The Crook Who Took the Book (3 page)

“Then again, that bed doesn't look very comfortable,” she said. “If I were Charlie, I'd take a hike, too.”

Nancy shrugged and followed her dad out of the bookstore. As they began their walk home, Nancy frowned. Then she looked up at Mr. Drew.

“I wonder why someone would take Mr. Sandback's book,” she said.

“No idea, Pudding Pie,” Mr. Drew said. “What a shame.”

“The thief would probably be someone who loves to read,” Nancy said. “But that would make everybody who was at the Book Nook today a suspect. After all, they all love to read.”

Except Andy Nixon, Nancy suddenly realized.

Andy hates books, Nancy thought. On the other hand, he seemed pretty excited about what Mr. Sandback was saying about graphic novels. Maybe Andy wants to add graphic novels to his comic book collection. And he's going to start with
Foul-up at the Floss Factory!

This worried Nancy so much that she went straight to her room when she and her father arrived home. She opened her book bag and pulled out her shiny blue clue notebook. Turning to a crisp new page, she wrote, “The Mystery of the Missing Mystery.”

Then she scribbled, “Suspect #1: Andy Nixon.”

T
he next morning Nancy, George, and Bess were filing into school.

“How was dinner at your grandmother's?” Nancy asked.

“Great!” George said. “She made meat-loaf with lots of ketchup.”

“And strawberry shortcake for dessert,” Bess added, rubbing her tummy.

“But the mystery's more important than our dinner,” George said as the girls approached the school library. They had to pass the library to get to their classroom. “So, what do you think about Mr. Sandback's missing book, Nancy? Any suspects?”

“Well, there is one—” Nancy started to say. Then something caught her eye. Andy Nixon was standing at the library door. He was writing his name on the Internet sign-up sheet.

Every recess period two Carl Sandburg students were allowed to sign up for computer time in the library. Then Mrs. Goldstein would help them surf the Internet.

Nancy darted to Andy's side. She peeked over his shoulder at the sign-up sheet. Yes! The line next to his name was blank. Nobody else had signed up yet.

Andy finished writing his name and turned around. “Oh, hi, Nancy,” he said. “I'm skipping recess today, and it's not just because I hate dodgeball. I have some very important research to do.”

“What kind of research?” Nancy asked.

“Oh . . . just research,” Andy said. Then he showed Nancy the back of his hand. “Check out my temporary tattoo. It's one of my favorite comic book heroes, Slugman!”

“Ewww!” Nancy squealed. “Good thing that tattoo washes off.”

Andy gave her a funny look and headed down the hall.

Nancy sighed. “Why are my suspects always gross boys?” she whispered.

Then she remembered the Internet sign-up sheet. Nancy dug into her book bag for a pencil. She jotted her own name next to Andy's.

George and Bess ran up behind Nancy.

“What's going on?” Bess demanded. “Why did you dash off like that?”

George peered at the sign-up sheet. “You're skipping recess for computer time? But it's dodgeball day!”

“Do you see who else has signed up?” Nancy said.

“Andy Nixon,” Bess read off the sheet.

“Make that Andy Nixon, chief suspect in the missing book mystery,” Nancy whispered.

“Really?” George whispered. “You think Andy took the book?”

“I can't be sure yet,” Nancy said. “But maybe at recess I'll find out.”

• • • 

Nancy sighed. The morning seemed endless! First Mrs. Reynolds had given the class a spelling quiz. Next they'd done
math worksheets.
Three
math worksheets.

Finally the bell rang for recess.

“Yay!” yelled most of the kids, popping out of their chairs and racing to the classroom door.

“Dodgeball day,” Mike Minelli yelled. “My favorite!”

“Yuck,” Bess said. “I'm jumping rope!”

Nancy didn't say a word. She just grabbed her clue notebook and hurried to the library. She didn't want to miss out on Andy Nixon's “research.”

• • • 

In the library Andy settled into the computer chair. Mrs. Goldstein stood at his side. Today her cardigan sweater had green and purple stripes. She turned to Nancy as she walked into the library.

“Hello, Nancy,” she said. “Andy and I are just getting started. Would you like to look at a book while you wait?”

“Sure,” Nancy said, grabbing the first book she saw. It was about antique cars. Bo-ring. But that didn't matter. Nancy wasn't
really
going to read the book. Instead, she was going to see what Andy
was up to. She sat down in a chair near the computer and listened hard.

“So, what can I help you with, Andy?” Mrs. Goldstein asked.

“Can you help me find some graphic novels?” Andy said.

“Like
Foul-up at the Floss Factory?
” Mrs. Goldstein replied.

“Yup,” Andy said. “I want to know if there are other books like that.”

This proves it, Nancy thought as Mrs. Goldstein and Andy began pointing and clicking with the computer mouse. Andy must have stolen Mr. Sandback's book. Now he wants other graphic novels to add to his collection!

Click.

Click-click.

Click.

Nancy fidgeted. She pretended to read her antique car book while Mrs. Goldstein and Andy went from Web site to Web site.

Finally, Mrs. Goldstein said, “Well, we've found ten books, Andy. Would you like me to see if we have any of them here?”

“Yes, please,” Andy said.

But as Mrs. Goldstein went to check on the books, Nancy peered around her chair. Andy looked a little sad. “What's wrong, Andy?” Nancy said.

“Well, those other graphic novels might be okay,” he said, “but I bet they're not as cool as
Foul-up at the Floss Factory.
”

“Why do you say that?” Nancy said.

“Because Mr. Sandback was really neat,” Andy said. “I bet that was a really great old book. And it's a collector's item! I hope you catch whoever snatched it.”

Nancy's eyes widened. Mr. Sandback had turned Andy into a book lover! And a book lover would never steal a rare book. Andy seemed to be innocent after all.

Mrs. Goldstein returned, bringing Andy a small stack of graphic novels to check out.

“Thanks a lot, Mrs. Goldstein,” he said. Then he looked at the library clock. “Recess isn't over yet? Ugh—I guess I'm going to play . . . dodgeball.”

Andy slumped out of the library while Nancy bit her lip. Well, that's one suspect down the drain, she thought. But if Andy
didn't steal
Foul-up at the Floss Factory
, who did?

“So, Nancy,” Mrs. Goldstein said, turning to her with a kind smile. “Were you wondering about great books, too?”

Nancy gasped. Mrs. Goldstein's words had reminded her of something Anderson Quilling had said the day before: “I'm trying to be a writer myself. Maybe someday I'll have a book published.” And he had looked really sad. Anderson dreamed of being an author just like Mr. Sandback.

Maybe, Nancy thought, Anderson is jealous of Mr. Sandback.

“Um, maybe I'll come back another day, Mrs. Goldstein,” Nancy told the librarian.

Then Nancy opened her clue notebook. She crossed out Andy's name and wrote in: “Anderson Quilling—angry author?”

As she wrote it, Nancy felt bad. Anderson was really nice. She hated to think he had taken the book.

One thing's for sure, she thought. I need proof. And that means going back to the Book Nook with Bess and George!

J
ust as Nancy closed her clue notebook, the bell rang. She hurried out of the library and headed to the cafeteria. She couldn't wait to tell Bess and George about Andy . . . and Anderson.

When Nancy arrived, Bess and George were already eating their lunches.

“I brought your lunch for you, Nancy,” George said. She passed Nancy's pink-and-purple lunch sack across the table.

“Thanks,” Nancy said. She opened her lunch and pulled out a tuna sandwich.

“So, what happened at the library?” Bess asked.

As she unwrapped her sandwich, Nancy told George and Bess everything that had happened with Andy and Mrs. Goldstein.

“You're right,” George said when Nancy had finished her story. “It doesn't sound like Andy would steal Mr. Sandback's book.”

“So now we're back to having no suspects,” Bess wailed. She took a big bite of her peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.

“Well,” Nancy started to say, “actually—”

“Yah!” Mike Minelli yelled. He plopped down on the bench next to Nancy. He waved his forearm in front of her face. There was an angry red scratch running across it.

“Ewww, gross, Mike!” Nancy squealed.

“Yeah!” Mike agreed. But Nancy knew that to him, gross was a good thing. “Charlie the cat gave it to me at the Book Nook yesterday. That's one mean cat!”

“He's not mean,” Bess said. “He just doesn't like people to bother him when he's in his bed.”

Nancy gasped.

“What is it, Nancy?” George asked. Mike
had already jumped up to go wave his icky scratch in someone else's face.

“I just thought of something,” Nancy said. “Bess, George, I think we may have two new suspects. But we need more clues. Which means we have to head back to the Book Nook after school!”

• • • 

Since they already had permission, Nancy, Bess, and George headed to the Book Nook as soon as the last bell rang. When they walked through the door, they saw Julia sitting at the front desk.

“Well, hello, girls,” she said. “Back so soon?”

“We're here to help solve the mystery of the missing book,” Nancy said. “Unless the book's been found already.”

Julia's face fell. “No, I'm sorry to say there's been no sign of the book,” she said. “What a disappointment. I so wanted my father to have it.”

“Well, Julia,” Nancy said, “I have a hunch. And if I'm right, that book is right under your nose!”

“What?” Julia said. She sounded surprised.

“Well, actually,” Nancy said with a giggle, “it's right under Charlie the cat.” She pointed at Charlie, who was curled up in his plaid bed, scowling.

“You think Charlie took the book?” Bess cried.

“No,” Nancy said. “But maybe he has it. After the book disappeared, I noticed Charlie running away from his cat bed. And you know Charlie—”

“
Never
gets out of his bed,” Bess finished.

“So, if someone wanted to hide Mr. Sand-back's book,” Nancy explained, “Charlie's bed would be the best place in the whole store.”

“We just have to move Charlie so we can look,” Bess said. She sounded scared.

“
Mrowr
,” the cat growled.

“This could get ugly,” George said.

“Oh, Charlie,” called a voice on the stairs behind them.

Nancy spun around. “Mr. Sandback!” she said. “Hello.”

Mr. Sandback stood on the bottom step, grinning at the girls. “I heard what you said about your hunch, Nancy,” he said. “I think
it's a good one. And I may be able to help.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a catnip mouse. He walked over to Charlie's bed and dangled the mouse in front of the cat's nose. Then he tossed the toy a few feet away. Charlie meowed loudly and dashed after it.

Nancy pounced on the cat bed and lifted the bumpy plaid cushion. Nothing.

Nancy gazed up at Mr. Sandback sadly. “I guess my hunch was wrong,” she said. “Which means . . .”

“What is it, Nancy?” Julia said.

“I have another hunch,” Nancy said. She didn't want to tell Julia that she suspected Anderson. Not until she was sure. So she asked Julia a question instead.

“Can you tell me where you last saw the book before it disappeared?” Nancy said.

“It was in the wooden gift box that Anderson got for me,” Julia said.

“Where's the box now?” Nancy asked.

“I put it in the storage room in the basement,” Julia said. “Would you like to see it?”

“Yes, please,” Nancy said.

The girls followed Julia to the back of the bookshop and down a flight of narrow, rickety stairs.