A con artist has pulled off a near-perfect crime, switching contracts with a famed local painter, Lila Cramer. Nancy has just four days to catch the artful dodger, or Lila will have to forfeit her entire collection.
Cindy, a child prodigy who loves to play games, runs away to see if Nancy can find her. When she vanishes a second time, Nancy suspects it is more than child's play.
Nancy visits a famed gothic romance writer whom someone or something is trying to scare out of her home. Nancy follows a path of clues to find out who or what is behind it.