“Who is it?” Bailey called through the locked door.
“It’s Kristi. Let me in,” came a hushed voice.
Bailey unlocked the door, and Kristi pushed her way in, closing the door behind her. She was carrying her duffel bag.
“I can’t sleep in the same room as the person who stole my dad’s guitar,” she said.
Elizabeth motioned for Kristi to sit on her bed. “We were just about to put our pajamas on. You’re welcome to spend the night here,” she offered.
“Thanks,” replied Kristi. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Elizabeth was glad to share her room, but something was unsettling about this whole situation. She wasn’t that fond of Mary-Lynn either, but she wasn’t sure the girl was a thief. “You know, Kristi, I’m not sure Mary-Lynn stole your guitar.”
Kristi’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding! She has red hair. And she admitted she was jealous of me. She sees me as her competition.”
“Maybe so. But how would she have known you had the guitar in your trunk?” Elizabeth asked her. “Mary-Lynn may be annoying and self-centered, but she seems pretty clueless.”
“I don’t know…” said Kristi.
“And why would Mary-Lynn have a VIP ticket to the Country Music Hall of Fame? She said herself she doesn’t have any connections,” Elizabeth said.
Bailey was looking down as she listened. Suddenly she began pulling something off her dark sweater. “Elizabeth, remind me next time I room with you not to wear dark colors.”
“What do you mean?” asked Elizabeth, confused at the odd statement.
“I’ve got your long blond hairs all over my sweater,” Bailey said, holding up a strand. “They must just fly through the room.”
“Oh, sorry,” Elizabeth laughed. “Yeah, my dad is always complaining about my hair getting on his shirts. I guess I just have too much of it!”
The girls chuckled at Bailey’s comical face as she searched her sweater for more blond hair.
But then, Kristi and Elizabeth looked at each other. Were they thinking the same thing?
“Bailey,” Elizabeth asked. “What if my hair were on your sweater, and you brushed against someone else. Do you suppose my hair could end up on someone else’s sweater? Someone I’ve never even had contact with?”
“I guess so. Why do you—” Bailey stopped midsentence. “Oh! I get it! The thief may not have had red hair at all. The thief might have just come in contact with a redhead. Then, when the guitar case was open, the hair could have fallen into the case!”
The three girls let the thought soak in.
Finally, Kristi stood. “You’re right. Mary-Lynn may not be guilty at all. It’s unfair of us to decide she’s guilty when we don’t have real proof.” She grabbed her duffel bag. “I guess I should go back to my room.”
Bailey let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, this theory puts us back to square one. If we aren’t sure the villain has red hair, where do we start?”
“We start with this,” Kristi said, digging through her bag and holding out a list. “These are the names of the people I contacted about buying Dad’s guitar.”
Early the next morning, Bailey read off the names and phone numbers of the people on the list as Elizabeth typed them into an email. A dozen or so names were on the list, so it would be plenty to keep the Camp Club Girls busy with research. After the last name was typed in, Elizabeth pressed SEND and leaned back to look at Bailey.
“How soon do you think we’ll hear something?” asked Bailey.
“Knowing Kate, probably within the next few minutes. Unless she’s still asleep.”
“Tell me more about this songwriting teacher. Was there anything suspicious about him?” asked Bailey.
Elizabeth thought about the young teacher with the ball cap. “It’s hard to say. He did know exactly who Kristi’s dad was, and he seemed to kind of study her. But that doesn’t mean he’s a thief.”
“It doesn’t mean he’s not a thief either,” said Bailey. “Right now, everyone is a suspect. I say we tail the guy, see what he’s up to.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” said Elizabeth. “I want to take another of his classes, anyway. What do you say we see what Kristi is up to, and then get some breakfast?”
“Sounds good,” said Bailey. She ran a brush through her hair, and then tossed the brush on the counter. “Let’s go.”
Kristi and Mary-Lynn were just locking their door behind them when Bailey and Elizabeth stepped into the hallway.
“Perfect timing!” Mary-Lynn said.
“How did you sleep?” Elizabeth asked, looking at Kristi.
Kristi looked at Mary-Lynn, who laughed. “We didn’t sleep much at all. After Kristi came back from your room, we talked until after midnight!”
Kristi smiled. “Yeah. She’s a great roommate!”
Elizabeth was thrilled to see a friendship developing between the two older girls. Bailey, on the other hand, seemed suspicious.
“What did you talk about?” Bailey asked.
“Oh, everything under the sun. And guess what? Mary-Lynn’s uncle is a detective. She said she’s learned a few tips from him over the years,” Kristi told them.
Mary-Lynn laughed. “Oh, I don’t know anything that can help you catch your thief. But if I’m ever kidnapped, I think I’ll be able to escape. He taught me a few self-defense moves.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Well, hopefully we won’t need that information!”
“I don’t know,” said Bailey. “It’s always good to know how to protect yourself! Show us some moves, Mary-Lynn.”
And so, on the way to breakfast, Mary-Lynn moved herself off the suspect list and onto the friend list. She showed them a few kicks and jabs, but also told them the importance of drawing attention to yourself.
“It doesn’t matter if they tell you to keep quiet. You yell, kick, and scream. In a restaurant, write a note on a napkin and give to the waitress. In a bathroom, leave a message scratched onto the wall. If you’re in a car, bang on the window. And if you’re ever locked in a car trunk, kick out the taillights and stick your hand through, so the driver behind you will see you.”
“Wow, Mary-Lynn! Your uncle taught you some great stuff. But as I said, hopefully we’ll never have to use that information,” said Elizabeth.
“Better to know it and not need it than the other way around,” said Kristi, and the others agreed.
The girls arrived at a busy dining hall. After filling their trays, they scanned the room for a place to sit. They saw an empty table near the far corner, next to a window, and they headed that way.
Elizabeth nodded at her teacher, Robert, who sat alone in the corner. This time, he wasn’t wearing his hat. After saying a prayer, Bailey kicked Elizabeth under the table.
“Is that your teacher?” she whispered.
Kristi and Elizabeth nodded.
“He doesn’t look very old,” Bailey continued. “I would have thought he was one of the students here,” she said.
“He’s a songwriter for one of the big record companies,” Elizabeth said.
“Yeah,” Kristi said. “I’ll bet he doesn’t get paid much either. My dad started as a staff songwriter, and he said he barely made enough money to live on.”
“That’s strange. I would think a famous songwriter would make tons of money,” Bailey remarked, looking over her shoulder at the young man. He seemed absorbed in the newspaper that was lying across the table, next to his plate.
Kristi laughed. “If you write a hit song, then yeah, you’d make some good money. But do you have any idea how many people come to Nashville to record? And they all want original songs. And 99 percent of them never achieve any real success. Still, the record companies like to keep a steady supply of original songs for new artists, in hopes one of them will be a hit.”
“Well, with his hair color, he’s definitely a suspect,” whispered Bailey.
“Hey!” said Mary-Lynn defensively. “Just because a person has red hair doesn’t make him or her a thief!”
Robert shifted in his chair, but didn’t look up.
“Shhhhh!” said Bailey, not sure how much to say to Mary-Lynn.
“It’s okay,” said Kristi. “I told her everything. She rode to the conference center on the airport shuttle and didn’t even arrive until after the…incident. She has an alibi.”
“A what?” asked Mary-Lynn. “I don’t have anything of the sort!”
“An alibi is simply proof that you couldn’t have committed a crime. You weren’t even here yet when Kristi’s guitar was stolen, and you have witnesses—the other people on the shuttle. That’s your alibi,” whispered Elizabeth.
“Oh,” said Mary-Lynn, settling back in her seat. “In that case, then yes. I have an alibi.”
Suddenly, they heard a phone ring, and Robert reached into his pocket. Flipping open the tiny device, he said, “Yeah?”
The girls concentrated on their food, trying to listen over the crowd to his conversation.
“Yeah…yeah…yeah,” he said.
Elizabeth watched him out of the corner of her eye, and noticed him glance at their table. Then he said, “I can’t talk here. Too crowded. I’ll have to call you back.” He clicked the phone shut, picked up his tray, and walked past them, leaving his newspaper on the table.
When he was out of earshot, Bailey said, “Whoa. That was strange. Why couldn’t he talk in front of us?”
“Probably because it’s crowded and noisy, and he couldn’t hear,” Kristi said.
“Or maybe because he didn’t want us to hear what he had to say,” Bailey retorted. “Let’s follow him.” She pushed back her chair and began loading her tray.
“No, wait. We can’t all go. That would be too obvious,” said Elizabeth. “I’ll tell you what. Kate’s supposed to call in a few minutes and let us know if she got the list. I’ll go. It won’t look as suspicious if it’s just one of us, and I’m talking on the phone.”
Hesitantly, Bailey sat back in her chair. “Okay. But tell us every detail.”
Elizabeth started to load her tray, but Kristi said, “We’ll take care of that. You go.”
Nodding, Elizabeth followed Robert, who was already leaving the dining hall. She walked quickly, moving around tables and chairs. But when she pushed open the double doors, she didn’t see Robert.
She scanned the area. She saw a couple of people talking on a bench and a teenage girl leaning against a tree, studying some sheet music.
But no Robert. Where had he disappeared to so quickly?
Then she thought she heard his voice coming from around the corner of the building. She couldn’t make out the words, so she followed the sound, staying close to the brick wall. As she approached the corner, she leaned flat against the wall and listened.
“Yeah, the Conrad girl is here. And she’s in my class. Can you believe that?”
Silence.
“Yeah, the whole staff is talking about that stolen guitar.”
Silence.
“Yeah. Trust me. I know how much it’s worth.”
More silence.
“Okay…okay. I’ll do what I can.”
The sudden click of the cell phone caught Elizabeth off guard, and Robert came barreling around the corner, nearly bumping into her.
“Oh, excuse me,” Elizabeth said. “I’m so sorry, Mr.…uh…Mr.…Robert.”
“You should be careful, lurking around corners like that. Someone might think you were eavesdropping,” the young man told her.
“Oh, no sir! I…um…I just couldn’t hear very well in the dining hall, and I’m expecting a phone call. See?” She held up her cell phone. As if on cue, it started to ring.
Elizabeth flipped it open and answered, “Hello?”
Robert glared at her and walked away.
“Hi. It’s Kate. I got the list this morning, and I’m working on it. Tell Kristi thanks for getting it to me so fast.”
“Kate! Perfect timing. You’ll never believe what just happened,” Elizabeth told her.
“Really? Tell me,” Kate said.
Elizabeth decided to hold off the conversation until she was in her room. No sense taking a chance on someone overhearing her.
“I—I’ll have to tell you later. Can’t talk now. But I’m glad you got the list. I need you to add someone to it, by the way. A fellow named—” she looked around, making sure no one could hear. Then she whispered, “Robert Kranfield.”
“Say that again. I couldn’t hear you,” Kate told her.
In a slightly louder whisper, she said, “Robert Kranfield. K-r-a-n-f-i-e-l-d.”
“Okay, got it,” Kate replied. “Why are we adding him? Oh, never mind. You already said you can’t talk. I’ll see what I can find. When can we have another group call?”
Elizabeth dug in her pocket and pulled out the conference schedule. “How about one thirty this afternoon? We have a break after lunch. Can you get in touch with the others?”
“You bet. Talk to you then,” Kate said, and the two girls hung up.
Bailey, Kristi, and Mary-Lynn were just exiting the building when Elizabeth approached the doors.
“So? What happened? Did you hear anything?” Bailey asked.
Glancing at her watch, Elizabeth told them, “Let’s talk while we’re walking. We don’t want to be late to our classes.”
“There’s nothing suspicious about a group of girls being late to anything,” Mary-Lynn said with a laugh.
“Maybe under normal circumstances,” said Elizabeth. “But I don’t want to give Mr. Robert Kranfield any reason to suspect a thing.” She eyed Mary-Lynn, still not sure if she should trust the girl completely. She seemed to have loose lips.
One of the agents walked by, and Mary-Lynn’s attention was drawn away from the conversation. “Oh, there is Roxanne Hargrove! I want to meet her. I’ll catch you all later!” And the girl was gone.
Elizabeth chuckled. Mary-Lynn seemed harmless. And shallow. But she was sweet, in her own way.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Tell us what’s going on!” Bailey insisted.
Elizabeth looked at Kristi. “I was able to hear part of his phone conversation,” she said in a low voice. “And your name came up.”
Kristi frowned. “Go on,” she said.
“He was talking about your guitar and how much it is worth.” The girls walked in silence for a moment, trying to process the information.
Finally, Bailey said, “Well, it’s no big secret her guitar was stolen. The security people probably told the conference staff what happened, don’t you think?”
“Probably so. But why would Robert talk about it? And who was he talking to?” Elizabeth asked.
“Maybe we should add his name to the research list,” Bailey said.
“Done. I already spoke with Kate,” Elizabeth replied.
Kristi remained quiet. Finally, she said, “Now I feel weird about going to his class. What if he stole my guitar?”
Elizabeth and Bailey looked at each other, then at Kristi. “No matter what happens, act normal. Don’t act strange around him. Don’t give him any reason to believe he is a suspect. That could ruin the whole investigation,” Bailey told her.
Kristi let out a heavy sigh. “I’m a musician, not an actress. But I’ll do my best.”
The girls entered the building where the classes were held. “I’m on the third floor. Meet me right here as soon as class is over,” Bailey told the other two, and she was off.
“Do you think you can do this?” Elizabeth asked Kristi.
Kristi took a deep breath. “I don’t really have a choice, do I? If I don’t show up for class, Robert will wonder why. I’ll just—I’ll just keep my eyes on my notepad, and take notes like crazy.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Just write a song like you always do, and he won’t suspect a thing.”
Elizabeth nearly walked past the door to their classroom, and had to backtrack when Kristi stopped.
“Where were you going?” Kristi asked her.
“Nowhere,” Elizabeth said with a laugh. “All these doors look alike to me, and I’m always getting lost or going in the wrong doors.” They entered and found seats. A few other students were waiting, but there was no sign of Robert.
After a few more students were seated, a well-dressed young woman walked to the front of the room.
“Hi. I’m Lori. Robert will be a few minutes late. I’m a friend of his, and he asked me to get you started.”