As Bess chatted with Kristin, Nancy glanced around the stadium. Members of the drill team were now filing out of the stadium, she noticed, while girls in cheerleading uniforms were streaming in. Danielle Graves and Tamara Carlson were among the cheerleaders. Susannah, dressed in jeans and a striped sweater, was with Tamara. The sisters paused near the players’ bench to watch a play. Then Tamara dashed off to join the other cheerleaders, leaving Susannah at the edge of the field.
“Rats!” A muffled voice at the foot of the bleachers caught Nancy’s attention. The team mascot was struggling furiously with the wildcat costume, twisting at its head.
“It looks like the Emerson Wildcat could use a hand,” Nancy said to Bess and Kristin. “I’ll be right back.”
Climbing down, Nancy hopped onto the field and approached the wildcat. “Do you need help?”
“Please!” came the muffled response. “My zipper is stuck.”
Nancy found the problem—a clump of fake fur had caught in the track of the zipper. She managed to work it free, then smoothly opened the zipper so that the student could remove the wildcat head.
“Phew!” said the pretty, red-haired girl who emerged. “I thought I’d never get that thing off. Thanks a lot.” The girl tucked the wildcat head under her arm and held out her hand. “By the way, I’m Carrie Broder, alias Emerson Wildcat.”
“My name’s Nancy Drew. Nice to meet you.”
Carrie fluffed her curly red bangs and smiled. “I have to run, but maybe I’ll see you at the game.”
“I’ll be there,” Nancy said. As Carrie turned and jogged toward the sports complex, Nancy headed back up the bleachers. She had gone only a few steps when a voice distracted her.
“Can’t you bend the rules a little?” someone said below her.
“I’m afraid not. Academic excellence is Emerson’s number-one priority.”
Both voices sounded familiar. Leaning over the aluminum divider at the edge of the bleachers, she saw Coach Mitchell and Dean Jarvis standing in the walkway between sections of the stadium.
“He’ll get his grades up,” Coach Mitchell insisted. “Believe me, I’ve read him the riot act on that. And he’s dying to play this one game. What’s the harm in letting him play this week?”
He must be talking about Josh, Nancy realized.
Dean Jarvis was shaking his head. “It would set a bad precedent—and it would send mixed signals to the other students. Besides, we have a decent replacement in Randy Simpson. Let’s give him a shot.” He gave the coach a friendly pat on the back. “Sorry, Dale, but Josh is benched until he gets his grades up.”
Nancy’s mind was racing as she climbed the rest of the way up the bleachers to join Bess and Kristin. The coach wanted his son to play in Sunday’s game. Or maybe Josh himself was desperate to get back onto the team roster. If Randy were injured, perhaps the administration would reconsider and let Josh play. It was a possibility Nancy couldn’t ignore. Both the coach and his son seemed to like Randy, Nancy reflected. But she had to add them to her list of suspects.
“What’s the matter, you guys?” Nancy asked as she rejoined Bess and Kristin. Both girls were staring glumly at the field. Bess was frowning, and Kristin was shaking her head in disgust.
Without looking at Nancy, Kristin pointed at the players. “Our new quarterback is falling apart.”
“But he was doing so well at the beginning of practice.” Sitting down, Nancy watched Randy stumble through the next play.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Randy lumbered clumsily into the huddle and then dragged himself into position on the field. “Come on, Randy,” Nancy said under her breath. “Look alive!”
Her eyes were glued to the field as the Wildcats ran the play. The center snapped the ball to Randy, who, instead of passing it, tucked it under his arm and began to run with it. A very odd play, Nancy thought.
But not as odd as the way he was moving, as if he were going in slow motion. Nancy felt very uneasy as she watched him stumble forward, jerking unsteadily with each step. This wasn’t the running pattern of someone who was tired, she realized. Something was seriously wrong.