surprised. “It seems to me,” she said solemnly when Maxie had changed into the oversized T-shirt she slept in and sat down on her bed, “that the only person who would want to ruin the ceremony would be someone who was mad that they weren’t taking part in it.”
“You mean like Isabella or Holly?” Brendan had suggested the same thing. Had Erica ever checked the list? She hadn’t said anything about talking to either of the girls. Maybe she hadn’t had time.
Tinker nodded. “Exactly. I just can’t think of anyone else who would want to hurt Cath. Who would hate someone as nice and as quiet as Cath? She’s not the kind of person to have enemies.” Tinker’s eyes were clouded with shock and fatigue. “I don’t want to think about this anymore. It’s too depressing. I’m going to sleep.”
But as Tinker’s breath deepened, evened out and became the steady breathing of a deep sleeper, Maxie wondered if that really was the right answer. And then an even creepier thought forced its way into her mind.
After what had happened to Cath, it might be stupid to pass off the events of the past few days as simple game-playing. It could be something much worse. Maybe the person responsible wasn’t just playing games.
Maybe he or she was … crazy. Over the edge. A loose cannon. It might have all started as a game, but now …
Crazy?
How could a crazy person be running around Omega house without anyone noticing?
When she finally climbed into bed in the darkened room, it struck her that in all the time she’d been in Omega house, she had never heard it so completely silent. It wasn’t just that everyone was asleep. Maxie often pulled all-nighters to get a paper written, so she knew the silence of the sleeping house.
But on this night, the silence was different.
Now the air seemed still as if everyone in the house were holding her breath. Waiting in fear for whatever would happen next.
Chapter 10
M AXIE DRESSED QUICKLY THE next morning, intent on giving Erica the bad news about the brick wall.
But when she went to Erica’s room and knocked, there was no answer. Probably taking a shower.
Maxie wasn’t willing to wait. Mildred would have to be told first. The police had to be notified. Even if she was wrong about the wall, and she was positive that she wasn’t, the police would have scientific ways of proving whether or not the wall had actually been tampered with. Then they’d find the person who had done it and take him or her away, so that life at Omega house could return to normal.
Maxie found Mildred in the kitchen. When the news about the wall had registered, Mildred promptly went to the wall telephone to call the Twin Falls police.
Erica, fresh from a shower, her long, blonde hair still damp, was on the telephone when Maxie went upstairs. Tinker was in the room, too. She signaled to Maxie to come in and take a seat while Erica finished her conversation.
When Erica hung up, she sagged against the wall and said with enormous relief, “That was the hospital. Cath’s going to be okay. No permanent damage to the spine.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Maxie felt sorry for Erica. She had ridden to the hospital in the ambulance with Cath last night, but because she wasn’t a relative, hadn’t been allowed to see the patient, and had finally left without knowing Cath’s condition. The strain had left her oval face very pale. She probably hadn’t slept much.
“Her arm is broken, though,” Erica continued, “and she has a concussion. She’ll be in the hospital for a few days. Mildred already called her parents.”
“Mildred told me the only time something like this happened before was when your mom was hurt in a hazing incident,” Tinker said. “They did it differently, then … nothing as tame as a wall-walk. She said something about the railroad bridge behind campus?”
Erica nodded. “Yeah, she had to walk it. She fell into the river. She was in a full body cast for eight weeks and
“You mean like Isabella or Holly?” Brendan had suggested the same thing. Had Erica ever checked the list? She hadn’t said anything about talking to either of the girls. Maybe she hadn’t had time.
Tinker nodded. “Exactly. I just can’t think of anyone else who would want to hurt Cath. Who would hate someone as nice and as quiet as Cath? She’s not the kind of person to have enemies.” Tinker’s eyes were clouded with shock and fatigue. “I don’t want to think about this anymore. It’s too depressing. I’m going to sleep.”
But as Tinker’s breath deepened, evened out and became the steady breathing of a deep sleeper, Maxie wondered if that really was the right answer. And then an even creepier thought forced its way into her mind.
After what had happened to Cath, it might be stupid to pass off the events of the past few days as simple game-playing. It could be something much worse. Maybe the person responsible wasn’t just playing games.
Maybe he or she was … crazy. Over the edge. A loose cannon. It might have all started as a game, but now …
Crazy?
How could a crazy person be running around Omega house without anyone noticing?
When she finally climbed into bed in the darkened room, it struck her that in all the time she’d been in Omega house, she had never heard it so completely silent. It wasn’t just that everyone was asleep. Maxie often pulled all-nighters to get a paper written, so she knew the silence of the sleeping house.
But on this night, the silence was different.
Now the air seemed still as if everyone in the house were holding her breath. Waiting in fear for whatever would happen next.
Chapter 10
M AXIE DRESSED QUICKLY THE next morning, intent on giving Erica the bad news about the brick wall.
But when she went to Erica’s room and knocked, there was no answer. Probably taking a shower.
Maxie wasn’t willing to wait. Mildred would have to be told first. The police had to be notified. Even if she was wrong about the wall, and she was positive that she wasn’t, the police would have scientific ways of proving whether or not the wall had actually been tampered with. Then they’d find the person who had done it and take him or her away, so that life at Omega house could return to normal.
Maxie found Mildred in the kitchen. When the news about the wall had registered, Mildred promptly went to the wall telephone to call the Twin Falls police.
Erica, fresh from a shower, her long, blonde hair still damp, was on the telephone when Maxie went upstairs. Tinker was in the room, too. She signaled to Maxie to come in and take a seat while Erica finished her conversation.
When Erica hung up, she sagged against the wall and said with enormous relief, “That was the hospital. Cath’s going to be okay. No permanent damage to the spine.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Maxie felt sorry for Erica. She had ridden to the hospital in the ambulance with Cath last night, but because she wasn’t a relative, hadn’t been allowed to see the patient, and had finally left without knowing Cath’s condition. The strain had left her oval face very pale. She probably hadn’t slept much.
“Her arm is broken, though,” Erica continued, “and she has a concussion. She’ll be in the hospital for a few days. Mildred already called her parents.”
“Mildred told me the only time something like this happened before was when your mom was hurt in a hazing incident,” Tinker said. “They did it differently, then … nothing as tame as a wall-walk. She said something about the railroad bridge behind campus?”
Erica nodded. “Yeah, she had to walk it. She fell into the river. She was in a full body cast for eight weeks and
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