“Keep watch,” Nancy said. “Let us know if she comes back.”
“Okay!” George and Bess walked back around the side of the van.
“Do you see my sled?” Molly whispered.
“No,” Nancy said. “But there are lots of hiding places inside the van. Maybe we should climb in to get a better look.”
“What if Hilda comes back?” Molly asked.
Nancy thought for a moment. “Then we’ll just have to tell her the truth,” she said. “But let’s hope she doesn’t come back.”
Molly swallowed hard. “Well . . . okay. If you think this is the only way we can find my sled.”
“I do,” Nancy said. She pulled herself into the back of the van. Molly followed her.
Nancy peeked into the first cabinet. It was much too small to hide a sled.
“Hurry up,” Molly whispered.
Nancy crept forward a little more. She looked behind the seats. No sled back here, Nancy thought.
Just then she heard a sound: footsteps. Heavy footsteps that sounded as if they could be Hilda’s! Nancy’s heart started beating double time.
“What’s that?” Molly asked. Her eyes were wide with fear.
“It sounds like Hilda,” Nancy said. “But it can’t be her. George and Bess would have warned us.”
But just then the van’s back door slammed.
“What do we do now?” Molly whispered.
4
A Close Call
We have to get out of here,” Nancy told Molly quietly. Her heart was pounding.
“How?” Molly asked.
Nancy was certain Hilda would get into the van soon. She would easily discover the girls. Nancy wasn’t sure what Hilda would do to them. And she didn’t want to find out.
I have to find a way for us to escape without Hilda seeing us, Nancy thought.
“Try the rear doors,” Nancy whispered to Molly. “But don’t make too much noise.”
Molly tiptoed back to the doors. She gently tried to turn the handle. It didn’t budge.
Nancy peeked out the serving window. She was careful because she wasn’t sure where Hilda had gone.
Bess and George were standing just outside the window. When Bess spotted Nancy, she started jumping up and down. Without making a sound, George pointed to the front of the van.
“Come on!” Nancy whispered. She grabbed Molly’s hand and pulled her toward the front passenger door.
Nancy crawled onto the seat, opened the door, and hopped out. Molly was right behind her.
George gently closed the door. It made a tiny clicking sound as the lock caught.
“Where’s Hilda?” Nancy whispered.
“On the other side of the van,” George told her.
A minute later Hilda opened the driver’s door. The girls could hear her muttering to herself. They tiptoed farther away.
Nancy and her friends reached the sidewalk. The van’s motor started up. Hilda drove off without even looking at the girls.
“Whew!” Nancy said. “That was close.”
“Do you think she knew we were inside?” Molly asked.
“No,” Nancy said.
“Was the sled in there?” Bess asked.
“Definitely not,” Nancy told her. “We can cross Hilda off our suspects list.” She giggled. “At least, I’ll do that as soon as I write the suspects list.”
Nancy’s father had given her a special notebook with a shiny blue cover. She kept notes on all of her mysteries inside. But Nancy hadn’t brought her notebook sledding. She planned to write down her suspects and clues as soon as she got home.
“I think it’s time to go,” Bess said. “I can hear my stomach growling!”
Molly looked sad. “I never thought I’d be going home without my new sled. My parents are going to be mad when they find out it was stolen.”
“Don’t worry,” Nancy said. “I’m sure we can find it.”
Walking home was easier than walking to the park. Lots of people had shoveled their sidewalks. Plows were clearing the roads. More cars were moving.
When Nancy got home, Hannah fixed lunch. Nancy ate two bowls of tomato soup. Then she ate a turkey sandwich. Sledding all morning had made her extra hungry.
After lunch Nancy helped Hannah clean up the kitchen. Then she got out her blue notebook. She brought it to the table.
Nancy turned to a clean page. She wrote: “The Case of the Missing Sled.” Under that she wrote: “Clues: Sled tracks leading toward the street.”
Hannah was sorting through a big stack of mail. “Do you have a new mystery?” she asked.
“Yes,” Nancy said. “Molly’s sled is missing. I have to find it before the snow melts.”
“Why is that?” Hannah asked.
“Two reasons,” Nancy said. “One is that Molly can’t have any fun in the snow without her sled. And the other is that Molly is going to give her special snow ice cream recipe to whoever finds it.”
Hannah smiled. “Well, I bet that will be you.”
Nancy turned to a new page in her notebook. She wrote: “Suspects.” She skipped a line and added: “Todd Ramirez. Needs a new sled. Mike Minelli. Likes to play jokes on Molly. Hilda, the hot-chocolate woman. Needs money for new tires.” Then Nancy crossed Hilda’s name off the list.
Too bad Dad isn’t home, Nancy thought. Carson Drew often gave Nancy suggestions for solving mysteries. And right now she was wondering what to do next.
Nancy started to ask herself questions. Was there any way she could find out if Todd or Mike had Molly’s sled? If they had taken it, where was it now?
That question gave Nancy an idea. “May I go over to Rebecca’s?” she asked Hannah. “I think she can help me with the mystery.”
“Sure,” Hannah said. “But don’t be gone long. It will be dark in a few hours.”
“Okay,” Nancy agreed. She pulled on her boots, jacket, hat, scarf, and mittens. Then she walked the few blocks to Rebecca’s.
Rebecca answered the door. “Nancy!” she exclaimed. “It’s so great to see you. Come in!”
Nancy giggled. Rebecca was being dramatic again. “I just saw you this morning,” she reminded her friend.
“That’s true,” Rebecca admitted. She led Nancy upstairs to her room. “But I’ve been bored all afternoon. I hope we have school tomorrow. Staying home all day is a drag!”
Nancy started taking off her outdoor clothes. “Well, something exciting happened after you left the park,” she said. She told Rebecca about Molly’s missing sled.
“Poor Molly,” Rebecca said. “That sled was really cool. Much nicer than mine. Who do you think took it?”
“Well . . . promise not to get mad,” Nancy said.
“I promise,” Rebecca said.
“I was wondering if Todd might have taken it,” Nancy said. “His sled is ruined.”
“And he totally hates sharing a sled with me,” Rebecca said. “Except I hate sharing with him even more.”
“Do you think he—” Nancy started.
Rebecca gasped. “Wait! When did the sled disappear?”
Nancy thought about it. “A few hours ago. Not long after you left the park.”
Rebecca nodded. “That’s what I thought. Guess what I saw this afternoon?”
“What?” Nancy asked.
“Todd!” Rebecca exclaimed. “I saw him through the kitchen window. He was in the garage.”
“So what?” Nancy asked.
“So, I bet he was hiding the sled in there!” Rebecca said.
5
In the Garage
Let’s go out to the garage,” Nancy said. “If Todd hid Molly’s sled out there, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.”
Rebecca looked a little pale. “There’s just one problem with that plan,” she said.
“What?” Nancy asked.
“I never, ever go into the garage,” Rebecca whispered.
“Why not?” Nancy asked.
“It’s haunted!” Rebecca said. Her eyes were wide.
“Haunted?” Nancy repeated. “What makes you think that?”
“Spooky noises,” Rebecca said. “I heard them last time I took out the trash. I yelled so loudly that the neighbors came running. After that, Mom made taking out the trash Todd’s job.”
Nancy giggled. “Aren’t you worried the ghost will get him?” she asked.
Rebecca shook her head. “Better him than me,” she said.
Nancy thought for a moment. “Todd knows you’re scared of the garage,” she said. “That makes it the perfect place for him to hide Molly’s sled. We have to go out there to look around.”
“What about the ghost?” Rebecca asked.
“I don’t believe in ghosts,” Nancy said.
“Well, I do!” Rebecca said.
“Don’t worry,” Nancy told her. “You don’t have to come with me.”
Rebecca sighed heavily. “That’s okay,” she said. “I’ll come. It’s too dangerous for you to go alone. And I’d feel awful if something happened to you.”
“Okay,” Nancy said. She wasn’t scared. Well, maybe she was a little. Anyway, she thought it would be nice to have Rebecca with her.
Nancy and Rebecca bundled up in their coats, boots, hats, and gloves. Then Rebecca led the way out to her garage. She walked very slowly—as if she wasn’t in any hurry to get there.
The garage was a small building separate from the Ramirez family’s house. It was painted mud brown.
Rebecca lifted a latch on one of the garage’s big double doors. Crrreak, the hinge moaned as the door swung open.
Nancy shuddered. Goose bumps rose on her arms. “This garage is creepy,” she told Rebecca.
Rebecca nodded. “Come on,” she whispered. “Let’s look fast and get out of here.”
“Okay,” Nancy agreed. She took a few steps into the garage. Rebecca’s family had piled up lots of old tools, toys, and cardboard boxes. The air smelled dusty. Dried leaves were scattered on the floor. Ragged spiderwebs covered the windows.
This isn’t the kind of garage you go into without a reason, Nancy thought. That made her even more curious about why Todd had come out there.
“It’s already starting to get dark outside,” Nancy said. “Is there a light?”
“Kind of,” Rebecca said. She flicked a switch. A lightbulb up near the garage’s roof went on. But the light was very dim.
“That’s not much help,” Nancy said. She felt uneasy as she looked into the dark building. Going into a haunted garage was bad. Going into a dark haunted garage was awful.
“Mom keeps a flashlight around here somewhere,” Rebecca said. She reached down by the floor. “Here it is!”
“Great!” Nancy said, trying to sound unafraid. “Lead the way.”
“Me?” Rebecca said. “No way! You lead.”
“Well, okay,” Nancy said. She took the flashlight from Rebecca and tiptoed into the garage.
Rebecca crept along right behind her.
Nancy shone the flashlight on a lawn mower, a can of brown paint, a stack of old paperback books . . .
Scrrrff. . . Scrrrff.
Rebecca grabbed Nancy’s arm. “Did you hear that?” she whispered. Her voice sounded shaky. “That’s the sound the ghost makes! I knew we shouldn’t come out here.”
Nancy’s heart was beating fast. I don’t believe in ghosts, she told herself. I don’t believe in ghosts.
Nancy swallowed hard. Her mouth felt dry. “I think the sound came from behind the lawn mower,” she said. “Maybe it was some leaves blowing across the floor.”
“Maybe,” Rebecca said. She still sounded scared. “Or maybe it was a visitor from beyond the grave!”
Nancy shook her head. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “Come on. We’re almost finished.” She crept inside a few more steps. She shone the flashlight on some gardening tools, an old high chair, and a mostly flat soccer ball.
“Hey—look at that!” Rebecca cried. She pointed to the ground. Nancy saw some pieces of wood and metal. They were spread out on an old towel.
“That must be Molly’s sled!” Rebecca exclaimed. “Todd broke it into a gazillioin pieces!”
At first Nancy thought Rebecca was right. But then she noticed something.
“Wait a second,” Nancy said. She shone the light on the pieces and got closer. The pieces were definitely part of a sled. But the metal parts were covered with red rust. And the bright paint had worn off the wooden pieces.
“I don’t think this is Molly’s sled,” Nancy said.
“Why not?” Rebecca asked.
“Molly’s sled was brand new,” Nancy said. “But these parts are old and rusty. I bet Todd came out here this afternoon to clean up his old sled.”
“That’s possible,” Rebecca said. “Mom told him she was never, ever buying him another one. And I’m not sharing with him after today.”
Nancy was just straightening up when she heard that sound again.
Scrrrff. Scrrrff.
Nancy’s heart started going bump, bump. Bump, bump. Somehow she knew she wasn’t hearing blowing leaves. She started to back up.
“I just saw something!” Rebecca said. She grabbed the flashlight. She shone it back behind the lawn mower.
Nancy gasped. Something was reflecting the light back at them—a pair of red eyes!
6
Garage Ghost
Rebecca screamed. She dropped the flashlight. “It’s the ghost!” she yelled. “Run for your life!”
“Wait!” Nancy called. But Rebecca had already raced outside.
Now Nancy was all alone in the dark garage. All alone, except for whoever—or whatever—those red eyes belonged to. Nancy wanted to run, too. But she didn’t.
Instead, she took a deep breath, stepped forward, and picked up the flashlight. Its beam was fainter now. Nancy crept closer to the lawn mower and shone the light around.
There! The light picked out something. It was a brown-and-white animal with delicate paws. Nancy let out her breath in a rush.
“Rebecca!” she called. “It’s only a raccoon!”
The raccoon scampered back behind the trash cans. Scrrrff. Scrrrff. That was the sound the raccoon’s claws made against the concrete.
“I don’t care!” Rebecca called. “It’s getting dark, and I’m too scared to go back in there.”
“Okay,” Nancy called. “I’m coming out. It’s not safe to get close to a raccoon.” She gave the garage one more quick look. There was no sign of Molly’s sled.
Nancy walked outside. “Well, I didn’t find the sled,” she told Rebecca. “But I did find your ghost. You should tell your parents about the raccoon. I bet he likes your trash.”
“I’ll tell them,” Rebecca said. “But I still think the garage is haunted!”
• • •
Before going to bed that evening, Nancy got out her blue notebook. She looked at her suspects list again.
Hilda, the hot-chocolate woman, was crossed off. And now Nancy was pretty sure Todd hadn’t taken the sled either. That left only Mike Minelli.
Nancy climbed into bed and turned out the bedside lamp. Mike Minelli was a big pain sometimes. But Nancy didn’t think he would steal anything—unless he thought it was some sort of joke. Would Mike think stealing Molly’s sled was funny?
There was only one way to find out. Nancy needed more clues. She hoped school would be open the next day. School was the perfect place for her to watch her prime suspect.
• • •
The next morning Nancy’s backyard was still buried in snow. But the radio announcer said the roads were clear. School was open.
Nancy kept half an eye on Mike that morning. But she didn’t have much time to think about the mystery.
Mrs. Reynolds, Nancy’s teacher, wanted to make up for the snow day. The morning started with math problems. Next, the students did a science experiment about sound waves. Then Mrs. Reynolds asked them to write a paragraph. The topic was “I wish . . .”
“I wish it was time fo
r lunch,” Bess whispered to Nancy.
Nancy giggled. Then she got to work. “I wish I could find Molly’s sled,” she wrote. The rest of her paragraph was about how Molly’s sled had disappeared.
Mrs. Reynolds collected the papers. The class went to lunch. When they got back, the paragraphs were hanging up in the hallway.
Nancy noticed one paper right away. Someone had drawn a sled! She got closer so that she could read the name.
“Look!” Nancy said to George, Bess, and Molly. “Mike wishes he could have a new sled.”
“That proves he took mine!” Molly said.
“No, it doesn’t,” Bess said. “It proves he didn’t take yours. If Mike had your sled, he wouldn’t need another one.”
“Wait,” Nancy said. “Let’s read the rest of Mike’s paragraph.” George, Bess, and Molly read over Nancy’s shoulder.
Mike’s paragraph described a sled he’d seen in a toy store. It didn’t sound anything like Molly’s. The sled was bright yellow with racing stripes. The runners were made from a special metal, and it had a horn.
“Why would you need a horn on a sled?” George wondered.
“So that old ladies and little kids can get out of my way,” Mike said. He ran by Molly. “Zrroom! Zrroom!”
“Cut it out,” Molly told him.
“Cut it out,” Mike repeated.
“Molly has a pretty cool sled,” Nancy said to Mike.
Mike shrugged. “The same kind David has.”
“Wouldn’t you like a sled like that?” Nancy asked.
“David’s sled is okay,” Mike said. “But the one at the toy store was superhero cool! Besides, David’s sled is too hard to steer.”
Mike pretended he was steering a race car. He screeched to a stop next to his desk and sat down.
“Do you believe he doesn’t like my sled?” Molly asked Nancy.
“Yes,” Nancy said.
“So that proves Mike didn’t take it,” George said. “And that means we’re out of suspects.”
Molly shook her head. “I still think Mike took my sled,” she said. “He just did it as a joke, not to keep.”
“But your sled hasn’t turned up covered with gumdrops or Moleheads from Mars stickers,” Bess said. “If Mike was planning something sneaky, wouldn’t he have done it by now?”