Part 9 (1/2)

”That's right,” Brooke said. ”I've already got an A in science, and I don't need a scholars.h.i.+p.”

Jeri glanced at Ms. Carter, who was watching her as if she'd gone crazy. Have I? Jeri wondered. Was her conclu-sion all wrong? No, it couldn't be! But if Brooke didn't need the grade or the scholars.h.i.+p, why would she do it?

”Well?” Ms. Carter . nally said.

Jeri shook her head, as if clearing away mental cob-webs. Something didn't add up, but she couldn't put her .nger on it. G.o.d, what is it?

She studied Brooke closely. Her expression was grim, and her arms were folded tightly across her chest. Those tiny tops and tight jeans . . . Was she wearing them because they were fas.h.i.+onable . . . or because she'd outgrown them and couldn't afford new clothes?

”Brooke, are you sure you don't need the scholars.h.i.+p?” Jeri asked. ”Do you really have plenty of money? Then why were you borrowing money from Nikki? I heard her men-tion loans you didn't pay back.” Jeri turned to Ms. Carter. ”If you call Brooke's parents or ask the headmistress, you might discover their real money situation.”

Ms. Carter studied Brooke thoughtfully, a frown line deepening between her eyes. ”Yes, I suppose I could do that.” Brooke took a big breath. ”You don't need to.” Her shoulders slumped, and her breathing was ragged. ”Pretty much everything Jeri said is true.”

”You did poison me?” Emily's voice rose shrilly. ”Why? I thought you were my friend!”

”I am!” Brooke's voice caught in her throat. She glanced at her roommate, then away quickly. ”I never put enough in your food to really hurt you.”

Horror was etched onto Emily's face. ”I ended up in the hospital!”

”I know, and I'm really sorry! I don't know how that happened. I must've guessed wrong on the amounts.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. ”I just needed you to miss the science fair.” She leaned her elbows on her knees and stared at the .oor. Tears ran in thin lines down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. ”Jeri's right. My parents' .orist shop is almost bankrupt. If I don't get the scholar-s.h.i.+p for next year, I can't come back.”

You won't come back now anyway, Jeri thought. You'll be expelled.

Jeri glanced at the girls now huddled silently in the hall. Nikki stood at the back. ”Nikki's bigger than Emily,” Jeri said, ”but she got the sickest at Abby's birthday supper. Why?”

Brooke mumbled so low that it was hard to make out her words. ”I don't know. I mixed some poisonous mush-rooms in with the good ones from the grocery store when I was in the kitchen.”

”But n.o.body saw you,” Jeri said.

”It was while Abby was changing clothes and I was helping you get tea re.lls. I wanted it to look like a bug that was going around.”

Jeri nodded. ”It'd be too obvious if only Emily got sick.”

Brooke squirmed on the couch. ”After we sat down, I knocked over Emily's gla.s.s, as a distraction. While Dallas mopped up the water, I added more mushrooms to Emily's salad. I don't know what happened to Nikki.”

”I think I do,” Nikki said, coming into the room. ”I helped clean up afterwards. Before throwing away the leftover salad, I picked out the mushrooms. I love mush-rooms. Well, I did. Not so much now.”

”And I hate mushrooms,” Rosa said. ”I picked mine out. That explains why I never got sick that night.”

Jeri c.o.c.ked her head to one side, studying Brooke. ”I suppose the other incidents during the week were to make it look even more like a virus spreading.”

Brooke nodded, and then glanced up at Jeri. ”I knew about the daffodil bulbs from my parents' .orist shop, but how'd you know?”

”Mr. Petrie's book listed poisonous foods, but also .owers -like hydrangea and jonquils and daffodils.” Jeri rubbed her sore elbow. ”You got the bulbs from the greenhouse, right?”

Brooke didn't move or answer. Ms. Carter touched Brooke's shoulder, and she jumped. ”Come with me,” the house mother said quietly.

”Wait.” Jeri wanted to know one more thing. ”What did you add to the trail mix?”

Brooke was silent.

Jeri decided to try a bluff. ”Rosa didn't eat hers, but she saved it. We can have the police lab test it.”

Brooke sighed. ”Dried elderberries.”

Jeri frowned. ”Elderberries? Those aren't poisonous. My grandma made elderberry jam, and it never made me sick. Grandpa made elderberry wine too.”

”Cooked berries are .ne.” Brooke stole a guilty glance at Emily. ”Raw ones are poisonous.” Suddenly she cried out, ”But I didn't mean to make you that sick! I didn't!” She sobbed and couldn't seem to catch her breath. ”I th-th-thought you were going to die!”

Arm around Brooke, Ms. Carter led her from the room. Jeri glanced at Emily, then at Brooke's retreating back. The girls in the hall disappeared upstairs. ”You okay?” Jeri .nally asked Emily.

”I don't know. I still can't believe this! Why didn't Brooke tell me her family was having trouble? I would have tried to help her.” A shudder ran through her, and she dropped her head in her hands. ”She didn't have to poison me.” Her voice was barely a whisper. A moment later she looked up. ”I'm sorry I ever thought it was you - or Abby.”

”It's okay. You think you can compete at the science fair tonight?”

”I don't know. I hope so. I have to!” She glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was 2:40. ”By eight o' clock I should be okay.” She shook her head. ”Well, better anyway.”

”Want to come somewhere with us .rst?” Nikki asked. ”My horse show's at four. I think Dallas is coming too.”

Jeri nodded. ”It might help take your mind off Brooke and all this.”

”And relax you enough to perform for the judges,” Rosa added.

Emily smiled slowly. ”Okay. You convinced me.”

The equestrian contest went exactly as Jeri and Rosa had predicted. Nikki took .rst prize, earning another blue ribbon. In a surprise to them all, though, Nikki gave the judges a letter from her parents, which they read over the loud speaker. It stated that the scholars.h.i.+p should go to the second-place winner instead. The applause was thunderous. Looking stunned at the news, Janeen rode her Palomino into the ring to accept it.

Jeri worked hard Sunday afternoon and evening. She .nally had the story of the year -and just in time to write it up for the media fair. Only it wouldn't come together. She discarded one version after another.

To make the article outstanding, she needed to report the whole story. But that would mean telling the truth about Brooke and Emily, about Nikki getting poisoned and Abby getting blamed. She knew Emily and Brooke (and their parents) wouldn't want the publicity. The Head might not either. She was .nis.h.i.+ng her fourth attempt at the article Sunday night when Rosa burst into the room.

”Brooke got expelled!” she said breathlessly. ”Her par-ents have to pick her up tomorrow.”

”I can't say I'm surprised,” Jeri said, shaking her head. ”I thought she might even get arrested. I still can't believe she did that just to win the scholars.h.i.+p.”

Rosa .opped down on her bed. ”I guess she was desperate.”