Princess Mix-Up Mystery Read online

  “I’ll see who it is,” Nancy said. “You’re busy making dinner.”

  “Busy making a mess!” Mr. Drew groaned as he spilled cut vegetables onto the floor.

  Nancy ran out of the kitchen and down the hall. She stood on her toes and peeked through the tiny window on the front door. There was no one outside.

  Unless it’s a short kid, Nancy thought.

  Opening the door a crack, Nancy peeked outside. Still no one there. About to shut the door, Nancy spotted something on the doorstep. It was a brown-wrapped package with her name written across it.

  Nancy stared down at the package. Who was it from? What was inside?

  “Daddy!” Nancy shouted over her shoulder. “I just got some weird package!”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Hide and Sneak

  Nancy watched as her father ripped off the brown paper. Underneath was a box with the words “Munchy Crunchy” printed on it.

  “Candy bars?” Nancy asked.

  “Granola bars,” Mr. Drew said as he opened the box.

  “Yummy!” Nancy exclaimed. Inside were a dozen granola bars, some with fruit, nuts—even chocolate chips!

  “We know what’s inside,” Mr. Drew said, rummaging through the box. “But there’s no note or return address.”

  “I don’t have a clue who sent them to me,” Nancy said, shaking her head.

  “Then don’t eat them until you know for sure,” Mr. Drew suggested. “I’ll put the box in the kitchen for now.”

  Mr. Drew carried the mysterious box into the house. Chip picked up the brown paper between her teeth and swung it back and forth.

  “A secret package,” Nancy said. She sighed as she tugged the paper out of her puppy’s mouth. “Things are getting nuttier than those granola bars!”

  But the next morning when Nancy met Bess and George, things got even stranger.

  “You got granola bars too?” Nancy gasped.

  “A whole box,” Bess said.

  “Some of my granola bars had butterscotch chips!” George said, pulling a wrapped bar from her pocket. “My mom told me not to eat any until I know who gave them to me.”

  “That’s what Daddy told me,” Nancy said. “I wonder if those granola bars have something to do with our case.”

  “Who knows?” George said as she dropped the bar back into her pocket. “But as soon as we find out who sent them—snack attack!”

  The girls made their way toward the Rad Scientists clubhouse. A red mailbox outside read, sussman family.

  “But where’s the clubhouse?” Nancy wondered.

  Carefully and quietly, the girls scouted the Sussman yard. The garage door was open and the girls peeked inside.

  There was no car, just two bicycles, folded lawn chairs, and a green Hula-hoop resting against the wall. But then Nancy spotted something else—a long table covered with a white tablecloth. On the table were clear test tubes and beakers—the kind they used in science class. There was also a lump of clay molded into the shape of a mountain.

  “It’s a mad scientist’s lab!” Bess gasped.

  “More like a Rad Scientist’s lab,” Nancy pointed out. “I think we just found their clubhouse.”

  “Come on,” George said, stepping into the garage. “Let’s go inside and look for clues.”

  “What if the Rad Scientists show up?” Nancy asked.

  “Or Dr. Frankenstein?” Bess said with a shudder. “He might be a member too!”

  “Don’t wimp out now, you guys,” George said as she walked toward the table. “There might be traces of stinky blue stuff in those glass tubes.”

  Nancy knew George was right. She darted into the garage. Bess followed, calling, “Wait for meeeeee!”

  George was examining the test tubes when Nancy and Bess reached the table. “No blue stuff anywhere,” she said.

  Nancy took a whiff of a beaker filled with clear liquid. She wrinkled her nose and said, “Ugh. Vinegar!”

  “Vinegar?” George repeated. “What are they making in here—salad dressing?”

  Bess pointed to the clay mountain. Circling the base were tiny stalks of broccoli arranged to look like trees.

  “They’re making an erupting volcano, you guys,” Bess said. “Vinegar mixed with baking soda will make it gush.”

  “How do you know?” George asked.

  “I helped my neighbor Bradley Buchalter build one for the science fair,” Bess explained. “It won first prize.”

  Bess grabbed a box of baking soda. Nancy gasped as she poured some into the mouth of the volcano.

  “Don’t touch anything, Bess!” Nancy cried.

  The moment Bess stopped, Nancy saw three figures heading toward the garage. It was Suki, Ella, and a younger boy. They were too busy talking to notice the girls but Nancy’s stomach did a triple-flip anyway.

  “Hide!” Nancy whispered.

  In a blink the Clue Crew ducked under the tablecloth. Huddled beneath the table, they could hear Suki, Ella, and the boy enter the garage.

  “Okay, Ernest,” Ella’s voice said. “If you want to join Rad Scientists, you have to pass our test.”

  “Think you can make that volcano over there erupt?” Suki’s voice asked.

  “Are you kidding?” Ernest laughed. “I’ve been exploding volcanoes since kindergarten. Bring it on!”

  Nancy held her breath as three pairs of sneakers appeared beneath the tablecloth. Suki, Ella, and Ernest were standing right next to them!

  “First you take three tablespoons of baking soda,” Ernest’s voice explained. “And pour it into the volcano.”

  “See?” Bess whispered.

  “Shh!” Nancy whispered back.

  “Next take a half-cup of vinegar,” Ernest went on. “Pour it inside and—”

  Whooooosh!!

  “Holy cannoli!” Ernest cried. “I created Mount Vesuvius!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George shrieked. A thick fizzy liquid was oozing over the side of the table!

  “Hey!” Suki shouted as the girls scrambled out of hiding. “What are you doing here?”

  Nancy straightened up and gulped. Now the Rad Scientists were definitely mad scientists!

  CHAPTER NINE

  Natural Disaster

  “I don’t know what happened,” Ernest admitted. “I added the right amount of vinegar and baking soda.”

  “Um … we were kind of playing with the volcano before you came,” Bess muttered. “I mean … I was.”

  “So if it wasn’t my fault, can I still join the club?” Ernest asked excitedly.

  “Forget the volcano,” Suki said. “Right now I want to know what the Clue Crew is doing in my garage.”

  “Spying on us?” Ella asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I guess you could say that,” George said. “Someone messed with our makeovers at Prissy’s Princess Parlor the other day.”

  “And you were there!” Bess declared.

  “Princess? Makeovers?” Ernest cried. “If that’s what this club is about—I’m outta here!”

  Ernest’s wet sneakers squeaked as he stomped out of the garage.

  “Who needs him anyway?” Suki grumbled. “His science fair project was an ant farm. Big deal.”

  “Don’t change the subject,” Nancy warned. “Did you or didn’t you mess with our makeovers?”

  “We didn’t!” Ella insisted.

  “We were mad, but we got over it,” Suki said. “Especially after we got these awesome manicures.”

  Suki and Ella lifted their hands to reveal perfectly polished nails in colors of the rainbow!

  “Nancy … George,” Bess whispered as she waved them to the side. “I think they’re telling the truth!”

  “How do you know?” Nancy whispered.

  “Their nails were wet when they left the Princess Parlor,” Bess explained. “If they did all that unscrewing and pouring, their manicures would have been a mess.”

  “You’re right,” Nancy gasped.

  “Leave it to a girly-girl to
figure that one out,” George said with a grin.

  Nancy, Bess, and George walked back to the Rad Scientists, this time with smiles on their faces.

  “We know you didn’t do it,” Nancy admitted. “Sorry we were snooping around in here.”

  The girls were about to leave when Suki said, “Sorry we acted so creepy about the contest. We know you didn’t jump the line.”

  “We just wanted to win so badly,” Ella sighed.

  “And while we’re apologizing,” Bess said. “I’m sorry for messing with your volcano. I just wanted to show Nancy and George how it erupts.”

  “Did you ever build an erupting volcano?” Ella asked.

  “I helped Bradley Buchalter build his,” Bess explained. “I really like to build things and—”

  “Bradley Buchalter?” Suki squealed. “He’s a science rock star!”

  “Can you get Bradley to join Rad Scientists?” Ella begged Bess. “Pretty please—with C12H22O11 on top?”

  “What’s that?” Bess asked.

  “The chemical formula for sugar,” Ella explained.

  “Oh, and you guys can join our club too,” Suki added. “You already passed the volcano test.”

  Nancy couldn’t believe it. They had gone from enemies to friends in just minutes!

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” Nancy said. “We’re too busy solving our mysteries.”

  “But when we need help with our science homework,” George said, giving a thumbs-up, “we’re here!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George were glad they made two new friends. But they were not glad they had run out of suspects.

  “We can’t give up,” Nancy said, back at their headquarters. “So stop groaning, George.”

  “That’s not me!” George said, spinning around in the chair. “It’s my stomach growling because I need a snack.”

  George pulled out her granola bar. She was about to unwrap it when Nancy cut in.

  “Don’t, George,” Nancy warned.

  “It’s probably safe,” George said. She pointed to the wrapper. “It’s all natural and from the Mean Bean.”

  “That Strawberry Spritz was all natural too,” Bess said. “And look what it did to us.”

  Mean Bean? All natural? The words hit Nancy like a ton of butterscotch chips. She ran to her jacket lying on the bed. Reaching into the pocket she pulled out the label with the blue smudge.

  Nancy read the label under the blue stain. The bottle of Strawberry Spritz was from the Mean Bean too!

  “Mean Bean … Kevin Garcia!” Nancy figured out loud. “Maybe the granola bars came from him.”

  “Anybody can buy stuff at the Mean Bean,” George said.

  “But Kevin has been acting weird lately, remember?” Nancy said. “So if the Strawberry Spritz came from his parents’ store, maybe he knows something we don’t!”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Princess Power!

  The first place the Clue Crew looked for Kevin was in the Mean Bean Health Store.

  “This place always smells like vitamins,” George whispered as they walked in. Mrs. Garcia was behind the counter ringing up a customer. Mr. Garcia’s back was to the girls as he counted boxes of oatmeal on a shelf.

  “I don’t see Kevin,” Nancy said. “But while we’re here there’s something I want to check out.”

  Nancy led her friends to the shelf marked “Natural Beauty Products.” She smiled at a whole shelf filled with Strawberry Spritz.

  “Kevin could have gotten a bottle easily,” Nancy pointed out.

  “And there’s a ton of granola bars!” George said, nodding toward a shelf filled with health snacks. “Just like the kind we got.”

  “Shh,” Bess whispered. “There’s Kevin.”

  Nancy turned to see Kevin. He was holding a shovel as he slipped out the back door.

  “Where’s he going with that?” George asked.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Nancy said.

  The girls scurried to the back. Nancy opened the door and they peeked outside. Kevin was using the shovel to dig in the backyard.

  “Ahoy, Captain Garcia,” George called, swinging the door wide open. “Digging for buried treasure?”

  Kevin paled as the girls approached.

  “No,” he said as he kept shoveling. “I’m planting seeds for the spring. I’ll bet you didn’t know we had an herb garden back here.”

  Nancy looked into the hole. Sticking out from underneath some dirt was a green plastic thermos bottle.

  “What’s in the bottle?” Nancy asked. She was about to reach down for it when Kevin snatched it up.

  “Get that bottle!” Bess shouted as Kevin ran to the back fence.

  George chased Kevin to the fence. As he began climbing she grabbed hold of his sneaker.

  “Whoa!” Kevin shouted as he lost his grip.

  He tumbled to the ground and the cap popped off the bottle. Gushing out all over Kevin was a blue liquid—and it smelled like rotten eggs!

  “Ew!” Bess said, squeezing her nose.

  “That’s the stuff that was in our hair!” Nancy said, trying hard not to breathe. “I’d know it anywhere.”

  Kevin dropped the bottle as he stood up. “Oh, well,” he muttered. “At least I won’t be chased by deer.”

  “Deer?” George asked. “Why deer?”

  Kevin nodded down at his blue-stained shirt. “This stuff was a natural deer repellent I invented,” he said.

  Nancy stared at Kevin and said, “You mean like what Hannah wanted?”

  Kevin nodded.

  “I felt bad that the Mean Bean didn’t have what you needed,” Kevin said. “So I researched the stuff that deer hated to smell.”

  “What do they hate to smell?” Bess asked.

  “Mostly rotten eggs,” Kevin said. “So I mixed up some eggs, garlic, onion, and green food dye that would blend in with the plants and bushes.”

  “But the stuff was blue,” George said.

  “I didn’t have any yellow to make green so I just used blue instead,” Kevin said. “Close enough.”

  “Then what happened?” Nancy urged.

  “I needed a spray bottle so I emptied out some Strawberry Spritz,” Kevin explained. “I poured my brew into the empty bottle then put it back on the shelf so the eggs would get nice and rotten.”

  “It did the trick,” George muttered.

  “I put my bottle apart from the others so I’d know which one it was,” Kevin went on. “But when I went to get it the next morning, it was gone.”

  “What happened to it?” Nancy asked.

  “My parents said they took some bottles to Prissy’s Princess Parlor,” Kevin said, his shoulders sagging. “I knew they took the one with my deer repellent too!”

  “Why didn’t you tell someone?” Nancy asked.

  “I ran to the parlor to stop those ladies from using it,” Kevin admitted. “But by the time I got there—”

  “We were already blue-headed monsters.” Bess sighed.

  “Sorry.” Kevin sighed. He pointed to the bottle on the ground. “The stuff was too stinky to pour down the drain so I tried burying it instead.”

  “Did you also leave us a bunch of granola bars without signing your name?” Nancy asked.

  “It was a peace offering,” Kevin said. He heaved a big sigh. “But I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me forever.”

  Nancy felt bad for Kevin. He didn’t mean to mess up their makeovers. He just wanted to help by inventing a deer repellent.

  “We don’t hate you, Kevin.” Nancy said.

  “Just the way you smell right now,” Bess said, scrunching up her nose.

  “But you really should explain everything to Prissy and Wendy,” Nancy said, “so they can reopen their store.”

  Kevin held up his blue-stained arms and said, “Can I go take a shower first?”

  “You’d better take about ten!” George groaned.

  The girls said good-bye to Kevin. Then they left the Mean Bean, smiling all the way
. Another case solved by the Clue Crew!

  It wasn’t long before Prissy’s Princess Parlor was open for business again. That Sunday Nancy, Bess, and George were invited back for brand-new makeovers!

  This time Nancy and Bess were treated to cool hairstyles, pearly-pink lip gloss and princess-perfect manicures. George was happy to have new baseball-bat barrettes back in her hair and silver nails that matched her sneaker laces. Instead of rotten eggs the girls smelled like strawberries, thanks to the real Strawberry Spritz!

  “Say cheese!” the photographer said as Nancy, Bess, and George posed in front of the castle-gate door.

  “Will we be on the front page?” Bess asked.

  The reporter stepped forward with that day’s edition of the River Heights Daily News.

  “Not today!” she replied, holding up the paper.

  Nancy’s eyes widened when she saw Kevin on the front page. The headline read: kid genius makes deer steer clear!

  “It’s Kevin and his deer repellent!” Nancy exclaimed.

  “Now you can buy some for Hannah,” Bess said happily.

  “And Kevin can join the Rad Scientists,” George added.

  The reporter put down the paper and picked up her pad. “So, girls,” she said, getting ready to write. “How does it feel to be princesses?”

  Nancy traded smiles with Bess and George. She knew that her best friends were thinking the same thing she was.

  “Being princesses for a day is cool,” Nancy declared. “But we’d rather be detectives every day!”

  Dress Up Your ’Do!

  Bad hair day? Never again, when you wear a stunning new headband you decorate yourself. Just follow these easy tips for turning a plain headband from boring to beautiful!

  What You’ll Need:

  Plain plastic headband

  Long strand of colored ribbon

  Craft glue

  Ready, Set … Wrap!

  Carefully glue one end of the ribbon to one end of the headband; wait for glue to dry.

  Begin wrapping the ribbon tightly around the headband (dot some glue along the headband for extra hold).

  Once the whole headband is covered, glue the other end of the ribbon to the opposite end of the headband.