After Mary had explained what had happened, Miss Eggleton took them to the little police station, where there was just a constable and a sergeant on duty, and they repeated it for the benefit of the officers. Sadly, no one had handed in a book wrapped in a brightly coloured paper bag.
‘What a shame!’ Miss Eggleton said. ‘Maybe it will turn up. Sergeant, can you contact me at the school if anyone should hand it in? Thank you very much indeed.’
The two girls and the teacher left the station and walked to the bus stop, where Angela Ryan and Linda Barrett were also waiting. Ros saw that Linda was carrying something in a bright paper bag.
‘That’s my book!’ she whispered fiercely, and Mary nodded, turning to Miss Eggleton.
‘That’s the same bag, Miss Eggleton.’
‘It is conceivable that Linda has also bought a book from the same shop, Mary. Besides, many of the shops around here may well get there paper bags from the same supplier. It’s a small town. Don’t start accusing people without firm evidence. In any case, Linda may have taken the book for safe keeping and is waiting to give it back to you.’
But Linda wasn’t going to let go of her bag without a fight.
‘Get lost, Gilly! This is mine. It’s a box of chocolates!’
‘Show me, then!’
‘Ros!’ Miss Eggleton snapped, frowning. ‘What did I tell you?’
‘Just show me, please, Linda,’ Ros said. Linda sneered unpleasantly, then withdrew a box of chocolates from the bag and showed it with a great flourish. ‘There you are, you little four-eyed creep!’ Linda said. Miss Eggleton frowned. ‘Linda, I think you should keep those sorts of remarks to yourself, in fact I think you should forget about being nasty to other girls altogether. Now here comes the bus. Ros, I’m sure your book will turn up safely.’
The two girls sat next to the teacher on the way back to the school.
‘Miss, aren’t you supposed to be taking us for hockey practice?’
‘I left Wendy Dalston in charge. I daresay she will be interested to hear why you missed the start.’
‘Well, at least you can back us up. We had to go back for the book!’ Ros said earnestly. Miss Eggleton’s eyes twinkled with mischief.
‘Oh, yes, I can corroborate that all right. It’s just that you were already late for the bus. You would never have caught it even if you hadn’t had to go back for the book! Sorry, girls, you’re on your own this time!’ And with that she took a paperback from her pocket and started to read, leaving the girls to stare moodily out of the window.
When they arrived back at the school, they were dismayed to see that the hockey practice was more or less over. A straggle of fourth-formers were still messing about on the pitch but the older girls were already on their way back to the dressing rooms. Mary and Ros ran to find Wendy Dalston, the strapping sixth-former who was taking over as head girl the following term, after the Christmas break.
‘Wendy, I’m really sorry, we missed the bus because I stupidly left a parcel on a seat on the promenade and had to go back for it. We’re really sorry!’ Ros told the sixth-form girl, who was very tall, very pretty, with long dark brown hair.
‘Well, I’m sure you wouldn’t make something like that up just to get out of hockey practice, so I suppose I shall have to believe you, but I warn you, you two, that I shall be making the final selection for the team to play St Hilda’s at the next session, so if you miss that, you’re definitely out. I imagine Miss Eggleton will substantiate your story?’
‘Of course!’ chorused the two girls.
‘Very well, I won’t bother asking her, then. But just don’t miss another session, or you’re for it!’
Ros and Mary went to their dorm. Closing the door, Mary sat on the bed. ‘You know, Linda was lying.’
‘Mary!’
‘I’m sure of it, Ros. That wasn’t a new box of chocolates. I saw her with it a few days ago, though how she’s managed to refrain from eating the lot before now I can’t imagine!’ The two girls collapsed in a fit of giggling for a few seconds, then got back to their serious conversation.
‘The thing is, Mary, if you’re right, that means that one of those two has my brother’s book!’
‘I’ll tell you what!’ Mary said conspiratorially. ‘We’ll wait till the coast is clear, then search their dorm.’
‘Right! And if we find it, do we just take it?’
‘Of course! They haven’t a leg to stand on. I wouldn’t mind betting that the woman in the coffee shop only had one copy of the book. Anyway, they won’t dare say anything. I should think we’ll get a chance to look for the book tonight, after tea – don’t Linda and Angela go off to chess club in the evenings?’
But the opportunity to search the room did not present itself that evening, as the headmistress called an emergency assembly after tea for the whole school.
‘I very much regret that next weekend’s parents’ evening has had to be cancelled as the epidemic that is sweeping the school has claimed another four victims today. Your parents will all be notified by telephone by the school secretary over the coming week. That is all, except to say that if you know of a girl who was not present for this announcement, will you kindly pass it on to them. You may go.’
