Free Secrets Can Kill by Carolyn Keene Page A

he might break down right there in the library. Buthe managed to hold himself together long enough to mumble something about “luck.” Then he rushed out of the room, but not before shooting Nancy a look of pure terror.
    Nancy wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was Hal scared because of the SATs he’d stolen, or had he done something much worse than stealing and cheating? She decided to try again with him, but first she wanted to talk to the other two.
    Walt Hogan wasn’t hard to find. He stood out like a redwood in a grove of saplings, and she spotted him right before fifth period, heading out one of the side doors. Good, she said to herself. You were looking for an excuse to cut calculus anyway.
    Nancy followed Walt across the campus toward the track, where she watched him run two laps before he stopped, throwing himself down on the grass. He was gasping as if he’d just run a three-minute mile, and she figured he must still be in pain.
    â€œTired?” Nancy asked pleasantly as she dropped into the grass beside him.
    â€œYeah.” Walt grunted a couple of times and then opened his eyes. “Do I know you?”
    â€œWell, we met,” Nancy said. “Monday, remember? We sort of bumped into each other in the hall and Daryl Gray introduced us. I’m Nancy Drew.”
    â€œYeah, sure.” Walt didn’t look sure at all. “How’s it going?”
    â€œFine.” Nancy plucked some grass and twisted it around her finger. “I watched you at practice the other day,” she said. “You really amaze me. I mean, I fell off the trampoline and I could barely walk, so I know what you’re going through.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, what I’m going through?” Walt asked.
    â€œThe pain,” Nancy said. “Jake Webb told me all about—”
    â€œWebb?” Walt broke in. “What kind of business did you have with that scum?”
    â€œNo business,” Nancy said quickly. “He just explained about your injury and I wanted you to know that I understand.”
    â€œLook!” Walt jumped to his feet and stood towering over her. “I don’t know what that slime told you, but whatever it was, he was lying!”
    Nancy got to her feet and faced him. “Hey, okay,” she said. “Don’t get excited. I just thought—”
    â€œDon’t think!” Walt shouted. He took a step toward Nancy, and for a second she thought he was going to hit her. “Just get out of my sight! There’s no pain because there’s no injury, you understand?”
    With an angry glare, Walt turned and slowlywalked toward the school. Nancy let her breath out. She’d taken a few judo classes, but not nearly enough to prepare her to face a raging, 200-pound football player.
    Walt was touchy, to put it mildly, but Nancy still didn’t have anything more than suspicions to go on. No more hinting, she told herself. With Connie, just come right out and say what’s on your mind. As horrible as the truth is, you have to confront her with it. At least you won’t have to worry about being attacked. You hope.

Chapter

Eleven
    N ANCY FOUND C ONNIE Watson in the gym after school, watching cheerleader practice. She climbed the bleachers to her side.
    â€œI have to talk to you,” she said quietly. “About Jake Webb. And your bracelet. And a videotape I found.”
    Connie’s round face flushed and then drained of color until it resembled a full moon. “I . . . I don’t . . .” she stammered.
    â€œLook,” Nancy went on, ignoring the girl’s panicked eyes, “the police found your bracelet in Jake’s locker. And I know it’s yours because I saw the videotape—the one Jake made of youstealing it. I haven’t shown it to the police yet. But I will unless you tell me everything you know about how Jake was murdered.”
    Tears ran down Connie’s cheeks,