Cat put on a smile as he approached the bulletin board. Amy was just getting ready to post the results of today’s vote, and she turned as she heard his footsteps.
“Hi.” Amy smiled at him. “Are you holding your breath, waiting to see today’s results?”
“Not really. I think I can guess who’s in the lead. It’s Jessica, right?”
Amy nodded, and tacked up the sheet of typing paper. “She really cashed in today. Another twenty-two votes, and that puts her almost forty votes ahead of Michele.”
“Hey . . . you got another one.” Cat pointed to Amy’s name on the list.
Amy frowned slightly as she nodded. “I know. I think it was from Cat again. I’m beginning to recognize his printing.”
“Did you save it?”
“It’s right in here.” Amy patted her purse. “That’s just in case Jessica gets another one of his Valentines.”
“Do you think she will?”
“I don’t know. I hope not. She’s only had one, so far.”
“One?” Cat was surprised. “Are you sure?”
“That’s what she said. And I can’t think of any reason why she’d lie about it.”
“No . . . I can’t think of any reason she’d lie, either. Unless . . . no.” Cat laughed and shook his head. “That’s really ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous?” Amy looked curious.
“Well . . . maybe she wouldn’t want you to know if she got another card. After all, you’re the one who suggested canceling the Valentine’s Day Queen contest.”
Amy’s eyes widened. “You might be right! But don’t you think she’d be too scared to keep something like that to herself ?”
“She didn’t act very scared when she got the first card. And she said she doesn’t think Cat is dangerous. She thinks he’s just a . . .” Cat stopped. He really didn’t want to recall what Jessica had called him. “I don’t remember exactly what she called him.”
Amy sighed. “A weird practical joker. But I’m really afraid she’s wrong. I think Cat is deadly serious. What do you think?”
“I think he is, too.” Cat nodded. At least Amy seemed to have some respect for him. “Why do you think he’s sending those cards?”
“Well . . . it could be that he objects to the contest. It does seem to bring out the worst in everyone. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but . . . no. I’d better not.”
“Go ahead.” Cat encouraged her. “You can tell me.”
Amy took a moment to think it over, and then she nodded. “Okay, but you’ve got to realize that I’m not trying to be critical. I know I can’t win the contest, so I’m not jealous or anything like that.”
“Okay.” Cat nodded. “Go on.”
“And I want you to promise never to repeat this. It could turn into gossip, and I wouldn’t want that.”
Cat nodded again. “Go ahead, Amy. Tell me.”
“I watched Tanya, when she was in the lead for queen. And because she had the most votes, she seemed to think that she was better than anyone else.”
“How could you tell?” Cat laughed. “Tanya always seemed to have a very high opinion of herself.”
“Well . . . maybe. But that’s not what I meant. Tanya changed when she was in the lead. Maybe I’m not doing a good job of explaining it, but I know she did.”
Cat nodded. “I think I understand. You’re trying to say that by virtue of being in the lead for queen, she stopped being grateful, and began to think she deserved it.”
“Exactly!”
Amy’s face lit up in a smile, and Cat felt ten feet tall. She really looked beautiful when she smiled. And then she turned serious again.
“It’s like my dad always says, ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ ”
“Lord Acton.” Cat nodded. “I believe he was referring to the English royalty.”
“You’re probably right. But the queen contest is our own little taste of royalty, right here at Hamilton High.”
“You’ve got a point.” Cat smiled at her. “We’ve even got the crowns and the coronation. How about Gail? Do you think she became corrupted by the contest?”
Amy sighed, and then she nodded. “In a way. Colleen and I were Gail’s friends before the contest started. But after she took the lead, she seemed to feel that she didn’t have to be nice to us anymore. It was like she couldn’t be bothered with anyone on our level.”
“How about Jessica?” Cat tried not to appear too anxious. He really wanted Amy’s opinion of Jessica. “Is the same sort of thing beginning to happen to her?”
Amy frowned slightly, and then she shook her head. “Not yet. At least, I don’t think it is. Michele would know. She’s Jessica’s best friend.”
“Are you going to ask her?”
Amy looked shocked. “Of course not! If I did that, Michele would start looking for signs of trouble, and when you start looking for trouble, you usually find it.”
“That’s very true.” Cat laughed, and picked up his book bag. It was time to move on. He had to find Jessica, and see if she could pass his test. “See you later, Amy. And thanks for the insights about Hamilton High’s royalty. You know, I really think you’d be the best choice for queen.”
Amy smiled again. “Thanks . . . I think. But please don’t vote for me. I think it’s a lot safer at the bottom of the heap.”
Cat was grinning as he walked away. He wished he could tell Amy that she didn’t have anything to worry about. Cat approved of her, and he wouldn’t send her any threatening Valentines if she were in the lead for queen.
Jessica was in a horrible mood as she walked down the hall to her sixth-period classroom. Her mother had called, right after fifth period, and asked her to come straight home from school to take care of the store. When Jessica had objected, her mother had told her that it was an emergency. One of Dad’s friends had been taken to the hospital, and they wanted to go to visit him.
“Hey, Jessica! Wait up!” Michele ran down the hall to catch up with her. “Are you going down to the Hungry Burger after school?”
Jessica frowned. The whole gang would be there, and she would be stuck behind the hardware store counter again. “No. I can’t go. I have to work at the store.”
“But Neal can’t go with you. He’s got basketball practice.” Michele looked worried.
“I know that. Neal’s got basketball practice every day after school.”
“But, Jessica . . . you’re not going to be there alone, are you?”
Jessica laughed. Michele was beginning to wear on her nerves with all of her paranoid fears about Cat. “I won’t be alone. With any luck, I’ll have a customer or two.”
“I’d better go with you.” Michele looked determined. “You won’t have customers all the time. And when you’re free, we can study for the big history test.”
Jessica almost groaned out loud. There was nothing worse than studying with Michele. Michele wanted to go over every section at least ten times, and it took her forever to memorize dates and events. Rather than risk a horribly boring study session, Jessica shook her head.
“I can’t study, Michele. I won’t have time. I promised my dad I’d start checking the inventory.”
Michele sighed. “Okay. I’ll just have to study later. I’ll help you with the inventory, instead. I can count boxes and things like that.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Jessica hedged for time. She knew she had to think of some way to get rid of Michele. She wanted to be alone, all alone, for just a little while. She’d had someone hovering at her side for three solid days, and she was getting sick of it!
“Why not?”
Jessica sighed. Michele was unbelievably stubborn. She just didn’t want to take the hint. There was only one way she could get Michele to leave her alone. She’d have to make her mad.
“Look, Michele. I just don’t want you around, okay?”
Michele started to frown. “But . . . why?”
“I’m tired of you. It’s that simple. You’ve been hanging around me all day, and I’m sick of it!”
Michele blinked back the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes, and then she shook her head. “I know you don’t mean that, Jessica. You’re just under a lot of stress, that’s all. I understand. But I won’t let you go down to the store alone. A friend wouldn’t do that to another friend.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to be my friend. Maybe it’s time for me to get a new friend. And maybe that’s why I don’t want you around. Did you ever think of that?”
Michele blinked a little faster, but a tear rolled down her cheek anyway. “You don’t really mean that, do you?”
“Yes! And it just so happens I’ve got a new friend, so you don’t have to worry about me being all alone. Why don’t you just get lost, Michele. Go find something else to do and stop bothering me!”
Michele took one look at Jessica’s face, and then she burst into tears. “But . . . I’m only trying to help you.”
“Well, stop trying! I don’t know why you’re so concerned about me, anyway. You said it all the other night at your party. If Cat really is a killer, and he kills me, you’ll be next in line for Valentine’s Day Queen!”
“But, Jessica! I was just joking! You know I was!”
Jessica shrugged. “Maybe you were, and maybe you weren’t. But that doesn’t really matter. The only reason you got any votes at all is because the boys feel sorry for you.”
“Jessica! How could you?!” Michele’s mouth dropped open. And then she turned on her heel and ran down the hall.
Jessica watched her go with a smile of satisfaction on her face. Thank goodness she’d gotten rid of Michele. And the fact that they weren’t friends any longer was no big loss. Michele wasn’t the right friend for her anyway. She would have had to cut her loose when she left Clearwater, and this whole staged fight had saved her a lot of trouble.
As Jessica walked down the hall, she passed a group of students getting books from their lockers. She nodded to them very regally, and held her head high. After all, she was their Valentine’s Day Queen.
What Jessica failed to notice was that one particular pair of eyes was staring at her with unusual intensity. Cat had heard every word she’d said to Michele. He’d seen the tears roll down Michele’s cheeks, and he’d watched Jessica smile as her former friend had run away, down the hall. There was no reason to give Jessica his test. She had just flunked a test of her own making, and now she could never be Hamilton High’s Valentine’s Day Queen.