Bess looked over her shoulder. “Well, if the Mouse King guy took something from the school, it’s gone now.”
Placing her hand carefully on the van door, Nancy hoisted herself into the back of the vehicle. Keeping low, she made her way to the other side of the spare tire, where a red glow caught her eye. When Nancy bent to look closer, she could see that the object was a smashed Christmas tree ornament.
Nancy held up a piece of the broken ball for Bess to see.
“Is that one of Mrs. Farnsworth’s ornaments?” Bess asked in surprise.
“No, it’s one of mine. I recognize the lace I glued around it,” Nancy said, jumping from the van.
Bess furrowed her brow. “But why would anyone steal your ornaments?”
“Maybe our thieves just want to ruin the production any way they can,” Nancy guessed as she shut the van doors. “But why would anyone chance breaking into the school tonight just to get some cheap ornaments? It seems awfully risky.”
“Not that risky,” Bess pointed out. “Whoever it was probably thought we were all going to be at the gala.”
“You’re right.” Nancy hurried toward the Mustang. “We need to call the police, then get to the gala ourselves. We might just find out who else came late to the party!”
Fifteen minutes later, the girls pulled into the driveway of the River Heights Country Club. “If Darci and Lawrence aren’t at the gala yet, we’re definitely on the right track,” Nancy said.
“And what if they’ve been here the whole time?” Bess asked.
“Then we’ll have to do some serious detective work,” Nancy replied as she stopped the car under the club’s green awning. The parking valet appeared immediately to open the girls’ doors.
When Nancy and Bess reached the main dining room where the party was taking place, they both stopped short in the doorway.
“Oh, Nancy!” Bess exclaimed. “It’s the Land of Sweets.”
The dining room was decorated to look like the enchanted land that Clara and her prince would visit in the second act of The Nutcracker. The support columns were wound with red and white crepe paper to look like candy canes. The walls had been decorated with paintings of gingerbread houses, glittery cupcakes, and cherry-topped sundaes. There were Christmas trees in the corners of the room, decked with candy canes and lollipops. Since the Land of Sweets was ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the gala was in Shana’s honor, the decorations seemed particularly appropriate.
“Hi, Bess!” Michelle Edwards cried. “Isn’t this fantastic?” Running up, she took Bess by the hands and danced her around in a circle.
With a laugh, Bess slowed, then reached down to hug her. “It’s beautiful, and so are you with that gorgeous green dress on.”
Michelle’s face suddenly grew serious. “What took you so long? Shana thought you’d never get here.”
Nancy looked quickly around the room. “Where is your sister?” she asked.
“She’s over there,” Michelle said, pointing to a pink ice sculpture of a ballerina. Shana stood in front of it, surrounded by a cluster of young dancers and their parents.
“And what about Darci?” Nancy asked.
Michelle looked surprised. “Darci? Oh, she wouldn’t come.”
“Darci’s not here?” Nancy said, exchanging a meaningful glance with Bess.
“No.” Michelle frowned. “Darci and Shana had a big fight before the gala. Darci locked herself in her room and wouldn’t come out. She wouldn’t even talk to Mom or Dad. We left for the gala without her.”
Bingo, Nancy thought. Now she just had to find out about Lawrence.
“Come and look at all the food,” Michelle urged. Grabbing Bess’s hand, the young girl began to tug her across the floor.
“I’ll see you in a minute,” Bess called as Michelle pulled her toward a table full of cakes and cookies.
Nancy nodded and began to walk slowly through the crowd, searching for Lawrence. He was nowhere in sight.
“Nancy!” Shana cried when she caught sight of her friend. Excusing herself to her fans, the dancer hurried over to Nancy. She looked stunning in an off-the-shoulder midnight-blue satin sheath.
“Where have you been?” Shana asked. “All these kids and parents are driving me crazy.”
“Uh, I’ll tell you later,” Nancy replied, looking over her shoulder. She could see Madame Dugrand talking to another group of people, gesturing dramatically. Nancy knew she’d have to find a moment alone with the directress soon, to tell her what had happened earlier in the evening.
“Where’s Lawrence?” Nancy asked, turning back to Shana.
The redhead’s cheeks flushed pink. “That jerk. He showed up for half an hour to charm everyone, and then he left, without any explanation.”
“Do you know where he went?” Nancy pressed.
To Nancy’s surprise, Shana suddenly looked as if she were about to cry. “Why don’t you ask him yourself!” she said, nodding toward the entrance. Nancy whirled around. Lawrence was standing in the arched doorway, arm in arm with a triumphant-looking Darci!
10
A Sobbing Suspect
Nancy stared at the newcomers in the doorway. It appeared that Darci and Lawrence had just arrived—together. If so, then Nancy was sure the two of them could have been responsible for sabotaging The Nutcracker production. Nancy knew she’d have to find just the right time to confront them.
“Look at those two,” Shana whispered. “Lawrence struts back in like a peacock, and Darci’s got so much eye shadow on she looks like a raccoon. She’s trying to look sophisticated.”
Trying not to appear too obvious, Nancy studied the couple as they came into the room. Darci was wearing a short black knit dress that accented her creamy skin and chestnut hair. But her eyes were slightly puffy, as if she’d been crying.
