Twisted (12 page)

T
hey were all gathered around a table in the lunchroom when Danny and Amy came in. Michele and Colleen looked very sad, and Neal's eyes were red, as if he'd been crying. He sat between Brett and Kevin, and Amy was glad that he had friends to comfort him. Neal had been the one to find Jessica in the back of the store, and he'd have to live with the memory of that grisly sight forever.

Amy went straight to Neal and hugged him. It must have been awful, finding Jessica dead. Danny patted him on the back, and then they sat down in the two vacant chairs. Everyone knew the details, and there was no need to talk about that. Jessica had been reaching for the light switch when she'd stumbled and fallen, striking her head on a sharply pointed shovel.

When Neal had left basketball practice, he'd gone down to the Hungry Burger, where he'd planned to meet Jessica. Michele had been there, and she'd told him that Jessica was working in the store. Neal had been angry, at first. Why hadn't Michele gone with Jessica? There was supposed to be someone with her every minute. But Michele had explained about the fight they'd had, and how Jessica had told her to get lost.

Neal had decided to patch things up between the two girls, and he'd called the hardware store to talk some sense into Jessica. But Jessica hadn't answered, even though he'd let the phone ring over ten times. That was when he'd driven down to the store, and found it dark with the front door open.

There had been a flashlight display by the front door, and Neal had grabbed one. He'd walked through the store, calling Jessica's name, getting more and more worried with each step. And then he'd found her, and when he'd realized that she was dead, he'd called the authorities.

The sheriff had promised that there would be a full investigation. There always was when someone died all alone. But he'd told Neal and Jessica's parents that it looked like an accident to him.

Amy didn't agree. There was the half-heart necklace that Neal had found around Jessica's neck, the same type of necklace that Tanya and Gail had been wearing. And even though Jessica had admitted to receiving only one Valentine from Cat, Jessica's mother had found the pieces of another Valentine in her wastebasket. If there had been two Valentines, there could have been a third, one that Cat might have taken with him, after he'd murdered Jessica.

They all sat in silence for a moment, and then Danny nudged Amy. “You'd better tell them what you decided, Amy.”

“Yes.” Amy sighed deeply. As president of the Senior class, she had an obligation to be frank. “Let's look at the facts. You all know about the Valentines from Cat and the half-heart necklaces. Maybe the sheriff thinks that's just coincidence, but three girls who were in line for the throne have died. There's something going on, and we've got to stop it. I'm going to Mr. Dorman's office, right after lunch, and I'm going to ask him to cancel the contest.”

Michele began to frown. “That's not really fair, Amy. I'm next in line. If you cancel the contest, I'll lose my chance to be queen.”

“But you'll be alive.” Danny reminded her. “Think about it, Michele.”

“I
have
thought about it. I know you and Amy think that Cat murdered Tanya and Gail, and Jessica. I did, too . . . until I went to see Madame Zane. Madame Zane knows everything about the past and the future.”

“You went to a fortune-teller?” Amy was surprised.

“That's right. But Madame Zane's not just a fortune-teller. She's also a psychic, and she told me exactly how they died.”

Amy glanced at Colleen, and she could tell that her friend was trying very hard not to laugh. And then she turned to look at Danny, who wasn't quite as polite as his sister.

“You've got to be kidding!” Danny shook his head in disbelief. “Do you really believe in stuff like that?”

Michele glared at Danny. “Madame Zane is entirely legitimate. She's not like those fake fortune-tellers you see at the county fair. She uses channeling to actually communicate with the dead.”

“Channeling?” Neal didn't look quite as dubious as everyone else. “What's that?”

“It's sort of like an interpreter. You see, it's impossible to speak directly with the dead. Madame Zane got in touch with White Feather. She's an Indian princess who died over two hundred years ago. And White Feather carried my questions to Tanya, and Gail, and Jessica.”

“Wait a second . . .” Brett held up his hand. “If it's impossible to speak directly with the dead, how did Madame Zane speak to White Feather?”

“That's different. Madame Zane can communicate with White Feather because she's accepted the fact that she's passed over to the other side.”

Colleen nodded, and Amy could tell she was trying very hard not to giggle. “Go on, Michele. Tell us what happened.”

“It's very simple. Madame Zane went into a trance, and she asked White Feather my questions. Then White Feather interpreted them for Tanya, and Gail, and Jessica.”

Neal started to grin for the first time that day. “Hey, Michele . . . that sounds just like the United Nations.”

“That's true, in a way.” Michele nodded. “But the interpreters at the United Nations work instantaneously, and this took a long time.”

“How long?” Kevin asked the question that was on all their minds.

“Almost an hour. But finally, White Feather contacted Madame Zane again. She gave her the answers, and then Madame Zane told me.”

Danny snorted. “Let me guess. Madame Zane gets paid by the minute?”

“Of course not!” Michele looked very offended. “I told you she was legitimate. There's a minimum charge for every session, but that's entirely reasonable. Channeling is extremely exhausting work.”

Danny looked like he wanted to laugh, and Amy gave him a warning glance. And then she turned to Michele. “Which questions did you ask?”

“I asked them if they'd been murdered, and they said no. And then I asked if Cat had anything to do with their accidents, and they said yes.”

“Did Madame Zane tell you what that meant?” Kevin leaned forward.

“Yes. Tanya said that the Valentines got her so nervous, she tripped while she was running down the stairs. And Gail said that she was so busy thinking about Cat's messages, she took the curve too fast.”

“How about Jessica?” Neal looked anxious. “Did she say anything?”

“Yes. She said the same thing happened to her. She was stressed out because of Cat's Valentines, and she stumbled when she went to turn on the store lights. And then she apologized for fighting with me, and she promised that she'd always be my best friend, throughout eternity.”

Colleen nodded. “Okay. Let me get this straight. You're saying that all three of them were so nervous about Cat that they got careless?”

“Exactly!” Michele looked around the table and smiled. “That's all there was to it. They just stressed out.”

Amy frowned slightly. “You didn't ask about the half-heart necklaces?”

“No . . . I forgot. But I'm going back to see Madame Zane tomorrow. I can find out then.”

“That's it?” Neal looked disappointed. “That's all you asked them?”

“Well . . . there was one other thing that I asked Jessica, but it's personal. And it doesn't have anything to do with her death. It . . . uh . . . it has to do with the contest.”

“Then you'd better tell us.” Amy's voice was firm. “Come on, Michele . . . what was it?”

Michele started to blush, and she looked very uncomfortable. “I told her that you wanted to cancel the contest, and she said not to let you do it, that the school book fund needed more money. And then she told me that since she couldn't be here, she really wanted me to be the Valentine's Day Queen.”

“Oh, brother!” Danny muttered under his breath, and Amy poked him again. But Michele heard him, and she gave him a glance that was full of venom.

“Sorry, Michele.” Danny sighed deeply. “I really didn't mean to make fun of you, but I just can't swallow this whole psychic thing. Don't you realize that Madame Zane was conning you? She made up the whole thing out of thin air, so that she could get money from you.”

“No, she didn't! I know Madame Zane's not a fake. She's told me things in the past.”

“Like what?” Amy was curious.

“Like the time I was afraid I'd flunk my chemistry test. Madame Zane told me that if I'd go to a tutor every night after school, I'd pass. And I did!”

“Yes, but—” Amy stopped abruptly as Danny poked her. And then she sighed deeply. Danny was right. It was a waste of breath to argue with Michele.

“That's the real reason I don't want you to cancel the contest.” Michele looked at Amy with tears in her eyes. “Jessica really wanted it to go on.”

Amy nodded. There was no use trying to convince Michele that Madame Zane was a fake. She'd already made up her mind. “Look, Michele. I'm just worried about you. If we go on with the contest, you could be in danger. Cat's Valentines made the other girls so nervous, they died.”

“But they won't make me nervous.” Michele shook her head. “Jessica warned me, and so did Tanya and Gail. I'm prepared.”

Danny squeezed Amy's hand, and Amy squeezed back. She knew exactly what he meant. Michele's mind was made up, and nothing she could say would change it.

“Okay. I guess it's your decision.” Amy nodded. “But you will be careful, won't you, Michele?”

“Of course I will. And thank you, Amy. This means so much to me!”

Michele gave Amy a radiant smile, but Amy couldn't smile back. She was convinced that Michele was wrong, and the other girls had been murdered.

She couldn't help feeling that someone very evil and sinister was about to strike again.

 

It was close to eight o'clock when the doorbell rang, and Amy got up to answer it. A delivery man from the mall was outside, and he handed her a dress box.

“Amy Hunter?”

“Yes.” Amy nodded. “But I didn't order anything from the mall.”

The delivery man shrugged. “It's got your name and address on the slip. If you didn't order it, it's probably a gift.”

Amy was puzzled as she carried the box inside. The delivery man was right. Her name and address were written on the slip, but the sender's name was blank. But then she remembered Danny's promise, and she grinned. Danny had gone to the mall and picked out her dress. She could hardly wait to see it!

“Who was that, dear?” Amy's mother called out from the kitchen. She was baking brownies, one of the healthy foods on the diet sheet that Amy and Danny had fabricated.

“Oh . . . nothing.” Amy hid the box behind her back. “It was just someone for me, that's all.”

Amy ran up the stairs to her room, carrying the dress box. She was so excited, she could hardly wait to see what was inside. Would it be black and slinky? Or red with a plunging neckline ?

But Amy's face fell as she took the lid off the box and saw what was inside. It was a simple light blue silk dress with a moderate neckline, long sleeves, and a full, sweeping skirt. The dress was beautiful, but it wasn't at all what she'd expected.

Amy shrugged, and got out of her clothes to try on the dress. It looked lovely, but it was exactly the sort of party dress that her mother would have chosen for her. What had happened to the sexy outfit that Danny had promised to send?

Just then the phone rang, and Amy picked up the line in her room. “Hello?”

“Amy.” It was Danny's voice. “Do you like the blue dress?”

Amy grinned. “Thank you, Danny. I love it. And so will my mother and father! But I thought you said you were going to send me a sexy dress.”

“I did. Look under the tissue paper, and you'll find it. It should fit. I took a lot of time describing you to the saleslady.”

“You mean you didn't ask Colleen my size?” Amy's eyes widened.

“No. She wasn't home when I left for the mall. Try it on, and then read the note. That'll explain everything.”

“Okay.” Amy had a big smile on her face when she hung up the phone. Danny had sent her two dresses! She lifted the tissue paper in the box, and gasped as she drew out the second dress.

No wonder she hadn't noticed that there was another dress in the box! It was made of thin black silk, and there wasn't very much of it. It was just a thin wisp of material, glimmering in the light, and Amy's hands trembled as she tried it on.

Amy stared at herself in the mirror in utter disbelief. Danny had sent her a cocktail dress, and she looked smart and sophisticated, and very, very sexy.

The dress had a Grecian top that crisscrossed over the front to form a very low neckline, held in place by a thin strap at the back of her neck. Amy giggled as she turned and caught sight of her back. Her hair covered the strap at the back of her neck, and it looked like she was completely topless! Leave it to Danny to pick out a dress like this!

The skirt floated down to just above the knee, and it was surprisingly modest. But when Amy turned, she noticed that the material flared out, providing a very provocative glimpse of her legs.

Amy laughed. And then she blushed as she imagined Danny in the dress store, describing her figure to the saleslady. He'd been absolutely right to send her two dresses. There was no way she could wear a dress like this to the Valentine's Day Dance. Her parents would never let her out of the house!

There was a note in the bottom of the box, and Amy unfolded it carefully. And then she blushed even more as she read it.