Table Of ContentThe Crime Lab Case
Nancy dropped the minicassette she had found into Professor
Parris’s answering machine. It was a perfect fit. She closed the lid
and pushed the button marked Play.
For a second there was no sound, not even her own breathing.
“You have one message,” the electronic voice finally announced.
The tape whirred forward, then back, then settled into a measured
spin. Over scratchy static, Nancy heard a strange, hesitant voice.
“Threatening me was a mistake,” the voice rasped. “And now you’ll
make the final payment.”
NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES
#57 The Triple Hoax #112 Crime in the Queen’s Court
#58 The Flying Saucer Mystery #113 The Secret Lost at Sea
#59 The Secret in the Old Lace #114 The Search for the Silver Persian
#60 The Greek Symbol Mystery #115 The Suspect in the Smoke
#61 The Swami’s Ring #116 The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears
#62 The Kachina Doll Mystery #117 Mystery on the Menu
#63 The Twin Dilemma #118 Trouble at Lake Tahoe
#64 Captive Witness #119 The Mystery of the Missing Mascot
#65 Mystery of the Winged Lion #120 The Case of the Floating Crime
#66 Race Against Time #121 The Fortune-Teller’s Secret
#67 The Sinister Omen #122 The Message in the Haunted Mansion
#68 The Elusive Heiress #123 The Clue on the Silver Screen
#69 Clue in the Ancient Disguise #124 The Secret of the Scarlet Hand
#70 The Broken Anchor #125 The Teen Model Mystery
#71 The Silver Cobweb #126 The Riddle in the Rare Book
#72 The Haunted Carousel #127 The Case of the Dangerous Solution
#73 Enemy Match #128 The Treasure in the Royal Tower
#74 The Mysterious Image #129 The Baby-sitter Burglaries
#75 The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery #130 The Sign of the Falcon
#76 The Eskimo’s Secret #131 The Hidden Inheritance
#77 The Bluebeard Room #132 The Fox Hunt Mystery
#78 The Phantom of Venice #133 The Mystery at the Crystal Palace
#79 The Double Horror of Fenley Place #134 The Secret of the Forgotten Cave
#80 The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds #135 The Riddle of the Ruby Gazelle
#81 The Mardi Gras Mystery #136 The Wedding Day Mystery
#82 The Clue in the Camera #137 In Search of the Black Rose
#83 The Case of the Vanishing Veil #138 The Legend of the Lost Gold
#84 The Joker’s Revenge #139 The Secret of Candlelight Inn
#85 The Secret of Shady Glen #140 The Door-to-Door Deception
#86 The Mystery of Misty Canyon #141 The Wild Cat Crime
#87 The Case of the Rising Stars #142 The Case of Capital Intrigue
#88 The Search for Cindy Austin #143 Mystery on Maui
#89 The Case of the Disappearing Deejay #144 The E-mail Mystery
#90 The Puzzle at Pineview School #145 The Missing Horse Mystery
#91 The Girl Who Couldn’t Remember #146 The Ghost of the Lantern Lady
#92 The Ghost of Craven Cove #147 The Case of the Captured Queen
#93 The Case of the Safecracker’s Secret #148 On the Trail of Trouble
#94 The Picture-Perfect Mystery #149 The Clue of the Gold Doubloons
#95 The Silent Suspect #150 Mystery at Moorsea Manor
#96 The Case of the Photo Finish #151 The Chocolate-Covered Contest
#97 The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion #152 The Key in the Satin Pocket
#98 The Haunting of Horse Island #153 Whispers in the Fog
#99 The Secret at Seven Rocks #154 The Legend of the Emerald Lady
#100 A Secret in Time #155 The Mystery in Tornado Alley
#101 The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess #156 The Secret in the Stars
#102 The Secret in the Dark #157 The Music Festival Mystery
#103 The Stranger in the Shadows #158 The Curse of the Black Cat
#104 The Mystery of the Jade Tiger #159 The Secret of the Fiery Chamber
#105 The Clue in the Antique Trunk #160 The Clue on the Crystal Dove
#106 The Case of the Artful Crime #161 Lost in the Everglades
#107 The Legend of Miner’s Creek #162 The Case of the Lost Song
#108 The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure #163 The Clues Challenge
#109 The Mystery of the Masked Rider #164 The Mystery of the Mother Wolf
#110 The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery #165 The Crime Lab Case
#111 The Secret at Solaire
NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES
#165
THE CRIME LAB CASE
CAROLYN KEENE
Aladdin Paperbacks
New York London Toronto Sydney Singapore
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or
real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are
the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ALADDIN PAPERBACKS
An imprint of Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Copyright 2002 by Simon and Schuster, Inc.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof
in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of
the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0-7434-3744-6
First Aladdin Paperbacks edition March 2002
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
NANCY DREW and NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES
are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Cover art by Patrick Whelan
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
____________________________________________________________
1 The Leader Falls 1
2 Is Nancy Next? 11
3 The Death Angel 19
4 A Double Crime? 26
5 Setting the Scene 35
6 Rocks, Locks, Rags, and Chomps 45
7 Whose Clues? 54
8 Special Delivery 65
9 The Curly Clues 75
10 In the Pits 85
11 An Enemy Returns 96
12 Contact! 104
13 A Clue Down Under 114
14 The Brush-off 123
15 The Leader Returns 132
1
The Leader Falls
Everyone looked up when Nancy Drew walked into the
room. “I‟m sorry I‟m late,” she said, hurrying to an
empty chair at the large conference table. Her low
heels clattered across the hardwood floor. “Hello,
everyone.”
She took her seat gracefully and smiled at the others
around the table. She recognized most of them. They
returned her greeting, while two strangers seemed to
be sizing her up.
“But just a few minutes late on this lovely Saturday
afternoon,” Professor Charles Parris said from the head
of the table. He glanced at the pendulum clock on the
wall. It showed three minutes after four o‟clock.
Adjoining the room, which the professor called his
study, were his office and a small private bathroom.
1
