Part 6 (1/2)

More than an hour later, I knew that none of the books had been mutilated to provide a hiding place. Nothing had been tucked in a shoe, a pocket, a cosmetics case, a briefcase, or anything else with tuckability. Shead acc.u.mulated a daunting number of pink paper cats with coy handwritten messages, but they seemed to be her only concession to college memorabilia.

Except for the incriminating photographs, which shead been selling. It occurred to me that Rebecca might have found them when she packed Jeanas possessions, and was settled in a new apartment busily modifying a payment plan for John Vanderson-one that precluded dark alleys.

Iad searched in a neat and efficient fas.h.i.+on, conscientiously replacing items once Iad examined them. I gathered up the stuffed cats and lobbed them one by one into a box, wis.h.i.+ng I could gather up Katie as easily and return her to her mistress. The cats made quite an armful . .. as did the beers Doobiead served to the giris ... and the used textbooks that Debbie Anne Wray had brought to the Book Depot on what Caron would describe as a Fateful Day.

New textbooks cost a fortune, and used ones were worth a decent amount of money. Selling them wouldnat generate as much as the return of a coat that had been shoplifted from a mall store, nor would their resale be as lucrative as that of a personal computer or a portable television.

The stuffed cats tumbled from my arms as I returned to the bed and lay down. Were the Kappa Theta Etas, under the leaders.h.i.+p of Jean Hall, raising money not only from prost.i.tution and blackmail, but also from theft? I remembered what Peter had said about Arnieas patronage of a known fencing operation. With the owner of the p.a.w.nshop in prison, had Arnie taken over the business? It would explain his newfound ability to pay rent and buy beer at the Dew Drop Inn, and it would explain why he and Rebecca were acquainted, why head parked in the alley at midnight, and why head been outside the house and able to avail himself of occasional photo opportunities. Like any ambitious businessman, head provided curbside pickup and delivery service.

Finally I had something that I had to tell the police, even if it meant facing Peter Surely he and Officer Pipkin would be so grateful for the tip that they could restrain themselves from physical intimacy long enough to congratulate me on my brilliance. The serial numbers on the computers stashed in the upper-story rooms would prove my hypothesis, and Arnie could be surprisingly compliant when invited to confess to various crimes. The police would question the entire members.h.i.+p of the sorority, and the girls would break down eventually and incriminate each other with the enthusiasm they evinced for the Kappa hymn, as would Winkie if she was aware of what her young thoroughbreds had been doing. Debbie Anne was apt to turn up along the way, especially when the manager of the Hideaway Haven and his buddy found it expedient to adopt a more cooperative and loquacious att.i.tude.

And then, I told myself as I arose from the bed and again gathered up the cats, I would take the Herodian approach and wash my hands of the entire business.

As I tossed the last stuffed cat into the box, I decided to make a quick search for the animate one, then exit in a more dignified fas.h.i.+on and call Peter from my apartment. If I interrupted anything, I would offer not a single word of apology but would simply relate everything Iad learned over the last few days, efface his name from my mind, and inquire about real estate prices in St. Mary Mead. Caron could join me when she was paroled.

I noticed a stray cat under the desk and picked it up, and had started back to the box when I realized that it might serve a more important purpose than interior decor I examined the catas seams for indications that it had undergone surgery on at least one occasion. It had not, but I dragged the box next to the desk and methodically examined all the cats. A particularly pink one with a dumbstruck expression proved to be a pajama bag with a pouch that contained a nightgown, a pair of lacy underpants, and a thin packet of photographs.

Feeling as dumbstruck as the cat feigned to be, I dropped it in the box and opened the flap of the packet. There were four prints and strips of film encased in cellophane sheaths. I swallowed several times, trying to convince myself that I was in no way behaving pruriently, but I finally slipped the packet into my pocket and decided to wait until I was home before I discovered just how depraved Dean Vanderson and the Kappas could be.

I flipped off the light and went into the hallway. Before I could take a step, I heard the front door close with a faint yet discernible click. It was not a welcome sound. Iad allowed Jeanas door to lock behind me, and I knew how long it would take to find the right key and stay inside the room until whoever was in the foyer was gone. Too long.

Trying to convince myself that a campus officer had dropped by to check the house, I waited for him to turn on a light in the foyer. Instead, I saw the sweep of a flashlight at the end of the hallway. aOh, dear,a I mouthed silently as I crept across the hail and into the bathroom, where no exterior light glinted on the pink tile surfaces.

Earlier Iad scorned the addle-brained gothic heroines who forever put themselves in peril. Iad a.s.sured myself I was much too clever to be stalked in a brooding manor house. What a pity I hadnat listened a little harder, I thought as I strained to hear footsteps in the hallway-or the sound of someone leaving through the front door Something brushed against my leg. Terrified that I was in the company of a rat or someoneas pet boa constrictor that had escaped in the house, I clamped my hand over my mouth and looked down. The very same cat that had bitten me twice and eluded me all over the house now had decided that my left ankle was its best friend. It slinked and slithered around me, caressing my leg with its tail, then abruptly began to purr like a vacuum cleaner.

a.s.s.h.!.+a I hissed. If anything, it purred more loudly as it circled my leg. Feline psychology was not my field, and all I could do was stare helplessly at it.

The overhead light came on. No longer in the mood for affection, Katie scampered out the doorway. I was too startled to do anything more than gape at Eleanor Vanderson, who appeared equally unnerved.

aClaire?a she said in a shaky voice. aOh, thank goodness itas you. I was afraid I was about to encounter-I donat know. Iam so relieved itas you.a She came into the bathroom and leaned against a sink, her carefully applied makeup doing little to counteract her paleness. My reflection in the mirror behind her indicated I fared no better; the whiteness of my face above the black s.h.i.+rt gave me the appearance of a character in a freeze-frame from an old movie.

aWhat are you doing here?a I asked.

She turned around, twisted the tap, and splashed a scant handful of water on her face. Glancing at me in the mirror, she said, aI came by to make sure the house was locked, and noticed a light in one of the windows in this wing. I a.s.sumed one of the girls had been negligent, but thereave been so many prowlers and trespa.s.sers of late that I thought Iad better check.a I told her how Iad seen Katie enter the house and gone to the rescue, omitting to elaborate on my subsequent actions. The words echoed off the ceramic surfaces, sounding hollow and even less probable as they faded. aI panicked when I heard the door, and came in here to hide,a I concluded.

aItas very kind of you to worry about Katie, Claire, but it may have been foolhardy on your part. Iam certain that I saw a light. Someone else may be in the house at this moment.a s.h.i.+vering, she glanced at the hallway, then tried to give me the standard Kappa smile. aThereas no need to be melodramatic, is there? Itas probably Rebecca or Pippa coming by for something overlooked during her packing, or even Winkie. In fact, she may have come to search for our runaway kitty, had no luck, and left through the back door by the time I came in the front.a aI didnat see anyone, but there are a lot of rooms and hallways,a I said truthfully. aI donat know why I thought I could find the cat in this labyrinth.a Eleanor had recovered enough to glance at her watch, shake her head, and day, aWell, letas make sure the light is out, then we can both go home. John promised to call me from his hotel room at eleven, and heall be frantic if Iam not there.a She took a key ring from her purse and sailed out of the bathroom, confident that I would accede to her plan.

She hesitated only a second, then zeroed in on the door of Jean Hallas room and utilized her flashlight to pick out the correct key. aHow peculiar7 she said as she turned on the light and frowned at the pyramid of suitcases and boxes. aI thought Winkle had sent the poor girlas things to her parents. It was only a matter of telephoning one of the moving-van firms and arranging for them to include all this in their next s.h.i.+pment to California. I wonder why she never did.a I was about to point out that Winkie had been busy when the front door in the foyer opened and the floor creaked as someone crossed the threshold. Eleanor grabbed my arm and yanked me inside the room, closed the door, and switched off the light. Her ear pressed against the door, she whispered, aSomeone else is here.a I sat down on the edge of the bed. aAre you certain that your husband is in Las Vegas?a aWhy wouldnat he be?a aIam afraid his fantasies have some element of reality,a I said carefully. aI spoke to the manager of a motel thatas known to be a place where ... adults consent, and he reacted as though he recognized your husband from my description. He also identified some of the Kappa Theta Etas as regular patrons.a She stopped listening at the door and stood up. Her face was indecipherable in the shadows, but her voice was skeptical and unfriendly. aWhat exactly are you saying, Claire? I explained about Johnas condition, and I thought you understood me. He is not well. Th be candid, heas physically incapable of doing what youave implied, even if there was the slightest reason to consider the possibility. As for the girls, we have strict rules about where they can be seen in public, and theyare aware of the severity of their punishment should they disobey. The only one of them that would set foot in a place like that is Debbie Anne Wray.a aWho set foot in it last week, and stayed there for several nights,a I said. aA second witness saw her get into a green truck and leave yesterday morning.a aA green truck?a Eleanor sat down beside me, her purse crinkling in protest as she squeezed it. aThat dreadful man found in the ritual closet drives a green truck, doesnat he? I donat understand any of this. Debbie Anne has been hiding at a motel, and that man picked her up and took her someplace else? Heas just a painter. Thereas no reason she would know him, much less trust him enough to go away with him.a Hoping she didnat subscribe to the kill-the-messenger school of retribution, I said, aThere may be a reason that she and some of the other girls know Arnie. I suspect theyave been transacting business with him since the spring, using him to fence stolen property.a aStolen property?a she echoed in a stunned voice. aBut these are Kappa Theta Etas, not common girls who struggle through high school and marry factory workers and stay pregnant for fifteen years. We canat be as choosy as wead like, but we do examine their backgrounds and scholastic records before we accept them, and once they become pledges, we do everything we can to train them in appropriate behavior. First you slander my husband, and now you accuse us of theft and promiscuity!a aIam sorry, but I must tell the police what Iave discovered. When Arnie sobers up, he can tell us where Debbie Anne is. She seemed a reluctant partic.i.p.ant in all this, and I wonat be surprised if sheas willing to spill the whole sordid story. The motel manager might want to bargain, too.a aThe police are going to believe those three? A known drunk, a farmgirl, and an employee of the Hideaway Haven? Iad give more credence to the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker.a aNone of whose daughters could ever be Kappa Theta Etas,a I said in defense of the working stiffs of the world. aIn any case, itas going to be out of our hands, and weall have to see what happens. I donat know whoas prowling in the house, but I really donat care if itas your husband searching for the photographs or Winkie for the cat. Iam going home.

She followed me to the hallway, talking faster than I was remotely capable of walking. aI wish youad reconsider before you call the police with your wild accusations, Claire. Youave no evidence of any of this, nothing but your own convoluted ideas and less than credible witnesses, but rumors will leak out and have a disastrous effect on rush. This will be our first time to have someone from the National Board with us. Itas vital to make a good impression on her so we can be sure of continued financial support until we can get our budget straightened out.a I slowed down. aWinkie mentioned that someone was coming to audit the books at the end of the summer. I wonder if the reports of theft and shoplifting shot up the day after the girls learned an accountant would be looking at their ledgers? Jean Hall would have been the most alarmed. Yale might retract its invitation if it learned shead been embezzling from her sorority, and National sounds like a group that would press charges.a aEmbezzling?a Eleanor said, apparently content to repeat my more startling words and phrases.

aI doubt it would be overly taxing to a business major Float some bills, dip into one account to cover deficits in another, exaggerate an a.s.sessment for party favors, tamper with invoices-all so very simple until a trained auditor appears. Jean had to scrounge up enough money to cover what she, Rebecca, and maybe Pippa had been using to update their wardrobes and pay their house dues.a I went to the foyer where there was no sign of the newest arrival. I was vaguely aware that Eleanor was continuing to plead with the oiliness of a lawyei but a couple of insights had occurred that led me to think I needed to leave immediately.

aShe took my keys,a said a chilly voice.

I kept heading for the door as Winkie stepped out of her suite and gave me a disapproving look. There was nothing charmingly childlike about her now; she was as malevolent as a gnome from one of the more gruesome fairy tales.

aAnd she searched Jeanas things,a said a downright icy voice from within the unlit living room.

I may have faltered just a bit as Rebecca came into the foyer. She swept her hair back and continued, aYouad better hope she didnat find anything, eithera aNot me,a I said as I reached for the doork.n.o.b. And heard the sound of a gun being c.o.c.ked. And froze.

16.

aIall shoot you if I must, Claire,a Eleanor said in a conversational tone more suitable for c.o.c.ktail parties at the country club. aI donat know exactly what Iall tell the police, but Iam sure I can concoct some perfectly adequate excuse about mistaking you for a burglar Thanks to you, there are numerous reports on file at the campus security office.a I reluctantly lowered my hand and turned around to look at the gun in her hand. Although it wasnat pink, it was small and stylish, the perfect size to be slipped into a beaded bag for an evening at the opera. aFor pityas sake, Eleanor, you arenat going to shoot me in front of two witnesses.a She showed me all her teeth and a fair quant.i.ty of moist pink gums. aWeare Kappa Theta Etas. Wead never testify against our own sisters. Loyalty is the very basis of our initiation ritual; once weave attached our pins, weare intimately linked, and even in death, weare steadfast members of Chapter Eternal.a Winkie and Rebecca nodded grimly, and the latter said, aBesides, Iam going to New York at the end of the summer, not some womenas prison. It would be too dreary.a aIs John Vanderson sponsoring you?a I asked evenly.

She flinched as Eleanoras gun wobbled in her direction. aI donat know what youare talking about. I mean, Jean had some deal with him, but I didnat have anything to do with it.a aOh, come now,a I said with a chuckle. aYou found the photographs in Jeanas room and sent Dean Vanderson a blackmail note just the other day. On Monday, I believe he said. I saw it in his office.a aShe did?a said Eleanor. The question was aimed at me, but the gun, at least for the moment, was still aimed at Rebecca.