as well take advantage of our time together. Hey, Brad!” Ned said.
Brad, still carrying his carton, turned around to face them. Quickly Ned told him about the concert and invited him to come along. “We’re going to ask Bess, too,” he said with a conspiratorial grin.
“Perfect!” said Brad. “I need something like this to cheer me up. Besides, there’s something I want to talk to you and Nancy about.”
“We probably should invite Justin and Heather, too,” Nancy said. Ned nodded.
Nancy turned back to look for Justin and Heather—and realized that this was not the time to ask them about a concert.
Heather and Justin were still caught up in their argument. Justin’s face was beet red now. Nancy couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she could tell that he was furious. Heather looked both frightened and defiant. Her eyes were darting around as if she was looking for a place to escape.
Suddenly she shook her head violently. “No!” she cried. “I said no!” This time Nancy had no trouble understanding her words.
Heather charged headlong toward the mall exit.
Just as quickly Justin dashed after her. In a few steps he’d caught up to her. He grabbed her forearm and pulled her roughly to a stop.
“No!” Heather cried again. As Nancy watched, she wrenched her arm from Justin’s grasp.
“Leave me alone, Justin!” she shouted. “I won’t do it!”
Chapter
Nine
J USTIN’S FACE was only inches from Heather’s now. As Nancy watched, he raised a fist threateningly and shook it at Heather, who shrank back in terror. Then he smashed his fist into the wall next to her and stormed angrily out the door.
Nancy rushed up to Heather. “Are you okay?” she asked.
With a shaking hand, Heather pushed a lock of hair back into place. Her whole face was twitching. She licked her lips nervously and made a brave attempt at a smile. “Sure,” she said. “No problem!”
“What was that all about?” Nancy asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Heather said quickly. “Nothing’s wrong. Really. Or nothing will be as soon as I get rid of this.” She looked down at the shopping bag she was carrying. “I don’t ever want to see another test sample or think about another questionnaire. This is definitely not the field for me!”
She began walking out the exit again, and Nancy walked beside her. When they reached Heather’s car, Nancy asked, “Are you sure you’re all right to drive?”
“Oh, yes,” Heather said, but there was still a tremor in her voice. “I’ll be fine once I’m out of this stupid mall. Thanks for asking. I—I appreciate it.”
There was a look of real gratitude in her eyes. She paused for a second, as if she wanted to say something more. Then she climbed into the car and shut the door.
Nancy stood watching as Heather backed out, and then she tried to find Justin. He had obviously gone. Nancy scanned the parking lot for Ned. He and Brad were leaning against Ned’s car, the two cartons piled beside them. They were engrossed in conversation, and Nancy didn’t want to interrupt them. She gave them a quick wave as she hopped into her car and pulled out of the parking lot. She’d ask Ned later what was going on with Justin— maybe Brad knew something.
A swift glance at her watch told Nancy she’dhave to hurry if she had any chance at all of getting into Asco on a Sunday. The afternoon was almost over.
Nancy would have enjoyed a leisurely drive over to LeBlond Avenue, where Asco headquarters were. The maples were just turning to their brilliant fall colors, and the sun was just setting. That day, though, Nancy was barely aware of her surroundings. All her thoughts were focused on where she was going—and how she was going to get inside. She had a plan, but she wasn’t at all sure it was going to work.
She had driven by the Asco buildings many times before without ever paying much attention to them. Now, as she approached the visitors’ parking lot, Nancy realized that the long, low
Brad, still carrying his carton, turned around to face them. Quickly Ned told him about the concert and invited him to come along. “We’re going to ask Bess, too,” he said with a conspiratorial grin.
“Perfect!” said Brad. “I need something like this to cheer me up. Besides, there’s something I want to talk to you and Nancy about.”
“We probably should invite Justin and Heather, too,” Nancy said. Ned nodded.
Nancy turned back to look for Justin and Heather—and realized that this was not the time to ask them about a concert.
Heather and Justin were still caught up in their argument. Justin’s face was beet red now. Nancy couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she could tell that he was furious. Heather looked both frightened and defiant. Her eyes were darting around as if she was looking for a place to escape.
Suddenly she shook her head violently. “No!” she cried. “I said no!” This time Nancy had no trouble understanding her words.
Heather charged headlong toward the mall exit.
Just as quickly Justin dashed after her. In a few steps he’d caught up to her. He grabbed her forearm and pulled her roughly to a stop.
“No!” Heather cried again. As Nancy watched, she wrenched her arm from Justin’s grasp.
“Leave me alone, Justin!” she shouted. “I won’t do it!”
Chapter
Nine
J USTIN’S FACE was only inches from Heather’s now. As Nancy watched, he raised a fist threateningly and shook it at Heather, who shrank back in terror. Then he smashed his fist into the wall next to her and stormed angrily out the door.
Nancy rushed up to Heather. “Are you okay?” she asked.
With a shaking hand, Heather pushed a lock of hair back into place. Her whole face was twitching. She licked her lips nervously and made a brave attempt at a smile. “Sure,” she said. “No problem!”
“What was that all about?” Nancy asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Heather said quickly. “Nothing’s wrong. Really. Or nothing will be as soon as I get rid of this.” She looked down at the shopping bag she was carrying. “I don’t ever want to see another test sample or think about another questionnaire. This is definitely not the field for me!”
She began walking out the exit again, and Nancy walked beside her. When they reached Heather’s car, Nancy asked, “Are you sure you’re all right to drive?”
“Oh, yes,” Heather said, but there was still a tremor in her voice. “I’ll be fine once I’m out of this stupid mall. Thanks for asking. I—I appreciate it.”
There was a look of real gratitude in her eyes. She paused for a second, as if she wanted to say something more. Then she climbed into the car and shut the door.
Nancy stood watching as Heather backed out, and then she tried to find Justin. He had obviously gone. Nancy scanned the parking lot for Ned. He and Brad were leaning against Ned’s car, the two cartons piled beside them. They were engrossed in conversation, and Nancy didn’t want to interrupt them. She gave them a quick wave as she hopped into her car and pulled out of the parking lot. She’d ask Ned later what was going on with Justin— maybe Brad knew something.
A swift glance at her watch told Nancy she’dhave to hurry if she had any chance at all of getting into Asco on a Sunday. The afternoon was almost over.
Nancy would have enjoyed a leisurely drive over to LeBlond Avenue, where Asco headquarters were. The maples were just turning to their brilliant fall colors, and the sun was just setting. That day, though, Nancy was barely aware of her surroundings. All her thoughts were focused on where she was going—and how she was going to get inside. She had a plan, but she wasn’t at all sure it was going to work.
She had driven by the Asco buildings many times before without ever paying much attention to them. Now, as she approached the visitors’ parking lot, Nancy realized that the long, low
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