Weekend - By Christopher Pike Page 0,49

snapped at a candle. The impact of its nose against the Plexiglas spilt the red cup over on to the floor. Fortunately, the flame was drowned in its wax. A portion of the room darkened. Yet, it would be worse, far worse, if the snakes came at them unseen.

"Lena started the fight!" Kerry said.

"You little snot," Lena said. "You were demanding that Sol give you a ride home when he could hardly see."

"But Sol told you to shut up," Kerry protested, as if that made any difference.

Sol nodded. "I remember the three of us arguing."

"Everyone agree that this fight took place?" Park asked, taking up the role of coordinator. "Good, that is one thing we didn't tell the police. We are making progress. What happened next?"

"I offered to give Kerry a ride home when Robin and I left," Lena said. "The fight ended."

"Then we drank more," Sol said.

"Who brought out the beers?" Park said.

"Angie did," Kerry said.

"Of course I did," Angie said. "I was the hostess."

"Where did you get them?" Park asked.

"Hey, what is this? I'm not on trial."

"Yes, you are," Shani said. "We all are."

"We were out of cans," Angie said. "I broke into the keg."

"Who started on Robin to drink?" Park asked.

"You did," Sol said.

"I encouraged her," Park said. "But I did not start.."

"Angie started it," Lena said, thoughtful.

"I asked her if she was running for sainthood, that's all," Angie said. "But she said that she had to drive.

Then So! put on that Carpenters record."

"I did?" Sol asked.

"Then Bert came out of the bathroom," Kerry said, "and I had to go."

"But I got there first," Lena said. "Andyou went into the kitchen."

"I went with Bert," Kerry said defensively.

"This is incredible; our memories are snowballing," Park said. "I can actually remember all this happening. Kerry got up and Lena chased after her. Wait! You weren't in the living room, Lena. How did you get to the bathroom before Kerry?"

Lena hesitated. "I came out of the kitchen."

"So you had been alone in the kitchen?" Park asked.

"Yes."

"What did you do in there?" Park asked.

"Nothing. Oh, I cleaned off my dress. Sol had rolled over when I was sitting on him and I had spilled a drink on myself. I never did get that stain out."

"Sol, Sol," Park muttered. "I remember him leaving during this time, too."

"I saw him go down the hall," Shani said. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together. Talking helped, it gave her less time to worry. The insistent rattling had quietened. The snakes seemed to be listening.

"Here we go again," Sol sighed. "I went down the hall looking for a head. I didn't find one."

"Because we only have one bathroom in our house," Angie said.

"Then what happened?" Park asked.

Their momentum stalled. A minute went by. Shani realized she could not feel her feet. She offered what she could. "I fell asleep, then. When I woke up, everyone was back in the living room. And you were saying, Park, that it was our God-given duty to get Robin drunk."

"I did say that," Park admitted. "But you were probably only asleep a minute or two. Everyone came right back. And then..." He shook his head, frustrated. "And then Sol was giving Robin the beer. This is no good. We're skipping over the most important part. The beer came from the kitchen, and that's where the insecticide was. Who went into the kitchen is crucial."

"Give me everything we've got so far," Sol said, scratching his chin. "Something's coming back to me."

"You, Kerry and Lena fought," Park said. "Angie brought beers out of the kitchen. Bert was in the bathroom. Lena went into the kitchen. We started on Robin to drink. You put on the Carpenters. Bert came out of the bathroom and put on another record. Kerry and Lena ran into each other at the bathroom door, Kerry coming from the living room, Lena coming from the kitchen. Lena ended up using the bathroom. Kerry went into the kitchen with Bert. About this time, you were looking for another bathroom."

"I went into the kitchen!" Sol said suddenly.

"Were Kerry and Bert still there?" Park asked.

"Bert came back into the living room and went to sleep on the floor," Angie said.

Sol was straining. "Man, I'm not sure, but I think Kerry was alone."

"And what was our sweet Kerry doing?" Lena asked slowly.

Kerry stuttered. "I was... getting a... a drink."

"Sol?" Park asked.

"Yeah, that's right. Kerry was fixing drinks."

"Did she give you a beer in a mug?" Park asked.

"Yeah, or I took one.