“She flunked out?” Nancy took a moment to digest the information. “Is there anything else unusual in her record?”
She heard the dean put the phone back down as he keyed in something more. “That’s all the information I have.”
Nancy thanked him, then hung up. “So that’s why Susannah holds such a grudge against Emerson,” she said to Bess after relating what she’d just found out. “But this doesn’t in any way indicate that she would go after Randy to get back at Emerson. I can’t believe she’d do it, but I am going to have to search Tamara’s room today anyway.”
“After the fair,” Bess insisted, grabbing Nancy’s arm. “Like it or not, Drew, you’re going to have some fun today!”
From the student center the girls headed straight for the oval. They overtook Tamara and Zip, who were walking on the path just ahead of them. In their dark jeans, high-top sneakers, and short leather jackets, they looked great, Nancy thought.
“Zip looks different without his Russell letter jacket,” she whispered to Bess.
As they rounded the corner of Ivy Hall, Nancy glimpsed a colorful array of tables and booths. Everything from sweaters to pottery to pillows to leather bags and belts were on sale, and thick crowds of students jammed each booth.
“Nancy!”
Hearing Ned’s familiar voice, Nancy spun around to see her handsome boyfriend, wearing faded blue jeans and an Emerson basketball jacket, jog toward her.
Swinging Nancy around in a hug, he said, “Sorry I missed you at breakfast. I had to go over the order of the floats for the parade this afternoon.”
“That’s okay.” While Bess wandered among the booths, Nancy told Ned about the note she’d received.
“Bess is right—you are in danger,” Ned said gravely when she was done. “Promise you’ll be careful, okay?”
“I always am,” Nancy said, giving him a hug. “What’s the latest on Randy?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“He says he’s feeling fine. He’s even going to ride on the team float—”
“This fair is great,” said Bess, moving back to them. She held up a sweater with colorful geometric designs on it in one hand, and a belt in the other. “Look what I bought.”
“Uh-oh. Everyone better move fast, before you buy out the whole fair,” Nancy teased.
Bess grinned. “You know I can’t resist a bargain.”
Bess broke off as she heard a cry.
“Help! Help me!”
Spinning around, Nancy glimpsed a flurry of motion behind the shiny glass facade of the modern library building that stood on the opposite side of the oval. Someone had opened one of the windows on the third story. In the open space, she could see two figures struggling.
Nancy squinted, trying to follow the action. Her breath caught in her throat as one of the figures was pushed out the library window an instant later. Beside her, Bess let out a bloodcurdling scream.
A young man wearing an Emerson football team jacket was now dangling from the window ledge! His attacker shoved him, apparently trying to push him from the building.
There was nothing for the player to cling to on the building’s sleek facade except the window ledge.
And there was nothing but cold, hard pavement three stones below the window.
Chapter Eleven
“Hey—someone’s trying to kill Randy!” Bess shouted.
Her heart pounding, Nancy took off at a flat-out run for the library. She was halfway to it when she glanced up again and noticed that the player had shiny blond hair.
It wasn’t Randy but Josh Mitchell dangling there. The figure struggling with Josh was dressed in dark colors, and it looked as if his head was covered with a black ski mask.
As Nancy raced on, the figure inside continued to try to dislodge Josh. Then, suddenly, the attacker disappeared from view. Josh dangled for only a moment longer, then pulled himself inside. An audible sigh of relief rippled through the crowd on the oval.
By the time Nancy reached the door of the library, Ned was beside her. Together they raced inside and stopped short in front of the two elevators, checking the indicator lights above the doors. One car was ascending. The other seemed to be stopped in the basement.