?”
“Rebecca told me,” Nancy said with a smile.
Soon they had picked up Bess and George. Carson Drew drove to the church. When they got out of the car, he jumped out, too.
“I just want to take a picture of you three,” he said.
Nancy stood between her two best friends. Bess’s cheeks glowed. She held the wedding gift—the special cookie jar—in her arms. It was wrapped in silver paper just as Lindsay and Rebecca said it should be.
“You look beautiful,” Carson said to the girls.
The wedding ceremony was short, but Nancy loved every minute of it. Her favorite part was the end. First Ms. Spencer kissed her husband. Then the bride and groom walked down the aisle together. The organ music played.
“I want my wedding to be just like this,” Bess said as they hurried to the wedding reception.
• • •
That night Nancy lay in her bed with her blue notebook open. She stared at the place where she had written “No clues.”
No wonder I couldn’t catch the thief, Nancy thought.
There wasn’t any thief.
Then Nancy turned to a new page in her notebook. She took out a pen and wrote:
Yesterday I solved the case of the Wedding Gift Goof—and today I went to my first wedding. I also found out something important about presents. We talked Ms. Spencer into opening our cookie jar gift at the wedding. And guess what? She said she liked the present we made for her just as much as the one we bought. I guess that means we didn’t goof up after all.
Case closed.
Carolyn Keene, The Wedding Gift Goof
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