Poisoned (3 page)

On Sunday morning Jeri was still sleeping hard when her alarm buzzed. Shuffling down the hall to the shower, she passed Emily and Brooke’s room. The door was ajar, and she knocked. No one answered, but her light tap pushed the door open.

Their room was bright from the double windows facing east. Jeri stared in surprise at a lumpy sculpture beneath the window. The surface of the gray clay was covered with meandering red and blue lines. Those were veins, Jeri finally realized, on a brain! It must be part of Emily’s science fair display. Beside the sculpture, a big red poster with giant blue letters read “BRAIN FUNCTION: Facts and Fun!” Smaller blue letters read “Puzzles and Brain Teasers Develop Reasoning Skills in Your Prefrontal Cortex!”
Whatever that means,
thought Jeri.

Another poster—yellow this time—had bold green lettering: “Can Science Improve on Mother Nature?” Nearby, jars labeled Carnations, Irises, Daffodils, and Lilies lined the windowsill. Some of the blooms looked fresh, others rather wilted. According to the poster, Brooke was testing what to add to the water—like sugar or salt — to make bouquets last longer.

Jeri hated science and was thankful not to be in the science fair. She excelled in English, though, and hoped to win the media fair award. She really needed that scholarship so she could return in the fall. Early in the school year, all Jeri had wanted to do was go back to Iowa. Now, after a year at Landmark School for Girls in Virginia, she couldn’t imagine life without Abby and Rosa.

Jeri zipped through her shower in record time, glad she’d picked out her outfit the night before. She planned to wear black pants and a soft orange top that was fuzzy as a blanket. It looked good with her dark brown hair.

But when she stepped into their room and saw the pink blouse and miniskirt Rosa was wearing, it made her own outfit look babyish. She sighed inwardly. She was kidding herself. Boys weren’t blind. Even someone as nice as Dallas would never notice her with Rosa around.

When Jeri, Rosa, and Abby left for the church twenty minutes later, they passed Emily and Brooke coming up the stairs.

“Cool shirt, Rosa!” Brooke cried.

Jeri waited at the bottom of the stairs while Rosa told Brooke where she could buy a shirt like it. “Want me to show you?” Rosa asked. “I’m good at shopping online.”

“Not today,” Brooke said. “I’m saving my money for something else.”

“Rosa, come on,” Jeri said. “We’ll miss the van.”

They dodged light raindrops on the way to the pickup area, where the sprinkles turned to showers. They crawled into the air-conditioned van. Jeri shivered, her damp shirt clammy in the blasting air conditioning.
I hope it’s warmer
in church,
she thought. It wasn’t. And Dallas and Jonathan weren’t there, which was even more troubling.

“Where’re the guys?” Rosa asked. “Their school van’s here.”

“I don’t know.” Jeri chewed her lower lip. Was Dallas back in his dorm sick? She caught her breath. Or in the
hospital?
Maybe the spoiled food hadn’t hit him till later.

When they returned from church, Ms. Carter informed them that Nikki had come home that morning. They raced upstairs to find her propped up in bed, watching a movie on her laptop.
Bet it’s a horse movie,
Jeri guessed. She smiled when she spotted
The Dreamer
DVD case.

“How
are
you?” Abby called, rushing across the room.

“Not bad considering my roommate tried to poison me.”

At Abby’s horrified expression, Jeri added, “Nikki’s just kidding!”

“Says who?” Nikki paused her movie and rearranged the heating pad on her abdomen. “My stomach feels like it got ripped in half. My rear end is bruised from three shots powerful enough to stop a rhino. Riding will hurt all week.”

Abby’s voice was small and faint. “I’m so sorry.”

“It was an accident, so give Abby a break,” Jeri said. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Like what?” Nikki—usually the picture of indifference—had a wild look in her eyes now. “Ms. Carter won’t let me go outside—doctor’s orders. Do you
know
what this does to Show Stopper’s exercise schedule? He needs to be worked every day! Ridden, jumped!”

“I can ride him for you,” Jeri said, “but I can’t jump.”

“The competition’s only six days away! I can’t take two or three days off. It would set us back too much.”

Abby stepped forward then. “This is my fault.” She paused. “I’ll do it for you.”

“You
?” Nikki laughed scornfully. “You’re scared to death of horses.”

“I can do it afraid.” Abby’s forced smile couldn’t hide her trembling lip.

“How about this instead?” Jeri asked. “Dallas comes from a cattle ranch in Texas, and he knows horses as well as you do. I’ll email him. Maybe he could exercise Show Stopper for you after school a couple days.”

“Show Stopper’s not a broken-down pony for some cowboy to dig his spurs into! He’s a thoroughbred!”

“Look, what other choice do you have?” Jeri tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “I really think Dallas would take good care of your horse.”

“If he’s not sick too,” Rosa said. “He wasn’t in Sunday school today.”

“Want me to go email him?” Jeri said.

Nikki scowled, staring at her motionless movie screen, and then nodded. “That might work.” She cleared her throat and glanced at Abby. “Sorry I yelled at ya.”

“It’s okay.”

Jeri left them watching the movie. She decided to instant message Dallas, in case he was already online.

Jerichogirl: HEY RU SIC?

About ten seconds later, a message appeared.

TexMex: HEY NOT NOW

Jerichogirl: NIKKI 2 INFIRMARY. HOME NOW & CRABBY

TexMex: Y

Jerichogirl: NO -1 2 EXERCISE SHOW STOPPER ON JUMPS

TexMex: FYI I KNOW HORSES. I CAN DO IT

Jerichogirl: TOMORROW?

TexMex: 2DAY IF I CAN GET RIDE W/ JAMES. HIS GF GOES 2UR SCHOOL

Jerichogirl: K

Nearly a minute passed while Jeri watched her blinking cursor. Then words popped up again.

TexMex: SORRY NOT GOING 2DAY. WHAT NOW?

Jerichogirl: IDK I CAN RIDE NOT JUMP

TexMex: IBRB

Jeri waited, but he
wasn’t
right back. It was blank so long she wondered if her Internet connection was broken. Too bad his friend James wasn’t coming to see his girlfriend today. Jeri was ready to close down when another message popped up.

TexMex: U THERE

Jerichogirl: AAK

TexMex: JAMES CHANGED MIND. I CAN B THERE @ 4 2 RIDE

Jerichogirl: THX NIKKI WILL B GLAD!!!!! ME2 BFN

TexMex: CU@ 4.

Jerichogirl: TTFN HAGD

HAGD. Have a great day.
Jeri smiled. She planned to have a great day now too.

After a roast-and-potatoes Sunday dinner in the dining hall, Jeri changed into old clothes to wear to the barn later. They were last year’s jeans, which she’d outgrown, making them fashionably tight hip huggers now. Except they didn’t stay up as well as they used to, she thought, giving them an extra tug. She
wasn’t
wearing tight jeans because Dallas was coming, she assured herself. They were just old, and it wouldn’t matter if they got dirty. Her T-shirt covered everything as long as she kept her arms down.

Abby joined Jeri and Rosa in their room later. “Nikki’s having a little kip. I’m awfully glad Dallas can help,” she said. “This is all my fault.”

“I’d feel rotten if I were you too,” Rosa agreed.

Jeri frowned. Couldn’t Rosa sound more sympathetic? Jeri tipped her desk chair back against the wall. “I bet the food from the store was bad. It was delivered, right?”

Abby nodded. “That redhead—Scottie?—brought the food.”

“He’s a cutie,” Rosa said, smacking her lips loudly.

Jeri ignored her. “What time did he come?”

“Around three. Maybe later.”

“Did you save the receipt? Something you signed?”

Abby nodded. “I had to keep records of the costs for my project.”

“Can I see it?” An idea was forming in Jeri’s mind. “What if—” She cut herself off. No use getting Abby’s hopes up yet.

Abby retrieved the receipt, and Jeri studied it in silence. The time stamped on the signed ticket was 3:09 p.m. the day before. The store’s phone number was printed at the bottom. She wondered when Scottie actually left the store with Abby’s delivery. She reached for her phone. Five minutes later, she hung up and turned to Abby with a smile.

“I think I know what happened, and it
wasn’t
your fault.” She waved the receipt. “It says here that Scottie delivered your food at 3:09. According to Mr. Howard, he left the store before 2:00 with only one delivery—yours. The grocery store’s only a ten-minute drive away, so he was probably at Landmark School by 2:10. Apparently Scottie got in trouble for taking a detour to visit his girlfriend. He must have done it before coming here.” She paused and leaned forward. “Get it?”

Abby’s eyes widened. “Scottie left my groceries in a hot car for an hour!”

Jeri nodded. “That’s how the cold stuff spoiled.”

Rosa snapped her fingers. “And why those biscuits exploded so easily. They were already hot.”

“Smashing!” Abby cried, sinking back in her chair. “Brilliant.”

“Let’s go tell Ms. Carter,” Jeri said.

“I agree with your deductions, girls,” Ms. Carter said a few minutes later in her office. She hugged Abby. “Now

you can stop feeling so bad. There’s no way we could have known Scottie left the food in a hot car.” A small frown puckered her forehead. “I
do
need to call Headmistress Long about this though. The school buys fresh produce and milk from the store. We can’t have this happening again.”

Jeri tapped the list. “Abby, it says you ordered fresh mushrooms.”

“For the salad.”

“Aren’t some kinds of mushrooms poisonous?”

Ms. Carter nodded. “Yes, but not the kind you buy in the store. This time of year people get sick from eating mushrooms they find growing in the wild. Morel mushroom hunting is very popular in the spring, but people accidentally pick poisonous mushrooms as well.”

An idea was forming in Jeri’s mind about doing an article on accidental food poisoning for her media fair entry. She’d start her article with Nikki going to the infirmary and tell about tracking down the source of the food poisoning. Could she mention Scottie or Howard’s Grocery without getting sued? Surely she’d be safe if she stuck to the truth about him leaving the food in a hot car. After all, truth was what investigative reporters uncovered and exposed.

She could also discuss other kinds of food poisoning. There must be photos online comparing poisonous and safe mushrooms. The school also had a greenhouse near the Sports Center, and she knew Mr. Petrie, the gardener.

She’d liked him ever since he gave her some flowers for Abby when she was sick a few months ago. Jeri bet she could get an interview with him and also with Nikki. Nothing like quotes from an expert plus the victim to give her article a boost.

The doorbell rang, interrupting her planning. Jeri glanced up. Four o’clock already! This time she beat Rosa to the door — barely — tugging her tight jeans higher as she walked.

Together they led Dallas back to Ms. Carter’s office, and Jeri explained why he was there. “Can Nikki show Dallas what exercises to do with Show Stopper?”

“She can’t go to the barn—not today. Doctor’s orders.” Ms. Carter tapped a pencil on the desk. “The horse show means so much to her, though. How about if she comes downstairs and gives you some instructions? Would that be enough, Dallas?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He twisted his Stetson around in his hands. “I only need a list of the exercises to put him through. Jeri can show me his stall then. My ride doesn’t go back to Patterson till six o’clock.”

“You’re kind to help her out,” Ms. Carter said. “She’ll be very grateful.” She grinned suddenly. “Even if she doesn’t show it much.”

Jeri laughed and then went to get Nikki. Nikki hurried downstairs, still wearing her sweats and a wrinkled T-shirt that declared “Treat a woman like a racehorse, and she’ll never be a nag.” She hadn’t combed her hair in two days, Jeri bet. She envied Nikki for not caring how she looked—her rumpled appearance, her bedhead, her dark sunken eyes, the sleep crease across her cheek. Show Stopper was her only concern.

Nikki wrote out a detailed list of exercises, giving Dallas all kinds of pointers that Jeri knew he didn’t need. But Dallas just nodded. Then she produced a digital camera for Jeri. “Photograph each exercise from every angle. Also try to snap the exact moment they go over fences.”

Jeri nodded and slipped the camera case strap over her shoulder. “Let’s go,” she said, smiling at Dallas.

“Wait up!”

Jeri turned as Rosa grabbed her pink ball cap from the hall tree. Jeri fumed silently. Why did Rosa have to come? She’d do all the talking now.

Nikki disappeared into the study while Jeri waited for Rosa to make a ponytail. From inside the study, Jeri heard Brooke ask Nikki for a small loan. “Just for a couple days till Dad puts my allowance in my account.”

“Okay,” Nikki said, “but no more till you pay me back.”

Jeri shook her head. She couldn’t imagine being Nikki or Brooke, whose parents filled their checking accounts.
Oh, well!
“Come on, Rosa. Your hair looks fine.”

Rosa followed them out the door and pulled it closed after her. “Thanks for helping Nikki,” Rosa said, falling into step on the other side of Dallas.

Jeri moved over to make room for her on the narrow sidewalk and slipped off the edge, turning her ankle. She could walk in the grass beside Dallas, but that felt stupid. Jeri dropped behind them. Dallas glanced over his shoulder, moved to the grass himself, and motioned Jeri forward to walk in the middle. Her heart warmed as she moved between them. Rosa didn’t seem to care, though, as she chattered nonstop all the way to the barn.

The next two hours was the most fun Jeri’d had in weeks. She could have watched Dallas trot and canter around the outdoor ring all night. He barely touched the saddle, not
thwumping
it repeatedly like some of the riders. Jeri noticed several girls studying Dallas on Nikki’s thoroughbred.