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Tom walks over to the MP3 player in its dock and switches off the music A blessed silence descends over the roo from the rooftop outside, and then Tom’s voice as he pulls out his phone and says, "Yes, I need the police and an aht away That’s 14 College Place between Broadway and--"

Bridget, appearing worried, asks, "He’s not calling the police about Mr Bigelow, is he? Because he didn’t do anything wrong He was only helpinglook He nods, getting the e, and leaves the room, the cell phone still pressed to his ear

"Well," I say to Bridget, "Mr Bigelow"--did she really just call hie property, and that’s very serious He also didn’t answer the door e knocked, and that’s a violation of New York College residence hall rules and regulations"

Bridget, still appearing fearful--but for Mr Bigelow, not herself--nods "Oh," she says "Okay I-I guess I knoe were doing rong, but we didn’t mean to hurt anyone"

"Of course you didn’t," I say, reaching up to push soet’s dark hair from her eyes so I can check her pupils I think she must be in shock There don’t appear to be any cuts or bruises on her face, ars, or anywhere else that I can see She appears pale, but otherwise in good health She’s begun to tre you, like you said," I ask, "why didn’t you open the door e knocked? And why did he run away?"

"Well," Bridget says, wrapping her ar into the sa earlier in the library, "I guess ere violating the rules--"

My heart is thu harder than ever "What rules?" I ask

"He was coaching e dark eyes fill with tears She doesn’t appear to be in pain, however They seem to be tears of shame "Okay? Please don’t tell Do you promise? I’ll die if Cassidy and Mallory find out They’ll tell Stephanie, and then I’ll get disqualified"

"Disqualified?" The voices froh the broken , I see Steven and Pete returningunfortunately, Bill Bigelow is not with the, Steven’s arelos a lot about coh oes on, as if she hasn’t heardvery quickly, like she’s had a lot of caffeine "He used to teach it professionally And he said he could teach me some tricks that would help irls in the Rock Off"

Toh the splintered re to the 911 operator, "I won’t hold I don’t think you really understand--"

What he’s waving is a cupcake pan that he’s apparently found in the kitchen

It doesn’t prove anything, but I feel the blood into stay focused on Bridget, "Mr Bigeloas your teacher?"

She nods, seeht on "Yes," she says "Yes He’s really, really good"

"Then why," I say, feeling a little sick to my stomach, "did you tell your roommates that he was your boyfriend?"

Color swiftly suffuses her cheeks, turning thelances down and away, at the bare knees she’s hugging to her chest

"Because I didn’t want theether," she says, still speaking so quickly that her words run over the hydrant "They’d think it was cheating But it wasn’t, really Mr Bigelow says it’s iet a coent I don’t We don’t have agents in ent, and er--"

I don’t knohat coently unwind the hot-pink scarf fro But when I do, both Toasp that coasp that he, likea perfect circle all around Bridget’s throat--as if she earing a necklace of amethyst stones--are bruises They’re in the exact shape and size of aour horror, since Bridget seeht ae’ve seen She reaches for the scarf lying limply in my hands and says matter-of-factly as she wraps the silkecho of Tania’s that night in the Cartwrights’ media room, "Oh, never ets stressed when I don’t hit the notes right Please don’t blame him I need to work harder, he says"

Chapter 25

Spice of Life

Girl, you are so sweet

I love you desperately

But that doesn’t mean

I wanna date exclusively

I’m a man who needs variety