That afternoon, during lunch break, Nancy approached me. For the first time, in a long time, she didn’t look hostile. Without looking the slightest bit awkward she took a seat beside Jenny and me. Both of us, in the middle of opening our lunchboxes, looked at her disbelievingly.496Please respect copyright.PENANAZev5R6VptF
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“I have something to say to you.” She said, more to me than Jenny. “I think you know what the Inspector has in mind…”496Please respect copyright.PENANApUblaeRB6d
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“He intends to tie us three to Jolly’s murder.” I said, matter-of-factly. “He said as much to my face.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAo3MuELykWs
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I wondered about that too. Although, my interactions with the Inspector were far from friendly, something told me that he wouldn’t carry out the threat. Maybe it was foolish of me to believe that.496Please respect copyright.PENANAFEVlYa2r1t
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“You, Jenny and me.” Nancy said slowly. “He…He thinks we were working together to get rid of Jolly. We all know how much he hates your father… At the moment he’s chasing after the incident in the physics lab but…What if that leads nowhere and he turns his attention back towards us.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAtiGE2GbP0Y
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“I don’t think he’ll go that far…”496Please respect copyright.PENANAj830VVu3jM
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“But what if he does?” Jenny chimed in. “What if we go down for a crime someone else committed?”496Please respect copyright.PENANAfAANwn7lj2
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“Look…I’m not saying we should be paranoid but…” Nancy said. “We have to protect ourselves.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAWa1mzYytE2
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“What?”496Please respect copyright.PENANA4xJGIbESd6
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“Keep our eyes and ears open for…for anything that could point at the true murderer.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAK7v31va4ud
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“Have you gone crazy, Nancy?" I asked incredulously. “Do you think we’re in a movie or something?”496Please respect copyright.PENANAlxgWnVOTHR
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“Don’t be ridiculous, Amy. I am not suggesting we play detective. Just….Watch people. Listen to the things they say. Start a harmless conversation about Jolly’s and Pinky’s deaths.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAdyulJSambm
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Pinky’s death…That reminded me…496Please respect copyright.PENANAjTvJ8rXlEl
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“Did he say anything to you about Pinky’s death? He never mentioned her to me.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAmS51kWbIP0
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“Of course he did.” Nancy said, frantically. “He knows she liked us and us her. He thinks we convinced her to poison Jolly’s drink. And…”496Please respect copyright.PENANAVnn7JRidQT
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I felt as if I was drenched in ice cold water. Jenny glanced at me, panic written in every inch of her face.496Please respect copyright.PENANAgOnxWdxNrC
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“He…He doesn’t think we killed her, does he?”496Please respect copyright.PENANAkXA4qZuoIW
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“Of course, he does.” Nancy said, impatiently. “He thinks the same person or people killed both of them.”496Please respect copyright.PENANA4GgUxhObKV
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Before I could respond to that, Nayana, one of our classmates came rushing in.496Please respect copyright.PENANAl8j2R5J4Yu
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“Guys…” She yelled. “Jo’s just been arrested. The police searched his home. They found a rope and a little bottle of poison hidden away in his house…”496Please respect copyright.PENANAVNv7klwtMT
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We abandoned our lunchboxes and listened in horrified silence. Nayana told us that Joseph had been arrested and convicted for murder once before.496Please respect copyright.PENANAWWxHNMssxQ
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“His ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend. He shot and killed them in the middle of the street. Just stood there laughing and let himself be arrested…”496Please respect copyright.PENANAWorX2olbLF
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“He must have killed Jolly then.” Jenny whispered, relieved.496Please respect copyright.PENANAFVTDO9yAul
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“Of course not!” Nancy scoffed. “Use your brain, Jenny. If you were a murderer would you hide incriminating evidence in your own home? Besides…Take his previous crime…He committed murder in front of a whole lot of people…He didn’t have an intricate plan to get away.”496Please respect copyright.PENANAEZYNQdEVfP
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“Do you think the police didn’t think of this?” Jenny asked her.496Please respect copyright.PENANA4qPIuyBIPj
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Nancy just shook her head. “The murderer is framing someone else…If Jo is irrefutably proved innocent...How long do you think we have before he or she thinks to provide the inspector some evidence to arrest us?”496Please respect copyright.PENANAMT0JEHieZd
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To be continued...496Please respect copyright.PENANA3F1j9UR8mq