“I checked everything myself,” George said. “The equipment has already been loaded.”
Garrison nodded. Then he turned toward Nancy. “Ms. Drew, I do hope you’re on this trip purely as a soccer fan. I’d hate to think you’re going all the way to Canada just to play detective.”
“Would I do that, Mr. Garrison?” Nancy said with a smile.
“Yes, I believe you would.” The headmaster flashed a tight smile of his own. Then he nodded and left, returning to the group of teachers.
“At least he lets you know where he stands,” Kate remarked.
“I don’t imagine he’s an easy man to work for,” Nancy said.
“He wouldn’t win any popularity contests among the teachers and staff,” said Kate. “I don’t know how the trustees feel about him.”
“If they didn’t like him he’d be out of a job,” said Nancy. “So he must be doing something right.”
“The trick is to find it,” George said.
Nancy drew in her breath and looked at George thoughtfully for a moment. “Be right back,” she said. “I’ve got to make a phone call.”
“It had better be quick,” Kate said. “We’re boarding in about two minutes.”
Nancy headed for the nearest pay phone. She made her call and returned to the waiting room just as the passengers began boarding the plane.
“Who’d you call?” George asked.
“Dad. I asked him to try to get me some information.”
“You’re too much, Nan,” said George. “Why don’t you relax for a couple of days and watch us win the Canadian Cup?”
“Don’t you know me better than that by now?”
“I guess I should, huh?”
The two girls followed Kate onto the plane and took their seats, which were side by side. Everyone settled in quickly.
After takeoff, George turned in her seat to see down the aisle. She nudged Nancy. “Look at Kate,” she said.
Nancy looked. Kate was walking up and down the aisle, giving each of the girls a pep talk and making them “think soccer” right from the beginning.
“I can’t believe how she’s changed,” George said. “We need her like this if we’re going to win. I hope she stays this way.”
“She will,” Nancy said, but she couldn’t tell George why. She’d have to leave that up to Kate. She reached down and took some books from her tote bag.
“What are those?” George asked.
“Just some light reading I picked up this morning.”
George looked over Nancy’s shoulder. The musty old volumes included color photographs of gemstones and jewelry crafting.
“Nan, don’t you ever quit?” George asked.
“Nope. It’s about time I learned more about the craft of jewelry making.”
George sighed. “All right, give me one.”
Nancy handed one of the books to George.
“What am I supposed to be looking for?” George asked.
“I’m not sure,” Nancy said. “Something that will give us a clue about what the thief had to do to make the brooches. I know it’s a long shot.”
The two girls began reading the books in silence. At first George bravely turned page after page. But after fifteen minutes, her eyes began to close. She was snapped out of her doze when Nancy suddenly said, “I don’t believe this. It was right under our noses the whole time.”
“What was?” George looked over at her friend.
“A clue. Maybe the clue. The first real piece of evidence in this case.”
“How can you find evidence in a dusty old book?”
Nancy turned to her friend. “The other day I was in Mr. Morse’s art classroom, talking to him about the case,” she explained. “When I left the room, I noticed some green greasy stuff on my right hand.”
“So?” George asked.
“Look at this.”
George looked at the book that Nancy was holding open on her lap. A photograph on the page showed a green substance that looked exactly like what Nancy had described.
“That’s the stuff,” Nancy said. “Plastilene. According to this book, it’s used in making everything from model cars to jewelry.”
