"This was a great idea.", Callie Shaw said, her blue eyes bright with excitement as she looked around the Italian restaurant. "This looks like the perfect place to have lunch." Blue upholstered booths lined the back and side walls and blue patterned tablecloths draped circular tables in the center of the room. A floor to ceiling glass wall contained the restaurant's entrance and looked out onto a central square surrounded by sleek glass and metal buildings.
"It's on me.", her boyfriend Frank Hardy replied. "Consider it a thank you for letting Nancy and Bess stay with you while they go undercover at that talent agency."
"It's nice to have company while Mom and Dad are on their second honeymoon in Vegas. Besides I want to see why you rate Nancy Drew so highly."
"You mean you want to see what makes Frank so attracted to her.", Frank's younger brother Joe said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"It's not like that at all.", Callie insisted.
"How's the job going, Callie?", Frank asked, eager to change the subject.
"It's going great.", Callie answered. "Dotty, my boss, is really easy to work for and I've become friends with Ingrid who also works there."
"Is it weird working in a teddy bear and doll store where you don't get kids coming in?", Joe asked.
"It was a little weird at first.", Callie admitted. "But you get used to it. Plus Dotty's enthusiasm for bears is pretty infectious. She's got this really cool collection of antique bears that she keeps on display at the store. I've even been thinking about getting a bear myself."
"I'd like to check out the store once we finish lunch.", Frank said.
After Frank and Joe had split a large pepperoni pizza and Callie had enjoyed a fettuccine Alfredo, they walked across the square to Beary Wonderful. Callie had started a summer job at the store the month before. Both the store and the restaurant were in Ocean Heights, a new development that had opened in Bayport a couple of months before.
"Hey, Dotty", Callie called as they entered the store. The shelves were full of teddy bears, dolls and handcrafted toys. There were whimsical displays in which various bears and dolls appeared to be enjoying summer. There was one in which four teddy bears were at the beach and another showing both dolls and bears having a backyard cookout.
"Hello, Callie dear", a gray-haired older woman answered bustling in from the back of the store. "And this must be your young man."
"Dotty, this is Frank Hardy and his younger brother Joe. Frank, Joe, this is Dotty Baldwin."
"A pleasure to meet you both.", Dotty said. Her hair was permed into tight curls and wire-rimmed spectacles perched on her nose. Her shoes were sensible brown Oxfords.
"I've just brought Frank and Joe in to see the collection, Dotty. Then I'll get back to work.", Callie said.
"Just don't take too long, Callie dear.", Dotty responded.
Callie led the way to the back of the store. There, with the cash register on top, was a glass display case. Inside, displayed on a sky-blue cloth, were fifteen antique teddy bears.
"This one's extra special.", Callie said pointing to a white bear which sat in a slightly elevated position. "Want to tell them about it, Dotty?"
"That's the Happy Birthday bear.', the older woman said. "My parents gave him to me on my tenth birthday. He's the only one and he's over a hundred years old. He was made by the Otto C Bear company for a German princess. He's worth over fifteen thousand dollars."
"You mean that ordinary looking white bear is worth over fifteen thousand dollars!", Frank could hardly believe it.
."The others aren't worth as much but the entire collection is still worth about forty thousand dollars.", Dotty said. "But I'd never part with any of them."
"I hope you keep the display case locked.", Frank said.
"Of course I do.", Dotty responded. "The insurance company insisted on it."
Frank walked around to the side of the case and bent down to examine the lock. It was a small silver padlock, Frank knew that it wasn't very secure. He knew because he and Joe had often been able to pick those type of locks during their past cases. "This isn't the most secure lock you could be using.", He didn't want to frighten the store owner but something had to be said.
"Don't worry", Dotty gave Frank a smile. "I had a spot protection system installed. If anyone opens, breaks or unlocks the door, half of Bayport will be able to hear the alarm. And I never turn it off."
"Does anyone else know how to disable the system?", Joe asked.
"Just me and the people from the security company.", Dotty's smile didn't leave her face. "Oh, that reminds me. We've just had some special stock in. A couple of replica Happy Birthday bears."
Callie's face brightened. "Well, come on then. Let's all take a look."
Dotty left them for a moment. When she returned she was holding a bear that was almost identical to the one in the display case. Without warning, she thrust it into Frank's arms
"What am I supposed to do with it?",Frank asked.
"Just give it a hug.", Callie urged.
Feeling a little foolish, Frank gave the bear a tight squeeze. "Hey, this feels really cuddly.", he said.
" You see", Dotty's excitement practically radiated from her eyes. "Otto C Bears are designed for hugging."
"I've just got to have one.", Callie said
Dotty's happy expression wavered for a second. "Callie dear, this bear costs two hundred and fifty dollars. Are you sure that you want to spend that much on your first bear?"
Callie reached inside her purse and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. "Can I pay for it by working extra hours here?"
"Well, alright", Dotty said. "Since Ingrid's going to Germany to visit her family at the end of the week, I'll need some extra help anyway."
"Then it's settled.", Callie said. Just then an elderly couple entered the store. "I'd better get back to work. Hey, how about we have a little get together at the beach in the State Park."
"Hey, that's a great idea", Joe said. "We'll take care of inviting the other guys. We'll even see if Nancy and Bess can find time off from their undercover work."
###
"I thought that it would be a little cooler by the ocean than back home in River Heights but so far it hasn't seemed like it", Bess Marvin said to Nancy Drew. She took a sip of her iced coffee.
"Not that we've seen that much of the ocean.", Nancy responded.
The two girls were at a table in Bayport Mall's food court. They'd arrived in Bayport the night before after Nancy had received an urgent phone call from Tim Poulter four days ago. He'd not said much during their conversation but had told her he needed her to come to Bayport as soon as possible and pose as a client at his recently opened talent agency. Since Bess was able to come as well it was decided that they would both work undercover
"It was a shame that George couldn't come.",Bess said.
"It couldn't be helped.", Nancy said. "Her parents booked that New England cruise months ago. She wasn't able to change her plans at such short notice."
Just then a man wearing a light gray summer suit rushed up to their table. "Are you Nancy Drew and Bess Marvin?", he asked.
"You must be Tim Poulter.", Nancy took a sip of her soda and studied his face. He had thick black neatly- trimmed hair and intelligent green eyes.
"That's me", he said. "Forgive the unusual meeting place but I can't risk anyone from the office finding out that you're here undercover. You see, I'm sure that the agency is under attack from within."
"What makes you think that?", Nancy asked.
"Let me start at the beginning.", he explained. "It all started about two weeks ago when we got a few things that no one ordered delivered to the office. Pizzas, Chinese food, things like that. I just thought that someone was playing a prank and that they'd get bored and stop."
"But they didn't?", Nancy said.
"Then some of our clients started getting calls saying that if they didn't break ties with us, they'd be sorry."
"Could they tell whether it was a man or a woman?",Nancy asked.
"No, the voice was disguised electronically.", Tim Poulter answered. " Then last week our computer systems were hacked, we couldn't access any of our client files or bookings. Five days ago, a number of staff and clients had their tyres slashed. That's when I decided to call you."
"Have you contacted the police?", Nancy asked.
"No, I haven't. You see, I'm afraid that if I do that we'll get a reputation as a jinxed or unreliable agency. I can't afford that kind of bad publicity."
"So, that's where we come in.",Bess said.
"I've registered you both with the agency.",Tim Poulter explained. "That way, you'll be notified of modelling and commercial work but you won't be under contract."
" That way we'll be able to hang around the office without arousing suspicion.", Bess said. "Who would suspect that two girls from the Midwest who've moved to Bayport hoping to make it big in New York are actually undercover private eyes?"
"Exactly", he gave Bess a smile. " Well I suppose that we'd all better get going. See you back at the agency."
###
Twenty minutes later, Nancy pulled their rental car into a space at the agency's parking lot. She and Bess sat for a few minutes, checking their make-up.
"Well, time to get to work.", Bess said.
The agency was housed in a suite of offices on the second floor of one of Ocean Height's tallest buildings. Nancy gave her name to the receptionist, a young woman with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a minute later Tim Poulter rushed out of a nearby office. Almost immediately, Nancy could tell something was wrong.
"Glad you could make it", he said. "Please come into my office."
"What's wrong?", Nancy asked.
Tim's smile never left his face "Just come into the office", he repeated.
Once inside the office, Bess gasped. Written on the wall in blood red were the words:
CLOSE DOWN OR DIE!
