The Crook Who Took the Book Read Online Free Page B

scowling.
    â€œYou think Charlie took the book?” Bess cried.
    â€œNo,” Nancy said. “But maybe he has it. After the book disappeared, I noticed Charlie running away from his cat bed. And you know Charlie—”
    â€œ Never gets out of his bed,” Bess finished.
    â€œSo, if someone wanted to hide Mr. Sand-back’s book,” Nancy explained, “Charlie’s bed would be the best place in the whole store.”
    â€œWe just have to move Charlie so we can look,” Bess said. She sounded scared.
    â€œ Mrowr ,” the cat growled.
    â€œThis could get ugly,” George said.
    â€œOh, Charlie,” called a voice on the stairs behind them.
    Nancy spun around. “Mr. Sandback!” she said. “Hello.”
    Mr. Sandback stood on the bottom step, grinning at the girls. “I heard what you said about your hunch, Nancy,” he said. “I thinkit’s a good one. And I may be able to help.”
    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a catnip mouse. He walked over to Charlie’s bed and dangled the mouse in front of the cat’s nose. Then he tossed the toy a few feet away. Charlie meowed loudly and dashed after it.
    Nancy pounced on the cat bed and lifted the bumpy plaid cushion. Nothing.
    Nancy gazed up at Mr. Sandback sadly. “I guess my hunch was wrong,” she said. “Which means . . .”
    â€œWhat is it, Nancy?” Julia said.
    â€œI have another hunch,” Nancy said. She didn’t want to tell Julia that she suspected Anderson. Not until she was sure. So she asked Julia a question instead.
    â€œCan you tell me where you last saw the book before it disappeared?” Nancy said.
    â€œIt was in the wooden gift box that Anderson got for me,” Julia said.
    â€œWhere’s the box now?” Nancy asked.
    â€œI put it in the storage room in the basement,” Julia said. “Would you like to see it?”
    â€œYes, please,” Nancy said.
    The girls followed Julia to the back of the bookshop and down a flight of narrow, rickety stairs.



“Ew, a spider web,” Bess whispered.
    â€œShhh,” George said. “It’s no big deal.”
    Nancy shivered a bit as they headed into the damp basement. Julia led them into a big storage room. It was crowded with cartons, old books, and cast-off furniture.
    â€œNow, where did I put that box?” she muttered. She began searching a cluttered shelf.
    Tap. Taptaptaptap. Taptap.
    Nancy picked up a flashlight and shone it into the shadowy corner of the storage room. “Anderson!” she said, with surprise.
    Anderson Quilling was sitting at a desk in the corner, typing away on a big black typewriter. He was frowning at the page, and his hair looked messier than ever. But when he looked up and saw Nancy and her friends, he smiled.
    â€œOh, hello, girls,” Anderson said. “This is where I do my writing. It’s very quiet down here.”
    Julia turned from the shelf she was searching. “Anderson writes andwrites and writes,” she whispered to the girls. “But nobody will publish his books. But I have faith. I think he’ll be a big success one day.”
    She turned back to the shelf. A moment later she cried out, “Here’s the box!” She held out the brown box to the girls. “Look, the lock has been broken.”
    â€œMay I see it, Julia?” Nancy asked.
    â€œOf course.” Julia handed the pretty polished box to Nancy. George and Bess crowded near to peer at the box, too.
    â€œWhat are you looking for, Nancy?” Bess asked.
    â€œI don’t know, exactly,” Nancy said with a shrug.
    She looked at the box’s bottom. Then she looked at the top and all around its sides. Finally Nancy fiddled with the broken lock and flipped the box open.
    â€œHmm,” she said.
    â€œWhat?” Bess, George, and Julia said together.
    â€œLook at that,” Nancy said. She pointed to the hinges