Sleepover Sleuths

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE: “GUESS WHAT?”

  CHAPTER TWO: SLEEPOVER SECRET

  CHAPTER THREE: HELLO, DOLLY!

  CHAPTER FOUR: CAKE TO CASE

  CHAPTER FIVE: CLUE TIMES TWO

  CHAPTER SIX: HIDE AND PEEK

  CHAPTER SEVEN: PARTY ARTIE

  CHAPTER EIGHT: RECESS … CONFESS

  CHAPTER NINE: PICTURE PERFECT

  CHAPTER TEN: DETECTIVES FOREVER!

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Guess What?”

  “Wow, Nancy,” George Fayne said as she raced down the school steps. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “Do what?” eight-year-old Nancy Drew asked.

  “As if you didn’t know!” Bess Marvin giggled. She tossed her blond hair as she held her books in both arms. “You guessed the lunch in the school cafeteria again!”

  “Oh, that!” Nancy said with a smile.

  It was Friday afternoon and Nancy, Bess, and George were leaving River Heights Elementary School. Bess and George were Nancy’s two best friends. They were also cousins. The three girls were all in the same third grade class. They had been friends since kindergarten.

  “It was easy to guess,” Nancy explained. “The halls smelled fishy today, so that meant we were having fish sticks. And Mrs. Nicholson the lunch lady makes potato salad every three weeks.”

  “What are we having on Monday?” George quizzed.

  “Macaroni and cheese,” Nancy replied. “I saw the boxes behind the counter today.”

  “Yummy!” Bess said. “But I don’t want to think about Monday yet.”

  She glanced at her favorite blue watch. It told the time all over the world. Bess loved all sorts of gadgets. She also loved to build her own.

  “It’s exactly one minute after three o’clock in the United States,” Bess reported. “Which means the weekend has just begun!”

  Nancy brushed some reddish-blond hair out of her eyes. “What are you guys doing this weekend?” she asked.

  “I’m building a butterfly mobile to hang over my bed,” Bess said, her blue eyes flashing.

  “There’s a neat new game I want to check out on the computer,” George said. “It’s called ‘Space Cadets from Planet Weirdo’!”

  “My cousin, the computer geek!” Bess joked.

  “And proud of it!” George declared. “What are you doing this weekend, Nancy?”

  “Maybe I’ll give Chocolate Chip a bath,” Nancy said. “That naughty puppy rolled around in something stinky yesterday—”

  “Nancy, Bess, George!” a voice interrupted her.

  Nancy and her friends spun around. Deirdre Shannon and her best friend Madison Foley were running across the schoolyard toward them.

  Deirdre was in Mrs. Ramirez’s class with Nancy, Bess, and George. She was nice, even though Nancy thought she was a bit spoiled. Her mom and dad gave her lots of things. She even had her own Web site, called Dishing with Deirdre. Deirdre wrote about everything on her Web site—from her dance recitals to her dentist appointments!

  “Hi, Deirdre,” Nancy said. “What’s up?”

  Deirdre and Madison stopped when they reached the girls. Deirdre tilted her head a little and asked, “Do any of you have a City Girls doll?”

  Nancy, Bess, and George traded smiles.

  The City Girls were the most awesome dolls ever! Each one came with cool clothes and accessories. And they were each named after a city in the United States.

  “I have Chicago Cheryl,” Nancy said. “The doll with the purple coat and matching hat. Purple is my favorite color.”

  Madison nodded at Nancy’s purple jacket and sneakers. “As if we didn’t know!” she said with a grin.

  “I have Oklahoma City Olivia,” George added. “She wears the neatest denim outfit and cowboy boots!”

  “Honolulu Haley is my City Girl,” Bess piped in. “She came with her own little flip-flops and surfboard.”

  Deirdre rolled her eyes. “I know, I know,” she said. “I know all the City Girls. I have five of them myself!”

  “Then why did you ask us, Dee-Dee?” George asked.

  Nancy jabbed George with her elbow. She knew Deirdre hated the nickname Dee-Dee.

  “It’s Deirdre!” Deirdre said.

  “How would you like it if we called you Georgia?” Madison asked George.

  George scrunched her nose when she heard her real name. “No, thanks,” she said. “I’ll stick with George.”

  Deirdre reached into her backpack. She pulled out three white envelopes. “Tomorrow night, eight o’clock,” she said. “Bring your sleeping bag, toothbrush, and City Girls doll!”

  Deirdre handed the envelopes to Nancy, Bess, and George. Then she and Madison ran across the yard to Kendra Jackson.

  “What are these, Nancy?” Bess asked.

  “I can’t guess everything,” Nancy said, smiling. “So there’s only one way to find out.”

  Nancy tore open her envelope and pulled out a card. Her eyes widened as she read the pink writing. It was an invitation to a birthday sleepover on Saturday night!

  Bess and George pulled out their own invitations and shrieked.

  “Are we lucky or what?” Bess cried. “We have never been invited to any of Deirdre’s parties before!”

  “Deirdre may be spoiled,” George said. “But I’ll bet her sleepover will rock our socks!”

  Nancy was excited too. Five minutes ago she had zero plans for the weekend. Now she had a cool sleepover to go to with her two best friends!

  “This is great,” Nancy said. “But I wonder why we have to bring our City Girls.”

  “Toothbrush?” Hannah asked.

  “Check!” Nancy answered.

  “Flannel pj’s with cupcake design?” Hannah asked.

  Nancy peeked inside her big purple backpack and smiled. “Check!” she said.

  It was seven fifteen on Saturday night. Hannah Gruen was standing in Nancy’s lavender and white bedroom, making sure she had everything she needed for the sleepover.

  Hannah had been the Drews’ housekeeper ever since Nancy’s mother died, when she was three years old. Hannah took such good care of her that she was almost like a mother to Nancy.

  “Sleeping bag?” Hannah quizzed.

  “Sleep?” Nancy cried. “We’re not going to sleep, Hannah!”

  Hannah raised an eyebrow. “Sleeping bag?” she asked again.

  “Check,” Nancy said as she tossed her rolled-up sleeping bag on her bed.

  “Now, are you sure you have everything?” Hannah asked.

  “Sure, I’m sure,” Nancy said. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. “But I’d better go now. Daddy is probably waiting in the car.”

  Nancy shrugged her backpack over her hoodie. She tucked her sleeping bag under her arm and bounded down the stairs. “I am so totally psyched, Hannah!” she called. “This is going to be the best City Girls party in the—”

  Nancy froze on the stairs.

  “Oops,” she said. “I almost forgot my City Girls doll!”

  Hannah stood at the top of the stairs. She pulled Chicago Cheryl from behind her back. “I was wondering how long it would take you to notice!” she said with a laugh.

  Nancy tucked Chicago Cheryl under her free arm. She darted out the door and into her dad’s car. After they buckled their seatbelts, Mr. Drew drove to the Marvin house to pick up Bess and George. Soon all three girls were sitting in the backseat with their sleepover gear and dolls.

  George was wearing all denim, just like Oklahoma City Olivia. Bess wore a little red silk flower in her hair like Honolulu Haley.

  “Why does everyone have to bring a City Girls doll to the party?” Mr. Drew asked as he drove.

  Mr. Drew was a busy lawyer. B
ut he was never too busy to spend time with Nancy.

  “City Girls rule, Daddy!” Nancy said. “Each one is different.”

  “Anchorage Abby is from Alaska, so she comes with furry boots,” Bess said. “And Malibu Marcy has real sand between her toes!”

  “That’s gross,” George said.

  “But the most awesome City Girls doll,” Nancy said, “is Hollywood Heather!”

  “Oooh!” cried Bess.

  “Ahhh!” exclaimed George.

  There were only a few Hollywood Heathers made in the whole United States. She was very special and very expensive.

  “I heard Heather’s poncho is made out of real cashmere,” Bess said. “That’s wool from goats.”

  “I heard she has real leather boots!” George said.

  “And sterling silver earrings!” Nancy put in.

  “I read on the City Girls Web site that there’s only one Hollywood Heather left in the whole country,” George added.

  Mr. Drew slowed down as he drove up a tree-lined street. He stopped the car in front of a huge white house.

  “This is the Shannon house, girls,” Mr. Drew said.

  Nancy leaned over Bess and George to look out the window. “Wow!” she exclaimed.

  A red carpet lined the path leading to the house. There were huge lights on the lawn and cardboard cutouts of famous movie stars!

  Deirdre stepped out of the house wearing dark sunglasses and a fancy feather boa. As Nancy, Bess, and George walked up the red carpet, Mr. Shannon snapped pictures of them. Nancy guessed they were for Deirdre’s Web site. Mr. Shannon was a lawyer, just like Nancy’s dad.

  “Nancy, George, Bess!” Deirdre called, swinging her boa. “Are you ready for your close-up? I mean—sleepover?”

  “What’s up with this?” Bess whispered to Nancy and George.

  “I think Deirdre has gone Hollywood,” George whispered.

  The flash from Mr. Shannon’s camera made Nancy see spots. “I don’t get it,” she said as she blinked. “Isn’t this supposed to be a City Girls party?”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Sleepover Secret

  “Hi, girls!” Mrs. Shannon said as they entered the house. Deirdre’s mom was wearing a pink sweater and black stretch pants. Her brown hair was combed in a neat flip.

  “Hello,” Nancy said in her most polite voice.

  “Why don’t you bring your gear down to the basement?” Mrs. Shannon said. “That’s where the fun is!”

  “And the snacks!” Deirdre added.

  Deirdre waved them to the door leading to the basement. George pointed to a dark blue duffel bag against the wall. “Looks like someone forgot their bag,” she said.

  Deirdre squeezed her nose and said, “That’s Trina Vanderhoof’s smelly basketball bag. I’m making her keep it upstairs so it doesn’t stink up the sleepover.”

  Nancy felt something tickle her ankle. She looked down and saw a furry white cat. It purred softly as it rubbed against Nancy’s leg.

  “She looks like a marshmallow!” Nancy cooed.

  “You guessed her name,” Deirdre said. “It’s Marshmallow!”

  “Can Marshmallow come to the party?” George asked.

  “I wish,” Deirdre sighed. “Trina is allergic to cats.”

  Trina Vanderhoof was in Mrs. Bailey’s third grade class at school. She was so tall that she played basketball with the fourth grade boys at recess. She was also becoming very good friends with Deirdre.

  The girls walked down the narrow staircase to the basement. The room was decorated with silver and gold balloons and big cardboard stars. A sign on the wall read, HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD! There was also a big-screen TV, a DVD player, a sofa against one wall, and shelves filled with books and games. A table was piled high with presents for Deirdre.

  Nancy saw more girls sitting on the floor with their dolls. She recognized Trina, Kendra Jackson, Madison Foley, Andrea Wu, and Marcy Rubin. Nancy knew everyone from school—except a little girl running around in footsie pajamas.

  “Marcy pours orange juice on her cornflakes!” the little girl sang out loud. “Marcy is afraid of spiders!”

  “That’s my little sister, Cassidy,” Marcy groaned. “My parents went to a concert tonight, so I had to bring her.”

  Cassidy began jumping up and down. “Marcy sleeps with a teddy bear! Marcy bites her toenails—”

  “Put a sock in it!” Marcy cut in.

  One more girl with copper red hair and freckles entered the room. It was Nadine Nardo. Everyone knew Nadine wanted to be an actress when she grew up, so her nickname was “Nadine the Drama Queen.”

  “I love those stars!” Nadine said, pointing to the wall. “They remind me of … me!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George dropped their gear on the floor. They pulled out their birthday presents for Deirdre and placed them on the table with the other gifts. Nearby, on a smaller table, stood something covered with a long white cloth.

  “What’s under this?” Nancy asked. She was about to lift the cloth when—

  “Don’t peek! It’s a surprise!” Deirdre shouted. She turned to Cassidy, who was creeping toward the table. “Anyone who peeks underneath will grow warts on their nose and hair on their tongue!”

  “Pizza time!” Mrs. Shannon sang as she breezed into the room. Behind her Mr. Shannon carried three pizza boxes in his arms.

  As the girls sat on the floor to eat their slices, Nancy kept glancing at the small table. “I wonder what’s under that cloth,” she whispered.

  “I hope we find out soon,” Bess whispered back.

  The girls ate three kinds of pies: pepperoni, mushroom, and extra cheese. Cassidy pressed two pepperonis against her eyes and ran around the room shouting, “I’m an alien from planet Pizza Pie!”

  “You mean space cadet,” Marcy muttered.

  Nancy took a sip of fruit punch. Then she asked, “Where’s your City Girls doll, Deirdre?”

  “I couldn’t decide which one to bring down,” Deirdre said with a shrug.

  That’s a strange excuse, Nancy thought as she picked up another slice.

  The girls finished all three pizzas. Then Deirdre opened her presents. She loved the dotted stationery set that Nancy gave her. After all the presents were opened, everyone changed into their pj’s and had a pajama fashion show.

  “Here is Bess modeling her favorite pink pj’s,” Nadine announced with a French accent. “Merci, Bess!”

  Bess twirled like a supermodel. Then George pretended to walk down a runway in her red and white striped pajamas. Following her was Nancy in her favorite cupcake pj’s.

  Of all the pajamas, Nadine’s orange ones were the brightest. And Nancy thought her slippers with the unicorn heads were the most fun!

  “Say cheese!” Deirdre said. She held up her camera. “I want a picture of everyone with their City Girls dolls!”

  The girls crowded together. They smiled as they held up their dolls.

  “Cheese … with pepperoni!” Trina joked.

  Deirdre stared at Trina’s doll. “What is that?” she asked.

  “Indianapolis Ivy,” Trina answered. “My City Girls doll.”

  “I know all the City Girls dolls,” Deirdre said. “And I never heard of Indianapolis Ivy.”

  “I’ve never heard of Indianapolis Ivy, either,” Madison said.

  “Are you saying my doll is fake?” Trina asked.

  Nancy hoped Deirdre and Trina wouldn’t fight.

  “You guys!” Nancy said. “What difference does it make, as long as we all love our dolls?”

  Just then Trina threw back her head and let out a big sneeze. “Ah, ah, ah-choooo!”

  “Meeeeow!”

  Nancy turned around. She saw Marshmallow the cat padding around the room.

  “You know I’m allergic to cats.” Trina sniffed.

  “My parents must have left the basement door open,” Deirdre said. “Sorry, Marshmallow. It’s all Trina’s fault you can’t come to the party.” She picked up the cat and carried
her up the basement stairs.

  Madison giggled. But Trina muttered something like, “Whatever, Dee-Dee.”

  “Um … let’s play another game!” Nancy blurted out.

  The game they all played was called, “Find the Prize.” The girls separated into teams. Then they set out to find a goody bag that Mrs. Shannon had hidden somewhere in the room.

  Nancy, Bess, and George were on the same team.

  “Where do we start looking?” George asked.

  Nancy’s eyes darted around the room. She saw something sparkling on the carpet and kneeled down for a closer look. It was a tiny clump of green glitter. A few inches away was another speck of glitter.

  “I think I see a trail!” Nancy whispered. “Let’s see where it leads.”

  The girls followed the glitter to a bookshelf. “Look! There’s more glitter on one of the shelves,” Nancy cried. Tucked between two books was the goody bag—decorated with green glitter!

  “Found it!” Nancy called out.

  Everyone watched as Nancy opened the goody bag. It was filled with three pink bangle bracelets and three sets of matching barrettes.

  “Pretty!” Cassidy exclaimed.

  “How did you find it so fast?” Kendra asked.

  “Nancy followed the glitter trail!” George said.

  “You’re good at finding things, Nancy,” Andrea said.

  “And guessing things,” Bess added.

  “I guess I am!” Nancy said with a smile.

  “You guys!” Deirdre cut in. She was wearing her feathery boa as she stood next to the mystery table. “It’s time for my super-big surprise!”

  “Yes!” Nancy cheered softly under her breath. They would finally find out what was underneath the cloth!

  The girls sat in a semicircle by the table. Deirdre waved her boa and said, “Please welcome … the one and only … the one of a kind … and very expensive …”

  She whipped off the white drape and shouted, “Hollywood Heather!”

  Everyone gasped.

  Nancy stared at the doll. Her blond hair hung in curls over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were so bright they twinkled. She was wearing an apple green poncho, a white leather skirt, and matching white boots. Her silver hoop earrings glowed against her suntanned cheeks.