"That must be Glory!" Nancy said as she carefully crept down the stairs.

Creek, Creek, Creek.....snap!

"That doesn't sound good..." Nancy thought to herself. "Ahhhhhh!!!!" she screamed as she fell right through the stairs.

Thump!

She landed on her behind. Ouch.

Nancy looked up. She was in a totally different room. It was pitch-black, except for the dim light coming through the broken staircase above.

Across the room, Nancy recognized the shape of a small candle. She fumbled in her pocket for the book of matches she always kept handy-just in case. She lite the candle, and the whole room seemed to glow.

It was Kessler's workshop!

Nancy noticed something behind her. She turned and realized it was Glory. That other one above her must have been a trap to lure Joy into this small workshop below the stairs. How clever!

She saw an envelope attached to the horse. Inside were the jewels, a small picture of a woman, and a letter:

"Joy,

I hope Miles didn't confuse you too much. I kept this picture of your mother safe until I thought it was the right time. It looks like this is it. I have so much to tell you...

After your mother died, I decided to stash Glory and this picture away, under these stairs. While I was carrying the horse, I heard something rattling inside. I opened up the foot of it, and I discovered jewels! I have no idea where they came from. I kept them safe, in hopes of you somehow finding out their history.

Your mother and I never stopped loving you. We were always proud of our Joy.

Dad"

Nancy smiled.

She looked up. There was a door on the south wall. Nancy walked over to it, and opened it up carefully, and so quietly, a pin-drop would have sounded like an avalanche. She peered inside.

There was the stolen horse! And three others just like it! Someone had been making forgeries. But who?

Nancy heard a small cough and instantly jerked her head to get a better view. She saw a desk-and-was it possible?-Ingrid behind it painting another horse!

Nancy kept quiet.

"Ha!" she heard Ingrid say, "Foolish Nancy Drew! Thinking that I made money by giving away blue prints! How stupid would I be? Ha, Ha!" She laughed to herself. "If I had of done that, and Paula Santos had found out, I would have been out of here so fast...."

Nancy decided it was way to risky to keep the candle lite-it might make Ingrid suspicious. Nancy turned her head and blew it out.

But her breathe came out too loud. Ingrid looked up, alarmed. Nancy felt like a duck sitting in a gun-store.

Ingrid got up. "Who's there?!"

Nancy looked around for an exit, but it was too late! Ingrid practically ripped he door off its hinges. "Hello, Nancy..."she said in an evil voice.

Nancy tried to back-away. But Ingrid pulled her into the room. "So, Nancy, tell me, what brings you here?"

Nancy decided to play it cool. "I just thought I'd drop in."

"Is that all?"

Nancy nodded.

"Well, then. You'll be pleased to know, you're not going to be leaving. Your soul just might though..." Ingrid made her way over to the desk, and pulled out a knife.

Nancy backed away. "No, please don't...."

"Why not? I've no reason to keep you."

"I have jewels. See?" Nancy put her hand in her pocket.

Ingrid didn't seem to believe her. "Well, if you do have them, it's just an added bonus for me when I kill you."

"You want 'em? Here!" Nancy threw the jewels at Ingrid, hitting her square in the face, and causing her to drop the knife.

Nancy grabbed the knife and started to back away. She searched the room, and discovered a door behind her-the one Ingrid had been using to get in and out of her workshop. Nancy sprinted for it.

There was a flight of stairs behind it, and Nancy darted up them like a torpedo. She turned a corner, and went back through the secret passageway she had discovered there earlier that day.

Nancy ran, and jumped over the trap door. Ingrid was right behind her. "I've got you cornered, Drew. There's no where to run. If you stop now, I'll kill you quickly, so that you don't have to feel any pain."

Nancy sprinted for the door to get out of the Haunted House. When she discovered it was locked, she took the knife, and broke the handle off. Forgetting the knife, as she ran for her life.

She sprinted down the hall and towards the exit. She ripped the door open and ran in the direction of Harlan.

All the while, Ingrid was behind her, having grabbed the knife again, she was chanting, "I'm gonna get you, get you, get, you...."

Ingrid wasn't paying attention to anything else now. All she wanted was Nancy Drew dead. If she had been thinking, she would've stopped. But she ran.

Nancy kept running, and unlike Ingrid, she was thinking. She was purposely running past everyone's office and workshop, so that she would have plenty of witnesses. After all, Ingrid was chasing her with a knife.

All the way, Nancy was thanking herself for putting 100 into each and every gym class. It had enabled her to run for a long way, while Ingrid was slowly starting to give up.

Finally, Nancy reached Harlan's office. She ran inside. Instantly Harlan grabbed her, and Nancy shook with shock from her latest near-death experience.

"It's okay," Harlan said, trying to calm her down, "The police will be here any second now..."

Dear Ned,

Well, at last, the case of the 'haunted' carousel at Captain's Cove is officially closed.

As it turns out, Ingrid need cash fast. She was a major gambler, and was in debt by a lot. She made enough at Captain's Cove to erase some of it, but not enough. Eventually, she decided to steal a carousel horse, and make copies to sell on the Black Market. It wasn't long after that, she got out of debt, but she was hooked. She started to make tons of money, and soon was loving the life-of-luxury so much, she couldn't stop. She didn't want to look suspicious, so she stayed on at Captain's Cove. She also made the carousel look haunted in hopes of getting more attention from the black market.

Anyway, once I got to Harlan, the police were only about 2 minutes away. As it turns out, Elliot Chen saw me running with Ingrid behind me, and decided to call Harlan. Harlan called the police, and the rest is history.

So, now comes the fun part...

Ingrid is locked up tight in prison.

Joy is happily celebrating her past.

Harlan has been promoted to head-of-security (with no-one mentioning his past).

Elliot got extensions on all of his work.

And Paula is ready to re-open Captain's Cove next week!

So, all's well that ends well. Though, this detective is looking forward to a nice long relaxing vacation.

Ever Yours,

Nancy

The End