Riley looked straight at Nancy. “Because you’re a detective,” she said. “That’s why!”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Nancy asked.
“After Brenda made me leave the table last week I thought I’d never make new friends in River Heights,” Riley explained. “So I got you to solve a mystery. So we could spend lots of time together like real friends!”
Nancy felt badly for Riley. All she wanted were new friends. But did she have to lie?
“We were going to be your friends anyway, Riley,” Nancy admitted.
“But now that you lied to us,” George told Riley, “I’m not sure I want to be your friend.”
“Me neither,” Bess agreed. “What if you keep lying to us?”
“I promise I won’t,” Riley said. “I hated lying about Martin. But I didn’t know what else to do.”
“All you had to do was be nice,” Nancy suggested. “You would have made lots of new friends that way.”
Riley’s shoulders dropped.
“Does this mean we’ll never be friends?” she asked.
Nancy glanced at Bess and George. They stepped away from the doorstep, huddled together, and began to whisper.
“Riley did finally tell us the truth,” Nancy said.
“She could have kept on lying,” Bess pointed out. “But she didn’t.”
“And she does great cartwheels,” George added. “I think we should give Riley another chance.”
“Me too,” Nancy whispered.
“Me three,” Bess whispered.
The girls turned back to Riley.
“Of course we’ll be your friends, Riley,” Nancy said with a smile.
“All right!” Riley cheered. “Does this mean we can go to the movies? And ice-skating? And sleep-overs?”
“Why don’t you start by coming to my house on Thanksgiving afternoon?” Nancy asked. “For a piece of pumpkin pie.”
“Wow!” Riley exclaimed. “Are you sure you want to invite me, Nancy?”
“Sure I’m sure,” Nancy replied. “That’s what friends are for!”
• • •
Thanksgiving Day couldn’t come fast enough for Nancy. When it finally did, she and Riley ate pie, played board games, and told turkey jokes.
But while Riley romped around with Chocolate Chip, Nancy had important work to do. She opened her notebook, turned to a clean page, and began to write.
If Thanksgiving is for giving thanks, I’m thankful for a ton of things. I’m thankful that I solved the case and found Martin safe and sound. But most of all, I’m thankful for Daddy, Hannah, Bess, George, and my puppy, Chip. And I’m thankful for brand-new friends—like Riley McArthur!
CASE CLOSED
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First Aladdin Paperbacks edition October 2003
Copyright © 2003 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ALADDIN
An imprint of Simon & Schuster
Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
The text of this book was set in Excelsior.
NANCY DREW, THE NANCY DREW NOTEBOOKS, and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Library of Congress Control Number 2003103452
ISBN 978-0-689-85696-9
ISBN: 978-1-4424-8340-8 (eBook)
Turkey Trouble Page 4