Read The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book Online
Authors: Carolyn Keene
The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book (17 page)
Honey asked, “How about the shoe prints on the second floor? They don’t go anywhere!”
Ben grinned. “There’s a hidden ladder in the second-floor ceiling. I climbed down, made a few prints, and went up again. You can’t tell where the ladder is because of the design on the paneled ceiling.”
Sue asked Ben Wells how he knew about codes and how he did his various tricks.
“My father was a magician,” the man replied. “I learned a lot of things from him. Some of the gadgets I used while playing ghost I built myself; others I bought, like the violin tape.”
He paused momentarily, then asked, “Did you figure out the code?”
“Yes, we did,” the girls replied.
Ben Wells was not sure that they were telling the truth and asked them what it meant.
“Don’t live here if you value your life,
”Honey said.
”Honey said.
Wells shook his head in amazement. “You ladies certainly are smart.” He sighed. “What are you going to do to me?”
The club members waited for Nancy to speak. She said, “Come with us to my car.”
If Ben had any idea of resisting, he knew it was hopeless with seven strong, healthy girls watching him. He meekly went along with them. Nancy unlocked the entrance gate, and they let themselves out. At the car she used her new cell phone and contacted Chief McGinnis at police headquarters.
Quickly she told him the Costello mystery had been solved. Would the chief please call her father and come to the estate with him at once? The officer promised to do so.
While they were waiting, Ben said cheerfully, “How would you like to see a few sleight-of-hand tricks?”
The girls told him they would, so Ben pulled several handkerchiefs from his pocket, knotted them, and rolled them in his hand. Presently, he plucked at the corner of one, and out came all the others, no longer tied together.
“That’s great!” said Sue, and Ben did several other well-known tricks, like taking money out of Karen’s ear and turning a light on Honey’s shoes to make them appear to be green.
Finally the groom looked up at the girls. “I take it you’re all amateur detectives. Would you like me to teach you some of the sleight-of-hand tricks? They may come in handy in your work.”
Before the girls had a chance to answer, Chief McGinnis and Mr. Drew drove up. Everything was explained to them, and they decided to take Ben Wells back to headquarters for further questioning.
As the car pulled away, Ben leaned out a window. “Any time you want to learn some tricks, get in touch with me!” he called.
ACTIVITY
Readers: Here’s another code for you to try to crack. The answer is on page 152. Good luck!
E KSSH HIXIGXMZI QYWX PSSO JSV XLI YRYWYEP E GEWYEP KPERGI MW RSXPMOIPC XS XYVR YT ERC IZMHIRGI
ANSWERS TO CODES
Answer to code on page 50: A good detective absolutely never gives up.
Answer to code on page 150: A good detective must look for the unusual. A casual glance is not likely to turn up any evidence.
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