The Pen Pal Puzzle Read online

  “Wow!” Nancy said. “It looks great.”

  “I think so, too. If you hadn’t spilled paint on it, I wouldn’t have painted it pink. The entry form will show up much better against the pink background.”

  “I’m glad,” Nancy said. But inside she was feeling jealous. Phoebe’s poster was better than ever. Nancy’s own poster would look even more boring in comparison—unless she found her stamps.

  “I’m sorry about how I acted yesterday,” Phoebe said. “I know it was an accident. I was mad, and I took it out on you.”

  “That’s okay,” Nancy said. “I know how you felt.”

  “That’s right,” Phoebe said. “I almost forgot. You lost your letters.” Phoebe thought for a moment. “My mom has a friend in France who writes to her a lot. I could get those envelopes for you.”

  “Thanks, but the envelopes really have to be from England,” Nancy said.

  The front door slammed, and Phoebe’s big brother came into the kitchen. “Hey,” he said as he opened the refrigerator and rummaged around inside.

  “Hi, Tim,” Nancy said. Tim was in the sixth grade. She sometimes saw him in the hall at school.

  Tim fixed himself a huge sandwich. He used three slices of bread and most of a package of sliced ham.

  “Shee ya,” he said with his mouth full on his way out.

  Nancy said good-bye to Phoebe and biked home. She no longer thought that Phoebe had taken her stamps. Nancy was running out of suspects. Even worse, she was running out of time.

  When she got home, she saw George walking away from her front door. George had her in-line skates slung over her shoulder.

  “George! Wait up!” Nancy yelled. She pedaled faster to catch up.

  “Hi,” George said. “Do you want to go skating?”

  “Sure!” Nancy loved to skate. She ran into the house for her skates.

  She and George practiced skating backward. They were still skating half an hour later when Mr. Drew’s car pulled into the driveway.

  “Hi, Pudding Pie.” He gave Nancy a big hug. “Are you ready for pizza?”

  “I’m always ready for pizza,” Nancy said.

  “Would you like to come with us, George?” Mr. Drew asked.

  “I can’t,” George said. “Mom’s expecting me home for dinner”—she looked at her watch—“oops, right now! I’d better hurry!”

  “Bye!” Nancy and her father called as George skated toward her house.

  Later, at the pizzeria, Nancy told her father about finding the letters in her cubby. “But the envelopes with the stamps on them are still missing,” she said sadly. “My poster won’t be very good without them.”

  Nancy finished her slice of pizza. She wiped her mouth and hands on a paper napkin.

  “Did you bring your detective’s notebook?” her father asked.

  Nancy nodded. She took her notebook out of her jacket pocket. She had been carrying it with her all the time in case she had an idea or found a clue.

  “So who are your suspects?” her father asked.

  Nancy read her list of suspects. “Phoebe was my first suspect. But I don’t think she did it anymore.

  “Brenda was my second suspect. I thought she and Phoebe were ganging up on me. She and Phoebe were out of the classroom right before I found the letters in my cubby. But Brenda couldn’t have put the letters there without Phoebe seeing her.

  “Then there’s Mike Minelli. But he wasn’t in school today so he couldn’t have returned the letters.”

  “No more suspects?” Mr. Drew asked.

  Nancy looked at the last name on her list: Andrew Leoni.

  “There is one more suspect,” Nancy began. “Andrew Leoni. He came back from a doctor’s appointment right before I found the letters in my cubby. He could have put them there. But he didn’t have a reason to take them in the first place.”

  “No motive. Hmm.” Mr. Drew rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was thinking hard. “Maybe he has a motive you haven’t thought of,” Mr. Drew suggested. “Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to think about something totally different. Let’s get your mind off the case for a while. Tell me about your field trip yesterday.”

  Nancy told her father all about the trip to the post office. “The postmaster said she collected stamps,” Nancy continued. “That’s why she wanted to work in a post office. We even saw a big poster about stamp collecting—That’s it!” Nancy almost spilled her drink she was so excited. “Andrew knew the word for stamp collecting that was on the poster. Maybe he collects stamps. That would give him the perfect motive.”

  “Good detective work, Nancy.” Her father smiled proudly at her. “I think you’ve earned some dessert. How about an ice cream cone?”

  Nancy and her father stopped at the ice cream parlor on their way home. Nancy got a double dip cone with chocolate and strawberry ice cream. It took a long time to eat it. By the time they got home, it was almost Nancy’s bedtime.

  Nancy brushed her teeth and changed into her nightgown. When her father came in to kiss her good night, Nancy asked, “Do you think Andrew will give me back my stamps?”

  Mr. Drew nodded. “I think so. You can be pretty convincing,” he said with a smile.

  Nancy hoped her father was right. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep quickly. She was in a hurry for tomorrow to come, so she could talk Andrew into giving her back the stamps.

  7

  Where Are the Stamps?

  Nancy got to school early Friday morning. She wanted to talk to Andrew before class started. But Andrew slipped into his seat just before the first bell. She’d have to wait.

  It took forever until it was time for morning recess. Nancy was the first one out of her seat. But Andrew sat closer to the door. He was already at his cubby when Nancy caught up to him.

  “Andrew! Wait!” Nancy called to him.

  “Hi, Nancy,” Andrew said.

  “Andrew, did you take my letters?” Nancy blurted out.

  Andrew’s face turned red. He looked down at his sneakers. Then he nodded slowly.

  “So you’ll give them back now?” she asked hopefully. There was still time to put them on her poster. Parents’ Night wasn’t going to be a disaster after all.

  “I already put your letters back in your cubby yesterday,” Andrew said, surprised. “Didn’t you find them?”

  “Only the letters. Not the envelopes,” Nancy said. “I need the envelopes for the stamps for my poster.”

  “I put the stamps in your cubby, too. Underneath your book.” Andrew went over to Nancy’s cubby. “They’re right here. See?” He lifted up the book of fairy tales.

  The stamps weren’t there.

  “But I put them there! Honest!” Andrew was really upset. Nancy felt sorry for him. But she felt even sorrier for herself. She still didn’t have the envelopes with the stamps. And Parents’ Night was only hours away!

  Andrew kept looking under the book of fairy tales as if he expected the stamps to magically appear. “They have to be here,” he said.

  “You took my letters because you collect stamps, right?” Nancy asked.

  “Yeah,” Andrew admitted. “Those stamps were exactly what I needed for my collection. While you were putting the art supplies away, before the field trip, I sneaked them out of your desk. That night I soaked the stamps off the envelopes. But then I felt really guilty. I never stole anything before. And I knew you needed the stamps for your poster.”

  “So then what did you do?” Nancy asked.

  “The envelopes were all mushy from being in the warm water. The ink had run all over, so I threw them away.”

  Nancy thought about how much she liked seeing her name printed on the front of those envelopes. She swallowed hard.

  “Then I pressed the stamps under some heavy books so they would dry flat,” Andrew continued. “Yesterday I took the letters and stamps with me to school. I put them in your cubby when I came back from my doctor’s appointment. I put the stamps under your book of fair
y tales so they wouldn’t get wrinkled or lost.”

  But they got lost anyway, Nancy thought sadly. Now it looked as if they were gone forever.

  • • •

  “I can’t believe Andrew stole your letters,” Bess said.

  Nancy was eating lunch with Bess and George. She had just finished describing what had happened.

  “Are you going to tell Ms. Spencer?” George asked.

  Nancy thought about that. It wasn’t right to steal, but Andrew had tried to return everything. “No,” Nancy said. “I won’t tell on him. He said he was sorry. Besides, telling won’t get my stamps back.”

  “So what are you going to do?” George asked. “Parents’ Night is tonight.”

  “I know,” Nancy said. “Bess, are you sure you didn’t see the stamps when you borrowed my book?”

  “I’m really, really double sure,” Bess said. “I just pulled the book out and ran back to class.”

  “Maybe the stamps fell on the floor when Bess pulled out the book,” George said.

  Nancy was afraid George was right. Anyone could have picked up the stamps or thrown them away. How would she ever find them now?

  • • •

  School was almost over. Ms. Spencer’s class spent last period finishing their posters and cleaning up the classroom for Parents’ Night.

  Now Ms. Spencer was helping the students tack their posters to the bulletin boards. Nancy had written the report as Ms. Spencer had suggested. But without the stamps, her poster didn’t look very good, especially next to the others.

  Nancy still wasn’t ready to give up. Maybe the school custodian had found them when he swept up the day before. It was a slim chance, but it was Nancy’s last hope.

  “Ms. Spencer? May I go ask Mr. Ingstrom if he saw my stamps?”

  “Yes, you may,” Ms. Spencer said. “But hurry.”

  Nancy wanted to run to Mr. Ingstrom’s office. But she knew running in the halls was not allowed. So she walked very, very fast.

  The door to Mr. Ingstrom’s office was open. Nancy was happy to see that he was inside.

  “Mr. Ingstrom?” she said as she knocked on the open door. “My name is Nancy Drew. I’m in Ms. Spencer’s third-grade class. I lost some special stamps yesterday. They fell out of my cubby. Did you see them when you were cleaning up?”

  “Hmm.” Mr. Ingstrom took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Now that you mention it, I think I did see them. I swept some stamps into my dust pile. Then a girl tapped me on the shoulder and asked if she could have them. I didn’t realize what they were till she picked them out and showed them to me. I said sure, she could have them. And that’s the last I saw of her or the stamps.”

  “Do you know the name of the girl?” Nancy asked hopefully.

  “No, but she was older than you—fifth or sixth grade, I’d guess.” Mr. Ingstrom put his glasses back on his nose. “If you children took better care of your things, you wouldn’t always—”

  Nancy didn’t have time to listen to his lecture. She had to find that girl, whoever she was. But how?

  “Thanks, Mr. Ingstrom,” Nancy said as she turned and left his office. She hurried down the hall.

  Maybe the girl was a stamp collector like Andrew Leoni. Nancy was walking past the school library when she got an idea.

  The librarian wasn’t at her desk, but Nancy knew how to use the card catalog. She looked up stamp collecting. There was only one book on the subject. She rushed to the shelves.

  The book was there! Now all she had to do was look at the sign-out card. Everyone had to write their name and class number on the card when they took out a book. Maybe the girl who had her stamps had taken out this book.

  Nancy opened the book. Was she about to solve the mystery?

  8

  Parents’ Night

  Nancy ran her finger down the list of names and class numbers on the card. There weren’t many.

  She saw Andrew’s name and class number. Mr. Ingstrom had said a girl had taken the stamps. There were only two girls’ names on the card. One was in a second-grade class. But Mr. Ingstrom had said the girl was older than Nancy, so it couldn’t have been her. The other girl—Maya Chavez—was a sixth-grader!

  Nancy crossed her fingers, hoping that Maya was the one who had her stamps. If she could find Maya, she might get her stamps back in time for Parents’ Night.

  Nancy put the library book on the cart to be reshelved. She left the library just as the bell rang.

  Nancy dashed down the hall. All the classes were letting out for the day. If she hurried, she might catch Maya. But how would she recognize her?

  “Nancy!” George called as she walked out of Ms. Spencer’s class. “What’s up?”

  “I think I know who has my stamps,” Nancy said, breathless. “It’s a sixth-grader named Maya Chavez. I’ve got to try to find her. Tell Ms. Spencer I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay,” George said as Nancy sped off.

  Nancy rounded the corner just as two classes of sixth-graders poured into the hallway.

  Nancy looked around. There were so many sixth-grade girls. Which one was Maya?

  Maybe I should just shout out her name, Nancy thought.

  Then Nancy spotted Phoebe’s brother, Tim. He was in the sixth grade. Maybe he knew Maya.

  “Tim!” Nancy called. “Tim Archer!”

  Tim turned around. “Oh, hi, Nancy,” he said.

  “Tim, do you know Maya Chavez?” Nancy asked in a rush. “I have to find her. It’s really, really important.”

  “Sure,” Tim said. “No problem. She’s right over there. With the red sweater.”

  “Thanks!” Nancy called as she raced toward the girl Tim had pointed out.

  Please, please, please, Nancy said to herself as she ran, please have my stamps!

  Nancy almost collided with the tall girl in the red sweater. “Are you Maya Chavez?” she asked, breathing hard.

  “Yes,” Maya said. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Nancy Drew. I lost some stamps yesterday in the hallway. They were from England. Did you find them?”

  “Yes, I did,” Maya said, amazed. “How did you know?”

  “I don’t have time to explain right now. But I would really appreciate it if I could have them back. Do you have them with you?”

  “They’re right here.” Maya carefully opened her history book. The stamps were inside. She handed them to Nancy. “Wow! I can’t believe you figured out I had them. You must be a great detective.”

  “Maybe someday I will be. Thanks,” Nancy said. She took the stamps and rushed back to her own classroom. George and Bess were waiting there for her. So was Ms. Spencer and Andrew Leoni.

  “You found them!” Bess said. She gave Nancy a big hug.

  Nancy attached her stamps to her poster with little loops of tape.

  When she was done, her poster looked great!

  • • •

  “So where’s your poster, Pudding Pie?” Nancy’s father teased her. Nancy’s was right in front of him.

  “Here, Daddy,” Nancy said. She pointed proudly at her poster.

  “It’s beautiful,” Mr. Drew said. “You did a great job. With the poster and with the case.”

  After everyone had looked at all the posters, they went to the refreshments table. There was coffee for the adults and juice for the students. There were also cookies and brownies.

  “Time to go, Pudding Pie,” Mr. Drew said as Nancy finished her cup of juice.

  “Okay, Dad. In a minute. There’s something I have to do first.” Nancy walked over to where her poster was displayed. She carefully removed the stamps and took off the loops of tape. Then she found Andrew.

  “Here.” Nancy handed him the stamps.

  “You’re giving them to me?” Andrew said, surprised. “Even after I took them and almost ruined your poster?”

  Nancy nodded. “You should have asked me at the very beginning,” she said. “I would have told you that you could have them after Pa
rents’ Night. You just had to ask.”

  “Thanks, Nancy,” Andrew said. He held the stamps carefully, as if they were the most valuable stamps in the world. “Thanks a lot!”

  • • •

  That night before she went to bed, Nancy took out her blue notebook. She turned to a clean page and wrote:

  I solved the mystery of the missing pen pal letters. It was really a double mystery—who took the letters and what happened to the stamps.

  Maya was really nice to give me back my stamps, even after she found them fair and square. She knew they were important to me. And Andrew was so happy to get the stamps after Parents’ Night. Sometimes giving something away is even better than getting something in the first place.

  Case closed.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and

  incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used

  fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons,

  living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A MINSTREL PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

  A Minstrel Book published by

  POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 1996 by Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Produced by Mega-Books Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce

  this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue

  of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  ISBN: 0-671-53550-1

  ISBN: 978-1-4424-7190-0

  First Minstrel Books printing March 1996

  NANCY DREW, A MINSTREL BOOK and colophon are registered

  trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  THE NANCY DREW NOTEBOOKS is a trademark of

  Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Cover art by Aleta Jenks