Chief McGinnis. The police lab would test them and then impound them as evidence. “After all, the people at Spotless will have to realize this wasn’t our fault,” Ned went on.
“If anything, they’ll probably be relieved that we caught this problem before Spotless was actually out on the market,” Nancy put in.
“I guess you’re right,” said Justin, with a faint echo of his old jokey manner. “I mean, a blemish cream that poisons people is a great gimmick, but people would probably get tired of it pretty quickly.”
“Do you have to joke about this?” Brad burst out angrily. “Two of our friends have just been poisoned, and you think it’s funny?”
“Of course I don’t think it’s funny!” Justin snapped. “But what do you want me to do— cry?”
“Stop it, both of you!” said Heather sharply. She had been folding the tablecloth almost mechanically. Now she slapped the tablecloth furiously into its box and glared at Brad and Justin.
“You’re both being horrible,” she said. “And I don’t know about the rest of you, but this is the end for me. I’m dropping out of this stupid marketing program. It’s not worth it!”
Brad raised his head from the carton he was loading and stared at Heather for a moment. “That’s pretty drastic,” he said.
“Tell me poisoning’s not drastic!” Heather retorted. “At least seven people are sick, and one of them may not live. If that’s not serious, I don’t know what is.”
Brad pushed the carton shut and stood up. “Well, I don’t think you should change your major just because of an accident,” he said. “That’s the last carton, guys. We’re ready to roll.”
Without another word they each grabbed a box and started walking toward the mall exit.
Nancy’s carton was too heavy for her to walk very fast. She quickly fell to the back of the group behind Justin and Heather. As Nancy watched, Justin touched Heather’s arm anddrew her aside. He began talking to her in a low voice—and judging from the expression on his face, what he was saying was not pleasant.
I wonder what he’s up to, Nancy thought as she passed them, not close enough to hear.
For no particular reason, a memory of the day before floated into her mind. It was the memory of Justin knocking the bottle of Spotless out of Bess’s hand.
“That stuff is dangerous!” he had shouted.
He had been right.
Could Justin have tampered with the samples? After all, he had worked for Spotless’s main competitor. Maybe he still was. What if he had deliberately sabotaged the samples just to help Asco?
Nancy shivered. It was an ugly thought, and she didn’t want to believe it.
But what if the same thought had occurred to Marcia? Nancy suddenly wondered. Maybe Marcia had been threatening Justin on the phone this morning! Perhaps she had realized that he’d tampered with the Spotless samples, tried to blow the whistle on him—and been poisoned to get her out of the way.
There was only one thing to do: find out what Justin was up to. She decided to head out to Asco right away. If I could just get a look at Justin’s employee file there, Nancy thought. That would be a good place to start—
“So what do you say, Nancy?” Ned’s voice brought her back to the present.
“What? I’m sorry, Ned. I wasn’t listening.” She set her carton down to rest her arms.
Ned rested his carton on top of hers and ruffled her hair. “Last Night is playing at the War Memorial tomorrow night,” Ned said. Last Night was one of his and Nancy’s favorite bands. “Do you want to go?”
Ned gestured toward Brad, who was walking alone a few yards ahead of them. “He’s taking this pretty hard. Why don’t we ask him to go with us? We could invite Bess and make it a double date.”
“I think it’s a great idea.” Nancy gave him a warm smile. “But don’t you have to get back to school tomorrow, now that you’re not working?”
“Nope. We’re excused for the next few days. Might
“If anything, they’ll probably be relieved that we caught this problem before Spotless was actually out on the market,” Nancy put in.
“I guess you’re right,” said Justin, with a faint echo of his old jokey manner. “I mean, a blemish cream that poisons people is a great gimmick, but people would probably get tired of it pretty quickly.”
“Do you have to joke about this?” Brad burst out angrily. “Two of our friends have just been poisoned, and you think it’s funny?”
“Of course I don’t think it’s funny!” Justin snapped. “But what do you want me to do— cry?”
“Stop it, both of you!” said Heather sharply. She had been folding the tablecloth almost mechanically. Now she slapped the tablecloth furiously into its box and glared at Brad and Justin.
“You’re both being horrible,” she said. “And I don’t know about the rest of you, but this is the end for me. I’m dropping out of this stupid marketing program. It’s not worth it!”
Brad raised his head from the carton he was loading and stared at Heather for a moment. “That’s pretty drastic,” he said.
“Tell me poisoning’s not drastic!” Heather retorted. “At least seven people are sick, and one of them may not live. If that’s not serious, I don’t know what is.”
Brad pushed the carton shut and stood up. “Well, I don’t think you should change your major just because of an accident,” he said. “That’s the last carton, guys. We’re ready to roll.”
Without another word they each grabbed a box and started walking toward the mall exit.
Nancy’s carton was too heavy for her to walk very fast. She quickly fell to the back of the group behind Justin and Heather. As Nancy watched, Justin touched Heather’s arm anddrew her aside. He began talking to her in a low voice—and judging from the expression on his face, what he was saying was not pleasant.
I wonder what he’s up to, Nancy thought as she passed them, not close enough to hear.
For no particular reason, a memory of the day before floated into her mind. It was the memory of Justin knocking the bottle of Spotless out of Bess’s hand.
“That stuff is dangerous!” he had shouted.
He had been right.
Could Justin have tampered with the samples? After all, he had worked for Spotless’s main competitor. Maybe he still was. What if he had deliberately sabotaged the samples just to help Asco?
Nancy shivered. It was an ugly thought, and she didn’t want to believe it.
But what if the same thought had occurred to Marcia? Nancy suddenly wondered. Maybe Marcia had been threatening Justin on the phone this morning! Perhaps she had realized that he’d tampered with the Spotless samples, tried to blow the whistle on him—and been poisoned to get her out of the way.
There was only one thing to do: find out what Justin was up to. She decided to head out to Asco right away. If I could just get a look at Justin’s employee file there, Nancy thought. That would be a good place to start—
“So what do you say, Nancy?” Ned’s voice brought her back to the present.
“What? I’m sorry, Ned. I wasn’t listening.” She set her carton down to rest her arms.
Ned rested his carton on top of hers and ruffled her hair. “Last Night is playing at the War Memorial tomorrow night,” Ned said. Last Night was one of his and Nancy’s favorite bands. “Do you want to go?”
Ned gestured toward Brad, who was walking alone a few yards ahead of them. “He’s taking this pretty hard. Why don’t we ask him to go with us? We could invite Bess and make it a double date.”
“I think it’s a great idea.” Nancy gave him a warm smile. “But don’t you have to get back to school tomorrow, now that you’re not working?”
“Nope. We’re excused for the next few days. Might
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