Wicked (8 page)

“We checked everywhere. We even looked under the beds.” Beth looked worried.

“Then she's got to be outside.” Eve pointed out the obvious fact. “I grabbed a couple of flashlights when we were in the kitchen. Let's go search the grounds.”

Everyone started to leave, but Angela grabbed Eve's hand. “When you and Ryan were in the kitchen, did you check the walk-in cooler?”

“No. We were sure she wouldn't go in there.”

“I wish I could be that sure.”

Eve turned to stare at Angela. “What do you mean?”

“I know this sounds strange, Eve, but I keep thinking about what Tracie told me. It was more frightening than anything I could write.”

Eve was intrigued. Angela wrote some pretty scary stuff. “What did Tracie say?”

“She said she wasn't sure that Cheryl was really dead, that maybe Marc made a mistake. She told me she couldn't sleep at all last night. She kept thinking about how awful it would be if Cheryl woke up.”

“Woke up?” Eve gave a little laugh. “But that's impossible! I wrapped Cheryl in a blanket. I know she was dead!”

“But Tracie didn't even look at her body. She covered her eyes, remember? And because she didn't actually look at Cheryl, she started imagining things that couldn't possibly be true.”

“I get it. Tracie thought Cheryl might be unconscious, she'd be all alone, locked in the walk-in cooler.” Eve shivered. “That's scary! And it's also crazy. But I don't think you have to worry, Angela. Tracie would never go in the walk-in cooler alone. She wouldn't have the nerve.”

“Maybe you should check, just to make sure. After all, you were in there this afternoon so it shouldn't bother you now . . . unless you've lost your nerve and you'd rather wait for the guys?”

There was a strange look in Angela's eyes. Angela looked different, much more confrontational, as if she were trying to pick a fight. She'd never actually challenged Eve before, but it was clear she was doing it now.

Angela's message came through loud and clear. Eve would be a coward if she didn't check the walk-in cooler. But Eve decided to turn the tables on Angela. After all, she'd brought up the whole thing.

“It won't bother me.” Eve started to grin. “But will it bother you?”

Angela looked startled. “Me? I don't have to go in the cooler.”

“I think you'd better. If you don't come along with me, how will you know I checked it? I could just say I did, and you'd never know the difference. Of course, you could always call one of the guys and ask him to go with me. All you'd have to do is say that you were afraid to go in there.”

Angela sighed. “All right. I'll go with you.”

“Come on then.” Eve hid a grin. She'd managed to beat Angela at her own game, and she was very pleased.

Angela looked thoroughly freaked as they walked down the hall and went into the kitchen. Eve switched on the lights and headed for the cooler door. “Are you with me, Angela?”

“I'm right behind you.”

Angela's voice was shaking slightly, and her face turned pale as Eve opened the cooler door. Of course Tracie wasn't there. Eve hadn't expected her to be. And Cheryl's body was right where they'd placed it, on the floor next to the back wall.

“She's not here.” Eve turned to face Angela, who was hanging back slightly. “But I do notice something different.”

“What's that?” Angela took a step closer to the door.

“It's Cheryl's body. I think Tracie's right. It looks like she moved slightly.”

Angela's mouth dropped open and she turned to run for the door. That was when Eve started to laugh. “Relax, Angela. I'm just kidding. Cheryl's body didn't move at all.”

“That was mean!” Angela stopped just outside the cooler door to glare at Eve.

“I know. I was just paying you back for making me go in the cooler at night. That was mean, too.”

Angela had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “You're right, Eve. I'm sorry. Can we call a truce?”

“Sure. But how long do you think it'll last?”

Angela laughed. “I don't know. We really got off on the wrong foot, didn't we, Eve?”

“Yes, we did.”

“Do you know why?”

“You bet I do!” Eve took a deep breath. She'd been waiting a long time for this moment. “You're trying to impress us with your money and your famous parents. It might work with the others, but it won't work with me.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. You've been trying to steal my boyfriend, and I don't like it.”

“Is that all?”

Eve didn't like the tone in Angela's voice. She had the feeling that Angela was toying with her, the very same way a cat played with a mouse right before the killing blow. She was seeing another side of Angela, and that side was very disturbing. “That's about it.”

“Good. Now that you've got that off your chest, you ought to feel much better.” Angela gave Eve a perfectly innocent smile. “Come on, Eve. Let's go find the others.”

Eve followed Angela down the hall and out into the courtyard, frowning. Her criticism had bounced right off Angela's back. Angela hadn't said she'd stop trying to buy their friendship or impress them with her famous family. And she hadn't said she was sorry for trying to steal Ryan. This wasn't a truce. It was just a temporary ceasefire before the hostilities started again.

* * *

“Did you find her?” Angela headed straight for Ryan the moment they got out the door.

“No. We started with the garage. It's filled with stuff so it took us a while, but there's no sign of Tracie. Where were you two?”

“We checked the walk-in cooler.” Angela smiled up at him.

“You did? I know it probably didn't bother Eve, but that was really brave of you, Angela.”

Angela shrugged. “It was no problem. Where are we going to search next?”

“The west side of the house. There's an old kennel and a dog run there.”

“You think Tracie's in the dog run?” Eve asked.

“It's possible,” Beth said. “Tracie told me she loves animals. If she heard a kitten or a puppy in the yard, she might have gone out to make sure it wasn't trapped behind the fence.”

Eve thought they were grasping at straws. “I've got my own flashlight. You can check out the dog run, and I'll start searching in the courtyard.”

“I'll go with you, honey.” Ryan handed his flashlight to Angela. “Just call out if you find anything.”

There was a smile on Eve's face as she took Ryan's hand and headed across the courtyard. Ryan had chosen to go with her, rather than Angela. But Eve's joy was short-lived.

“I'm so proud of Angela!” Ryan squeezed Eve's hand. “She was terrified to go in that cooler, but she did it. Thanks for going with her, Eve. That was very nice.”

Eve didn't answer. She was too upset. She wanted to tell Ryan how Angela had goaded her into checking the cooler and how she'd been clever enough to insist that Angela go along. But Eve couldn't tell Ryan any of that. Everyone, including Ryan, thought that Angela was wonderful, and they'd never believe that she had a mean streak she'd kept hidden from everyone except Eve.

“Let's check the rose garden.” Ryan took the flashlight from Eve's hand. “Tracie told me she thought it was beautiful, and she might have gone out to smell the roses.”

“All alone in the dark?”

“It's possible.” Ryan chuckled. “If a girl in one of Tracie's romances went out to a rose garden at night, Tracie would probably try it. She's an incurable romantic.”

Eve turned to look at Ryan in surprise. Although he'd only known Tracie for a couple of days, he'd certainly figured out her personality. It was too bad he couldn't see through Angela and realize that she wasn't the nice person she seemed to be.

They went down the walkway through the rose garden, holding hands. The flashlight wasn't very bright, and Eve concentrated on the thin yellow beam.

“What's that?” Eve caught a glimpse of something big out of the corner of her eye.

“Where?”

“Over there by that little stone wall.” Eve pointed. “I thought I saw something.”

Eve held her breath as they walked toward the object she'd seen. She couldn't help feeling that there was something very wrong. But when Ryan illuminated it with the flashlight, she started to giggle. “It's a big bag of fertilizer!”

“The gardener must have left it here.” Ryan laughed. “And it reeks! You don't think we have to open it to check it out, do you, Eve?”

Eve laughed, too. “No way! Tracie wouldn't go anywhere near something that smells that bad. She doesn't even like it when we have Italian food at the sorority house. She says the whole place stinks of garlic and onions.”

“That figures.” Ryan chuckled and he took her arm to lead her away from the fertilizer. “How about you, Eve? Do you like onions and garlic?”

“I love them. You can't use too much onion and garlic to suit me.”

“I know a little Italian place with red-checkered tablecloths and wine bottles with candles on every table. The same family's owned it for fifty years, and the walls even smell like garlic.”

Eve swallowed. Her mouth was watering. She adored Italian food. “It sounds heavenly.”

“It is. Do you want to try it when our quarantine's lifted?”

“I'd love to!” Eve smiled happily. “I wish we could do it right now. But you shouldn't have told me about it so early. We're stuck here for another eight days and now you've made me hungry for Italian food.”

Ryan laughed. “I've made myself hungry, too. Maybe we could try to cook up some pasta tomorrow night. I make a pretty decent Alfredo sauce.”

“That's a great idea! I can make garlic and Parmesan bread.”

“I didn't know you baked bread.”

“I don't.” Eve laughed. “There's some packaged bread dough in the freezer. I'm no cook, but I think I can follow the directions on the package. There's only one problem. I put on a lot of garlic.”

“That's no problem, unless . . . do we have enough?”

Eve laughed. “We've got plenty. There's one of those long braids on the back of the pantry door.”

“Then what's the problem?”

“Tracie. She hates garlic and she'll probably run around with her bottle of perfume, spraying it in the air.”

Ryan cracked up. “That's okay. She can spray the rest of the mansion, but we won't let her in the kitchen. So we'll make dinner tomorrow night?”

“Sure.” Eve grinned at him. “It'll be fun.”

They walked across the courtyard to the pool. The deck loomed above them and Eve shivered.

“What's the matter, Eve?” Ryan put his arm around her shoulders. “Are you cold?”

“No. I've just got a weird feeling, that's all.”

“About what?” Ryan looked concerned.

“About the pool. And about Tracie. Remember the chapter that Angela read tonight?”

“Of course I remember. It was the scariest chapter that Angela's written. But it was just fiction.”

“I know that, but Cheryl's character got murdered in the kitchen and that's where we found Cheryl.”

Ryan put his arms around Eve and gave her a little hug. “Cheryl's death was an accident, honey. She wasn't murdered.”

“I know, but we found her in the kitchen. And Tracie's character got murdered in the pool. I think we'd better go up there, Ryan.”

“Come on, Eve. If it'll make you feel better, we'll check the pool right now.”

It was very silent as they climbed the steps and stepped out on the deck. Nothing was moving and the surface of the pool was perfectly still. Ryan and Eve made their way around the deck and stopped at the deep end.

“I think the batteries are going on this flashlight.” Ryan shook it. “I don't think it has enough power to see anything at all.”

What Ryan had said was true. His flashlight was flickering and the circle of light was growing dimmer with each second that passed. “Maybe we should yell for Jeremy. He's got a new set of batteries in his flashlight.”

Ryan stood next to the edge of the pool and pointed his flashlight directly into the water. “You're right, Eve. I can only see down a couple of feet.”

“It's okay. It doesn't look like there's anything under . . .” Eve stopped, and her heart began to pound. She thought she'd seen a shape beneath the water. A human shape. “Shine it right in the middle, Ryan. I thought I saw . . . oh, my God!”

“What is it? I don't see . . .”

“Right there!” Eve's voice was shaking as she pointed to the spot. “It's Tracie! She's in there, Ryan! She's right there at the bottom of the pool!”

CHAPTER NINE

No one felt like going up to their rooms, not after the awful discovery they'd made. There was no question that Tracie was dead, and they'd wrapped her in a blanket and put her next to Cheryl in the walk-in cooler. Scott had made a photo record of everything they'd done. The police would want it when they came to investigate the tragedies that had occurred at the Sutler Mansion. Now they were gathered in the courtyard, sitting around one of the tables, trying to figure out what had happened.

“This is so weird.” Eve sighed. “What was Tracie doing up on the deck without any lights?”

No one answered for a long moment, and finally Ryan spoke up. “Maybe she just wanted to look out, over the courtyard, and think about the chapter she was going to read.”

“I think you're right.” Angela placed Tracie's pages on the table. “I just read Tracie's chapter for tonight and there's a scene where the girl walks past her fiancé's house. She sees him through the lace curtains, kissing another woman.”

Beth nodded. “I get it. Tracie might have been doing some research, checking to make sure she could see through the lace curtains into the library. That would explain why she didn't turn on the courtyard lights. But why was she up on the deck?”

“To get as far away as she could. The girl in her chapter was out on the sidewalk. Tracie probably figured that the deck was about the right distance.”

Everyone nodded, everyone except Eve. There was still something that wasn't right about Angela's explanation. “That might be part of it, but there's still something that bothers me. Tracie could have tripped and fallen in the pool. I don't have a problem with that. But Tracie knew how to swim. Why didn't she just swim to the steps and climb out?”

“She must have hit her head on something that knocked her out.” Jeremy suggested the obvious answer.

“No.” Marc shook his head. “I checked for bruising, and there wasn't any. Tracie didn't hit her head when she fell.”

“Maybe Tracie tried to swim to the shallow end, but she got a cramp,” Dean said. “My leg cramped up once when I was in a pool and I almost drowned.”

“That could be it.” Beth didn't look convinced. “But I think we should drain the pool. Maybe there's something else in the water.”

“Like what?” Eve turned to Beth.

“I don't know. Maybe something fell in the pool and Tracie got tangled up in it. We can't see all the way to the bottom unless we drain it.”

“That's a good idea,” Ryan said. “I'll hook up the hose right now and let the water drain out. We can check it in the morning to see if there's anything there. You've got enough film to take pictures, Scott?”

“No problem. I've got more than a dozen rolls up in my room.”

“It's a good thing you brought so much film.” Eve gave a bitter laugh. “If Angela keeps killing off her characters, we're going to need it!”

Angela's mouth dropped open in surprise, and then she began to look very hurt. When Ryan noticed the tears that were beginning to glisten in Angela's eyes, he put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. “Don't mind Eve. She's just joking.”

“Am I?” Eve couldn't help speaking out. “Maybe no one else noticed, but Cheryl's character was murdered in the kitchen and that's where we found Cheryl's body. And Tracie's character was killed in the pool. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not going anywhere near the place where Angela kills off my character!”

There was silence for a long moment, and when Angela spoke, her voice was quivering. “You're right, Eve. It's a . . . a horrible coincidence and I'm going to stop writing my chapters.”

“Don't be silly, Angela!” Ryan gave her a little hug. “These were accidents, not murders. You have to keep on writing.”

Tears threatened to spill from Angela's eyes. Most girls looked ugly when they cried. Eve knew she did. Her complexion turned blotchy, and her eyelids became swollen and red. Sometimes she even got the hiccups and that was really embarrassing. But none of those things happened to Angela. Angela's deep violet eyes took on a glow that was almost luminescent, and her tears made them sparkle. Her skin remained perfect, no ugly splotches of color at all, and there was no sign of swelling or redness around her eyelids. As Eve watched, one perfect tear rolled down Angela's cheek and Ryan reached out to wipe it away. Eve sighed and shook her head. It just wasn't fair. Angela even looked beautiful when she was crying.

“It's okay, Angela.” Ryan hugged her tightly. “Don't cry. Everything's going to be all right.”

“But don't you see? I can't keep on writing! Right after I read my chapter about Cheryl's character's murder, Cheryl died. And right after I read about Tracie's character getting killed, Tracie died. I'm afraid to keep on writing, Ryan. Somebody else might die!”

“You're wrong, Angela.” Ryan shook his head. “That's not how it happened.”

“What do you mean?” Angela blinked her incredibly long eyelashes and another glistening tear fell.

“You read Cheryl's chapter, and then she died. That part is true. But Tracie died
before
you read her chapter.”

“Are you sure?” Angela asked.

“I'm positive. Tracie was wearing her watch. It wasn't waterproof and it stopped at ten-forty-five. That was at least thirty minutes before you read your chapter.”

“Thank you for telling me, Ryan!” Angela gave him a brilliant smile. “I don't want to stop writing. I really like the chapters I've written. But are you really sure you want me to go on with my book?”

Ryan turned to the rest of the group. “We're sure, aren't we?”

“Of course we are!” Jeremy smiled at Angela. “And I think you just proved what a good friend you are. You were really willing to stop writing, weren't you?”

“Yes, I was.”

“Even though you knew you'd flunk the workshop if you didn't finish
Ten Little Writers
?”

“Of course,” Angela said. “I'm beginning to think that Ryan is right, that's there's no connection between my chapters and the . . . accidents. But your friendship is much more important to me than my grade.”

“That's what I thought,” Jeremy said. “You're a really nice person, Angela. And we appreciate what you were willing to do for us. But we want you to keep right on with your book, and I'm volunteering to be the next victim.”

“You are? Are you sure, Jeremy?” Angela reached out to take his hand, and when Jeremy nodded, she gave him a delighted smile. “After all that's happened, I can't believe you're volunteering! You're wonderful, Jeremy! And you're so brave!”

Eve felt like groaning. Jeremy wasn't brave; he was stupid. But he really seemed to be enjoying the attention he was getting from Angela. Angela had Jeremy fooled, along with everyone else. Eve was the only one who thought there was a connection between Angela's chapters and the lethal accidents that had occurred. And Eve was the only one who thought that Angela wasn't as sweet and nice as she appeared. Angela Adams was like a black widow spider, trapping everyone in her web. But Eve wasn't about to fall into her trap.

* * *

Jeremy was stretched out on top of his bed, frowning up at the ceiling. It was almost two in the morning, but he couldn't sleep. He'd tried to write a couple of jokes, but they hadn't turned out very well. That was probably because he hadn't been in a very humorous mood. No one else had been in a humorous mood either, not after they'd found Tracie's dead body in the pool.

Two members of their group were dead. Jeremy shivered slightly. It was a frightening thing, but they couldn't let it get them down. They had to get through the next eight days, and they needed a little levity in their lives. Laughter was good medicine. They'd all feel a lot better if they stopped walking around with tragic faces.

Jeremy sat up and pulled on his clothes. It was too hot to sleep, and he might as well do something to pass the time. He'd figure out some way to make the group laugh. A practical joke was in order. They might be angry with him at first, but they'd thank him for it later.

Jeremy got the bag of props he'd brought with him out of the closet. As he passed the mirror to carry the bag to the desk, he realized that he was smiling. He always felt good when he planned a practical joke.

Forget the whoopee cushion. Jeremy took it out of his bag and tossed it on the bed. Nobody'd fall for it and it wasn't very funny anyway. The dribble glass was out, too. And the rubber baked chicken that flopped around when you tried to cut it with a knife. He needed something that would really startle them and snap them out of their serious moods.

The fake spiders had definite possibilities. Jeremy took out a package and set them on his desk. This was an old house and there were probably spiders. Every girl he knew hated spiders and when they discovered his fake ones, they'd think they were real.

All he needed was something for the guys, and Jeremy examined the contents of his bag carefully. Scott had seen the talking toilet seat at the frat house, and Jeremy never liked to repeat a practical joke. But he'd just ordered a special showerhead that exploded with rubber snakes when you turned it on. That would be perfect for the guys.

Everyone was sleeping as Jeremy tiptoed out into the hallway. He hurried to the bathroom and installed the exploding showerhead in just a few minutes. Then he climbed the stairs to the third floor and hesitated as he opened the door to the hallway. Where should he put the spiders?

It would be simple to put them in the girls' bathroom, but not as effective as hiding them in their rooms. Jeremy grinned as he imagined Beth waking up to find rubber spiders on her pillow. She'd scream. Jeremy was sure of it. And then she'd laugh when she realized that they were made out of rubber. He'd taken a class with Beth last semester and she had a good sense of humor.

Would Eve scream? Jeremy thought about it for a moment. Probably not. Eve wouldn't let anyone know she'd been frightened. She'd be angry though, and Eve's wrath was really something to behold. Her dark green eyes would snap as she glared at him and she'd put her hands on her hips, just daring him to apologize. Eve was quite a woman. He'd even asked her for a date last year, but she'd called his jokes childish and turned him down flat.

And then there was Angela. Jeremy sighed softly. Angela had the perfect name. She was an angel, a kind, sweet beautiful woman who'd call him brave and reached out to touch his hand. Jeremy didn't really want to put any spiders in Angela's room, but it would look strange if she was the only one he didn't try to scare.

Could he sneak into their rooms without waking them up? It was a real test of Jeremy's ability to set up a practical joke. It would work if they were sound sleepers, but if any one of them woke up and saw him, she'd tip off the others. He had to think of some excuse in case he got caught.

Jeremy's mind raced through a list of possible excuses and he finally settled on one. He'd heard a noise on the floor above, and he was just checking to make sure they were all right. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

Beth's room was first and Jeremy opened the door. Beth was sleeping and he walked silently to the edge of her bed. He placed several spiders on her pillow and then he tiptoed out and shut the door behind him. One down and two to go.

Angela was sleeping, too. And she had the covers pulled over her head. Jeremy didn't see how she could sleep under the covers on such a hot night, but it was a lucky break for him. Angela didn't even move as he dropped the spiders on her pillow, and he was grinning as he left her room and went on to Eve's.

Eve's face was turned away from the door as Jeremy tiptoed across the room. She made a sound, mumbling something in her sleep, and Jeremy stopped in his tracks. He stood there poised, one foot forward and one foot back, for what seemed like hours. But she settled down and he moved forward again to dump the rest of the spiders on her pillow.

Jeremy breathed a deep sigh of relief when he was back out in the hallway again. He'd done it! It was the perfect setup and he could hardly wait for morning to arrive. Who would be the first to discover the practical jokes he'd played? Jeremy wasn't sure, but it would be great to find out.

Was it enough? Would his spiders and his exploding showerhead snap them out of their gloom? Jeremy was thoughtful as he went down the stairs and back to his room. Perhaps he should play one more joke, a really big one that they wouldn't discover until later. He'd sleep for a couple of hours, and then he'd concentrate on playing the biggest and best practical joke of his life.

* * *

Eve waited until she heard Jeremy go down the stairs, and then she turned on the light by her bed. She made a face when she saw the fake spiders. She'd expected something like that. Jeremy was up to his old tricks again, but Eve had a plan to put an end to his practical jokes. They were irritating, and they weren't funny at all.

It didn't take long to pull on a pair of shorts and a halter top. Eve had raided Cheryl's closet this morning and borrowed some of her hot-weather clothes. She'd do the same with Tracie's closet tomorrow. The sorority had an unwritten law: share and share alike. Eve had shared. She'd paid for their parties and redecorated the sorority house. And although Tracie and Cheryl had been Eve's sorority sisters, they'd never shared anything with her. Eve needed cooler, more casual clothes, and she couldn't go out to buy them. This was one last favor that Cheryl and Tracie could do for her, and Eve felt perfectly justified.

Beth was sleeping when Eve opened the door to her room. Eve was about to wake her, to tell her about the spiders and explain how they were going to make sure Jeremy's practical joke backfired. She reached out to shake Beth's shoulder, but then she reconsidered. There was really no need to wake Beth.