Power Play, chapter 6

Jessica Wakefield was an innocent person wrongfully accused, she raged.

Elizabeth pursued her around her bedroom, knocking down Jessica's arguments at every turn.

"Elizabeth, I will not be yelled at for that ridiculous charade tonight! I mean, it's a total mystery how or why Bruce Patman took Robin to the Discomarathon at all. Nobody believed for a second that she'd ever get him to take her!"

"Oh, then you admit that you deliberately set up an impossible task so she couldn't make it into Pi Beta, huh?"

"Yes-no-that's not fair! If she were the right material for Pi Beta, she wouldn't have had any trouble. But, who ever thought-? Besides, I don't control Bruce Patman."

No, Elizabeth thought sourly, I took care of that.

Somehow Jessica sensed that she had struck a note that put her in the driver's seat. She immediately pressed forward.

"We all tried to figure out why Bruce did it, but we couldn't. Did you hear anything?"

"Me?"

"Yes. You seem to have taken over as Robin's best friend. Did she tell you how she worked that little miracle?"

"No," said Elizabeth. "Let's just drop it. I'm only glad Robin got through all this alive. At least you can't keep her out now."

Jessica sat before her mirror and began brushing her hair. "I'm tired," she said. "I'm going to bed."

"You heard me, didn't you? I said you can't keep Robin out now."

Jessica stared at her reflection as she brushed her sun-streaked, shoulder-length hair.

"You know, sister dear, I am not the entire membership of Pi Beta Alpha. It's not up to me alone."

Elizabeth didn't like the sound of that. But she was too exhausted to figure out what Jessica was really saying.

Elizabeth was so relieved that Robin's pledge dares seemed to be over that she didn't even mind when the next day Jessica ducked out, leaving her to pick up their mother's watch at the repair shop in the Valley Mall. It amused her to think how outraged Jessica would be when she discovered that Elizabeth had been allowed to drive her mother's little red Fiat for the errand.

She laughed to herself. Too bad, Jessica. That's what you get for pulling your usual disappearing act.

She parked the car, picked up the gold watch, and was strolling back through the vast, airy indoor mall when she spotted an exclusive little shop she hadn't noticed before.

The discreet sign over the door read Lisette's. The selection of imported, expensive French gifts in the window was breathtaking. Elizabeth found herself walking in to gaze at uniquely designed gold jewelry on display atop bright glass counters. Beautifully crafted gold earrings caught her eye, as did a gossamer-delicate pin, inlaid with precious stones. Lovely silk scarves, tied gracefully around a velvet post, cascaded onto the front counter.

Elizabeth undid one and examined it carefully. It was exactly like the one Lila Fowler had given to Jessica.

"Yes, miss?" said a polite voice. Elizabeth looked up to see a saleslady watching her warily.

"What a lovely scarf," Elizabeth commented.

"Yes," the saleslady said, moving closer. "May I interest you in one?"

"Oh, I was just looking. But-how much is it?"

She smiled. "It's one of our finest imports, and only ninety-five dollars."

Elizabeth felt the scarf slide from her hands. "Ninety-five dollars?" she repeated.

"They're an exclusive item with us, you see."

"Exclusive? You mean exclusive in California?"

"I mean exclusive anywhere."

"Oh, but a friend of mine..." Elizabeth began, her voice trailing off. So it was true. Lila's aunt couldn't have sent it to her. But Lila didn't seem like the type to purchase such generous gifts for her friends.

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing," Elizabeth mumbled.

"Have you seen a scarf like this somewhere else?"

"Oh, well-I thought I saw one like it."

In her nervousness Elizabeth moved away a little too suddenly, and a tray of gold jewelry went skittering across the glass counter.

"Oh, my goodness! Oh, I'm so sorry..."

She anxiously scooped up rings, earrings, and bracelets, hastily putting them back on the tray. As the saleslady began to rearrange the pieces into an attractive display, Elizabeth suddenly spotted another familiar item. It was a little face on a gold ring. A delicately carved Egyptian pharaoh's face. Exactly like the gold ring Lila Fowler had.

Lila certainly does believe in spending her money, Elizabeth thought.

The saleslady was now out from behind the counter, checking to see if any stray pieces of jewelry had fallen onto the floor.

"Please stay here, young lady, until I have everything," she said in a tone of voice that sounded more like a command than a polite request.

“What?"

"Let me see now.... Yes, that's right. I guess that's everything."

"What's the matter?"

"You might be interested to know that we have recently installed a brand-new, very expensive security system, young lady. Shoplifting isn't going to be so easy from now on."

"Shoplifting?"

"Yes. The shoplifter who has been working this mall-and my shop, in particular-had better watch out. In fact, that lovely scarf I saw you staring at has a twin. But it was one of the items that was taken."

"Yes ma'am," Elizabeth heard herself saying as her mind began whirling.

"Who is the person whom you said has a scarf like ours?"

"Oh," said Elizabeth, backing away. "I can't remember her name."

Moments later, she walked out of the mall, headed toward the Fiat Spider. It's probably nothing, she kept telling herself. It must be a different scarf. But the nagging feeling that someone was not telling a frightening truth kept returning.