Turkey Trot Plot Page 4

  “Good thinking, George,” Nancy said with a smile. “Now, where is that chocolate turkey?”

  The clubhouse had several beanbag chairs shaped like chocolate candies and posters on the walls with sayings like, “Stay Calm and Eat Chocolate” and “Follow That Bunny—He Has Chocolate!”

  Stacked on a shelf were hard metal molds of all shapes and sizes. Nancy held up one shaped like a horse and said, “I’ll bet the Choco Chewers use these to make their own chocolate.”

  George opened a small freezer. Inside were molded chocolates and chocolate lollipops. “Here are some,” she said. “That dark-chocolate sneaker looks pretty good—”

  “Nancy, George, I found it,” Bess interrupted. “I found the chocolate turkey from the picture!”

  Nancy and George hurried over to Bess. She was standing next to a chocolate turkey set up on a stool in the corner.

  “How do we know if that’s the missing turkey?” Nancy asked.

  “We got to taste the Classy Coco turkey before it went missing,” George said. “If we taste this turkey, we’ll know if it’s a match.”

  “But how?” Bess asked. “It’s not like we can break off a piece.”

  George’s eyes darted around the clubhouse. “Maybe we don’t have to,” she said.

  Nancy watched as George headed toward a stainless-steel pot. The pot stood on the floor. It was the biggest Nancy had ever seen. It was half the size of Nancy!

  Looking into it, George said, “This is half-filled with melted chocolate. Maybe the Choco Chewers melted the turkey from Anna’s store to make their own over there!”

  “Why would they do all that just to make another chocolate turkey?” Nancy wondered.

  George leaned over the rim of the pot to dip her finger into the cooled chocolate. After giving it a lick, she said, “This chocolate is good, but not as good as the missing turkey.”

  Bess didn’t like to get messy, but she couldn’t resist a taste. She reached her finger down toward the melted chocolate but gasped as her bracelet fell into the pot!

  “I have to get my bracelet out!” Bess cried. “It has little autumn leaf beads. It’s my favorite!”

  “Don’t reach for it, Bess,” Nancy warned. “You might fall in too.”

  “I have longer arms,” George said. “I’ll do it.”

  Nancy and Bess stood back as George leaned over the rim of the pot. She stretched her arm down for the bracelet but grunted when she couldn’t reach it.

  “Keep trying, George,” Bess cried. “I have matching earrings—”

  “Okay, okay,” George said. She reached in further, further, further until—SPLAT!

  Nancy and Bess shrieked. George had fallen headfirst into the pot of melted chocolate!

  CHOCO-LOT!

  “Um . . . did you find my bracelet, George?” Bess asked.

  George rose from the pot, her face and hair dripping with chocolate. “Here,” she muttered, tossing the chocolate-covered bracelet to Bess.

  Nancy watched George try to climb out of the pot, but she kept slipping back down. “Do you need help, George?” she asked.

  “Why don’t we lend a hand?” a voice asked.

  Nancy froze. She knew the voice belonged to Hazel. The girls looked toward the door to see her and the other Choco Chewers filing into the clubhouse.

  “We thought you were with us when we went for hot chocolate!” Hazel said angrily. She pointed to George in the pot. “Instead you’re eating our chocolate!”

  “Does it look like I’m eating?” George demanded.

  “Hazel, we didn’t come to eat chocolate,” Nancy explained. “We were looking for the missing chocolate turkey from Classy Coco.”

  “We thought your chocolate turkey might be it,” Bess said. “But we figured out that it isn’t.”

  “The hard way,” George sighed. “Can somebody please help me out?”

  With the help of the Choco Chewers, George climbed out of the pot. Nancy and Bess used wads of paper towels to help clean up the mess.

  “Do you really make your own chocolate?” Nancy asked as she scrubbed a spot on the floor.

  “You bet,” Hazel said. “My dad melts chocolate in our garage. After it cools down a bit, we pour it into molds, freeze them, and—”

  “Eat them!” Lester said. “That’s the best part!”

  George noticed a chocolate mustache on Lester. “How was Anna’s hot chocolate?” she asked.

  “Awesome!” Lester declared, licking his upper lip. “It tasted exactly like a melted chocolate bar.”

  Gillian held out a paper cup. “Would you like to taste it?” she asked the Clue Crew. “It’s so rich I couldn’t finish it.”

  “I’ll try it, thanks!” Bess said, reaching for the cup.

  Before Bess could take a sip, Hazel said, “I’ve decided naming a dog Chocolate Chip is a pretty big deal. Do you guys want to taste our chocolate turkey?”

  “We’re about to cut it,” Lester said excitedly. “With Mr. Hookstratten’s help, of course.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” George said, chocolate dripping down her forehead. “I’ve had enough chocolate for the day. Sorry I ruined this batch, you guys.”

  “It’s okay,” Gillian said. “We have tons more where that came from.”

  The Clue Crew thanked the Choco Chewers and left the clubhouse. Once outside, Bess took a sip of the hot chocolate. Nancy could see her eyes light up.

  “Does Anna’s hot chocolate really taste like a melted chocolate bar?” Nancy asked.

  “Better!” Bess declared. “It tastes like the chocolate turkey from Classy Coco.”

  “You mean the pieces that broke off?” George asked. “The ones we tasted?”

  “Taste it for yourself,” Bess said, holding out the cup.

  George wasn’t planning on more chocolate, but she took a sip anyway.

  “Whoa!” George exclaimed. “That tastes just like the chocolate turkey from Classy Coco.”

  As Nancy took a sip she had a thought.

  “What’s up, Nancy? You have that look on your face,” Bess told her.

  “So, Clue Crew, I think I have the answer,” Nancy said. She swallowed the last delicious drop of hot chocolate and continued. “Next stop: Classy Coco!”

  George shook her head, her chocolate-crusted curls bouncing. “Nuh-uh, Nancy,” she said. “Next stop for me is a shower!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George headed to the Fayne house. After George was done showering, she threw her clothes into the laundry hamper.

  “Your hair is still wet, George,” Bess pointed out. “Don’t you blow-dry and style it?”

  “I prefer to drip-dry, thanks,” George said. “Now let’s go to Classy Coco and look for some clues.”

  “If Anna lets us inside,” Nancy said hopefully.

  The Clue Crew practically ran all the way to Main Street. Luckily, Anna was still giving out samples in front of her store.

  The girls pretended to join the line of kids waiting for samples. When no one was looking, they slipped through the open door into the store.

  “That’s weird,” Nancy said as they looked around. “There are no chocolates anywhere in the store.”

  George pointed to the floor. “No more blue and green feathers either.”

  “Anna probably swept them up already,” Bess said. “But where did all the chocolate go?”

  Nancy pointed to a closed door behind the counter. “It could be in the back room,” she said. “Let’s check it out.”

  George opened the door. As the girls filed into the back, they all gasped. Stretched out before them on a large table was a sea of paper cups filled with hot chocolate!

  “Holy ravioli!” George exclaimed.

  “Look at all that melted chocolate!” Bess gasped.

  Nancy walked along the table, gazing at about a hundred filled cups.

  Clue Crew — and YOU!

  Ready to think like Nancy, Bess, and George and help solve the case of the missing chocolate tur
key? Or turn the page to find out what happened!

  1. The Clue Crew ruled out Henderson, Shelby, and the Choco Chewers Club as suspects. Can you think of anyone they may have left out? Write one or more on a piece of paper.

  2. Nancy sees almost a hundred cups of hot chocolate in Classy Coco. Where do you think all that melted chocolate came from? Write your answer on a piece of paper.

  3. Many times detectives use their eyes and ears to solve cases. How are Nancy, Bess, and George using their taste buds? Write your thoughts on a piece of a paper.

  TALKING TURKEY

  Nancy swept her hand over the cups and said, “All this melted chocolate came from all the chocolate in Anna’s store! The chocolate turkey wasn’t stolen. It was melted! Just like all her other chocolate!”

  “Children are not allowed back here,” a voice declared.

  Nancy, Bess, and George looked up to see Anna Epicure, an empty tray in her hand.

  “I need more hot chocolate,” Anna said. “So if you girls will please leave—”

  “We thought you didn’t make hot chocolate,” George cut in.

  “Or give out samples,” Bess added.

  Anna walked over to the table. “This isn’t just hot chocolate, girls. These are the finest hot chocolates from all over the world.”

  “You mean from all over your store,” Nancy stated. “Which cups are from the melted chocolate turkey, Anna?”

  “M-melted?” Anna stammered. “Why on earth would I melt my own chocolate?”

  “To make hot chocolate,” Bess said cheerily. “It’s okay if you were jealous of Mr. Drippy.”

  Anna stared at Nancy, Bess, and George. “Jealous?” she scoffed. “Of green hot chocolate and marshmallows?”

  “Then tell us the real reason, please,” Nancy said.

  “Yeah, Anna,” George said. “Time to talk turkey.”

  Anna heaved a big sigh as she placed her tray down. “Oh, all right,” she said. “My chocolates did melt, but not the way you think.”

  “What do you mean?” Nancy asked.

  “Each day before I leave the store I turn on the air conditioner,” Anna explained, “so the chocolates will stay cool and not get soft.”

  She pointed to the thermostat on the wall. “But on Wednesday night, the night before Thanksgiving, I turned on the heat. All the way up!”

  “Oh no!” Bess gasped.

  Nancy remembered what happened to the Choco Chewers costumes in the sun. “So the chocolate melted?” she asked.

  “Inside their plastic bags,” Anna said. “It was like walking into a store filled with chocolate water balloons!”

  Nancy’s eyes widened at the thought. “If it was an accident,” she asked, “why didn’t you tell Mayor Strong?”

  “I didn’t want to admit my mistake,” Anna said. “So I poured the melted chocolate into dainty little cups and—”

  “And had kids drink the evidence,” George cut in.

  “I suppose,” Anna sighed. “I so wanted to present my chocolate turkey at the Turkey Trot. I even bought a feather boa just for the occasion.”

  “Feather boa?” Nancy asked.

  “Oh, yes!” Anna exclaimed. Reaching under the table she pulled out a feathered scarf and wrapped it around her neck. “What do you think, girls?”

  A few feathers fluttered off onto the floor. Blue and green feathers!

  “I think that explains the feathers on the floor,” Nancy said with a smile.

  But Anna wasn’t smiling as she said, “I feel bad for blaming you kids for the melted turkey, and for making fun of Mr. Drippy’s hot chocolate.”

  “You do?” Bess asked.

  Anna nodded and said, “I finally see how everyone loves hot chocolate, especially you children.”

  “So will kids be allowed in your store again?” Nancy asked excitedly.

  “Of course,” Anna said before heaving another sigh. “But I’m afraid no one will want to come to Classy Coco after knowing what I did.”

  At that moment a familiar tune jingled outside. It was the sound of the Mr. Drippy truck—and it gave Nancy an idea.

  “Maybe people don’t have to come back to your store, Anna,” Nancy said with a smile. “At least not right away.”

  “What do you mean?” Anna asked.

  “Yeah, Nancy,” George said. “What do you mean?”

  Nancy’s smile grew wider as she said, “You’ll see!”

  • • •

  “Come and get it, kids!” Mr. Murphy shouted from his truck. “We’ve got a new fall flavor called Candy Cornucopia!”

  Henderson stood next to his dad. “It’s orange hot chocolate with yellow marshmallows,” he added, “and it tastes as good as it looks!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George gathered at the window of the Mr. Drippy truck. It had been a week since the Clue Crew solved the case of the melted chocolate turkey.

  “We’ll each have a cup, please,” Nancy said, “plus one chocolate brownie to share.”

  “Excellent choice,” Henderson said. He turned toward the back of the truck and called out, “Anna—you’re on!”

  Anna stepped up behind the window, her feathered boa wrapped around her neck. Holding a paper bag, she said, “One chocolate brownie imported from my kitchen. Bon-bon appétit!”

  “Thank you, Anna!” Nancy said.

  Holding their treats, Nancy, Bess, and George walked away from the Mr. Drippy truck.

  “Anna looks so happy,” Bess said. “Teaming up with Mr. Drippy until her store is back in business was a great idea.”

  “How did you figure that out, Nancy?” George asked.

  “Because there’s nothing like teamwork,” Nancy said with a big smile. “And if anyone knows about teamwork—it’s the Clue Crew!”

  Keep reading for a preview of

  Puppy Love Prank

  by

  Carolyn Keene

  “Stop!” Bess Marvin shouted as she came to a halt. “We forgot something superimportant!”

  Nancy Drew stopped walking too. So did her other best friend, George Fayne. All three girls were carrying plastic bins filled with treats for the wedding they were going to today.

  “We didn’t forget to dress up for the wedding,” Nancy told Bess. “We’re both wearing party dresses and George is wearing a tuxedo T-shirt.”

  “Yes, but every wedding has something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue,” Bess explained. “We don’t have any of those.”

  George raised a foot and said, “My sneakers are old.”

  Bess rolled her eyes at George’s grubby, frayed sneaker. “That’s for sure,” she sighed.

  “And I’m wearing Hannah’s sparkly poodle pin,” Nancy said. “That’s borrowed.”

  “Your dress is new, Bess,” George said, “like everything else you wear.”

  “Very funny,” Bess said with a smirk.

  Nancy giggled. She had known Bess and George forever but still couldn’t believe they were cousins.

  Bess washed her long blond hair almost every morning, painted her nails pink, and had a closet filled with stylin’ clothes. The only time George trimmed her nails was when they grew too long for her computer keyboard or softball catcher’s mitt.

  But like Nancy, Bess and George were great at solving mysteries. That’s why all three friends had their own detective club called the Clue Crew. Nancy even had a special notebook where she wrote down all their suspects and clues!

  “We need something blue, you guys,” Bess insisted. “It’s a wedding tradition.”

  George’s dark curls bounced as she shook her head. “It’s a dog wedding, Bess,” she pointed out. “There’s nothing traditional about that.”

  Nancy, Bess, and George stood outside Mayor Strong’s mansion, where the dog wedding would take place. Getting married were Helga and Horatio, the fluffy white bichon frises of Mrs. Ainsworth, the richest woman in River Heights.

  “Let’s not forget the main reason for this wedding,” Nancy said.
“To let everyone know about the pet shelter Waggamuffins and all the dogs who need homes.”

  “And because my mom is catering the wedding,” George said proudly. “We get to walk three of those dogs down the aisles as brides-mutts. How cool is that?”

  “It would be even cooler,” Bess sighed, “if we could find something blue.”

  Nancy, Bess, and George carried the bins filled with doggy cupcakes up the path to the mayor’s mansion. Mrs. Fayne and her staff unloaded the catering truck to one side of the driveway.

  When Mrs. Fayne saw the girls, she smiled. “Thanks for bringing the pupcakes, girls,” she said. “You can put the bins on the rolling cart.”

  “Good,” George said with a grin. “These cupcakes may be for dogs, but there’re enough to feed ten elephants!”

  “Where are Helga and Horatio, Mrs. Fayne?” Nancy asked while stacking the bins. “We’d love to meet them before the wedding!”

  “Mayor Strong arranged a special room for the dogs,” Mrs. Fayne said, pointing to a door at the back of the house. “It even has its own entrance.”

  Mrs. Fayne returned to her work and the girls turned toward the door. Nancy brushed aside her reddish-blond bangs to read a sign on the door. It read: PRIVATE.

  “Now we can’t go inside the room to meet Helga and Horatio,” Nancy said, disappointed.

  “Who says we can’t?” George asked. She walked to the rolling cart, grabbed two pupcakes, and said, “Special delivery for Helga and Horatio!”

  Nancy knocked three times on the door. They waited until a woman’s voice called, “Enter!”

  Bess opened the door. As they stepped inside, the girls looked around the room. The first thing they noticed was a doggy-size wedding dress and tuxedo hanging on a rack. Standing by the rack and waving a steamer was a boy of about nine or ten.

  A silver-haired woman sat on a velvet throne-like chair holding two fluffy white dogs. “You missed a wrinkle on the left suspender, Ludlow,” she told the boy. “Keep steaming, please.”

  “Yes, Grandma,” Ludlow replied.

  Nancy guessed the woman was Mrs. Ainsworth. The dogs had to be Helga and Horatio!