"What's going on?" I heard Ivy ask from next door.
"Shhh!" I said to Sabine, putting my hands out and freezing in place as if doing so would help me
hear better. All up and down the hall, doors were opening and closing as my floor mates checked
out the drama.
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"Miss Slade, we have a warrant to search your things," one of the officers said.
"What? What for?" Ivy blurted, sounding angry.
"Yes, sir. Yes. She's right here," Headmaster Cromwell said.
He must have handed Ivy the phone, because in the next second I could hear her rambling right
outside my door.
"Daddy! Yes, there are three of them and they're going through all my stuff! What is going on? "
She sounded on the verge of tears. I would have given anything to have been able to open my
door, but everyone was crowded right outside. My appearance would have been way too obvious.
So all I could do was stand there and imagine. Imagine how scared Ivy must have looked as she
realized she was finally about to be brought to justice.
There was another squeal of the walkie-talkie and a voice came through. "Detective Hauer, sir, we
have the Coolidge boy. Should we take him right to the car?"
"Gage?" Sabine mouthed.
"Yes, Officer Crosby. We'll meet you there as soon as we wrap this up," Detective Hauer
responded.
My pulse pounded in my ears. Now that this was all happening, it seemed so very out of control.
Had they decided that Gage was some kind of accomplice? Was I right in guessing that he had lied
to the police to protect Ivy? I actually felt a thump of guilt at the thought of Gage being dragged
off campus by the police. Who knew I had any sort of soft spot in my heart for that jerk?
"Miss Slade? Care to explain this?" Detective Hauer asked.
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"What? Dad, hang on," Ivy said. There was a pause. "Wait a minute. Who did this?" Ivy asked.
"Are you trying to tell me you didn't deface this photo yourself?" Detective Hauer said.
"No! No, I didn't," Ivy said. "I have no idea who did that, but it wasn't me."
I rolled my eyes at her obvious lie. That was it. I couldn't take this anymore. I opened the door and