The Gumdrop Ghost

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Ghost Grabbers and Boo Blasters

  Chapter 2: Boo of a Clue

  Chapter 3: Ghost? Or Toast?

  Chapter 4: Calling All Ghosts!

  Chapter 5: Disappearing Act

  Chapter 6: Dizzy for Lizzie

  Chapter 7: Knock, Knock. Boo’s There!

  Chapter 8: “Come Fly With Me!”

  1

  Ghost Grabbers and Boo Blasters

  If this is a theater, where’s the popcorn?” Nancy Drew’s best friend George Fayne asked on Saturday morning.

  “This isn’t a movie theater, George,” eight-year-old Nancy Drew explained. “It’s a theater for plays.”

  “And talent shows,” Bess Marvin added. Bess was Nancy’s other best friend. She was also George’s cousin.

  Nancy wiggled excitedly in her seat. The River Heights Kids’ Talent Show would start any minute. Hannah Gruen, the Drews’ housekeeper, had driven the girls to the theater. She would pick them up when the show was over.

  George’s dark curls bounced as she looked around. “This theater sure beats our school auditorium,” she said.

  Nancy agreed. The theater looked like a palace. It had red velvet seats and clouds painted on a blue ceiling. A red curtain hung over the stage.

  Bess sighed. “Maybe it’s not too late to enter the talent show.”

  “Yes, it is,” George said. “The show starts in five minutes!”

  Nancy smiled. She and Bess had wanted to sing in the show. When Bess caught a cold the week before, they decided not to enter.

  “Don’t worry, Bess,” Nancy said. “Watching the show will be fun, too. Especially since we have front row seats.”

  Bess reached under her seat and pulled out a white stuffed dog. “I’m going to ask the winner of the talent show to sign Sparky, my autograph hound.”

  “Even if the boys win?” George asked.

  Bess scrunched up her face. Jason Hutchings, David Berger, and Mike Minelli were the brattiest boys at Carl Sandburg Elementary School.

  “No way!” Bess said. “I hope that Katie wins. Or Rebecca.”

  Nancy flipped her reddish blond hair over her shoulder and smiled. “Me, too.”

  Katie Zaleski and Rebecca Ramirez were the girls’ friends from school. Katie and her talking parrot, Lester, were going to tell jokes. Rebecca and her best friend, Jessie Shapiro, were doing a dance number.

  Nancy gasped as the lights dimmed. The show was about to begin!

  A man with white hair and wearing a dark suit stepped up to the microphone.

  “Hello, everyone!” the man told the audience. “I’m Lyle Puckman, the host of the talent show and the president of Tremendous Toys.”

  Awesome! Nancy thought. Tremendous Toys was the biggest toy store in town.

  “As you probably know,” Lyle said, “the first-prize winner will receive a five-minute shopping spree at Tremendous Toys. And five minutes at Tremendous Toys goes a long, long way!”

  Nancy knew which toy she would grab first—a pair of ice skates with pink pompoms. She had seen them when she was shopping for a present with her father.

  “For our first act,” Lyle said, “please welcome Jason, David, and Mike singing a song from one of their favorite TV shows, Ghost Grabbers.”

  “Oh, great,” George groaned. “The boys are first.”

  “Now, remember, folks,” Lyle said. “The boys’ Ghost Grabber outfits, boo blasters, and spirit suckers are sold at Tremendous Toys. Aisle seven, shelf five.”

  Lyle walked off the stage. The boys ran on. They wore silver jackets, goggles, and helmets with blinking lights. Mike was holding a portable CD player.

  Mike pressed a button on the CD player. The boys bumped into each other as they took their places on the stage. Then they began to sing.

  “‘If you’ve got a ghost—he’s toast! Thanks to the Ghost Grabbers!’”

  Nancy covered her ears. The boys were screaming into the microphone.

  “‘Ghosts are no mystery!’” the boys sang. “‘They’re history!’”

  Jason raised his boo blaster in the air. It made a weird popping sound. Green gobs of foam oozed from the sides.

  “Whoops!” Jason said.

  The green gook flowed across the stage and onto the floor. It splattered right in front of the girls’ feet.

  “Yuck!” Nancy cried.

  Lyle ran onto the stage. “You didn’t tell me you’d have special effects!”

  “I didn’t press anything! It just went off!” Jason exclaimed. He banged his boo blaster on the stage. “Piece of junk. I’m taking this back to the store—”

  Lyle clapped his hand over Jason’s mouth. He called offstage: “Toni! Clean this up, please!”

  A woman with short brown hair ran over with a mop. She was wearing jeans and a River Heights Theater T-shirt.

  “I knew these kids would make a mess,” Toni muttered.

  Nancy watched Toni and frowned. She didn’t seem very friendly.

  After the floor was clean and dry, Lyle introduced the next act.

  “Now here’s Katie Zaleski and her fine-feathered friend, Lester!” Lyle said. “So ‘give it up’ as you kids like to say!”

  “Yay!” Nancy cheered.

  Katie walked onstage with Lester on her arm. She was wearing a red dress and a black top hat. Lester wore a tiny top hat and a little red bow tie.

  “Knock, knock,” Katie said to Lester.

  Lester rolled his feathery head. “Who’s there? Who’s there?” he screeched.

  “Boo!” Katie said.

  “Boo hoo?” Lester squawked.

  “Don’t cry, Lester,” Katie said with a wink. “You’ll get your cracker.”

  Nancy laughed with the rest of the audience. Katie’s jokes were always funny.

  “Knock, knock,” Katie said again.

  “Arrrk! Who’s there?”

  “Orange,” Katie said.

  Lester let out a big squawk. “Orange you glad to see me? Arrrrk!”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open.

  “Oh, no!” Nancy whispered. “Lester just said Katie’s line.”

  Katie whispered something into Lester’s ear. Then she tried again.

  “Knock, knock,” she said.

  “It’s Noah!” Lester squawked. “Noah good place to eat? Arrrk!”

  “Th-th-thanks, everybody,” Katie said quickly. Then she hurried off the stage.

  “The jokes were still funny,” Nancy said, shrugging. “Maybe she’ll still win.”

  While the girls waited for the next act, Nancy felt Bess tug her arm.

  “Here comes Rebecca,” she said.

  Nancy saw Rebecca running over. She was wearing her talent show costume—a baseball uniform and a red cap. She also looked very upset.

  “Please, Nancy,” Rebecca said. Her chin was quivering. “You’ve got to help me! You’ve got to help me!”

  2

  Boo of a Clue

  What’s the matter, Rebecca?” Nancy asked.

  Rebecca was almost in tears. “It’s Jessie! She can’t dance in the show!”

  “Why not?” Bess asked.

  “Her face is green!” Rebecca said.

  “What?” Nancy cried.

  “Did she eat too much pistachio ice cream?” George asked.

  Rebecca shook her head. “Someone put trick soap in the washroom. After Jessie washed her face, it turned green!”

  Nancy knew that Rebecca liked to be dramatic. But she wasn’t acting now. She was very upset.

  “I’ll bet the boys did it,” George said. “They are such brats.”

  “Do you want Nancy to find out who put the yucky soap there?” Bess asked.

  “If anyone can find out, it’s Detective
Drew!” George said proudly.

  Nancy smiled. She loved solving mysteries more than anything. She even had a blue detective notebook where she wrote down all her suspects and clues.

  Rebecca turned to Nancy. “I don’t want you to solve a mystery. I want you to take Jessie’s place in the show.”

  Nancy stared at Rebecca. “Me?”

  Rebecca nodded. “You take dance lessons. And you’re about the same size as Jessie. You can wear her costume.”

  “But I wouldn’t know what to do,” Nancy said. “I might look silly!”

  “It’s a cinch,” Rebecca said, waving her hand. “Just watch me from the corner of your eye and do everything I do.”

  “Do it, Nancy,” George urged.

  “You might even win a shopping spree at Tremendous Toys,” Bess said.

  Nancy’s eyes opened wide. She remembered the white ice skates with the pink pom-poms. She wanted them badly!

  “Okay,” Nancy blurted. “I’ll do it.”

  Rebecca’s tears disappeared like magic. She smiled and pulled Nancy out of her seat. “Let’s go!” she said.

  Nancy followed Rebecca backstage. Other kids dressed in costumes were rushing about. Katie was feeding Lester crackers. The boys were running in a circle around Jessie.

  “Creature from outer space!” they shouted. “Green alien!”

  “Go away!” Jessie snapped.

  “Go away!” Jason mimicked. The boys laughed and ran to the water fountain.

  “They’re right,” Jessie moaned when Nancy and Rebecca came over to her. “I do look like a creature from outer space.”

  “No, you don’t,” Rebecca said. “You look more like . . . a dill pickle.”

  “Thanks a lot!” Jessie groaned.

  “Guess what?” Rebecca said. “Nancy is going to take your place. But you can still be in the act.”

  “How?” Jessie asked.

  “You can start the CD player,” Rebecca said with a smile.

  “Yippy skippy,” Jessie muttered.

  “And if we win first prize,” Nancy said, “I’ll grab a toy just for you.”

  “That’s more like it!” Jessie smiled.

  Nancy and Jessie ran into the dressing room. They quickly exchanged clothes. When Nancy was in her costume she and Rebecca ran to the side of the stage.

  “This part of the stage is called the wings,” Rebecca whispered.

  “Oh,” Nancy whispered back. Rebecca loved the theater more than anything.

  “Our next act,” Lyle announced, “is Rebecca Ramirez and Nancy Drew, dancing to ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’”

  Jessie flipped on the CD player. Nancy followed Rebecca onto the stage.

  Nancy watched Rebecca from the corner of her eye. She copied all of her dance steps. She kicked, hopped, and twirled her plastic baseball bat.

  The audience cheered as Nancy and Rebecca took their bows.

  “We were a hit!” Rebecca squealed as they ran backstage. “Tremendous Toys here we come!”

  “I want the ice skates,” Nancy said.

  “I want the vanity mirror,” Rebecca said. “To put on my stage makeup.”

  Nancy was still jumping up and down when she heard Lyle announce the next act.

  “Now please give a warm welcome for Lizzie Benson!” he announced.

  “Lizzie Benson?” Rebecca repeated.

  Click-click! Click-click!

  Nancy whirled around. A girl with bright red hair ran by. She was wearing a cowboy hat. Her cowboy boots had taps on them.

  Nancy and Rebecca watched from the wings. Lizzie was standing in a spotlight.

  “Howdy, everybody!” Lizzie shouted. She waved her cowboy hat in the air and did a perfect split. “I’m Lizzie!”

  Lizzie jumped up. She began to tap-dance. But she didn’t just dance—Lizzie did somersaults, headstands, and cartwheels across the stage.

  “Look at her go,” Nancy whispered.

  “Show-off!” Rebecca growled.

  “Yee-haaa!” Lizzie shouted as she did a perfect back flip. Then her piano player handed her two sparklers. Lizzie held them in the air as she did one last split.

  The audience went wild.

  “We lost,” Rebecca groaned.

  Nancy watched Lizzie click by as she left the stage.

  After more kids sang, did magic tricks, and told riddles, the show was over. Lyle called the contestants onto the stage. “Everyone deserves to win,” he told the audience. “But since we have only two prizes, the first goes to . . .”

  Nancy stood between Rebecca and Katie. She squeezed her eyes shut.

  “. . . Lizzie Benson!” Lyle said.

  “Bummer!” Lester squawked. “Arrk!”

  Nancy’s heart sank. But she wasn’t surprised. Lizzie was very good.

  “Yippee!” Lizzie cheered. She smiled as Lyle handed her the certificate for the shopping spree.

  “The second-prize winners will receive a fifteen-dollar Tremendous Toys gift certificate,” Lyle explained. “And those lucky winners are . . . Rebecca Ramirez and Nancy Drew!”

  “Ye-es!” Nancy cheered softly. She smiled as she took her prize from Lyle. But when she looked at Rebecca, Rebecca had a sad frown on her face.

  “Now, don’t forget,” Lyle said. “There’s a snack table in the back of the theater for the kids and their parents.”

  Nancy, Rebecca, and Katie walked backstage. They changed into their regular clothes, then headed toward the snack table.

  “At least you won something,” Katie said. “Lester and I lost big time.”

  “Losers! Losers!” Lester squawked.

  “Guess what?” Bess said. She held up her stuffed dog. “While you were changing, Lizzie signed Sparky!”

  Rebecca looked shocked. “You asked her for her autograph? Why?”

  Bess brushed her blond bangs from her eyes. “Because she might be a star someday.”

  Rebecca gasped. “But I’m the best actress in school! Besides, if it weren’t for Lizzie, Nancy and I would have won the shopping spree.”

  Nancy saw Lizzie at the snack table. She was pouring herself a cup of juice.

  “I’m going to congratulate Lizzie,” Nancy told her friends. She walked over to the table.

  “Hi, Lizzie,” Nancy said. “You were great.”

  “So were you,” Lizzie said, smiling at Nancy.

  Nancy noticed a gold charm hanging around Lizzie’s neck. It was round with a flat bottom.

  “That’s so pretty,” Nancy said. She pointed to the charm. “But what is it?”

  “It’s a gumdrop,” Lizzie said. “You know, the gooey, chewy candy.”

  “I like gumdrops,” Nancy said.

  “I’ve got to go now,” Lizzie said. She gave a little wave. “Bye.”

  Nancy watched Lizzie disappear into the crowd of kids.

  “Well?” Rebecca asked Nancy when she returned. “Was she snooty? Did she brag about winning?”

  “No,” Nancy said. “She was nice. And she was wearing a gumdrop necklace.”

  “Gumdrop?” George asked. “You’re making me hungry. Let’s get some snacks.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “I have a better idea.”

  “What?” Katie asked.

  “Let’s explore the theater!” Rebecca said with an excited jump.

  Nancy’s eyes lit up. The theater was probably full of surprises.

  “Do we have time?” Bess asked.

  Nancy looked at her watch. “Hannah isn’t picking us up for another hour.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Rebecca squealed. “Let’s go!”

  The girls ran toward the stage down a hallway on the side of the theater until Nancy found a door.

  “Where does this door lead to?” Katie asked. She held Lester’s cage in her hand.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Nancy smiled. She stepped through the door into another long hallway. A row of closed doors stood on each side.

  “That one is open,” Bess sai
d, pointing.

  Nancy looked where Bess was pointing. The door had a sign on it that read, Storage.

  “Let’s take a peek,” Nancy said. She and her friends ran to the door. It creaked softly as Nancy opened it.

  “Wow!” Nancy said as they stepped inside. The room looked like a secret attic.

  Inside were a carousel horse, a table with a silver tea set, a lamp with a glass shade, and a rocking chair. There was even a pile of old hats, clothes, and a row of shoes.

  “These things were probably used in plays!” Rebecca said excitedly. She pulled a feathered scarf from a hook and wrapped it around herself. “How do I look?”

  “Like Lester.” Katie giggled.

  “Ha, ha,” Rebecca said with a smirk.

  Nancy saw a stack of colorful posters leaning against a wall. She began to flip through them one by one.

  “Old show posters,” Nancy declared. She held up a poster of a girl dancing. The girl had red hair and looked about eight years old.

  “Who is she?” Katie asked.

  “It says, ‘Starring Miss Elizabeth Benson,’” Nancy said.

  “I’ve heard of Elizabeth Benson,” Katie said. “She was a kid star who grew up in River Heights. She died when she was very old.”

  “She must have been pretty old,” George said. “The date of that show was practically seventy years ago.”

  Nancy studied the poster. “Benson . . . Isn’t that Lizzie’s last name?”

  “And isn’t Lizzie a nickname for Elizabeth?” Katie asked.

  The girls stared at the poster.

  “Her hair is red,” Bess said. “Just like Lizzie’s.”

  “And she tap-dances, too,” George said. “Just like Lizzie.”

  Rebecca grabbed the poster from Nancy. She jabbed her finger at it. “So that explains it!” she said angrily.

  Nancy turned around. “Explains what?”

  Rebecca shook the poster in front of her. Then she exclaimed:

  “Lizzie Benson is a ghost!”

  3

  Ghost? Or Toast?

  A ghost?” Bess shrieked.

  “Lizzie can’t be a ghost,” George said. “She was just tap-dancing an hour ago.”

  Katie shrugged. “Maybe she’s a dancing ghost.”

  “Stop it!” Bess said. She clutched Sparky. “You’re giving me goose bumps!”