185
MUCH WORSE
"I cannot believe she did this to you," Sabine said, shaking her head as she speed-folded my
clothes and stacked them into my dresser. Apparently, when Sabine was angry, she was like a
whirling dervish. In five minutes she had cleaned up all the clothes, hanging them back in their
places and tucking them into drawers. "That's it. I'll never talk to that girl again."I smiled wanly as I
carefully removed the photo of Scott and me from the broken frame. "Thanks, but won't that
make your living situation a tad difficult?"
"I don't care," Sabine said, shoving the drawer closed. "Clearly there is something wrong with this
girl. You can't just break into people's rooms. What is wrong with everyone?"
Good question. I was about to attempt an answer when several male voices filled the hallway. I
heard the telltale feedback from a walkie-talkie and my heart skipped a beat. Sabine and I locked
eyes.
186
I felt tingles all over every inch of my skin. This was it. They had come for Ivy.
"Yes, sir. I understand," Headmaster Cromwell's voice echoed down the hall. "I understand that,
but I have the academy's lawyer right here and she has looked over the warrant. Everything
appears to be in order."
Quaking with excitement and uncertainty, I crept over to my door and cracked it open. Two
uniformed police officers strode by my room along with the Crom, who was on his cell, and a
rotund woman in a gray suit who was reading over some legal document. Bringing up the rear was
Detective Hauer in his thick wool coat, looking grim. The officers stopped and one of them
knocked on Ivy's door. His blue vinyl jacket swished with every movement he made.
"Ms. Slade? Ms. Crane? This is the Easton Police Department."
"What's going on?" Sabine asked, trying to see through the crack by leaning into my shoulder from
behind.
I closed the door quietly and looked at her, wide-eyed. "It's the police. They've come for Ivy!" I
whispered.
My God. They must have found her fingerprints on my photo. I had finally done something right.
"Right now?" Sabine asked, clutching her hands together.