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why?” George asked. “Accident? Thoughtlessness? Or just plain malice?”
    â€œMaybe someone wants to win the contest, no matter what it takes,” Bess suggested darkly.
    Ned shook his head and chuckled. “If it meant winning a new car or a trip to Europe, I could see it. But as chief judge, I can tell you that all the winner gets is a handshake.”
    â€œOh, well, it doesn’t matter,” Nancy said optimistically. “I just hope whoever did it doesn’t do it again.”
    â€œUh-oh,” Ned said, cocking his head to one side. “Do you hear that? I hope our arsonist hasn’t struck again.”
    From somewhere in the distance came the wail of sirens. “I think they’re coming this way,” George said.
    â€œThat’s not a fire engine,” Jerry reported, pointing up the hill toward the road. “It’s a police car—no, make that two police cars.”
    Red lights flashing, the cars pulled up in front of the Emerson Museum. Half a dozen uniformed officers and two men in suits jumped out and ran inside.
    â€œCome on,” Nancy said, taking off across the meadow for the museum. At the road, she paused as another patrol car sped past and pulled up next to the museum. She recognized the two men who got out and hurried inside. One was President Butler. The other was Dean Jarvis, whom she had met during an earlier case at Emerson College.
    â€œWhat is it?” George demanded as she, Ned, Jerry, and Bess caught up to Nancy.
    â€œI don’t know yet,” Nancy replied, “but it’s important enough to bring the president and the dean on the run.”
    The metal doors to the museum swung open just as Nancy reached the top of the hill. A police officer escorted about a half-dozen confused-looking students outside, then closed the door.
    â€œMaybe they know what’s going on,” Bess said.
    â€œThey’re bound to know more than we do,” Ned replied. He cupped his hands to his mouth and called, “Hey, Frazier! Over here!”
    A guy with bright red hair looked around, then walked over to join them.
    Ned introduced Nancy, George, and Bess, then asked, “What’s the story?”
    â€œSomebody robbed the place,” Frazier reported cheerfully. “They actually searched us before they’d let us leave.”
    â€œThe museum? Oh, no!” exclaimed Bess.
    â€œDid the thief get away with much?” George asked.
    â€œYes and no,” Frazier answered. “From what I heard before they kicked us out, he just took one set of jewelry. But it’s one of the most valuable sets in the whole show. A necklace, a couple of bracelets, and a pair of earrings made of diamonds and rubies. They used to belong to some queen.”
    Nancy gasped. The Empress of Austria’s jewels had been stolen!

Chapter

Four
    O H, NO,” B ESS WAILED. “You mean that ruby set I loved so much is gone?”
    â€œAt least the thief had good taste,” Ned put in.
    Nancy frowned. “What I don’t understand is how the thief got past the guards and the new alarm system.”
    Frazier shrugged. “We were just going through the exhibit when all of a sudden the alarm went off.”
    Bess’s blue eyes widened. “You mean the thief struck with everyone right there in the museum?”
    Frazier shook his head. “Nope. That was afalse alarm. Apparently it’s not the first one they’ve had, either. But the noise was driving everyone crazy, so one of the guards turned off the system and went to check out the problem.
    â€œRight after the false alarm, we heard the fire engines going to the boat house. Everyone ran to the windows to see what was happening.”
    â€œThe guards, too?” asked George. “I bet they’re going to catch a lot of grief over that.”
    â€œAnd that’s when the thief struck,” Nancy concluded. “While the alarm system was turned off and