“Did you leave this jar near the stage, young lady?” the chief asked Kristin.
“No!” She shook her head adamantly. “Of course not. I left it over in the bushes near the gym. I had to have it close, but I didn’t want to bring it too close to the crowd, especially with the bonfire and all.”
The chief frowned. “Are you sure you didn’t leave it near the platform?”
“Positive,” Kristin told him.
“Could’ve been that some idiot moved it,” the fire chief suggested after a short silence. “But it’s more likely that it rolled over here.”
“Or someone could have moved the jar accidentally,” Nancy said slowly. Still, she couldn’t rid herself of a niggling doubt that lingered in her mind.
Shaking her head, she picked up her leather jacket and returned to Ned and Bess.
“There’s nothing more to do here,” Ned told her, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s head over to the victory party.”
As they walked to the gym, Nancy told Ned and Bess about the fire chiefs ruling on the fire. “They think it was an accident,” Nancy explained, “but I’m not satisfied with their conclusion. I’m not blaming Kristin, but how did that kerosene get so near the platform?” She shook herself, adding, “On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense that someone would try to start a fire on purpose.”
“I can see that Detective Drew is onto another case,” Bess teased.
“Over my dead body,” Ned insisted as he pulled open the gymnasium door. “You have strict orders to kick back and only have fun this weekend.”
“Well, there’s a mystery I’d like solved,” said Bess, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Rumor has it that a twenty-foot hero is being served—and I want to find it before it’s all eaten!”
The gym was already crowded when they entered. A sound system had been set up, and some students were dancing while others dug into the food that was set up against one wall. A cluster of orange-shirted football players was beside the food tables. One of the guys in the group happened to turn as Ned, Nancy, and Bess walked up.
“Bess! Is that you?” he asked.
“Jerry!” Bess rushed over to give him a quick hug. “It’s great to see you. You guys looked terrific at the rally. Are you psyched for Sunday’s game?” she asked in an excited rush.
“Hey, McEntee,” Ned said in greeting. Nancy smiled and said, “Hi, Jerry. We’re coming over to check out the food. How is it?”
“Great,” he said, grinning.
The four of them dug into the giant sandwich, then climbed up to an empty row of bleachers to sit and eat.
“This is sensational,” Bess commented, taking a bite of her sandwich.
Just then Nancy noticed a good-looking guy striding by. He had slicked-back blond hair and a muscular build.
“McEntee!” the guy called, noticing Jerry in the stands. “What’s happening?” He climbed nimbly onto the bleachers to shake Jerry’s hand.
Jerry introduced Nancy and Bess. “This is Josh Mitchell, our first-string quarterback.” He nudged Josh on the shoulder. “At least he was—and will be again, as soon as he gets his grades up.”
“Tell me about it,” Josh said, obviously embarrassed. “I wish I could be on the field with you guys on Sunday.”
“Me, too,” Jerry agreed. He turned to Bess to explain. “The Russell Pirates are our biggest rivals, so Sunday’s really important for us. Also, if we win, we might have a shot at the state championship.”
“After that fire tonight, it’s lucky that Emerson still has a team,” Nancy put in.
Josh nodded. “That was scary. If Randy got hurt, we wouldn’t have a chance of winning.”
“The important thing is for you to hit the books, man,” Jerry reminded Josh, clapping him on the back.
“I know,” said Josh. “I’m working on it. Can you believe I’ve got two papers due on Monday, right after homecoming? But I’ll get them in. There’s no way I’m going to stay on academic probation for the whole season.”
The conversation returned to football. As Josh explained some of the team’s new plays, Nancy became a little bored and began to scan the gym. An orange-and-purple football jacket caught her eye because it was moving straight toward her. She saw that it was Randy. He had changed into clean jeans and a sweatshirt under the jacket.