A Musical Mess

by Macky Pamintuan

  The girls hurried into a big sunny room filled with dogs and other volunteers. There were all kinds of dogs, chasing balls and taking naps—but no Airedale like Sammy!

  Nancy kept looking and looking until—

  “What are you doing here?”

  Whirling around, Nancy saw Shelby. She was holding the leashes of four dogs she had just walked. One was an Airedale. He did not have a yellow ADOPT ME scarf, but he did have a white star-shaped mark on his leg!

  “Okay, Shelby,” Nancy said, pointing to the Airedale. “What are you doing with Sammy?”

  Curtain Up!

  “Sammy?” Shelby cried. “His name isn’t Sammy—it’s Knuckles!”

  “Knuckles?” Nancy repeated.

  “I don’t believe it,” George said.

  “Wait!” Bess said. “There is a way to find out.”

  “How?” Nancy asked.

  “I don’t want to do it,” Bess sighed. “But . . .”

  She threw back her head and began singing “I Never Give Up.” With a woof, the dog broke away from Shelby and jumped up on Bess.

  “Okay, okay, I proved my point!” Bess cried as the dog licked her face. “Now get him off!”

  Nancy gently pulled the dog off Bess. Shelby’s shoulders dropped as she muttered, “Rats.”

  “Come on, Shelby,” George said. “We know that dog is Sammy.”

  “Why don’t you just tell the truth?” Nancy asked. “We are your friends, right? And friends don’t lie to friends.”

  Shelby blinked back tears. She let go of the other three leashes so the dogs could play.

  “That is Sammy,” Shelby admitted. “The dog you saw in the show is Knuckles . . . a shelter dog.”

  “So you did switch Sammy with a shelter dog!” Nancy said. “Why?”

  “When you told me about Sammy’s fancy life, I felt sorry for Knuckles,” Shelby explained. “He wasn’t getting adopted by anyone.”

  “Poor Knuckles,” Bess said sadly.

  “I wanted Knuckles to feel like a star—even for just a day or two,” Shelby said. “So before the show I snuck into Sammy’s dressing room and switched dogs!”

  Shelby explained how she’d snuck in through the front door while Sammy was resting on his bed. She’d put Knuckles on the bed and walked Sammy out the door.

  “I threw away Knuckles’s ‘Adopt Me’ scarf before I left,” Shelby added, “so nobody would know he was really a shelter dog.”

  “Why didn’t you put a scarf on the real Sammy?” Bess asked, nodding at the dog.

  “Because I didn’t want anyone to adopt the real Sammy,” Shelby said, wide-eyed. “Then I’d really be in trouble.”

  “I don’t think you’d be in trouble for telling the truth.” Nancy shrugged. “The director of Francie would want to know what happened.”

  “But they’d hate me for spoiling the show!” Shelby wailed. “I thought since Knuckles looked like Sammy, he’d act like Sammy too. How did I know he didn’t like music?”

  “Or Broadway show tunes.” George shrugged.

  “I’m sure they just want Sammy back, Shelby,” Nancy said, smiling at the dog. “The real Sammy.”

  Shelby seemed to think about it. She finally turned to Sammy and said, “Come on, boy. You’re going home.”

  * * *

  Nancy was right. Blair McIntyre was so happy to see Sammy that she accepted Shelby’s apology. Sammy was so happy to see Kira again that he licked her face without even hearing the song!

  The Clue Crew’s case was finally closed. And only two days later, Nancy, Bess, and George got to celebrate the reopening of Francie in the same great seats!

  “I’m glad Sammy’s home,” Bess said.

  “Even Knuckles found a home,” George reminded them. “That lucky dog was adopted by Carlos.”

  Nancy nodded and said, “Now Carlos is going to train Knuckles to be Sammy’s understudy!”

  Bess giggled. “He’d better train him to like music!” she said.

  Nancy shivered with excitement. The lights were dimming and the orchestra began playing. The show was about to begin!

  As everyone waited for the curtain to rise, Nancy turned and whispered to her friends, “The Clue Crew has a lot in common with Francie, you know.”

  “We do?” Bess asked.

  “How?” George asked.

  “Because Francie never gives up,” Nancy said with a smile. “And neither do we!”

  SIGN, PLEASE! CRAFT YOUR OWN AUTOGRAPH BOOK

  What’s more fun than collecting autographs from your favorite celebs or theme-park characters? Collecting them in an autograph book you made yourself! It’s easy—and sure to stop stars in their tracks!

  You’ll need:

  • Colorful construction paper (about ten pieces)

  • Stapler or paper hole-puncher

  • Long strand of ribbon or yarn

  • Stickers, glitter, photographs, magazine pics, feathers, buttons (or other neat stuff to decorate the cover)

  • Crayons or markers

  • Glue

  Directions:

  • Stack papers (the top sheet will be the cover)

  • Staple papers together. Or punch holes along the side and tie together with a ribbon or yarn.

  • Using crayons or markers, draw pretty pictures or designs on the cover. Or go wild with stickers, glitter, buttons, magazine pics, photographs—anything to make your autograph book totally yours!

  • Have fun filling with autographs—or maybe even pawtographs!

  Tip: Best friends are the stars of your world. Why not save a page just for them?

  Don’t miss the next book in the series!

  NANCY DREW and the CLUE CREW #39

  EIGHT-YEAR-OLD NANCY DREW HELD THE Mirror in her hand, studying the shape of her right eye. She kept looking at her drawing, then back at her reflection. She wanted to get it just right. “I think my eyes look like bugs . . . ,” Nancy said finally.

  Her best friend George Fayne leaned over to see. Nancy had a point. Her hair looked the way it did in real life, but her eyes were big ovals with a line down the center. The lashes curled out on both sides, kind of like creepy bug legs.

  “A little bit,” George said. “The insides look weird. What do you call those things?”

  “The pupils!” Miss Alcott said as she walked by. She was carrying a tray of art supplies. There were old coffee cans full of paintbrushes and rolled-up tubes of paint. “You need to fill them out a bit, that’s all. Good work, girls.”

  Nancy looked at her reflection again, then made the pupil a circle instead of a line. Miss Alcott had given her the perfect tip. The circle really did make her eyes look more real.

  “Sometimes it seems like she knows everything,” Nancy whispered to George.

  Bess Marvin stood two easels over. She was hard at work on her self-portrait. Bess was Nancy’s other best friend and George’s cousin. She loved fashion and design. Whenever they were in art together, Bess was quiet. She would work the entire class and never look up from her drawing.

  “My mom told me that Miss Alcott studied in Spain for two years before coming to River Heights Elementary,” George said.

  “No way,” Nancy whispered. “I heard she plays the guitar too. Hannah thought she saw a poster for her band at the music club downtown.”

  The girls watched their teacher move around the classroom, weaving between easels. She dropped off a few pencils and erasers to different students. Miss Alcott was the coolest teacher to ever come to their school. She had a purple streak in her hair and wore peacock-feather earrings. She was always showing the class famous paintings or drawings. Once she even brought in a collage she had done of New York City—where she grew up. The buildings were made out of newspaper and scraps of glittery fabric, which made them sparkle. Nancy had never seen a piece of art like that before.

  Sydney Decker, a student at the easel beside them, seemed to be listening to their conversation. Sydney was supersmart. She always got
As on her science tests and math tests, even when everyone else failed. “I heard she traveled all around Peru,” Sydney chimed in. “She told Jess Ramos that she got her bag in Lima.”

  “Lima?” George asked. “Like the bean?”

  “No, silly,” Sydney said. “Lima—the capital of Peru. You know, Machu Picchu?”

  Nancy and George shared a look. They had heard of Peru before, but sometimes it felt like Sydney was speaking another language. Geography was one of her favorite subjects, so she always talked about different countries. Sometimes they would catch her looking at maps in computer class.

  Robby Parsons looked up from his drawing. He wasn’t very good at art, so his pictures always ended up a bit strange. His nose looked like a mushroom. His eyes were two different shapes and sizes. Miss Alcott liked to call his drawings “abstract.”

  “Do you know where she lives?” Robby asked. “It has to be somewhere cool.”

  “She lives downtown in one of those giant gray buildings,” Nancy whispered.

  “Yeah,” George agreed. “We saw her when we were getting ice cream at the Scoop. She was going inside.”

  “Are you sure?” Robby asked.

  Nancy almost laughed at the question. Of course she and George were sure. Together with Bess, they formed the Clue Crew. They were always searching for clues and were pretty good detectives. They helped solve mysteries around River Heights. Sometimes it was a stolen wallet or cell phone. Other times it was more serious. They’d once helped an old lady find a missing puppy.

  “Definitely,” Nancy answered Robby. “She was carrying two bags of groceries.”

  As Robby went back to his drawing, Miss Alcott set down the last of the art supplies on her desk. She glanced up at the clock. “We only have a few more minutes, so finish up your self-portraits,” she said. “And I want to remind everyone about our field trip on Friday.”

  At the words “field trip,” the entire class erupted in cheers. “Par-ty! Par-ty!” Robby chanted. His best friend, Kevin Lim, let out a few loud hoots.

  “It’s not a party. . . .” Miss Alcott laughed. “Though I promise we’ll have a lot of fun. As all of you know, the Simon Cross Art Institute has agreed to let us tour and sleep over at the museum. We’ll spend the night in their medieval armor wing.”

  “Do we have to bring tents?” Amelia Davis asked.

  “Just your sleeping bag and pillow,” Miss Alcott said. “And anything else you need to be comfortable.”

  “Like your teddy bear.” Kevin laughed. Amelia shot him a dirty look.

  “Those armor dudes are scary!” Robby yelled. “I went there a few years ago, and they all had these giant swords.”

  “What will we do there?” George asked.

  “At the museum, we’ll go on a tour and eat at the restaurant. We’ll draw and paint in the classrooms. There are so many incredible works of art there. I can’t wait to show you the impressionist wing. They even have an early Monet.” Miss Alcott looked so happy as she described it, even if the rest of the class wasn’t sure exactly which artist she was talking about. They’d only had art class for a few weeks. It was hard to remember all the different names.

  As the class ended, Miss Alcott went around the room again, collecting stray pencils and mirrors. “Make sure you get your permission slips to me by Thursday at the latest,” she said. “You’ll need them for the trip. Great job, Bess,” she added as she passed Bess’s drawing.

  “You have to let us see,” George said. She leaned over, trying to get a better look.

  Bess pulled it away. “One minute. I have to fix my lips.”

  Nancy and George waited impatiently, ready to see the secret drawing Bess had been hiding from them the entire class.

  “Come on Bess! We’re dying to see it,” Nancy cried.

  Finally, Bess spun her sketch pad around, revealing the picture she’d been working on. The girl in the drawing had the same eyes as Bess. She had the same thick bangs and light shoulder-length hair. She even had the same way of smiling that Bess did.

  “That’s amazing!” George said. “The drawing looks exactly like you.”

  Bess’s cheeks turned pink. “Thanks. So . . . what did I miss?”

  Nancy and George laughed. “Are you serious? You didn’t hear anything Miss Alcott said?”

  Bess shrugged. “I guess I was really concentrating. . . .”

  “She reminded us about the field trip on Friday. Don’t forget your permission slip,” Nancy said. She grabbed her backpack and headed for the door with George. Bess tucked her sketch pad in her cubby, then followed behind them.

  “How could I forget? I’ve been excited for the last two weeks. Did you know that the Simon Cross Art Institute has a two-story mural in it? Or this room where you can throw paint on the walls?”

  “That’s crazy,” Nancy said.

  “It’s a special exhibit!” Bess said.

  “I’ve been saving my allowance,” George said. “I want to get something cool from the gift shop.”

  The girls huddled together in the hallway. Nancy was smiling so much her face hurt. Field trips at River Heights were always so much fun, and now they were going to have one with their favorite teacher. “Dinner with Miss Alcott, a sleepover with all our friends . . . what could be better than this?”

  Join the CLUE CREW & solve these other cases!

  #1 Sleepover Sleuths

  #2 Scream for Ice Cream

  #3 Pony Problems

  #4 The Cinderella Ballet Mystery

  #5 Case of the Sneaky Snowman

  #6 The Fashion Disaster

  #7 The Circus Scare

  #8 Lights, Camera . . . Cats!

  #9 The Halloween Hoax

  #10 Ticket Trouble

  #11 Ski School Sneak

  #12 Valentine’s Day Secret

  #13 Chick-napped!

  #14 The Zoo Crew

  #15 Mall Madness

  #16 Thanksgiving Thief

  #17 Wedding Day Disaster

  #18 Earth Day Escapade

  #19 April Fool’s Day

  #20 Treasure Trouble

  #21 Double Take

  #22 Unicorn Uproar

  #23 Babysitting Bandit

  #24 Princess Mix-up Mystery

  #25 Buggy Breakout

  #26 Camp Creepy

  #27 Cat Burglar Caper

  #28 Time Thief

  #29 Designed for Disaster

  #30 Dance Off

  #31 The Make-a-Pet Mystery

  #32 Cape Mermaid Mystery

  #33 The Pumpkin Patch Puzzle

  #34 Cupcake Chaos

  #35 Cooking Camp Disaster

  #36 The Secret of the Scarecrow

  #37 The Flower Show Fiasco

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ALADDIN

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  First Aladdin paperback edition July 2014

  Text copyright © 2014 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Macky Pamintuan

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  ALADDIN and related logo, NANCY DREW, and NANCY DREW AND THE CLUE CREW are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

  Book design by Karina Granda

  The text of this book was set in ITC Stone Informal.

  Library of Congress Control Number 201394865
1

  ISBN 978-1-4424-9512-8

  ISBN 978-1-4424-9514-2 (eBook)