151 The Chocolate-Covered Contest

by Carolyn Keene

and an amusement park to provide safe and wholesome

  entertainment for the families of his employees.

  “The current president of the company, Robert

  Castle the third, has continued in his grandfather's

  footsteps. Royal Chocolates remains active in

  community activities. We award scholarships and

  administer educational programs throughout the

  country.”

  Nancy heard footsteps behind her and turned to see

  a man striding toward them.

  “Joyce,” he said, his voice stern and clipped.

  Joyce stopped talking midsentence. “Mr. Tumey.

  John Tumey didn't seem to notice the Science

  Sleuths or the fact that Joyce was in the middle of

  something.

  “We've got a crisis upstairs,” he said. “I've been

  paging you for twenty minutes.”

  “I'm sorry,” Joyce said. “I left my beeper in my

  office.”

  “Just where it belongs,” John Tumey said sar-

  castically. “Where you belong, I might add.”

  Joyce took a deep breath. “I'll be back to work as

  soon as I'm finished here,” she said firmly, swallowing

  the nervousness in her voice. “This is a public relations

  matter, and I did clear it with Mr. Castle.”

  “Yes,” John said. “Imagine my surprise when he told

  me I'd find you here. I took the liberty of scheduling a

  conference call for you at ten-thirty with Toni Conte.

  Be there.”

  John stalked out before Joyce could reply.

  Nancy noticed Joyce's flushed cheeks as she

  apologized to the Sleuths for the interruption.

  “Now, where was I?”

  “You were telling us how the air gets knocked out of

  the chocolates,” Noah volunteered.

  Joyce gestured toward the conveyor belt. “Yes. You

  can see the bumpy ride that's in store for the molded

  chocolate bars.”

  She showed the Sleuths how the candies bounced

  down the length of the room before disappearing into a

  metal tunnel.

  “At this point, the chocolate is a hot liquid. It can

  reach temperatures of a hundred and fifty degrees

  Fahrenheit or more. How do you think we make it turn

  solid?”

  “You cool it,” several Sleuths answered. *

  “Excellent,” Joyce said. “You're exactly right.” She

  patted the metal tubing. “This is called the cooling

  tunnel. It's where the chocolate solidifies, before it

  reaches the inspectors. As you can probably guess, it's

  the inspectors' job to remove any bars which haven't

  molded perfectly.”

  Laura's hand waved in the air. “What do they do

  with those?”

  “They can eat them. Or take them home to friends

  and family.” Joyce smiled. “Sounds great, right? But

  most inspectors learn to control their appetites pretty

  quickly. Believe it or not, it's easy to get sick of

  chocolate.”

  “I can't believe it,” Bess said to Nancy and George.

  “These workers are making Jelly Rogers.” Joyce

  gestured toward the production line as they passed.

  “It's a new candy that will be sold on a trial basis in

  three cities before the end of the year. How would you

  like to do a taste test?”

  There was an enthusiastic chorus of yeses from the

  Sleuths and Bess.

  “What are these?” Nancy asked as she and Andrea

  helped pass out the candies.

  “Raspberry jellies covered with dark chocolate,”

  Joyce said. “They're delicious. Not that I'm biased or

  anything.”

  Joyce asked the Sleuths to rate the candy on a scale

  of one to ten in terms of flavor, texture, and overall

  appeal.

  “Chocolate and fruit.” Kenny made a face. “Zero.”

  “Hey. Let's not be rude. You know what Andrea

  would say,” Bess chided him.

  Surprised by Andrea's silence on the subject, Nancy

  turned to look for her. She was stunned to see Andrea

  seated on a bench, her face red, her breathing labored.

  Nancy ran to her side. “Andrea. What's wrong?”

  “I. . .” Andrea grasped Nancy's hand. “Help me!”

  7. Paying Peanuts

  “What is it? What can I do?” Nancy checked Andrea's

  pulse, which was rapid and weak.

  Andrea lowered her head as though she were dizzy.

  “Allergic reaction,” she managed to say.

  Nancy knew Andrea carried medication in the

  Sleuths' first aid kit in case she had a life-threatening

  reaction. She pulled out the bag and dug through it

  until she found the syringe.

  George glanced over at Nancy and saw what was

  happening. “Okay, everyone. Let's go to the gift shop,”

  she said to the Sleuths abruptly.

  “But—” Kenny protested.

  “Let's go,” George repeated. She shepherded the

  group out of the room as Joyce and Bess hurried over

  to help Nancy with Andrea.

  With her hand shaking, Andrea plunged the needle

  into her arm.

  “What's wrong?” Joyce asked.

  Nancy shook her head. “She's having an allergic

  reaction of some sort. I don't know. Please call nine-

  one-one.”

  Joyce nodded, already moving toward the door. “We

  have a nurse here. I'll go get her.”

  Nancy and Bess tried to make Andrea comfortable

  as they waited for help. Her breathing had improved

  following the injection.

  “The peanut butter,” Andrea whispered.

  “Don't try to talk,” Nancy said.

  Andrea nodded and closed her eyes.

  “Peanut butter?” Bess turned to Nancy. “I know

  Andrea's allergic to peanuts, but there's no peanut

  butter in Jelly Rogers.”

  “And that's what she was eating right before she got

  sick.” Nancy spotted the torn Jelly Rogers wrapper on

  the bench next to Andrea. Two candies were packaged

  together, but only one remained in the wrapper. “We'll

  give this to the paramedics.” Nancy began wrapping

  the uneaten chocolate. “They can have it analyzed at

  the hospital lab.”

  Bess cast an expert glance at the candy in Nancy's

  hands. “There's no need,” she said. “That's not a Jelly

  Roger. It looks almost the same, but do you see the

  crimped edges? It's a Kings Cup.”

  Bess took the chocolate from Nancy and broke it

  open to prove her point. It was filled with crumbly

  peanut butter.

  Nancy raised her head when she heard Joyce

  running toward them with a young woman in uniform.

  “The paramedics are on the way. Is she okay?”

  “I think so.” Nancy stepped away to give the nurse

  room to examine Andrea. The paramedics arrived

  within a few minutes and administered oxygen as they

  prepared to transport Andrea to the hospital.

  “She's going to be fine,” the nurse assured Joyce.

  “They'll probably keep her overnight for observation,

  but there should be no lasting effects.”

  Joyce gave a sigh of relief. “At last, some good

  news.” Then she noticed the candy Bess
was holding.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “This was wrapped in the Jelly Roger package

  Andrea was given,” Nancy explained. “Apparently, she

  got a Kings Cup by accident.”

  Joyce's hand went to her mouth. “Are you saying the

  wrapper was mislabeled?”

  “Yes,” Bess said. “And Andrea's allergic to peanuts,

  so . . .”

  “So,” Joyce finished, “we're lucky this turned out as

  well as it did. Not only for Andrea. Life-threatening

  allergies to peanuts aren't uncommon. If these candies

  had gone out to stores this way, people might have died

  because of our mistake.” She took the Kings Cup from

  Bess. “I'll have to tell the workers to stop production,

  and then pull all the batches that have already been

  packaged. That's the only way to make sure no one else

  gets sick.”

  Joyce left to find the factory supervisor as the

  paramedics bundled Andrea onto the gurney to wheel

  her out.

  Nancy and Bess found George in the gift shop,

  waiting for the Sleuths to move through the line with

  their chocolate purchases.

  “Is Andrea okay?” George asked as soon as she

  caught sight of her friends.

  “The paramedics took her to the hospital,” Nancy

  said. “They think she'll be fine.”

  “That's a relief. What happened?” George wanted to

  know.

  Bess explained about the Kings Cup mix-up.

  “Mix-up?” George asked. “Or deliberate attempt to

  hurt Andrea?”

  “But who could benefit from having Andrea out of

  the way?” Nancy asked. “I'll admit, the thought did

  cross my mind, but who knew about Andrea's allergy

  besides us? Diana, I guess. I don't see how she could

  have been involved in switching Andreas candy sample.

  And, as I said, why would she want to hurt Andrea?”

  “She might want to get me out of the way,” Bess

  noted. “But not Andrea.”

  Nancy shook her head. “Actually, she doesn't know

  about your wrapper. And Royal is doing a thorough

  investigation of her right now. If she cheated, she's out

  of luck regardless of whether someone else comes

  forward to claim the prize.”

  “So you're saying what happened to Andrea was a

  coincidence,” George said. “An accident.”

  “No.” Nancy glanced toward the Sleuths. “Since we

  got here yesterday, we've had two unfortunate

  accidents and one piece of incredibly good luck. I don't

  think any of it could be called coincidence.”

  Nancy went on to explain about what she had

  discovered in the computer lab about someone

  searching for information about their group.

  Bess tapped her foot. “I don't get it. Who would do

  that? Why?”

  Nancy shrugged. “Aside from the instant-win

  wrapper, we're just an ordinary group visiting Kings

  Commons. And no one knows about the instant-win

  wrapper, so I'm totally baffled, too,” Nancy admitted.

  “Totally baffled?” Joyce came up behind them and

  put a hand on Nancy's shoulder. “That's great. Me,

  too.”

  “Did you get the factory to pull the Kings Cups?”

  Nancy asked.

  “Yes,” Joyce said, “but now we've got a new sit-

  uation. I'm glad I tracked you down. I have to get back

  to my office, but I wanted to let you know. The Royal

  lab finished the chemical analysis of Bess's wrapper. It

  showed traces of rubber cement, which did not come

  from the Royal Chocolates factory.”

  “I don't understand,” Bess said. “What does rubber

  cement have to do with anything?”

  “I don't understand, either,” Joyce replied. “I was

  hoping you might be able to give us some idea as to

  how it came to be found there and why.”

  “Uh—n-no,” Bess stammered. “I guess we could ask

  Andrea about it. Once she's feeling better.”

  “There's another problem, too. I had scheduled

  Andrea for a meeting with Mr. Castle this morning

  about an educational grant. She's obviously not going

  to be able to make it. Mr. Castle is booked solid the

  rest of the week, so we can't postpone. What do you

  want me to do?”

  Nancy thought for a moment. “I hope Andrea won't

  mind, but would it be okay if I met with Mr. Castle?”

  Joyce brightened. “That's a great idea. Mr. Castle

  was only told he'd be meeting with a representative

  from the Science Sleuths. So why not you.”

  Joyce told Nancy to report to the fifth floor at

  eleven-fifteen and to wait for her in the reception area.

  “I've got to run,” she said. “I'll see you there.”

  Bess turned to Nancy as Joyce hurried off. “Okay,

  Nan. What's going on here? Rubber cement?”

  “It's all very strange,” Nancy agreed, “and it keeps

  getting stranger.” She unzipped her purse. “I'm glad I

  stashed away this Crown Jewels bar for an emergency.

  I knew I shouldn't have skipped breakfast.” She began

  to tear the wrapper, then stopped suddenly.

  “What's the matter, Nan?” George asked.

  “Do you see anything unusual here?” Nancy held up

  the wrapper.

  George looked at Nancy. “Do you mean besides the

  fact that you're eating chocolate for breakfast?”

  “This is the Crown Jewels bar Andrea gave me

  yesterday,” Nancy said. “The one she bought in River

  Heights along with Bess's.”

  “Wait a minute,” Bess said. “That wrapper doesn't

  say anything about an instant win contest.”

  “Exactly,” Nancy said. “We know they're not selling

  the instant-win bars at Kings Commons. Therefore, we

  know your winning bar came from outside the park,

  Bess. The others—or at least this one—clearly came

  from somewhere else. Probably one of the vendors

  right here.”

  “I don't understand.” Bess sank into a chair. “Why

  would Andrea lie to us?”

  8. Making Waves

  Before Nancy could answer, the Sleuths took off. They

  raced out of the gift shop with their bags of Royal

  merchandise.

  “We're not going to hang out here all day, are we?”

  Kenny asked. “I want to go on some rides.”

  “We will,” Bess promised.

  “I thought we were going to the water park,” Emma

  said.

  “We are,” Bess assured her.

  “I'm hungry,” Noah complained.

  “I know, I know, I know. We'll get a snack first, then

  go to the water park, then on to the rides.” Bess ticked

  off the agenda on her fingers. “Any complaints? Wait!

  On second thought, don't answer that question.”

  Nancy grinned at George. “I think you guys have

  everything under control. I hope you don't mind if I

  duck out, but I've got to take care of a few things

  before I see Mr. Castle.”

  George waved her hand. “No problem. We should

  be fine until the water park. At which point we'll need

  you d
esperately.”

  Nancy nodded. “I'll meet you there.”

  Nancy went back to the motel room. First things

  first, she told herself inside her room. She picked up

  the phone and called the hospital to check on Andrea.

  Andrea's condition was good, the nurse reported,

  and she should be released in the morning. However,

  she was asleep and could not speak with Nancy right

  then.

  Nancy sighed. Now might not be the time to bring

  up the rubber cement, but she had really hoped to

  discuss the Science Sleuths program with Andrea

  before she met with Mr. Castle. Nancy looked down at

  her sweatshirt and faded jeans—she needed to change

  into something more presentable. She raided Bess's

  side of the closet for a navy blazer. It was a little large,

  but it would have to do.

  Next she put on a clean pair of khakis and finally dug

  around in her suitcase for the brochures Andrea had

  given her about the Science Sleuths. After reviewing

  them, she felt better prepared for her meeting with

  Mr. Castle. If he asked any tough questions, she'd have

  to get the answers from Andrea later, she told herself.

  Joyce buzzed Nancy into the building and was

  waiting for her in the fifth floor reception area at

  eleven-fifteen on the dot.

  “I'll take you in and introduce you to Mr. Castle,”

  Joyce said. “But first, let me offer a word of advice. As

  you might imagine, the whole instant-win disaster is a

  very touchy subject with Mr. Castle. He doesn't know

  you have any connection to Bess, and you'll probably

  want to keep it that way.”

  “That makes sense,” Nancy agreed. “Thanks for the

  tip.”

  Joyce knocked timidly on the door before ushering

  Nancy into an enormous suite at the end of the hall.

  Joyce cleared her throat. “Mr. Castle,” she said

  softly, “this is Nancy Drew of the Science Sleuths in

  River Heights. She's here to speak with you about

  applying for an educational grant.”

  Mr. Castle rose and shook Nancy's hand. He was at

  least six feet four, Nancy guessed. She had to crane her

  neck to meet his gaze. He wore an expensive-looking

  suit, and his sideburns were tinged with gray. “Pleased

  to meet you, Ms. Drew,” he greeted her.

  “Likewise,” Nancy said, taking the seat he offered

  her. “Please, call me Nancy.”

  “Good luck,” Joyce mouthed to Nancy as she pulled