Free Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard Page B

Lubowski had a question, though I couldn’t really hear it in the jumble of voices. I didn’t have to, though, because they were all basically the same.
    â€œSomeone is
stalking
you?”
    I thought frantically, but couldn’t come up with a single thing to say that would squash what was almost certainly going to be instant gossip. I could practically hear it racing through Little River phone lines — that ugly word rushing from mouth to mouth: stalker!
    Betts decided to help. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop her.
    â€œWell, it’s kind of a secret, if you know what I mean,” she said. Then she smiled almost flirtatiously. “So maybe you guys shouldn’t, like, say anything about it to anyone.”
    Right.
    â€œAnd, anyway, we don’t even know who it is yet.”
    Oh, great. Add intrigue to the story. Much better.
    â€œBesides, the police are supposed to have the whole thing solved today, so, in any case, it’s probably almost over with now.”
    I looked at Betts in disbelief. The police are supposed to have the whole thing
solved today
? What did she think the stalker’s reaction would be if he heard that? Our biggest hope in catching him was if he slipped up. Word that the police were closing in wasn’t likely to make him careless.
    I took a couple of steps to where Betts was standing and held out my hand.
    â€œGive me your phone,” I said.
    She passed it over without hesitation. I got just a smidgen of satisfaction seeing that she looked, well, kind of scared. I flipped the phone open and dialled home.
    â€œMom, could you pick me up now?” I said as soon as I heard my mother’s voice.
    â€œOf course, dear. I’ll be right there. Wait for me at the
front entrance
, though.”
    â€œOkay,” I said. I didn’t think much about that, occupied as I was with other thoughts, but I usually got picked up at the side entrance, not the front. That was just habit, since the front is prohibited during times that buses are coming or leaving.
    I slung my book bag over my shoulder, told Ms. Lubowski I needed to leave (as if she wasn’t already aware of that) and walked from the auditorium. All of my concentration went into keeping my knees from shaking, but I’m not sure I was entirely successful at that.
    Mom drove up just as I got to the front door. I slid into the car and she gave me a sympathetic look and asked, “So, was anyone else around when I was talking to Betts?”
    â€œThe whole drama club. And yes, they all heard her mention a stalker.”
    â€œThat’s too bad. But you know she didn’t mean to let it slip.”
    â€œNo, I know that.” I tried to sound more forgiving than I felt at the moment. I was glad I had a good reason to change the subject. “So, did the police find out where the e-mail was sent from?”
    â€œYes.” Her face was grim and I knew before she went on that it wasn’t going to be good news. She took a deep breath and said, “It was sent from the computer lab at the school.”
    â€œ
My
school? But, how.…” I couldn’t quite form the questions that were gathering in my head.
    â€œYou’re wondering how someone got into the school when it would have been locked up by the time that message was sent.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThe side door had been tampered with. Someonejammed a piece of metal into the catch so that even when the door was fully closed it wasn’t latched.”
    â€œThe side door.” I realized with a jolt why she’d wanted to pick me up at the front entrance. Then something else occurred to me. “But Webster went out that door last night. Wouldn’t he have noticed something was wrong with it?”
    â€œWho’s Webster?”
    â€œThe author guy who comes to our book club sometimes.” I hesitated, and then told her about his strange behaviour lately.
    â€œDo you think it could be him?”