The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Book 2: A King's Ransom by Jude Watson

“It’s getting wiped! I can’t read the rest!”
    “The phone is probably password-protected to erase,” Jonah said. “Chill, bro. Attleboro might be able to put some spyware on it.”
    Hamilton looked over at him nervously. “But why was she trying to delay us? Do you think Casper is up there with Amy and Dan?”
    Jonah pressed the accelerator down. “Let’s just hope Amy and Dan wait for us before they go in.”

    Amy and Dan had toured the courtyard and pretended to admire the splendid panorama of lake and mountains with the other tourists. They’d shuffled through the imposing rooms that opened one after another in grand magnificence: the throne room, the study room, and the drawing room. They had tilted their heads back pretending to admire the elaborate murals that portrayed scenes from Ludwig’s favorite operas. They had circled around, trying to figure out how to get away without the guide noticing them. But the rooms were too large, and the crowd was too small.
    “We just have to do it,” Amy whispered. “This place is so big they’ll never know where we went. And we’ll be in the tunnels … they won’t think of looking there.”
    “All right. As soon as the guide starts to talk again, fade back.”
    The guide turned toward a mural and started to talk about a Wagner opera. Dan figured it was the perfect opportunity to go, or else he’d pass out from boredom.
    They backed away behind a red curtain, made their way to a doorway, and stepped through. They were in a long hallway, and they quickly ran down it. Dan checked his GPS watch and put the earpiece in his ear.
    “Left, then right.”
    They were in a part of the castle that was closed to visitors. Dan led them down the back staircase and past the vast kitchen. From there they found the door that led to the lower levels and the tunnels. Amy was expecting small, cramped, and dirty spaces, but the tunnels were large and airy. They could see a group of tourists just exiting out to the courtyard.
    Dan kept moving, listening to the instructions in his earpiece. They followed turn after turn. Finally, he stopped.
    “This is the one,” Dan said. He removed the earpiece and pushed open the door.
    The room was completely empty except for a battered gray filing cabinet. They opened the drawers, but they were empty.
    “Talk to me, Jane.” Amy slammed the drawer shut. “Where did you leave it?”
    Dan began to run his hands along the bricks on the far wall. He followed the line of bricks that met the floor. Nothing.
    “The floor slopes,” Amy said suddenly. “Why is that?”
    “Well, it’s a tunnel,” Dan said. “It could flood. There’s probably a drain.”
    Amy followed the slope of the floor and found a tiny square drain.
    “Dan!” she cried. “In the article I read, Jane said ‘
All down the drain
’!”
    Dan peered down at the drain. “You think?”
    “I think. Can you get the grating off?”
    Dan got out his multi-tool and fitted the blade against the drain. It took him several minutes, but he was able to pop it free.
    Taking a breath, Amy reached her hand in. She felt along a corroded pipe. “Yuck,” she said. She lay down on the floor, her cheek against the cold stone, and stretched her arm as far as she could.
    “There’s something here,” she said, her heart beating. “A string … looped around something …”
    “Can you get it?”
    “I think so… .” Slowly, painstakingly, Amy drew up a small, flat package wrapped in yellowed plastic. Her hands shook as she carefully unwrapped it.
    A small black leather notebook was revealed. Not the de Virga map. Disappointed, Amy carefully opened the flap of the notebook with a fingertip.
    Written in faded pen she saw initials on the inside front cover:
JS june1945
.
    “Jane,” Amy breathed.
    She gently turned the page. Written in pencil, so faint she could hardly read it, was:

    “Oh, terrific,” Dan muttered. “Just what we need! Another code! Why can’t people just say