Contents

  * * *

  1 The Soccer Ball

  2 Stolen Jewels

  3 Rivalry on the Field

  4 Suspect

  5 The Best Defense Is a Good Offense

  6 Strange Behavior

  7 Trapped!

  8 Where’s Kelly?

  9 Hustle and High Fives

  10 A Team in Trouble

  11 Too Few Clues

  12 All Aboard

  13 Hot Pursuit

  14 Carried Away

  15 A Close Call

  16 Cut to the Chase

  17 The Canadian Cup

  1

  The Soccer Ball

  “Nancy, watch out!”

  Nancy Drew instinctively put her hand up to protect her face. A red-and-white soccer ball glanced off her arm and fell back onto the soft grass of Pineview School’s practice field.

  “That was close,” said Nancy’s friend Bess Marvin. “I told you sports could be dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?” Nancy laughed and tossed her reddish blond hair over her shoulder. “With lightning-fast reactions, I was born to play soccer.”

  She picked up the ball and threw it to Bess’s cousin George Fayne, who stood waiting in the middle of the field with her all-girl soccer team. George, a tall eighteen-year-old girl in a gray sweat suit, caught the ball easily. Then she blew her whistle to signal the end of practice and jogged toward Nancy and Bess, who stood on the sidelines.

  “Sorry, Nancy.” George joined them, a little out of breath. “The ball just got away from the girls.”

  Nancy grinned playfully. “I see, Ms. Assistant Coach. I just thought that was the way the Pineview Giants always ended their practice sessions—by bashing innocent bystanders on the head with the soccer ball.”

  George laughed. “Hey, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait till we win the Canadian Cup.”

  “Nancy told me about that,” Bess said. “Does the team really have a shot at the championship?”

  George shrugged. “It’s touch and go right now. If we win the next game, we’ll go to Canada for the playoffs. But it will be our first tournament ever and the competition is very tough. We’ll need to work up a lot of spirit if we’re going to have a chance.”

  “Well, the girls look great.” Nancy patted her friend on the back. “If you need an extra goalie, let me know.”

  “Yeah, right.” George laughed.

  “Somehow I don’t think she respects us as athletes,” Bess remarked.

  “I always appreciate your stopping by.” George ran a hand through her short, dark brown curls. “Speaking of which, are you ready for the Soccer Ball tonight?”

  “Are you kidding? I can’t wait,” Bess replied, her face pink with excitement. “I bought a new formal gown for the occasion. It’s not every day we get to mix with River Heights’s high society crowd.”

  “This is more than just a dance, though, isn’t it?” Nancy asked George. “You mentioned some sort of fund-raising activity.”

  George nodded. “They’re going to auction off some jewels that were donated by one of the parents,” she said. “The money will go to Pineview School, but part of it’s reserved just for the soccer program. That’s because the woman who donated the jewels has a daughter on our team. In fact, she’s our star goalie.”

  “The pretty blond girl?” Nancy asked. “I was watching her. She’s really good.”

  Nancy’s gaze wandered to the playing field. “Who’s that?” she asked George.

  George looked where Nancy was pointing. A dark-haired woman in a blue sweat suit trudged slowly toward the gym from the sidelines. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was scowling at the ground as she walked.

  A frown crossed George’s face. “That’s my boss,” she said. “Katrina Boggs. At the moment, she’s the one hitch in our big plan for success.”

  “Is something wrong with her?” Bess asked. “She looks upset.”

  “Beats me,” said George. “Kate’s been like that lately. It’s beginning to worry me. I mean, she’s a great coach, but when she gets upset, her behavior affects the team.” George shrugged. “Maybe she has problems at home.”

  “Or love problems,” Bess suggested.

  George and Nancy exchanged smiles. Bess loved romance and tended to see it everywhere she looked.

  “Well, if that’s what it is,” George said, “maybe at the dance tonight we’ll meet the man who’s causing them. But right now let’s go get some ice cream. I, for one, have earned a big reward.”

  • • •

  Nancy arrived home late that afternoon. She raced to her room to take out the long gown she was planning to wear. It had gotten a little crushed in the closet and needed to be pressed.

  “What’s going on?” Hannah Gruen, the Drews’ housekeeper, followed Nancy into her room. “Do you have a date with Ned tonight?” Ned was Nancy’s longtime boyfriend, and Hannah considered him almost a part of the family.

  “Ned’s not coming home this weekend.” Nancy raced to the laundry room to set up the ironing board. “I’m going to the Soccer Ball at Pineview School with George and Bess. And I’m running late!”

  “Oh, the Soccer Ball.” Hannah smiled. “Your father called to say he’ll be attending that, too. So you’ll see each other at the dance.”

  “If I ever get there.” Nancy plugged in the iron. “George and Bess are supposed to meet me here at seven o’clock, and I still have to shower and—”

  “You’ll make it, don’t worry,” Hannah interrupted, taking the dress from Nancy. “You go get ready. I’ll press your gown.”

  Nancy smiled gratefully at Hannah. Nancy’s mother had died when Nancy was a young child, and, ever since, the housekeeper had been as devoted as a parent to her. “Thanks, Hannah. You’re a lifesaver.”

  Hannah laughed. “Save your thanks for more important things,” she said. “I remember what it’s like to be a young lady going to a dance.”

  • • •

  Nancy did look the perfect young lady in her slim floor-length gown as she and her friends arrived at the entrance to Pineview’s Lester Auditorium and Banquet Hall. Her hair was twisted into a simple chignon at the nape of her neck, and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement. Bess looked charming, too, in a frilly peach-colored gown, and George’s deep green velvet dress set off her dark hair perfectly.

  “Ready?” Nancy winked at Bess as they pushed open the heavy oak doors. “Here come the River Heights heartbreakers!”

  The banquet hall had been renovated the year before with money donated by the parents of a Pineview student. Inside, it looked elegant and new. The wood paneling gleamed. The marble floor reflected the tiny lights of a dozen chandeliers. A ten-piece orchestra played at one end of the room while couples danced.

  The girls stood together at the entrance and watched the women in sparkling, expensive dresses, chatting with men in tuxedos as they nibbled on refreshments. Despite the soccer theme, this dance was clearly an important social affair.

  “Here are the three loveliest young ladies I’ve seen all night.” A man in an elegantly tailored dinner jacket approached the girls with a smile.

  Bess giggled. “Oh, Mr. Drew, you always flatter us.”

  “What flattery?” The handsome criminal lawyer held up his hands in protest. “It’s the honest truth.”

  Nancy smiled and slipped her hand into the crook of her father’s arm.

  “Are you going to bid in the auction, Mr. Drew?” George asked.

  “It’s a bit too rich for my blood, I’m afraid,” the lawyer answered. “They’re auctioning a pair of very valuable antique brooches. The school even brought in a highly respected jeweler from Chicago to swear that the jewels are worth a fortune before the bidding begins.”

  “Sounds exciting,” Nancy said.

  “Well, just don’t get any ideas, Nancy,” Mr. Drew said playfully. Then he excused himself and rejoined his friends.

  “Oh, look, there’s Coach Boggs,” George said to the girls. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

  George led them over to the refreshment table where the pretty, dark-haired coach was getting a glass of punch. Katrina Boggs was in her early thirties. She had an athletic build, sharp facial features, and strikingly high cheekbones—and she wore the same worried expression that Nancy had noticed on the soccer field that afternoon.

  “Coach Boggs,” George said, “I’d like you to meet my cousin Bess Marvin. And this is my good friend, Nancy Drew.”

  As Coach Boggs turned toward the girls, the stress lines around her close-set brown eyes seemed to soften.

  “Call me Kate, please,” she said with a nervous smile.

  “According to George, you’re quite a coach, Kate,” Nancy said, trying to put the woman at ease. “She says you’re the main reason the team has done so well during the past two years. I hope you make it all the way to Canada.”

  “Thanks, Nancy,” Kate said. “And according to George, you’re quite a detective. She’s told me all about you, too.”

  “I guess we can’t keep any secrets with George around,” said Nancy with a laugh.

  “What has she said about me?” Bess asked. She gave George a curious look.

  “She says you’re a good friend, even though you told her she’s crazy to coach a high school soccer team,” Kate said.

  Bess blushed, and they all laughed.

  Just then a cart was wheeled out onto the center of the marble floor directly benea th a large chandelier. A thin, tight-lipped man stepped up to the cart. He signaled the orchestra to stop playing. Couples broke off dancing, and a hush fell over the crowd.

  “Is that the headmaster?” Nancy whispered to George, gesturing toward the man beside the cart.

  George nodded. “Russell Garrison.”

  “He looks as if he hasn’t smiled in a month,” Bess commented in a low voice.

  “Sssh,” George hissed. “Someone will hear you.” She looked around. “So far, I think he likes me.”

  When the crowd had settled down, Russell Garrison took a microphone from the cart and cleared his throat. He was very well dressed, and seemed at ease among the wealthy people who surrounded him. “You all know why we’re here,” he told the audience. “But many of you may not know who gave us the lovely jewelry we’re about to auction. I’d like to introduce the donor, Mrs. Ellen Sedgewick.”

  “Janine’s mother,” George murmured as a prim, middle-aged woman in a simple white gown smiled and waved. Mrs. Sedgewick’s smile was lovely, and her eyes shone with excitement. The onlookers applauded.

  “The money from Mrs. Sedgewick’s gift will go to two very worthy causes,” Mr. Garrison continued. “It should nearly double Pineview’s scholarship fund, and it will also benefit our soon-to-be-champion soccer team, the Pineview Giants. Let’s hear it for the Canadian Cup!” The crowd applauded and cheered.

  “Now.” Mr. Garrison cleared his throat dramatically. “Let me introduce Mr. Gideon Ray, a jeweler with the Chicago firm of Holder and Canfield. He examined the jewelry just this morning and will now write down the worth of the brooches and seal the figure in this envelope. After the auction we’ll hand the envelope over to the highest bidder. Mr. Ray?”

  Mr. Garrison held out a white envelope for the stocky, balding man at his side. Mr. Ray took it and stepped briskly to the cart. He lifted the velvet cloth off the jewelry.

  The crowd gasped in admiration as they gazed at the pair of antique brooches. Their colored gemstones sparkled in the bright light. Their intricate settings were made of gold. “Janine says they’ve been in her family for generations,” George whispered to her friends.

  When everyone had gotten a good look, Mr. Ray picked up one of the brooches. He placed a jeweler’s magnifying glass in his eye and began examining the beautiful gem at the center of the brooch.

  The air was thick with excitement. Nancy watched as the man held the brooch up higher to get the full benefit of the strong lights.

  Suddenly Mr. Ray’s face registered surprise. He turned the brooch over, then lowered it and flipped it over a second time, then a third. Finally he stepped back and removed the glass from his eye. He looked very upset.

  Instinctively, Nancy edged closer to the cart to hear what the jeweler had to say.

  Mr. Garrison moved closer, too. “They certainly are beautiful, aren’t they?” he said. “Now, Mr. Ray, if you’ll write down what they’re worth and seal the envelope, we’ll proceed with the auction.”

  Mr. Ray stood for a moment without moving.

  “I—I can’t,” the stocky man stammered.

  “Can’t?” repeated the bewildered Mr. Garrison. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

  “I can’t appraise these. They aren’t real. They’re . . . they’re worthless fakes!”

  2

  Stolen Jewels

  The audience gasped as Gideon Ray put down his magnifying glass. Then everyone fell silent. Ellen Sedgewick ran to the cart and snatched up the glittering brooches.

  “That’s impossible!” she said in a panicky voice. “These are my brooches. They’ve been in my family for more than seventy years!”

  “Mr. Ray, there must be some mistake,” Russell Garrison said. “You officially examined these pieces this morning. Now, just hours later, you’re telling us they’re fakes. Please examine them again.”

  “Mr. Garrison,” Mr. Ray said, “I’ve been looking at jewelry for a long time. These are not the brooches I saw earlier today. Those were genuine. These are fakes. They’re good copies, but they’re made of paste.”

  By this time Nancy had worked her way to the front of the crowd. She was joined by her father and Bess. George stayed behind with a shy-looking girl with long blond hair. The girl looked very upset. Nancy recognized her from soccer practice. She was Mrs. Sedgewick’s daughter, Janine.

  Mrs. Sedgewick examined the jewels herself through the magnifying glass while Gideon Ray pointed something out to her. The woman turned pale. Her hand trembled as she held the brooch and nodded. Finally, she turned to Russell Garrison.

  “Russell, I think we’d better call the police. Mr. Ray is right. These brooches are copies.”

  Garrison nodded and then picked up the microphone. “My apologies, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, obviously embarrassed. “We have a problem that must be cleared up before the auction. Please go back to your dancing, and enjoy yourselves.”

  But the mood of the party had been spoiled. Many people left. Others stood talking in small groups about what had taken place.

  Nancy saw her father approach Ellen Sedgewick, whom he apparently knew quite well. Nancy and Bess joined George, Coach Boggs, and Janine.

  “Don’t worry, Janine,” George was saying. “Nancy will help your mother solve this mystery.”

  “Not so fast,” Nancy protested. She smiled uncomfortably at the pretty but worried-looking girl. “This looks like a very clever jewel theft, but the police should be able to solve it.”

  “I’m not worried about that,” Janine objected. “I’m worried about my mother.”

  Nancy’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Why?” she asked. “Is she in trouble?”

  “What if the police think she was involved in the theft of the real jewels?” Janine asked worriedly.

  “Why would they suspect your mother of stealing her own jewels?” Bess sounded bewildered. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “It’s been done before,” Nancy said. “Sometimes dishonest people pretend their precious jewels have been stolen so they can collect the insurance money. That way they have both the jewels and the money.”

  She turned to Janine. “But there’s no reason to think the police would suspect your mother of insurance fraud. Is there?”

  Janine shook her head. She wiped tears from her eyes and pushed her hair away from her face.

  Nancy smiled at the girl. “Tell you what. I’ve worked with the police before, and they know me. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know. How’s that?”

  “Thank you, Nancy. I really appreciate it.” Janine sniffed and smiled at Nancy. Then she held out her hand. Nancy shook it.

  “Janine, I’ll take you back to your room in the dorm to freshen up a little,” Kate said. “Those tears have smeared your makeup. You don’t want your mother to see you like this.”

  Janine sniffed again. “Okay, Coach. But let’s hurry so I can come back and be with her.”

  Kate put her arm around Janine and left the hall with her.

  “Coach Boggs is really being nice,” Bess said to George.

  “She is nice, but she’s also protecting the team,” George answered. “Janine has meant a lot to us this year. Kate knows she won’t play her best if she’s upset.”

  “That makes sense,” Nancy said. “But I wonder why Janine is so worried about her mother. Why should anyone suspect Mrs. Sedge-wick?”

  “Janine is probably just in shock because of what happened,” Bess suggested.

  “Maybe,” Nancy said. “But it’s a strange conclusion for her to jump to.” She shook her head. “I hope for Janine’s sake the police lock this case up quickly.”

  “Oh, no! Did you say ‘lock’?” George sounded so distressed that her two friends turned to look at her. “I think I forgot to lock the equipment room this afternoon.”

  “How could you forget?” Bess asked.

  George frowned. “I was in such a hurry that I think I forgot.”

  “You’d better go check,” said Nancy.

  George ran off without another word. As she left the banquet hall, two police officers and a detective entered. Russell Garrison led them across the room to Gideon Ray and Mrs. Sedgewick.

  Nancy saw her father look at her. Then Carson Drew walked over to join the two girls.

  “This could be a messy one,” he said. “Those jewels were worth a lot of money.”

 

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