My Deadly Valentine Read online

  “That sounds pretty nasty,” Bess said.

  Nancy agreed, and decided to have a talk with Tamara.

  The opportunity came sooner than Nancy had expected. At noon she and Bess walked into the student union snack bar, looking for Ned. Instead Nancy spotted Tamara Carlson moving through the line.

  “Why don’t you grab us a table?” Nancy murmured to Bess. “I’ll be right back.”

  She joined Tamara in line and tapped her on the shoulder. “Tamara, remember me?”

  The girl studied Nancy, then she smiled. “You’re the detective, right?”

  “Nancy Drew. I’m here to spend Sweetheart Week with my boyfriend,” Nancy explained, trying to set Tamara at ease.

  “That’s nice,” the girl said, sliding a slice of pie onto her tray. “But aren’t you investigating the attack on Rosie Lopez?”

  Nancy glanced away. News traveled fast on a college campus. “Not officially,” she answered. “What do you know about it?”

  “Just that she’s in the hospital.” Tamara paid the cashier, then turned to Nancy. “I’m sorry about what happened to Rosie. It sounds awful. But I admit, I want to be the next Sweetheart. Her bad luck could be my big break.” She turned and walked to a table.

  Nancy followed her. The chairs at the table were covered with Delta Zeta jackets.

  “Just one more question,” Nancy said before Tamara had a chance to pull out a chair and sit down. “Where were you last night after the party, say, after eleven-thirty?”

  Tamara’s face puckered in anger. “What is this—an interrogation?”

  “No.” Nancy was surprised by Tamara’s tone, but she wasn’t backing off. “It’s just a simple question.”

  “Tell her what I was doing last night,” Tamara said, glancing at her sorority sisters, who were just arriving at the table with their food-laden trays.

  “Last night?” one Delta girl with pale blond hair piped up. “Wasn’t that when—”

  “I was holed up in the kitchen, studying for that history exam,” Tamara insisted.

  The blond girl seemed confused for a second. She glanced toward Tamara, then said, “Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

  The other Delta sisters nodded like robots.

  I’ve hit a wall, Nancy thought. If Tamara was lying, she’d never get it out of any of the Delta Zetas!

  Chapter

  Four

  WHAT’S THE MATTER?” Bess asked when Nancy joined her at the table.

  Nancy told Bess about her conversation with Tamara Carlson. “She has a strong motive,” Nancy said finally, “and her alibi is flimsy. I don’t believe her, though I can’t prove that the Deltas are covering for her.”

  “Wow!” Bess exclaimed. “It’s hard to imagine Tamara attacking Rosie.”

  “That’s true,” Nancy said, glancing back at the Deltas. “But there’s definitely a problem between them. I’ve got to find out what Tamara was really doing last night.”

  “In the meantime, Cupid’s still on the loose.”

  “Let’s hope he doesn’t strike again,” Nancy said. “But that reminds me—remember the note from Cupid?” When Bess nodded, Nancy continued. “It was written on the back of a wiring diagram. If I can track down where that diagram came from, I’m one step closer to Cupid.”

  “Where would you find a wiring diagram?” Bess wondered aloud.

  “In an engineering textbook,” Nancy suggested. “Or a maintenance manual. That’s why I want to check out every inch of this building.” The previous night’s police search had not gone beyond the garden.

  Just then Nancy caught sight of Ned in the doorway of the snack bar. She waved him over. When he reached the table, he dropped his knapsack onto a chair.

  “How did your classes go?” Nancy asked him.

  “Fine,” Ned said, smiling down at the girls. “But I’ve worked up a major appetite. Let’s eat!”

  They made their way through the line at the snack bar, putting burgers, fries, and salads on their trays. As they sat down at the table and started eating, Ned asked about Rosie.

  Bess gave him an update on the girl’s condition, adding, “The Theta Pis asked Nancy to investigate, and of course she agreed.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” Ned said, grinning at Nancy. “Any leads so far?”

  “Well,” Nancy said, “I’ve spoken to Tamara Carlson, who’s thrilled at the prospect of becoming Sweetheart now that Rosie’s in the hospital. She has a motive, but I’m not sure about her alibi. I found out that Fitz was the last person seen with Rosie. I need to get the details from him. And then there’s Rosie’s boyfriend—”

  “Who’s standing in line even as we speak,” Ned said. “Let’s see if he’ll join us.”

  When Casey left the snack bar with a bag of food, Ned caught his attention. “Pull up a chair,” he told his teammate.

  “Okay,” Casey said. His blond hair hung loose around his shoulders, and he looked tired as he shrugged off his team jacket.

  “Rough night?” Ned asked.

  “I’ll say.” Casey pulled a wrapped sandwich and french fries out of the paper bag. “I was going to eat in my room in the dorm. All morning I’ve been getting the cold shoulder. Everyone has heard what happened to Rosie last night, and apparently I’m guilty until proven innocent.”

  “Did you talk to the police?” Nancy asked.

  Casey nodded. “They came to the dorm early this morning.” He bit into a french fry. “They told me to stay away from her completely. No phone calls, letters, or visits. I guess Rosie and I picked a lousy time to argue. If I’d been with her, maybe none of this would have happened . . .”

  “But last night it was clear that you were mad at her,” Nancy pointed out.

  “Not at her,” Casey said. “I was ticked off at that sorority—and I still am. The Theta Pis caused the friction between Rosie and me. They’re always demanding Rosie’s time for meetings and rushes and parties.”

  “It’s part of sorority life,” Bess said.

  “Yeah,” Casey replied, “but sometimes they go overboard. It was getting to the point where Rosie and I never had a chance to be alone.”

  Nancy wondered if Rosie had been using the sorority to put some distance between herself and Casey. Maybe Rosie’s interest in him was fading. In any case, the guy clearly held a grudge against the sorority.

  “Where did you go last night after you left the sports complex?” Nancy asked him.

  “I went ballistic.” Casey frowned. “I jumped in my car and hit the road. I spent a few hours pumping quarters into a video machine at an arcade downtown.”

  “What’s the place called?” Nancy asked.

  “The Video Zone,” Casey said. “You know it, Nickerson.”

  “Sure.” Ned nodded. “Just off Main Street.”

  As they finished eating, Ned tried to cheer up his teammate, but Casey’s mood didn’t change.

  “I’ve got another class,” Ned said, checking his watch as they stacked their trays.

  “Me, too,” said Casey.

  “What are you girls doing this afternoon?” Ned asked.

  “Research,” Nancy said cryptically. “Which reminds me. Where’s the engineering department?”

  “Emerson doesn’t have one,” Ned told her.

  I guess that rules out an engineering textbook, Nancy thought.

  “I’ll catch you later,” Ned said. “Are we still on for the Sweetheart Feature tonight?”

  Nancy had forgotten about the romantic movie that would be shown as part of Sweetheart Week. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty,” Ned dropped a kiss on Nancy’s cheek, then followed Casey out of the snack bar.

  As soon as the guys had left, Nancy turned to Bess. “Let’s find a phone,” she said, gesturing toward the lobby. “We have some calls to make.”

  There was a row of pay phones opposite the bookstore. While Nancy placed her calls, Bess went off to browse through the
shop.

  Nancy’s first call was to Dean Jarvis. She told him that Rosie had left the party with Mike Fitzgerald.

  “I’ll have the police question him,” the dean said. “Maybe he can fill us in on the events leading up to the attack.”

  After the dean hung up, Nancy pulled a phone book onto the shelf. She looked up the number of the Video Zone and dialed it.

  “I’d like to speak to whoever was on duty at the arcade last night,” Nancy told the guy who answered.

  “That’d be Tiger. He’s off till Friday. You can try him then.”

  But today’s only Wednesday, Nancy thought, frowning. “I can’t wait that long,” she said. “Can you give me his home number?”

  There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and then the guy said, “I can’t give out an employee’s number.”

  “But this is important,” Nancy said firmly.

  “Nice try, honey, but we get calls about Tiger all the time. He’s got a ton of admirers. Get in line.” His tone was slightly snide.

  “What?” Nancy asked, confused.

  “I can’t give you the guy’s home number just because you’ve got a crush on him.”

  “No,” Nancy insisted. “You don’t understand. This is about a case I’m—”

  “Sorry.” The Video Zone employee cut her off. “Call back on Friday.” With that, he hung up.

  Nancy sighed. She would have to wait to confirm Casey’s alibi. She went into the bookshop to find Bess.

  “Let’s see if Fitz is on duty,” Nancy said to her friend. “I want to ask him a few questions about last night, and maybe he can help us check out the building.”

  From the bookstore clerk Nancy learned that the student union office was on the bottom floor. They were on their way to the ramp when Bess spotted Fitz moving some furniture in the pit.

  “Do you do everything around here?” Bess teased him.

  “Sometimes it feels that way. I’m pretty much paying my own way through school, so I work a lot of hours.” He straightened, then climbed out of the pit. “What are you up to today?” he asked cheerfully.

  “We’re trying to find out what happened to Rosie last night,” Bess blurted out.

  “Isn’t it awful?” Fitz frowned. “I can’t help but feel responsible.”

  “When was the last time you saw her, Fitz?” Nancy asked the husky guy.

  He fingered a large key ring he was holding. “Around midnight, I guess. I needed to talk to the night manager.”

  “Did Rosie come into the building with you?”

  Fitz nodded. “But I left her in the lobby and went to the union office. I couldn’t have been in there more than five minutes. When I came back, Rosie was gone.” He shrugged. “I just assumed she got impatient and left without me. She wasn’t in the best of moods after breaking up with Casey.”

  “Exactly where were you?” Nancy asked.

  “First floor, downstairs,” Fitz answered.

  “Mind if we take a look?” Nancy asked.

  “No problem,” Fitz said. “In fact, I can give you a tour of the whole building if—”

  “Nancy!” someone called.

  The girls turned to face the main entrance, where Kristin was pushing her way past a group of students. Her cheeks, ruddy from running, nearly matched her red ski parka.

  “What’s up?” Nancy called.

  Kristin came to a halt in front of Fitz and the girls. “We just heard from the hospital!”

  “Is Rosie okay?” Fitz asked.

  “She’s wide awake,” Kristin said. “And the police have already talked to her about what happened last night!”

  Chapter

  Five

  I WANT TO TALK to Rosie right away,” Nancy said excitedly. “This investigation could be wrapped up sooner than anyone expected.”

  “A bunch of us are driving over to the hospital,” Kristin said. “You can ride in my car, if you want. I’m finished with classes for the day, so you can spend as much time as you need.”

  “That would be great,” Nancy said. “Thanks.”

  “Well, give her my best,” Fitz said. “I’d go with you, but I’m on duty here.”

  “I might still be interested in a tour of the building,” Nancy told Fitz as she zipped up her parka. “Can I catch you later this afternoon?”

  “I’ll be here till four,” he said, then waved as the girls hurried out the main door.

  • • •

  Emersonville’s hospital was a gray, three-story building on Main Street. Kristin parked her car two spots down from Juanita, who had brought Brook and Trish in her compact wagon.

  The girls braced themselves against the chilly wind and hurried inside. At the main desk, a nurse directed them to a semiprivate room on the second floor. Inside, they found Rosie sitting up in bed, her arm in a plaster cast and sling, her face still a little pale. A nurse stood beside her, checking the intravenous tube.

  “Hey, Rosie,” Kristin called, knocking on the open door. The girls called out greetings as they spilled into the room and gathered around the bed.

  “I’m glad you guys came,” Rosie said, forcing a smile.

  Suddenly everybody talked at the same time.

  “We brought you some clothes,” Juanita said.

  “You look a little washed out,” said Brook.

  “When are you coming home?” Trish asked.

  Nancy waited as Rosie’s sisters chatted with her, trying to cheer her up.

  “I want to come home today,” Rosie said, nodding at the nurse. “But the doctor has other plans.”

  “We’re running some tests,” the nurse said as she made a note on Rosie’s chart and hung it on the bottom of the bed. “And the doctor would like to keep you a few days for observation. You can’t be too careful with a head injury. I wouldn’t plan on returning to school until early next week.”

  “Next week!” Juanita said as the nurse left.

  “I know,” Rosie said, frowning. “There goes Sweetheart Week. I could just cry.”

  The girls exchanged looks of disappointment.

  As they continued talking, Nancy went over and picked up Rosie’s medical chart. The notes were written in a scrawl, but Nancy managed to decipher them. Rosie had a concussion and a fractured radius, a bone in the lower arm. The doctor had determined that she’d been struck by a “blunt object.”

  “Is there anything else we can get you while we’re here?” Trish offered.

  When Rosie asked for some “real food,” Juanita, Brook, and Trish offered to run over to a nearby diner. While they made the trip, Nancy, Bess, and Kristin stayed with Rosie.

  “Thank goodness you’re going to be okay,” said Bess, trying to boost Rosie’s spirits.

  When Rosie glanced down at the cast on her arm, Nancy asked, “Do you remember who did this to you?”

  “I never saw the person who attacked me,” Rosie explained. “I was in the student union, waiting for Fitz. He was in one of the offices, and I was standing in the lobby when everything went black. Someone must have hit me from behind.”

  “Do you remember anything? Like being dragged? Did you see hands, or a blunt weapon?” Nancy probed.

  “Nothing.” Sadness darkened her brown eyes as she looked up at Nancy. “The police were here this morning. They asked me that, too. They told me that you found me outside, but I have no idea how I got there.”

  “When you entered the union, was there anyone else around?” Nancy continued.

  Rosie frowned. “I think there was a group in the pit, and the lights were on in the snack bar. But I didn’t see anyone come into the lobby itself while I was there.” She paused. “Of course, I was looking at the bulletin board.”

  Kristin came to Rosie’s side. “Nancy’s investigating the attack. She’s a detective.”

  “Really?” Rosie’s eyes widened. “I could use your help. Somebody really did a number on me. And from the sound of that note the police read to me, I could be in for even more trouble
!”

  “You’re safe for now,” Kristin told Rosie, “at least while you’re in the hospital.”

  “But the person who attacked me—that Cupid—has to be stopped,” Rosie insisted.

  “Do you have any idea who would want to hurt you?” Nancy asked.

  “Sure,” Rosie said. “Tamara Carlson. And it burns me up to think that she’ll be presiding over the Sweetheart Ball while I’m lying here in a hospital bed.”

  Nancy was surprised by Rosie’s vehemence. “Do you think Tamara is strong enough to do this to you?”

  “She’s a cheerleader, someone who’s in good shape,” Rosie pointed out.

  “What about Casey?” Nancy suggested. “He was pretty mad when you broke up with him. . . .”

  “I don’t think Casey would hurt me,” Rosie said. “The person who knocked me out wanted to get rid of the Emerson Sweetheart.” She touched her neck reflexively, then frowned. “My Sweetheart locket,” she said. “It’s gone!”

  “Maybe the nurses took it off when you were admitted,” Nancy said.

  “I’ll go check,” Bess volunteered, ducking out of the room. A moment later, she returned with the nurse.

  “What’s this about missing jewelry?” the nurse asked. She checked Rosie’s chart, then shook her head. “I didn’t think so. You weren’t wearing a locket when you came in, Rosie. We would have removed it when we took X-rays, but there’s no record of it. Sorry.”

  “Maybe it fell off when you were dragged,” Bess suggested. “Maybe we’ll come across it if we search around the student union.”

  And if we find it, maybe the locket will lead us to Rosie’s attacker, Nancy thought.

  • • •

  By the time the girls returned to campus, Nancy was eager to tour the student union. Rosie’s story about the attack had confirmed Fitz’s version, and now Nancy wanted to check out the area where it had occurred.

  It was nearly three when Nancy, Bess, and Kristin entered the lobby of the student union.

  As they passed the bookstore, Kristin said, “I’ve got to work on my valentine for the auction. I’ve been procrastinating too long.”