Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger 2)

moved to push a button that would put Miss

Dewhurst's message onto the attached microphone so

Chris and Paul would hear even as they ate.

"Where was she?" I asked in a small voice,

already terrified.

She spoke calmly. "A strange hush came in the

air this morning when your sister's name was called

and when I asked where she was. I sent a teacher to

check your sister's room and she wasn't there. I then

ordered a thorough search of the grounds and the

entire school building from basement to attic, and still

your sister wasn't found. I would, if your sister was of

a different character, presume she'd run off and was on

her way home. But something in the atmosphere

warns that at least twelve of the girls here know what

has happened to Carrie and they refuse to talk and

incriminate themselves."

My eyes widened. "You mean you still don't

know where Carrie is?"

Paul and Chris had stopped eating. Now both

stared at me with mounting concern. "I'm sorry to say

I don't. Carrie hasn't been seen since nine o'clock last

night. Even if she walked all the way home she should

have reached there by now. It's almost noon. If she is

not there and she is not here, then she is either injured,

lost or some other accident has befallen her. . . . I could have screamed. How could she speak so

dispassionately! Why, why every time something

terrible came into our lives was it a flat, uncaring

voice that told us the bad news?

Paul's white car sped down Overland Highway