her reflection in the mirror above the fireplace.
âLooks great,â Nancy commented, wondering if sheâd be needing her dress for that nightâs Omega Chi party after all.
Debbie came in the front door and walked right by them. âDeb,â Rosie called after her. âBryan just called on the house phone. He said he got no answer on your phone and your answering machine was turned off. He wanted you to call right away.â
âOkay,â Debbie answered.
âMrs. Shephard called, too. Twice,â Brook added. âShe says itâs really important.â
âGot it,â Debbie called back.
âHey, I hear you modeled for Jaredâs class today,â Rosie said, eyeing Nancy.
âAre you kidding?â Brook gasped. âTell all. Youâre an honorary sister for the weekend, and we should be the first to know what Michael âThe Hunkâ Jared is really like.â
Nancy felt a blush creep up her neck. âHeâs very nice and heâs miserable about the theft of his painting.â
âHmmm,â Rosie said, her dark eyes sparkling. âWhy do I get the feeling youâre not telling us everything you know about this guy?â
Talking about the painting class reminded Nancy to ask the girls if they knew anyone named Kate Robertson.
âOf course,â Chris said, stroking Kabuki. âKate is a Theta Pi. Sheâs Debbieâs roommate.â
So thatâs why the blond girl looked so familiar, thought Nancy. Sheâd never met Kate, but she must have seen a photograph of her. âWhen did Kate get back from Paris?â
âSheâs not back,â Rosie said.
âBut Kate Robertson was in art class this afternoon,â Nancy told the girls.
âI donât think so,â Brook said. âWeâd have seen her. But ask Debbie. Sheâd know.â
When Nancy got to Debbieâs room, the door was closed. Nancy couldnât tell if Debbie was talking to someone inside the room, or someone on the phone. All she heard was Debbie speaking hysterically.
âI donât care how hard it is to do. Youâve got to put it back.â
Nancyâs heart stopped. Put what back?
First Kiss ? she wondered.
And who was Debbie talking to? Her mysterious roommate Kate Robertson suddenly back from Paris âif sheâd ever been in Paris at all? Or someone else? Nancyâs throat went dry. When Debbie came home a few minutes ago, Rosie had told her to call someone right away. Nancy just remembered who.
Bryan.
Chapter
Seven
W ITHOUT WARNING , D EBBIEâS DOOR swung open.
âI was just about to knock,â Nancy blurted out as Debbie, who was dressed in a robe, practically bumped into her.
âOh, itâs you.â Debbie closed the door behind her. âMore questions?â Debbie snapped. Then bit her lip. âSorry, I didnât mean to yell at you. Iâm just exhausted. Any leads on Michaelâs painting?â
âNo.â Nancy had to find out who Debbie had been talking to. âHowâs Bryan?â Nancy asked.
âWhy?â Debbie sounded defensive.
âI thought I heard you talking to him on the telephone just now,â Nancy said.
âI havenât spoken to him all day,â she said curtly, starting for the staircase.
Then who had been on the phoneâor in the room? Nancy followed Debbie up the stairs to the bathroom. âWhen did Kate come back?â
âKate?â She looked at Nancy as if sheâd sprouted a second head. âI told you sheâs in Paris.â
âNo way. I saw Kate in art class today. Rina was there, too.â
Debbie gripped the banister and shook her head firmly. âNancy, whoever you saw, it wasnât Kate.â
âMichael told me the studentâs name,â Nancy insisted. âKate Robertson.â
âThen Michaelâs wrong.â Debbie had reached the second-floor landing. âOr else
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