Buried in Time (Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys) facts for kids

Buried in Time is an exciting Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Supermystery novel. These "Supermystery" books bring together the famous teen detectives, Nancy Drew, Frank Hardy, and Joe Hardy, to solve big, complicated cases. In this story, Nancy and the Hardy Boys find themselves working on two different mysteries that soon become connected.

The Oklahoma Adventure Begins

The story starts with Nancy Drew and her friend George Fayne traveling to Oklahoma. There, they meet Dr. Langford, an old friend of Nancy's father, Carson Drew. Dr. Langford is in a lot of trouble. He's leading an important archaeological dig, which is a place where scientists dig up old artifacts and learn about history. But strange things are happening at his dig site. There have been unexpected cave-ins, and valuable ancient artifacts are being stolen from the storage vaults.

Two Mysteries Unfold

While at the dig, Nancy spots Frank and Joe Hardy. After they have lunch together, Nancy learns why the Hardy Boys are in Oklahoma. They are investigating a case of missing truck shipments. These shipments contained special materials that are used for advanced scientific projects. It's a very serious case because these materials could be dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands.

A Mysterious Disappearance

The very next morning, something terrible happens. There's a cave-in at the dig site, and Dr. Langford is believed to have been caught in a vault and is now missing. As the police begin asking questions, a Comanche woman named Red Sky Winsea and her grandfather, John Whiteshirt, mention that they had warned Dr. Langford. They spoke about "spirits" at the ancient Red Clay gravesites being upset because their resting places were disturbed.

Soon, Red Sky Winsea and John Whiteshirt become the main suspects in Dr. Langford's disappearance. This happens after George Fayne finds a note in Dr. Langford's office with the same warning about the spirits. With Dr. Langford gone, another scientist, Dr. Ottman, takes over the dig. Nancy and George discover something interesting: just before this important dig site was found, Dr. Ottman had gotten sick. This meant Dr. Langford got all the credit for the discovery. Some of the diggers hint that Dr. Ottman might have been angry with Dr. Langford for taking his moment of fame.

The Hardy Boys' Investigation

Meanwhile, Frank and Joe Hardy continue their own investigation. They visit Captain Van Allen Lorimor at the Jackson Air Force Base. When they tell him they are the "Network fellas," he gives them records of the missing shipments. However, these records don't seem to help them much at first.

Connecting the Clues

Back at the dig site, Nancy and George have to explain to Lieutenant Deerhunter that they were watching the vaults the night before. They were hoping to catch the thief who was stealing the artifacts. The police are now working closely with Nancy. Both cases, the missing materials and Dr. Langford's disappearance, seem to be stuck. But then, a new clue gives them a big push forward. They begin to realize that the two cases might be connected after all, and solving one could help solve the other!