Read Online The Wrong Chemistry by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B

identity in time to stop the next CLTtheft. She was willing to admit she needed help. Quickly, she explained everything to Ned.
    â€œExcuse me, I was told you could have visitors.” Nancy and Ned looked up as Dean Jarvis stuck his head into the room. “Am I interrupting something?”
    â€œDean Jarvis, is there anything new?” Nancy saw him glance at Ned. “It’s okay. I told Ned everything. I had to.”
    The dean hesitated, then nodded abruptly. “Good. Well, then, I checked with security,” the dean reported. “As soon as Ned sounded the alarm, they shut all the gates and set up checkpoints at all the campus entrances. As far as we know, no one left campus with the CLT. It’s in a pretty big container, after all. There’s a good chance it’s still on campus.”
    â€œI hope so,” Nancy said fervently. “I’d hate to think that I sat in the closet while the thief got away.”
    â€œIt couldn’t be helped, Nancy,” the dean assured her.
    Nancy shrugged. “Did anyone figure out how the thief got in?”
    Dean Jarvis shook his head. “No. But don’t worry about it. It’s not your problem anymore. I’m taking you off the case.”
    â€œWhat?” Nancy gasped.
    â€œIt’s too dangerous,” the dean said firmly.“This person means business. I can’t take the chance that you’ll get hurt.”
    â€œBut, Dean Jarvis, I’m really close now,” Nancy objected. “I didn’t really get hurt. I’m okay now. Please—I know I can wrap up the case. I just need a little more time.”
    The dean was unmoved. He didn’t say a word, only shook his head again.
    â€œPlease, sir? It would save you a lot of trouble. And besides,” Nancy added recklessly, “how will it look if you call in the government now? They’ll want to know why you didn’t report the thefts immediately. If I solve the case and recover the CLT, they can’t say a thing.”
    â€œWell, when you put it like that . . .” Dean Jarvis began. He paused. “No, I still can’t.”
    â€œI can solve this case for you,” Nancy insisted. “I’m very close already.”
    â€œI don’t know.” The dean wavered.
    Nancy smiled. “Think of Emerson. Your science program.”
    â€œAll right!” The dean threw up his hands. “But only if you promise to come to me at the first sign of trouble.”
    Ned waited silently until Dean Jarvis had gone.
    â€œAre you really that close, Nan?” he burst out as soon as the dean’s footsteps had faded away.
    â€œAlmost.” Eagerly, Nancy swung her legs off the bed. “And I will solve it soon. Right now,we’d better get over to the lab and find out how the thief got in.”
    â€œThere’s no use in my trying to stop you, is there?” Nancy shook her head. Sighing, Ned went out to wait in the hall while Nancy got dressed.
    By the time Nancy and Ned got back to the lab, the mess from the fire had been cleaned up. She could tell from the fine white dust in the room that the campus police had checked for fingerprints.
    The room still reeked of smoke. On the desk Nancy found the walkie-talkie hidden under some papers. The thief hadn’t bothered to take it.
    â€œNothing new here,” Nancy said. “Let’s check with your friend Craig.”
    Nancy explained to Craig that Dean Jarvis had allowed them to follow up on what had happened. “The story’s getting more involved than I thought,” she added when he gave them a confused look.
    Craig shrugged and looked as baffled as Nancy. “I checked with all the guards myself,” he told her. “I even had someone watching the fire escape. The elevators, which weren’t in service, were locked for the night. I have no idea how he got in.”
    â€œWell, you don’t mind if we check around a bit, do