Wicked by Joanne Fluke Page A

no sign of Tracie.
    â€œShe’s not down here,” Eve said. “We looked everywhere, Ryan.”
    â€œI know. Let’s head for the library, honey. Maybe someone else found her.”
    They’d only waited a few minutes when footsteps approached in the hall. Jeremy and Scott came into the library with disappointed faces. “No luck?”
    â€œNo,” Scott said. “We even checked all the padlocks on the fourth-floor doors. Everything’s locked up tight.”
    â€œTracie’s not up there,” Jeremy said. “We’re sure of it.”
    Angela and Marc came in next.
    â€œShe’s not on the second floor.” Marc dropped down, into a chair. “We checked everywhere.”
    â€œWe even checked the bathroom.” Angela sat down next to Marc.
    â€œBut that’s the guys’ bathroom!” Eve was surprised.
    â€œI know,” Marc said. “But Angela pointed out that if Tracie was on the second floor and she got sick, she might have ducked in there.”
    â€œGood point.” Ryan smiled at Angela.
    Eve fought down her sudden feeling of jealousy. This wasn’t the time for petty emotions. Tracie was missing, and that should be their main concern.
    No one said anything for a long moment, and then Beth and Dean came in. When Dean noticed that they were all looking at him hopefully, he shook his head. “Tracie’s not on the third floor.”
    â€œWe checked everywhere. We even looked under the beds.” Beth looked worried.
    â€œThen she’s got to be outside.” Eve pointed out the obvious fact. “I grabbed a couple of flashlights when we were in the kitchen. Let’s go search the grounds.”
    Everyone started to leave, but Angela grabbed Eve’s hand. “When you and Ryan were in the kitchen, did you check the walk-in cooler?”
    â€œNo. We were sure she wouldn’t go in there.”
    â€œI wish I could be that sure.”
    Eve turned to stare at Angela. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI know this sounds strange, Eve, but I keep thinking about what Tracie told me. It was more frightening than anything I could write.”
    Eve was intrigued. Angela wrote some pretty scary stuff. “What did Tracie say?”
    â€œShe said she wasn’t sure that Cheryl was really dead, that maybe Marc made a mistake. She told me she couldn’t sleep at all last night. She kept thinking about how awful it would be if Cheryl woke up.”
    â€œWoke up?” Eve gave a little laugh. “But that’s impossible! I wrapped Cheryl in a blanket. I know she was dead!”
    â€œBut Tracie didn’t even look at her body. She covered her eyes, remember? And because she didn’t actually look at Cheryl, she started imagining things that couldn’t possibly be true.”
    â€œI get it. Tracie thought Cheryl might be unconscious, she’d be all alone, locked in the walk-in cooler.” Eve shivered. “That’s scary! And it’s also crazy. But I don’t think you have to worry, Angela. Tracie would never go in the walk-in cooler alone. She wouldn’t have the nerve.”
    â€œMaybe you should check, just to make sure. After all, you were in there this afternoon so it shouldn’t bother you now . . . unless you’ve lost your nerve and you’d rather wait for the guys?”
    There was a strange look in Angela’s eyes. Angela looked different, much more confrontational, as if she were trying to pick a fight. She’d never actually challenged Eve before, but it was clear she was doing it now.
    Angela’s message came through loud and clear. Eve would be a coward if she didn’t check the walk-in cooler. But Eve decided to turn the tables on Angela. After all, she’d brought up the whole thing.
    â€œIt won’t bother me.” Eve started to grin. “But will it bother you?”
    Angela looked startled. “Me? I don’t have to go in the