The Chocolate-Covered Contest Read online

  Contents

  ____________________________________________________________

  1 Golden Bar

  2 Secrets and Spies

  3 Jungle Kingdom

  4 A Day at the Park

  5 Battle Royal

  6 Jelly Rogers

  7 Paying Peanuts

  8 Making Waves

  9 Deepening and Darkening

  10 Touched by a Corpse

  11 Theory of Relativity

  12 News Flash

  13 Thrown for a Loop

  14 Recipe for Danger

  15 Wrapping Up

  1. Golden Bar

  Bess Marvin squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.

  Her face was white. Her long, blond hair flew out

  behind her.

  “Ow,” said her friend Nancy Drew as Bess's fingers

  clamped around her arm.

  Eleven-year-old Laura Marquez patted Bess on the

  back. “Don't be scared, Bess. It's only the kiddie

  coaster.”

  George Fayne turned and grinned at her cousin,

  Bess. “Hey—I thought we were supposed to be the

  chaperons here.”

  Bess grunted as the brakes screeched and the ride

  jerked to a halt. “I'll be chaperoning on the ground

  from now on, thank you very much.” She hopped out of

  the car and took a moment to steady herself. Then she

  held her arms above her head. “Okay, Science Sleuths!

  Over here!”

  The children gathered a few feet from the exit, and

  Nancy counted heads. “Ten, plus three chaperons.

  Excellent. We're all accounted for.”

  So far so good, Nancy thought as she pushed her

  reddish blond hair from her eyes and looked down at

  the sea of people moving through Kings Commons

  Amusement Park. It wouldn't be hard to lose a sixth-

  grader in this crowd. The Science Sleuths were antsy

  from their three-hour bus ride that morning from River

  Heights and needed to move around.

  “Find your buddy,” Nancy instructed the group.

  “Make sure to all stay together.”

  She led the Sleuths across a drawbridge painted with

  fire-breathing dragons. Street musicians wearing kilts

  played an old Scottish tune. Below them, rafts bobbed

  in a river of churning rapids.

  “Can we go on the Moat Float later?” Emma Lim

  asked.

  “Sure.” George glanced up at the darkening sky.

  “Assuming it doesn't rain.”

  Kenny Fox groaned. “It rains every single time I go

  to an amusement park.”

  “We're coming back tomorrow,” Nancy reminded

  him, “and the forecast is for sun.”

  “Two days enveloped in the aroma of luscious

  chocolate.” Bess closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  “Boy, am I hungry.”

  Kenny took a chocolate bar out of his pocket. “Want

  some?”

  Bess looked at the candy. She laughed. “Kenny,

  that's a Golden Bar.”

  “So?”

  “So, we're surrounded by several tons of chocolate

  made right here at Royal Chocolates headquarters.'

  She gestured toward the enormous factory on the other

  side of the parking lot. “Yet you brought your own

  chocolate all the way from River Heights.”

  Kenny shrugged. “I like Golden Bars better.” He

  popped a square of chocolate into his mouth as they

  passed under a rose-covered trellis that led into an

  English garden.

  “There's Andrea.” Nancy waved at a petite woman

  with brown hair sitting on a bench ringed by mums.

  Andrea hurried over to meet them. “Hello,

  everyone. Are we enjoying Kings Commons?”

  “This is the best field trip ever,” Laura said. “I bet

  nobody else ever went to an amusement park to learn

  stuff.”

  “Actually,” George said, “when Andrea was our high

  school physics teacher, she brought our class here, too.

  Of course, we called her Miss Cassella then.”

  “And I got sick on Miss Cassella's new shoes after

  riding on Labyrinth,” Bess said. “Which may be the

  reason she gave up teaching to start the Science

  Sleuths.”

  Andrea laughed. “Not at all. It was because of

  inquisitive students like you that I realized the need for

  a science enrichment program in our community. And

  it's handy to have former pupils lecture on things like

  how detectives use science to solve crimes. As our real-

  life sleuth Nancy Drew will do. It can also be handy for

  former pupils to chaperon. Actually, I might have

  asked someone else if I'd remembered what you did to

  my shoes, Bess.” Andrea winked at her.

  “When are we going to get to ride on Labyrinth?”

  Laura asked.

  “I heard it's faster than Royal Pain,” Kenny said.

  “We have to wait till we ride them both before we

  pick which coaster's faster,” Noah said. “Then we'll do

  the calculations to test our hypothesis.” He tossed his

  pencil into the air. “I can't wait.”

  “You might have to wait.” George squinted at the

  purple aluminum tracks in the distance. “Is that a car

  stuck there on the loop?”

  Nancy checked with a Kings Commons employee.

  “Royal Pain is temporarily out of service,” she told the

  disappointed Sleuths. “They're not sure when it will be

  fixed.”

  “But we can ride it before we leave, right?” Tyler

  asked.

  “If it's fixed,” Andrea said.

  “And if it's not fixed, we'll come back next year and

  ride it ten times,” Tyler said. “Right, Andrea?”

  Andrea forced a smile. “We'll see.”

  “Hey.” Bess put an arm around Andrea's shoulders.

  “You seem upset. What's wrong?”

  Andrea spoke softly so that the Sleuths wouldn't

  hear. “I don't want the kids to know, but I can't

  promise we'll come back to Kings Commons next year.

  I can't even promise the Science Sleuths will be in

  business next year.”

  “Oh, Andrea, I'm sorry,” Nancy said.

  Andrea tore a leaf from a bush trimmed into the

  shape of a crown. “I always knew it would be tough

  running a nonprofit corporation. These kids' parents

  pay what they can, but most of them can't afford much,

  and there's no way I'm going to raise the tuition. I'm

  months behind in payments for our lab equipment. If I

  can't afford to do experiments the way I want or bring

  in speakers or take field trips, this program is

  worthless.” She sighed. “I've been looking for a

  corporate sponsor, but so far I haven't had any luck.

  I'm afraid my funds are just about exhausted.”

  “Wait,” Bess said. “What about those relatives of

  yours with all the money? I know you were nervous

  about asking them since you haven't spoken in so many

  years, but don't you think it's at lea
st worth a try?”

  Andrea shook her head. “I have tried. Several times.

  But they won't take my calls. They were my last hope.”

  She watched the Sleuths swapping yoyo tricks in the

  shade of a chestnut tree. “I'm really going to miss these

  guys, though.”

  She walked over to the Sleuths. “Are you ready to

  get going?” she asked them.

  “Andrea, I'm hot,” Noah said.

  “I think it's going to rain,” Kenny said.

  “I'm hungry,” Emma said.

  “I think it's time for a surprise,” Andrea told Bess.

  “However tight our resources might be, a trip to Kings

  Commons would not be complete without these.” She

  pulled out a box of chocolate bars. “Who wants a

  Crown Jewels bar?” she asked the Sleuths. Ten hands

  shot into the air.

  “I thought so.”

  “Kenny,” Bess said, “didn't you just eat a candy bar?”

  “Yeah,” Kenny replied, “but I've got room for

  another one.”

  “Excuse me,” called a high-pitched voice from

  behind Nancy.

  “Oh. I'm sorry.” Nancy scooted over to make way for

  a chubby, red-cheeked blond woman who was pushing

  her way through the crowd. The woman had a candy

  bar clenched in one hand, her husband's elbow in the

  other. They appeared to Nancy to be in their early

  thirties.

  “I can't believe Royal Pain is broken again,” the

  woman complained. “Come on, Phil. We have to—

  Oof!” She reeled backward as she crashed into Kenny.

  “Pardon me,” Kenny said.

  “Please tell me those grubby fingers did not touch

  me.” The woman looked down and inspected her white

  shirt. “I knew it. Why don't you look where you're

  going, young man? This was a very expensive shirt, and

  if these chocolate stains don't come out—”

  Nancy cleared her throat. “Ma'am, I'm sorry about

  what happened to your shirt, but it wasn't Kenny's

  fault.”

  “You walked right into him,” George said.

  The woman's face turned redder. “This whole

  vacation is turning into a royal pain, isn't it, Phil?” And

  she marched away, dragging her husband.

  “What was her problem?” Kenny asked Bess.

  “I don't know. I don't understand how anybody can

  be so grumpy while eating a chocolate bar.”

  Andrea held out the box of chocolates. “Would the

  chaperons each like a chocolate bar?”

  George held up her hand. “Thanks, but I'm trying to

  avoid junk food.”

  “I'll have one.” Nancy took it from Andrea and

  tucked it into her purse. “I think I'll save it for a rainy

  day.”

  “That might be today.” Bess chose a chocolate bar

  and tore open the wrapper.

  “Careful,” Andrea said. “There's an instant win

  contest inside the wrapper. You wouldn't want to rip a

  million-dollar wrapper, would you?”

  Bess read the instructions printed on the outside of

  the wrapper: “ Play the Crown Jewels contest and win.

  Look inside to see if you're a winner.' ” She rolled her

  eyes. “I already know the answer: Sorry. Try again next

  time.' And with the amount of chocolate I eat, you

  know I will.”

  “Just remember who bought these candy bars if you

  strike it rich.” Andrea pointed a finger at Bess. “I'm

  sure you're planning to donate half the proceeds to the

  Sleuths, right?”

  Bess laughed as she unwrapped her candy bar. “Of

  course. Absolutely. Unfortunately, we both know that

  half of nothing is noth—” She gasped as she looked

  down at the wrapper in her hands.

  “What is it?” Nancy asked.

  Bess showed her the words printed on the inside of

  the wrapper in gold letters.

  Nancy's blue eyes grew wide. “ Congratulations,' ”

  she read aloud. “ You've won the grand prize.' ”

  2. Secrets and Spies

  “No way,” George said. “Nobody really wins those

  contests, do they?”

  “Not nobody, but pretty close.” Nancy squinted at

  the fine print on the wrapper. “ Number of grand

  prizes awarded: One,' ” she read. “ Odds of winning

  the grand prize: approximately one in four million four

  hundred thousand.' ”

  Noah's mouth dropped open. “Wow.”

  “If you're not going to eat your candy, Bess, could I

  have it?” Kenny took the chocolate from Bess's limp

  hand. “Thanks.”

  Tyler elbowed his way to Bess's side. “Let me see.”

  “No, I want to see,” Emma said.

  Bess swallowed hard. “Just a second.” She held the

  wrapper over their heads. “I'll read it to you: The grand

  prize includes one million dollars in cash, one trip for

  four to Kings Commons Amusement Park in Royal,

  Illinois, and thirty Crown Jewels bars per month for

  twelve months. Employees of Royal Chocolates or

  Kings Commons and their immediate families are not

  eligible to win. To claim your prize, make a photocopy

  of the winning wrapper. Mail the original to—' ”

  “That building right over there,” George finished for

  her, pointing to Royal Chocolates headquarters.

  Noah was scribbling numbers in his notebook. “Do

  you realize, Bess, that if there are ten thousand people

  at Kings Commons today—and I bet there are judging

  by the length of these lines—you'd have to fill up about

  four hundred amusement parks this size to find four

  million people? So to be the lucky one out of four

  million is pretty astronomical.”

  “I'll say.” Bess blinked. “It doesn't seem real.”

  “It'll seem real when you've talked to the people at

  contest headquarters,” Nancy said. “So why don't you

  walk across the parking lot and do that right now.”

  “And could you ask them,” Katie piped up, “about

  the trip to Kings Commons? Like, do they think you

  could substitute another prize?”

  “Or maybe you could give the trip to someone else,”

  Emma suggested.

  Bess laughed. “I don't suppose you have someone

  else in mind?”

  “Enough!” Andrea said. “Let's give Bess a break and

  let her talk to the contest people. She'll bring us news

  in a little while. In the meantime let's go on one more

  ride and then have lunch—on Bess.”

  Bess smiled weakly. “Thanks. But do you think you

  could spare Nancy? I'd really like some moral support.”

  “We've got everything under control,” George

  assured her. “Take your time.”

  “We'll take a ride on High Tea.” Andrea pointed to

  the oversize rose-patterned teacups that crossed

  overhead, carrying passengers from one side of the

  park to the other. “We'll have lunch at Uncommonly

  Good and meet you at the Moat Float at, say, two

  o'clock.”

  “That sounds great. We'll see you then.” Nancy felt a

  drop of rain on her face. She pulled her hair back from

  her face and w
ound it into a ponytail.

  “Thanks for coming with me, Nan,” Bess said as they

  waited to have their hands stamped at the exit gate so

  they could reenter. “Holding on to this wrapper makes

  me very nervous.”

  Nancy grinned. “You've checked your pocket about

  five times in the last two minutes.”

  “I know. It's weird to think that one little piece of

  paper can be worth so much money. If Andrea hadn't

  said something to make me look, who knows? I might

  have thrown it in the trash.” Bess took a deep breath.

  “Anyhow, I'm glad I'll be able to help the Sleuths stay

  in business.”

  Nancy smiled. It was just like her friend to think of

  others first. “Bess, you know Andrea was joking. She

  wouldn't hold you to your promise to give half the

  money to the Science Sleuths.”

  “I know,” Bess said, “but I want to help—and now I

  can.”

  Nancy squeezed Bess's hand. “You're such a good

  person, Bess Marvin.”

  “I'm a very lucky person.” Bess looked up at the six-

  story brick administration building and read the sign

  above the main entrance: “Welcome to Royal

  Chocolates. We treat you Royally.” She brushed a drop

  of rain from her eye. “I'll say.”

  Bess and Nancy approached the receptionist's desk.

  “That's the biggest candy dish I've ever seen,” Bess

  whispered.

  The receptionist smiled. “Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” Bess took a crown-shaped chocolate

  wrapped in purple foil.

  “Hi,” Nancy said. “We were hoping you could help

  us. My friend just won a prize in the Crown Jewels

  contest. And since we happened to be in the park, we

  were hoping we might be able to come and claim it in

  person.”

  “I'm sorry,” the receptionist said. “The marketing

  department is too busy to handle the small prizes.

  They're dispensed from another location. So if you

  would just mail a copy of the wrapper—”

  “But it's not a small prize,” Bess interrupted. “It's

  the grand prize.”

  The receptionist sat up straighter. “The grand

  prize?”

  Bess nodded.

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “Why don't you have a seat?