there aren’t any official transcripts.”
“That’s okay. We’ll get your scores from the state. I’m sure you took the standard achievement tests, didn’t you?”
Kelly nodded. “I’ll get these all filled out. Thanks.”
“Mrs. Carter, I have a question,” Austin asked. “Ahh . . . do you remember a girl named Wendy Summers? She went here in 1963 through 1966.”
Mrs. Carter turned white as a sheet and her hands began to shake. She swallowed hard and her eyes darted from Austin to Scott to Kelly. She rubbed her hands together and then as if she ran out of ways to delay any longer, she responded, “I do remember her. She was one of our brightest and best students ever. And beautiful inside and out. Very popular and she participated in all kinds of clubs. I don’t recall exactly which ones, but I know she was a cheerleader.” Her gaze lowered to the counter, and she was silent for several moments, then she lifted her head and shook it sadly. “She had it all and did it all.” Mrs. Carter’s eyes welled up.
Kelly rushed to add, “It sounds like she was really special.”
“As you kids say, she owned this place. We were all so shocked when she . . . well, it was just very sad.”
“We saw the newspaper article,” Austin told her. “It said she committed suicide.”
“Such a tragedy,” Mrs. Carter sighed.
“ Do you have idea why she would do such a thing?” Kelly blurted out.
“No one knows. She didn’t leave a note. She didn’t tell anyone anything. Not even her best friends were aware of her plans. Her poor parents . . .”
“Was she having trouble at home or with a boyfriend?” Kelly asked.
“No, her parents were wonderful, always involved with her activities. And, as far as I know, she didn’t have a boyfriend at the time. But then you know how quickly those things change.”
“ Any rumors?” Austin prodded.
Mrs. Carter looked at Austin and cocked he r read slightly. “No, nothing. Why the questions?”
“No reason. W e were just talking about the kids here at school . . . and her name sort of came up,” Austin explained.
“Kids just didn’t do things like that back then,” Mrs. Carter mused. “Lately, it seems like every year, there’s one or two who take their own lives. I didn’t get it then, and I sure don’t get it now.”
“ Me either,” Kelly agreed. “Well, it’s very nice meeting you, Mrs. Carter. I’ll see you in a few weeks, ready to go.”
“You kids enjoy your summer.”
Once outside, they felt they could talk. “Mrs. Carter really looked shook up when you asked about Wendy, didn’t she?” Kelly said as they headed to the stallion.
“ She sure did,” Austin agreed.
They got in and drove back toward home. “Anyone hungry?” Kelly was a little embarrassed that it was a question always asked by her.
“ There’s a Wendy’s up ahead.” Austin looked at her in the rearview mirror. Kelly nodded her agreement.
“Ironic . Lunch at Wendy’s,” Scott concurred.
It was already the middle of the afternoon, so there was no line. They quickly got their food and drinks and went to a corner table at the front of the restaurant, away from the counters so they could talk privately.
They had finished their hamburgers and were picking at their fries when Scott pulled out his notepad
“ Okay, let’s review what we know.”
“We know her name, where it happened, sort of when it happened and what happened,” Austin summarized. “We just don’t know why.”
Kelly suddenly sat up straight, startling both Scott and Austin. “She didn’t kill herself.”
“But the police report said . . .,” Scott reminded her.
“But she said she didn’t do it. That’s what she meant! Don’t you see? That’s what she was trying to tell us.” Kelly was so excited, she could hardly sit still.
Austin considered that for a minute, then said. “There are two problems with
“That’s okay. We’ll get your scores from the state. I’m sure you took the standard achievement tests, didn’t you?”
Kelly nodded. “I’ll get these all filled out. Thanks.”
“Mrs. Carter, I have a question,” Austin asked. “Ahh . . . do you remember a girl named Wendy Summers? She went here in 1963 through 1966.”
Mrs. Carter turned white as a sheet and her hands began to shake. She swallowed hard and her eyes darted from Austin to Scott to Kelly. She rubbed her hands together and then as if she ran out of ways to delay any longer, she responded, “I do remember her. She was one of our brightest and best students ever. And beautiful inside and out. Very popular and she participated in all kinds of clubs. I don’t recall exactly which ones, but I know she was a cheerleader.” Her gaze lowered to the counter, and she was silent for several moments, then she lifted her head and shook it sadly. “She had it all and did it all.” Mrs. Carter’s eyes welled up.
Kelly rushed to add, “It sounds like she was really special.”
“As you kids say, she owned this place. We were all so shocked when she . . . well, it was just very sad.”
“We saw the newspaper article,” Austin told her. “It said she committed suicide.”
“Such a tragedy,” Mrs. Carter sighed.
“ Do you have idea why she would do such a thing?” Kelly blurted out.
“No one knows. She didn’t leave a note. She didn’t tell anyone anything. Not even her best friends were aware of her plans. Her poor parents . . .”
“Was she having trouble at home or with a boyfriend?” Kelly asked.
“No, her parents were wonderful, always involved with her activities. And, as far as I know, she didn’t have a boyfriend at the time. But then you know how quickly those things change.”
“ Any rumors?” Austin prodded.
Mrs. Carter looked at Austin and cocked he r read slightly. “No, nothing. Why the questions?”
“No reason. W e were just talking about the kids here at school . . . and her name sort of came up,” Austin explained.
“Kids just didn’t do things like that back then,” Mrs. Carter mused. “Lately, it seems like every year, there’s one or two who take their own lives. I didn’t get it then, and I sure don’t get it now.”
“ Me either,” Kelly agreed. “Well, it’s very nice meeting you, Mrs. Carter. I’ll see you in a few weeks, ready to go.”
“You kids enjoy your summer.”
Once outside, they felt they could talk. “Mrs. Carter really looked shook up when you asked about Wendy, didn’t she?” Kelly said as they headed to the stallion.
“ She sure did,” Austin agreed.
They got in and drove back toward home. “Anyone hungry?” Kelly was a little embarrassed that it was a question always asked by her.
“ There’s a Wendy’s up ahead.” Austin looked at her in the rearview mirror. Kelly nodded her agreement.
“Ironic . Lunch at Wendy’s,” Scott concurred.
It was already the middle of the afternoon, so there was no line. They quickly got their food and drinks and went to a corner table at the front of the restaurant, away from the counters so they could talk privately.
They had finished their hamburgers and were picking at their fries when Scott pulled out his notepad
“ Okay, let’s review what we know.”
“We know her name, where it happened, sort of when it happened and what happened,” Austin summarized. “We just don’t know why.”
Kelly suddenly sat up straight, startling both Scott and Austin. “She didn’t kill herself.”
“But the police report said . . .,” Scott reminded her.
“But she said she didn’t do it. That’s what she meant! Don’t you see? That’s what she was trying to tell us.” Kelly was so excited, she could hardly sit still.
Austin considered that for a minute, then said. “There are two problems with
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