Part 3 (2/2)
Jeri trotted behind him while he grabbed a rubber hose, turned a spigot, and began to water the .rst aisle of plants. He talked about how he started vegetables grow-ing indoors during the cold Virginia winters and then transplanted them outside in the spring, plus how he used b.u.mblebees inside the greenhouse for pollination.
Choosing her words carefully, Jeri steered him to the topic she was most interested in. ”Do you grow mushrooms here?”
”Naw.”
”I heard that people go mushroom hunting at this time of year and accidentally eat poisonous mushrooms.”
”True. They can be hard to tell apart,” he said. ” Mushrooms aren't the only problem. Quite a few common plants are poisonous.” He motioned her to follow him. Back inside the main building, Mr. Petrie led the way to a small room that turned out to be his of.ce. A bookshelf . lled one wall, and he handed her a book with a tattered cover.
”Wild Plants of Virginia,” she read aloud. It was . lled with colorful photos.
”You'll .nd a good bit in there about poisonous plants,” he said.
”Can I borrow this?” Jeri asked. ”I could bring it back in a couple days.”
”Sure.” He rummaged on his messy desk for a pen and paper. ”Just write your name down here . . . and your dorm. If you don't return it by Friday, I'll come lookin' for you.” He winked.
”I'll bring it back. Thanks!” She wedged it into her backpack and zipped it shut. ”Thanks, Mr. Petrie. I'd better go.”
”Not till you scrub,” he said, motioning to a sink in the corner of his of.ce. ”You touched that weed killer. You might put your hands in your mouth.”
”I won't.”
”Do it anyway. Lather up real good there,” he said. ”Lots of suds.”
Jeri sighed. He made her sound like a baby, but she didn't have time to argue. She washed and rinsed and then wiped her dripping hands on her blue uniform jumper. ”Thanks again!” She hurried out of the nursery and raced up the hill.
In library .rst hour, Jeri leafed through the plant book and found one alarming thing. She saw that the medicine her mom kept in their cupboard at home-ipecac syrup-was actually made from a poisonous plant! The berries and juice from that plant caused nausea and vomiting. Ipecac syrup was used to make poison victims throw up and get rid of poison quickly.
Jeri stared at the bell tower outside her window. The ipecac plant was found in all parts of the country, according to the book. Could it have somehow found its way into their food at Hampton House?
She read on about many common plants that were poisonous and easy to .nd. They were often accidentally used in salads and ca.s.seroles-to a deadly end. Jeri leaned back and gazed unseeingly at white clouds . oating behind the bell tower.
Yes, deadly plants could be ingested accidentally. But just as easily, someone in Hampton House could be using them on purpose.
5.
poison potatoes.
When the bell rang, Jeri raced across campus to Herald Hall for literature cla.s.s. She caught up with Rosa at the cla.s.sroom door. ”Where's Abby?” Jeri asked.
Rosa whipped around. ”She's sick now! So are Emily and Miss Barbara! It happened after breakfast.”
”See?” Jeri cried. ”I told you not to eat the food in the kitchen. Is Nikki sick again too?”
”No, but she didn't eat. She was at the horse barn since before breakfast doing some jumping.”
”How's your stomach?” Jeri asked, following her into cla.s.s.
”Fine, and I ate what everyone else ate.” Rosa shrugged. ”It's a virus. It has to be.”
”I don't think so. I'm even more convinced that it's poison.”
”Oh come on. You're just inventing a poison plot so you can write about something exciting and win the media award.”
”That's not true -or fair!” Jeri sputtered. ”In a book of Mr. Petrie's I read about a bunch of common plants that can be poisonous. This is no virus. I just know it.”
Jeri could tell Rosa was still skeptical, but she'd talk to Ms. Carter right after cla.s.s today. She'd show her Mr. Petrie's book, and then the house mother would see that they must be using contaminated food from somewhere. They were being poisoned-either by accident or on purpose. Jeri was sure of it.
The afternoon turned hot -mid-eighties-and at 3:30 Jeri gladly changed out of her school uniform. Cut-offs and a baggy T-s.h.i.+rt felt perfect.
She knocked on Abby's door, but no one answered. Jeri trotted down the hall to the restroom and called Abby's name, but she wasn't there. At least she's not sick again, Jeri thought. That's good. She was probably watching TV. Carrying Mr. Petrie's book, she headed for Ms. Carter's tiny of.ce behind the kitchen. She had to tell the house mother what she suspected.
Ms. Carter sat at her desk and listened carefully as Jeri listed reasons she believed their dorm food was being poisoned.
”But I'm the one who cooked breakfast today,” Ms. Carter said. ”The food was . ne.”
”But what if you couldn't tell? What if someone dies next time?”
Ms. Carter came around to the front of the desk and put her arms around Jeri. ”I understand your fear. First Nikki goes to the in.rmary and now Abby. Of course you're - ”
”Abby?” Jeri pulled back. ”She's in the in. rmary?”
”I thought you knew.” Ms. Carter leaned against the edge of her desk. ”She was sick several times this morning, and I put her in the in.rmary to be watched. She's so tiny and frail. I didn't want to take any chances.”
”Can I go see her?” Jeri said, already heading to the door.
”I'm afraid not. The doctor disagreed with the nurse and suspects a virus. He wants to isolate any sick girls so no one else picks it up.”
Jeri was unconvinced, but she could tell Ms. Carter didn't believe her poisoning theory. She trudged back up-stairs, more worried about Abby than Ms. Carter knew.
She was studying the plant book when Rosa walked in. ”Did you hear about Abby?” Rosa asked, tossing her books and purse on the bed.
”Yes, and we can't see her either.”
”I know.”
Jeri stretched. ”What are you going to do now?”
”Brooke and I are taking homework outside. It's an excuse to get some sun.”
Jeri raised one eyebrow. ”You don't need to tan. You were born with one.”
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