Free The Wrong Chemistry by Carolyn Keene

you?” Ned asked.
    â€œNot at all. Here.” Craig threw his key ring to Ned. “These keys will open everything in the building. Yell if you find anything.”
    Out in the main hall, Nancy and Ned tried to decide where to go next. Ned leaned back against a closet door, thinking.
    â€œIt’s a waste of time to check the rooms on this floor,” he said. “Security’s already checked them all.”
    Nancy’s eyes lit up and a grin spread across her face. “Maybe not all,” she said slowly. “Ned—take a step toward me.”
    â€œHuh?” Baffled, Ned approached, not sure if Nancy was joking or not.
    â€œThat’s fine.” Grinning, Nancy ducked behind him. “This closet,” she said. “We’ve been looking so hard for big clues, we didn’t try the little ones.”
    The closet was locked. Pulling out Craig’s key ring, Nancy tried each key. None of them opened the door.
    â€œOh, don’t worry about that door,” Craig said, coming into the hall. “There’s nothing behind it.”
    â€œYou mean the closet is empty?” Nancy asked.
    â€œIt’s not a closet,” Craig said. “It’s an old elevator shaft. There was a freight elevator there. You know the kind that works with a key? It hasn’t been used in years.”
    Nancy’s pulse quickened. “Is the elevator still there? Does it work?”
    â€œI don’t see how it could. They shut it down years ago because it was unsafe. No one in his right mind would get into the thing, even if he could.”
    Nancy was examining the door, inch by inch. “Ned, Craig—look at this,” she suddenly called. “There.”
    Nancy pointed to a thin crack. It ran around the perimeter of the door. “Someone used this elevator recently,” she insisted. “When the door opened, it cracked through these old layers of paint.”
    Ned and Craig exchanged a look. “You’re right,” Ned said. “Good work, Nan.”
    Nancy found a piece of wire and went to work on the lock. She twisted it until she felt something give. With a triumphant smile, she opened the door.
    The elevator shaft fell off in front of her. Grabbing Ned’s hand to anchor herself, she leaned in and peered down. “How do we call the elevator?”
    Craig gestured to another lock on the wall just outside the door. “I guess you can pick this lock. You used to need a key to call the elevator.”
    Nancy set about trying to open the old lock. Finally it clicked, and she heard the old elevator car creaking up the shaft.
    â€œSounds like it’s been used recently,” she murmured. “The thief must have put it in working order.”
    As they watched, a black cage rose out of the gloom and glided to a halt. Nancy grabbed the handle and pulled the iron accordion door to one side. “Anyone coming with me?” she invited.
    Craig and Ned looked at each other uneasily. “It’s pretty old—do you think it will carry three of us?” Craig asked.
    Nancy’s eyes twinkled. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Chapter

Ten
    N ANCY TRIED the old elevator lever. It moved easily. Hurriedly, Ned and Craig hopped on, too. She pushed the lever to the right and the cage began to rise. Through the grate, they could see the rough cement walls of the shaft. They passed the fourth- and fifth-floor doors. The elevator stopped on the top floor. The door to the roof level was locked.
    â€œIf our thief went to the roof, he’d have to climb down without being seen,” Nancy said. “Not very likely. Let’s see what happens when we go down.”
    She threw the switch to the left. Sevenfloors went by. The elevator settled at the bottom.
    â€œThis must be the lobby,” Craig commented as he reached for the door.
    Nancy shook her head. “No, the building only has six floors. I counted seven. This has to