The Case of the Artful Crime Read Online Free PDF

fluid, or kerosene, though.”
    Shawn pushed one hand through his sandy hairand sighed. “It’s pretty mysterious, all right. Another attack from the phantom restaurant wrecker.”
    â€œIt sure sounds that way,” Nancy agreed.
    Shawn ran his finger along a countertop. It came up black with soot. “What a day this has been,” he said despondently, wiping his hand on a napkin. “I was counting on two things to make this place a success. One of them was good reviews. Then the biggest reviewer around, Harold Brackett, gets a mouthful of hot wasabi for lunch.”
    â€œHe said he’d be back,” Nancy reminded Shawn. “What else were you counting on?”
    Shawn sighed. “The Dragon’s Eye Ruby.”
    â€œThe what?” Nancy asked.
    Shawn pulled out a chair and sat down. “Don’t you remember that monster ruby Gary Powell gave Stella Davis the third time they remarried?”
    â€œI don’t usually follow all that celebrity stuff,” Nancy said, shaking her head.
    â€œWell, this ruby is the granddaddy of all rubies,” Shawn told her. “It’s worth a fortune. When the couple divorced again, they sold the ruby. It was bought by Felice Wainwright.”
    â€œReally?” Nancy said, impressed. She’d never met Felice Wainwright, but she knew of her. Her aristocratic face and sleek blond hair frequently appeared in the society pages of the River Heights papers. She was one of the area’s wealthiest women and lived in a Victorian mansion not far from the Arizona House.
    â€œSo how does the ruby fit into your plans?” Nancy asked.
    â€œWell,” Shawn replied, “it seems that Mrs. Wain-wright has decided to auction off the ruby in order to fund some of her pet charities. Jewelers and anyone else interested in purchasing the ruby will be flying in from all over the country to attend the auction—along with the big preauction dinner Mrs. Wainwright is throwing this Saturday.”
    â€œAnd the dinner is being held here,” Nancy supplied excitedly. “How wonderful for you.”
    Shawn sighed. “Yes, it could put the Arizona House on the map. But I’ll be ruined if it’s a disaster. And if things keep going the way they have, it will be a disaster. If Mrs. Wainwright gets wind of things, she might cancel the dinner, and that alone could drive me out of business. I’ve already ordered pounds of lobsters and cases of the finest champagne on credit, counting on the money from this dinner to pay the bill.”
    â€œI just read something about Felice Wainwright,” Nancy said slowly, trying to remember what it was. “Didn’t someone trip her alarm the other night?”
    â€œI read that, too,” Shawn said, nodding. “The intruder didn’t get anything, and no one was caught. Maybe it was just a malfunction in the alarm. Rumor has it that Mrs. Wainwright had a super high-tech security system installed at her home just to protect the ruby.”
    Bess suddenly reappeared and joined Shawn andNancy. “Everybody’s been called,” she told Shawn. “Is it okay if Nancy and I leave?”
    â€œSure,” he said. “See you ladies tomorrow. I have to go upstairs and make a few phone calls. I need to contact a professional clean-up crew right away. It’ll be nearly impossible to get the smoke smell out of the restaurant.” Shawn headed to the front hallway, where a stairway led to his office upstairs.
    Bess turned to Nancy. “Can I get a lift from you?” she asked. “That way I won’t have to bug Mom to come pick me up.”
    â€œSure,” Nancy said, wincing suddenly as she swallowed. “Did that smoke make your throat sore? Mine is killing me.”
    â€œMine, too,” Bess agreed as they walked toward the front door.
    The girls were just about to leave when Bess stopped short. “Oh, I almost forgot the best part of this