Sisters in Crime by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online Page A

mind.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Nancy asked.
    â€œStay out of that Sigma Kappa house—I don’t want you falling in love with any golden California Adonises.”
    â€œNo chance of that.” Nancy laughed. “I’m in love with an Emerson College student, whom I miss very much. I’ll call soon,” Nancy said as she and Ned kissed goodbye into their phones.
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    Sitting in the basement study hall after dinner, Nancy wrote a letter home to Hannah Gruen. Hannah had been Nancy’s housekeeper, friend, and mother substitute since Nancy was three. Nancy had promised to write her a note from sunny California.
    The only other person in the study hall at that time was Alice Clark, a quiet person whom Nancy knew almost nothing about, and who seemed to always be alone.
    But within minutes Kathy, another member of Lori’s crowd, came down the stairs and joined Nancy.
    Opening her books, Kathy began to complain immediately. “I hate studying. I shouldn’t be a student. I’m not cut out for it. Look at this junk,” she said, pointing to a history text. “Who cares? I mean, really, I do not care one little bit whether something happened in 1066 A.D. or not.”
    â€œAre there any courses you enjoy?” Nancy asked.
    â€œMusic appreciation, I guess. But then, you have to listen to everything so carefully that it really takes the beauty out of the music. The other night after I’d been studying for a music test, I woke up in the middle of the night. There was a thunderstorm, and honestly, I lay there in bed trying to remember who the composer was before I figured out it was thunder!”
    When Nancy began to laugh, Alice Clark looked up from her work and gave them both looks of annoyance. “Sorry,” Nancy whispered.
    â€œLet’s get out of here,” Kathy said in a normal voice. “Or are you in the middle of something you have to finish?”
    â€œNo, just a letter home,” Nancy answered.
    â€œWant to take a walk? It’s warm and beautiful out there tonight.” Glancing in Alice’s direction, Kathy added, “It’s too nice a night for even you to be studying, Alice. Want to come with us?”
    â€œNo, thank you,” Alice said in a very quiet voice, and quickly looked back down at her book.
    â€œI’d be glad to take a walk,” Nancy said.
    â€œGood, I’ll meet you on the porch,” Kathy said. “I’d better grab a jacket.”
    Nancy glanced down at the long-sleeved white shirt that she had borrowed from Susan and decided she’d be okay in just that.
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    â€œI swear, I don’t know how that girl got into this sorority,” Kathy said as soon as she and Nancy headed out into the clear, beautiful night. They both stopped for a minute and breathed in the fresh ocean air.
    â€œI mean,” Kathy continued, “she does nothing but study. She has no fun or friends. And it’s not like she was a legacy or anything.” Kathy tossed a light khaki jacket over her shoulders as she said, “Sometimes strange things happen in this place.”
    â€œMaybe she was asked to join to bring the sorority’s grade point average even higher,” Nancy said, glancing around at the buildings they were passing. SDU was a huge campus, and they were walking in a part of it that Nancy had not explored yet. “I know how Delta Phi values its high academic standing.”
    â€œWell, there are other methods for getting good grades besides studying,” Kathy said meaningfully.
    â€œLike what?” Nancy asked.
    â€œLike ‘cooperation,’ ” Kathy said with a smile. Walking past the large gymnasium and tennis courts, Kathy steered Nancy to the left. Kathysaid, “In the biology building we’ve got a friend. A teaching assistant who’s very cooperative.”
    â€œCooperative?” Nancy asked