Chapter 1

  CLOTHES CALL

  “Are you sure you feel okay, Nancy?” Bess asked. “If you have a fever, you should be in bed.”

  “I said I have spring fever,” said Nancy with a smile. “That means I’m super excited for warmer weather, green trees, flowers—”

  “Spring break,” George Fayne cut in.

  “Spring clothes,” Bess said, striking a glam pose. “Like my brand-new spring jacket!”

  Nancy and her two best friends were walking together up Main Street. It was the first week of spring break, so the usually busy street was busier than ever.

  They had the same rules. They could walk up to five blocks from their houses as long as they were together. Since they were together most of the time, it was never a problem.

  “Don’t forget another awesome spring thing,” Nancy said. “The River Heights Cherry Blossom Festival this Sunday.”

  “Who can forget with so many neat cherry blossom trees around?” Bess stopped to point at a tree sprouting fluffy pink buds.

  “How did River Heights get so many of these trees in the first place?” George asked.

  Nancy had just had this same conversation with her dad the day before, so she was happy to fill her friends in. “About a hundred years ago, the mayor of a Japanese town visited River Heights. He liked it here so much, he gave our mayor a gift of two dozen sakura.”

  “That’s cool, I guess,” George said, “but what about the cherry trees?”

  Nancy giggled. “Sakura are cherry trees.”

  Bess scrunched her brow as she did the math. “Two dozen equals twenty-four,” she said. “That’s a lot of cherry trees.”

  “And since they were gifts, that’s a lot of wrapping paper,” George joked.

  The girls relaxed under a tree for a few minutes, catching the falling blossoms in their hands. They laughed as they gently blew them at each other.

  “Speaking of gifts,” Nancy said as they continued on their way, “that reminds me of my special mission today. I’m going to buy Hannah the perfect present for her birthday.”

  Hannah Gruen had been the Drews’ housekeeper since Nancy was three years old. Like a mother, she made sure Nancy ate a good breakfast before school and did her homework after. Hannah also told the funniest jokes and baked the yummiest treats. Her birthday present had to be perfect. Just like Hannah!

  “I have five dollars to spend on Hannah’s present,” Nancy said. “Any ideas?”

  “How about five donuts from the Hole in One donut shop?” suggested George.

  Nancy shook her head. “It’s not a bad idea, but Hannah bakes even yummier donuts than the Hole in One.”

  “Then get Hannah something to use when she bakes,” George said. “My mom uses tons of bowls for her catering business.”

  “Maybe.”

  Bess stomped her foot. “Maybe not! Instead of a boring bowl, how about a blouse or a scarf? New clothes are always a perfect gift.”

  “Or old clothes!” George said.

  “Old clothes?” Nancy asked.

  George pointed down the block. “The sign outside the March of Time thrift shop reads ‘vintage clothes for old-timey prices.’ ”

  The girls approached the store window, which displayed gently worn clothes from years ago. There were pastel-colored cardigans embroidered with pearls, sky-high platform shoes—even a beaded dress trimmed with fringe.

  “We were in this store before,” Nancy said. “When we worked on a mystery.”

  “When aren’t we working on a mystery?” Bess asked, smiling. “We’re the Clue Crew!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George loved solving mysteries and had their own detective club to prove it. They even had their own Clue Book where they wrote down all their suspects and clues.

  “The owner of the store, Dulcie Yu, was a big help with our case,” Nancy said. “Maybe she’ll help me pick out a present for Hannah.”

  “We’ll help too, Nancy,” Bess said excitedly.

  “We as in me?” George asked. She shook her head. “You know clothes aren’t my thing.”

  “But old clothes are!” Bess said, nodding down at George’s holey jeans and scuffed sneakers. “Which makes you an expert.”

  Nancy giggled. Bess and George were cousins, but they were as different as day and night. Bess had blond hair and blue eyes, and she loved new clothes and accessories. Dark-haired George loved accessories too, as long as they were for her tablet or computer.

  “Okay, I’ll help.” George sighed. “But don’t expect me to pick out anything pink or sparkly!”

  When the girls entered the store, Dulcie was busy with a customer, so instead of being greeted by the owner, they were met by the musty smell of the vintage clothes hanging on racks and topping hat stands. Even the mannequins looked old-timey with their pencil-thin eyebrows and bright-red lips.

  “How about this for Hannah?” Nancy asked, pulling a floral blouse from a rack.

  “Too frilly!” George said, shaking her head. She began sifting through the blouses herself, nixing them one by one. “Too stripe-y… too itchy…”

  “What do you like, Bess?” Nancy asked. She turned to find Bess gazing into a mirror as she tried on accessories.

  “I am soooo liking this super cute hat! Have you ever seen a sun hat with a doll’s head stuck on top?”

  “Only in my nightmares!” George snapped. “Bess, take it off!”

  “You may like it,” Nancy said, grinning, “but it’s not right for Hannah.” She was about to turn back to the blouse rack when something next to Bess caught her eye—a white basket on the floor labeled APRONS.

  “Hannah sometimes wears aprons when she cooks,” Nancy said. “Maybe she could use a new one.”

  “You mean an old one!” Bess said with a wink.

  The girls dug through the basket, pulling out aprons one by one. There was a white apron with yellow stripes, one with polka dots—even a barbecue apron that read DUDE WITH THE FOOD.

  “Ooh, look at this one, Nancy,” Bess said, holding up a light-blue apron. “It’s got the prettiest red cherry design.”

  “Just in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival!” a voice said.

  Nancy, Bess, and George turned to see Dulcie walking over. She looked springy herself in a vintage yellow dress and white Mary Jane shoes.

  “I like the apron, Dulcie,” Nancy said, taking it from Bess. “It looks familiar, but I can’t remember where I saw it before.”

  “As long as it wasn’t on Hannah,” George said. She eyed the attached price tag. “And as long as the price is right.”

  Nancy leaned over to read the tag. “Five dollars. I’ll take it.”

  “Sold to the girl with the strawberry-blond hair,” Dulcie declared, striking a funny pose.

  “Who did the apron belong to before?” Bess asked.

  “I don’t know,” Dulcie admitted. “It was dropped off here a while ago along with other clothes. There was no name on the box.” She held out her hand. “Why don’t I ring that up for you?”

  Nancy was about to hand over the apron when a buzz came from the back door.

  “That must be the delivery I’ve been expecting,” Dulcie said. “Wait right here while I sign for it.”

  As Dulcie headed to the back of the store, Nancy held up the blue apron. “It’s perfect!” she said.

  “Omigosh, it is perfect! Thanks, Nancy!”

  Nancy gasped as she felt the apron being snatched from her hands. Whirling around, she saw a familiar girl hugging it close to her chest. “Christy?”

  “Christy Caruthers?” Bess added.

  “Crafty Christy Caruthers!” George piped in.

  Christy was in the other third-grade class at school. She was a whiz at making all kinds of crafts—even jewelry from paper clips and jelly beans!

  “Why did you grab my apron, Christy?” Nancy asked.

  “You didn’t even say please!” added Bess, putting her hands on her hips.

  “I said thanks. And it’s not the apron I want.”

  Nancy was still confused. “Then what do you want?”

  “This awesome cherry-design material. I’m going to make fabric flowers out of it to sell at the Cherry Blossom Festival on Sunday.”

  “You mean you want to cut it up?” Bess asked, horrified.

  “Sure,” Christy said with a shrug. “Snip, snip, hooray.”

  Nancy frowned at the thought of Christy cutting Hannah’s present to shreds. “Can’t you think of another craft project for the festival?”

  “Like earrings,” Bess suggested. “You could make them with spit-out cherry pits!”

  “Gross!” Christy made a face. “That idea is the pits.”

  George tilted her head as she eyed the apron. “If you think spit-out pits are gross, check out that crusty old dog-poop stain near the hem.”

  “D-dog poop?” Christy cried. “Ewww!”

  As Christy dropped the apron, George shouted, “Quick, Nancy! Grab it!”

  Chapter 2

  POCKET-SIZED SURPRISE

  Nancy snatched the apron out of the air before it hit the ground, then froze. “George? You weren’t serious about the dog-poop stain, were you?”

  “No,” George said, doubling over.

  Christy narrowed her eyes. “That means you tricked me… Georgia Fayne!”

  “Uh-oh,” Bess said under her breath.

  George hated her real name more than she hated anything pink or glittery. Before things got any more heated, Nancy blurted out, “I found the apron first, Chr

isty. It’s a birthday present for someone special.”

  Dulcie smiled as she walked over to join the girls. “Nancy did find the apron first, but I’d be happy to help you find another pretty one.”

  Christy raised an eyebrow, then said in her frostiest voice, “No, thank you. I’m in a hurry, anyway.”

  Dulcie and the girls watched as Christy shoved open the front door, exiting the store in a huff.

  Bess shook her head with a sigh. “I guess Christy will do anything for her crafts.”

  George bit her lip, then blurted, “Even if it means being crafty!”

  The girls followed Dulcie to the counter, where she rang up the apron. After thanking Dulcie for her help, they tried on vintage sunglasses in geometric shapes before finally leaving the March of Time thrift shop.

  Outside, George pointed to a rolling cart filled with old books. “I didn’t know the March of Time sold books, too.”

  Nancy recognized a cookbook on the top shelf. The cover showed a picture of the famous cook Patty Crumbley. And tied around her waist was…

  Nancy gasped. “The cherry-design apron! That’s where I saw it before! On Hannah’s Patty Crumbley cookbook!”

  Nancy held up the apron so she could compare it to the one in the photo on the cookbook cover. They matched perfectly.

  “Wow!” Bess exclaimed. “Do you think your apron used to belong to Patty Crumbley?”

  “I don’t think so, Bess,” George said shaking her head. “There are probably millions of cherry-design aprons around.”

  “True,” Nancy said, “but Hannah will still love this apron—even if it is one of a million!”

  Bess jerked her head up. “If the apron is a hand-me-down, you should check the pocket before you give it to Hannah. There could be a yucky surprise like a used tissue or gum wrapper—”

  “Or this!” Nancy said, pulling a small folded piece of paper from the pocket. She handed the apron to George and carefully unfolded the yellowed sheet. “It looks like a recipe for chocolate chip cookies… with crushed-up pretzels!”

  “Sweet and salty,” said George. “Yum!”

  “Double yum!” Bess exclaimed.

  “I wish Hannah would bake these,” Nancy said.

  “Maybe she will,” Bess said, excited. “Leave the chocolate chip cookie recipe in the apron pocket as a surprise!”

  “Good idea! Except how do I keep Hannah from seeing the apron when I get home?”

  “Or smelling it.” Bess wrinkled her nose. “It does smell a little… old.”

  Nancy took a whiff, then made a face of her own. “How can I give Hannah a stinky apron?”

  “It just needs airing out,” George said. “I’ll take the apron to my house and hang it up outside. You can pick it up later.”

  “Are you sure, George?” Nancy asked.

  George nodded as she took the apron. “I’ve smelled a lot worse. Like my sneakers after a soccer game.”

  “Eww!” Bess cringed.

  “Speaking of baking and cooking,” said Nancy, “Hannah’s making tuna sandwiches for lunch. Can you both come over?”

  “Yes, thanks,” Bess replied. “Tuna sandwiches always taste better at someone else’s house.”

  George sighed. “I’ve got to go. My mom’s catering an office party today, and Dad is working at home. I promised to keep Scotty busy so Dad can have some peace and quiet.”

  “Peace and quiet with your three-year-old brother?” Bess laughed. “There’s no such thing!”

  George rolled her eyes. “I know. Save me a sandwich!”

  * * *

  When Nancy and Bess reached the Drew house, they found Hannah whipping up a batch of tuna salad. Propped up on the counter was the Patty Crumbley Cookbook!

  “Guess what, Hannah?” Bess said. “We just saw that cookbook on an old book cart at”—Nancy nudged her in the ribs—“at the library!”

  “It’s my favorite cookbook,” Hannah said. “Especially since I found Patty’s autograph inside after I bought it.”

  “Really?” asked Nancy.

  “Really. I’d show you, but I’m in the middle of following Patty’s recipe for Tropical Tuna Salad.”

  “No wonder I smelled pineapples!” said Bess.

  “What do you know about Patty, Hannah?” asked Nancy.

  “I know that she lived in River Heights for a while,” Hannah said as she mixed ingredients. “Her goal was to come up with one hundred recipes for chocolate chip cookies for a new cookbook she was writing.”

  Bess gasped. “One hundred?”

  “Did Patty reach her goal?” Nancy asked.

  “No one knows,” Hannah said as she continued to stir the tuna salad. “I heard that Patty came up with ninety-nine recipes, but she died before she settled on the one-hundredth one.”

  Nancy and Bess traded looks. Patty Crumbley had lived in River Heights—and had a missing recipe for chocolate chip cookies?

  “The one-hundredth recipe sounded tasty,” Hannah went on. “People say it called for chocolate chips and crushed pretzels.”

  Bess’s eyes went wide, and she covered her mouth with her hands.

  “Chocolate chips,” Nancy said slowly. “And—”

  “Crushed pretzels?” Bess cut in.

  “Interesting combo, huh?” Hannah said, wiping her hands on a towel. “I’ve got to get some more pepper from the pantry. No tasting before I get back.”

  Nancy nodded, still stunned. When Hannah was out of earshot, she turned to Bess. “The exact same apron!” she said breathlessly. “And a lost recipe for chocolate chip cookies with crushed pretzels!”

  “Lost—and maybe found. Do you think the apron you bought really did belong to Patty Crumbley?”

  “If it did, so did the one-hundredth recipe she came up with!”

  “Whoaaaa!” Bess said under her breath.

  Nancy eyes lit up at the possibility. “Think of the special things we can do with the missing recipe,” she said in a hushed voice. “Donate it to a museum… or find Patty’s family and surprise them with it!”

  “Should we tell Hannah?” Bess asked.

  Nancy shook her head. “The apron and the recipe are her birthday present. But let’s go to George’s house and tell her the awesome news.”

  “Okay,” Bess said, “but only after lunch and those awesome Tropical Tuna Salad sandwiches!”

  * * *

  Nancy and Bess tried hard not to tell Hannah about the apron or recipe as they ate their lunch. The moment they finished, they headed straight to George’s house.

  As they turned onto George’s block, they saw someone else they knew—Deirdre Shannon. Their classmate was walking quickly away from the Faynes’.

  “What’s Deirdre doing at George’s house?” Bess asked in an almost-whisper. “They’re not friends.”

  Nancy noticed Deidre clutching a crossbody bag. As she looked closer, she also noticed something else.…

  “Why is Deirdre wearing a Pixie Scout shirt?” Nancy whispered. “She isn’t a scout.”

  Deirdre didn’t appear to see Nancy or Bess when she stopped to close her bag. She rolled her eyes as she struggled with a stuck zipper.

  “It’s one thirty,” said Bess, glancing at her watch. “The Pixie Scouts usually have their meeting at three thirty on Fridays.”

  “It’s spring break this week,” Nancy pointed out. “They could have changed their schedule.”

  “Or their membership requirements,” Bess replied. “Deirdre Shannon is so not the Pixie Scout type.”

  Nancy nodded. Pixie Scouts worked at being honest, trustworthy, and kind. Deirdre Shannon was pretty much the opposite of all of those things.

  “It looks like Deirdre just put something in her bag,” Nancy whispered. “I wonder what.”

  Deirdre finally zipped her bag closed. She hadn’t noticed Nancy and Bess when she hurried off in the opposite direction.

  Nancy was still thinking about how strange Deirdre had been acting when she heard George’s voice. She looked up just as her friend stepped outside.

  “Hi, guys! Did you bring me a tuna sandwich?”

  “We brought something better,” Nancy said with a smile. “News about the cherry-design apron!” Nancy quickly filled her in about Patty Crumbley’s missing recipe.

  When she was done, George was gaping. “So the apron was Patty Crumbley’s? The recipe too?”

 

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