Free Who Killed the Homecoming Queen? by R.L. Stine, Bill Schmidt

its chains, and the screen door rattled noisily. Above the noise, Eva thought she heard another sound.
    A voice.
    She paused, listening.
    Yes. Cherise’s voice.
    Eva raised her hand to knock on the screen door.
    And froze as she heard Cherise’s voice again. Louder this time. High-pitched and furious.
    â€œI’ll kill you!” Cherise screamed. “I’ll kill you, too!”

chapter 18
 
    E
va dropped back, her heart racing.
    â€œI’ll kill you, too!” Cherise shrieked. “Don’t think I won’t!”
    Call the police! Eva told herself. Go next door and get help! As she turned to run, another gust of wind set the swing in motion, crashing it into her.
    She stumbled sideways. As she reached out to grab the porch railing, she heard the screen door rattle behind her.
    â€œEva?” Cherise called. “Hi. I thought I heard somebody out here.”
    Eva caught her balance and turned around.
    Cherise stood behind her, one arm propping the door open. “You look upset,” she said.
    â€œWho was screaming?” Eva demanded. “I heard—”
    As Cherise started to reply, another voice drowned her out. “Go ahead and laugh!” it screamed. “It’s the last laugh you’ll ever have!”
    Cherise glanced behind her, into the house. “Terri, would you turn that down?” she shouted. She turned back to Eva. “My sister,” she explained. “She’s watching TV. She
always
plays it too loud.”
    The screaming voice grew softer.
    â€œI thought it was real.” Eva laughed. “I guess I’m feeling kind of jumpy.”
    Cherise pushed the door open wider. “Come on in. Want a Coke?”
    Eva nodded and followed her down a hall. They passed the living room where Cherise’s sister sat staring at the television, and turned through a door into a big, sunny kitchen.
    â€œSit down.” Cherise pulled two cans of soda from the refrigerator and set them on a round wooden table. “You still look upset,” she declared as she took glasses from the counter and filled them with ice. “It’s because of Tania, isn’t it?”
    Eva nodded. She popped the top on her soda and poured some. Her hand shook as she raised the glass. She set it back down.
    â€œHey, you’re really freaked,” Cherise commented. “I mean, I don’t blame you. Tania’s your best friend. You must feel awful. Well, everybody does.”
    Eva nodded again. Does Cherise really feel awful? she wondered. “It’s so horrible,” Eva murmured. She managed to pick up the glass without sloshing any soda out.
    â€œYeah,” Cherise agreed. “What do you think happened? I don’t mean to sound morbid, but do you think she’s dead?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Eva replied. She wondered if Cherise knew. “I wish I did. Not knowing is the worst.”
    â€œThat’s what Sandy says.”
    Eva glanced at her. “He does?”
    â€œSure.” Cherise twisted a strand of red hair around her finger, a worried expression on her face. “He’s just a total mess because of it.”
    Eva drank some more Coke. Go ahead and tell her, she urged herself. Tell her what Jeremy said. Get it over with. She took a deep breath. “Um … listen, Cherise. Jeremy heard you and Sandy talking yesterday.”
    â€œOh?” Cherise crunched an ice cube. “What about?”
    â€œWell, that’s what I came over here for,” Eva explained. “Jeremy thinks he heard you and Sandy plotting to … to kill Tania.”
    Cherise’s blue eyes widened in shock. “That’s
crazy!”
she cried, jumping up from her chair. “How can you say that?”
    â€œI
didn’t say it,” Eva replied. “Jeremy did.”
    â€œWell, he’s wrong!” Cherise declared. “He’s totallywrong! When did he hear us, anyway? Where?”
    â€œAt