"Isn't that JoAnn's horse you have there?" asked Matt Tisdel, walking towards Liz Manning who was saddling her horse.
Liz ignored the interruption and continued slipping the headstall and bosal over Speedy's head.
"I mean, you do know that's 'Speedy'? Does your sister know you have him out?"
With a heavy sigh Liz ran a hand gently down the side of Speedy's neck. She muttered a set-upon "Yes."
"You aren't thinking of riding him home are you? I mean. JoAnn wouldn't call him Speedy for nothing."
Liz turned from Speedy to stare at her tormentor. "Yes, Matt. Yes, I know this is Speedy. Yes, I know he is fast. I have been riding Speedy for a while. I am perfectly capable of riding a horse. I am perfectly capable of riding Speedy. Okay? Now if you will excuse me, I have to finish saddling up if I want to get home before it gets dark." With that she made her way over to the saddle and blankets straddling a rail beside the saddling area.
With Liz moving Matt had a clear view of the bridle she had been fitting. The sight shocked him. "Isn't that a hackamore? Don't tell me you are thinking of riding that animal with a hackamore?" he asked in horror.
"Okay, I won't tell you. Though what business it is of yours I don't know."
"I'm not totally ignorant when it comes to horses you know. It takes a really good rider to control an animal like Speedy with a hackamore."
"What are you trying to suggest, Matt?" Liz asked, fire growing in her eyes.
Matt was taken aback at how the conversation was deteriorating. "Nothing. Nothing. Here, let me help with that," Matt offered, trying to regain lost ground by reaching to pick up the saddle sitting ready on the rail.
"Thanks, but I'm perfectly capable of saddling a horse." Liz grabbed the saddle blanket and pad before Matt could lay a hand on them and set them over Speedy's withers. Turning back to the saddle she found Matt had carried it over. Reaching out she grabbed the heavy western saddle and pulled it from his hands. "Thank you for your help. I could have managed quite well without it." Quickly she threw the saddle over Speedy's back, letting it down gently. First checking that there were no wrinkles in the saddle pad and blanket, she then bent down and reached under Speedy's belly for the girth. She had just grabbed the cinch when she heard the heavy tread of someone else coming. Loosely buckling the cinch she looked up to see who had come in.
"Hi, Liz," Kevin greeted her, running his eyes up and down Liz, pausing to stare at her breasts. He waved a couple of pieces of paper in her direction. "I've got tickets for the senior prom. What time do you want me to pick you up?"
Liz managed to stifle her immediate reaction, a loud negation. She had heard stories about Kevin Simmons, and there was no way she wanted anything to do with him. Standing straight, her right hand gripping Speedy's mane for support, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kevin. I've already got a date for the prom."
The look on Kevin's face wasn't pretty. "Who?"
Breaking eye contact with Kevin, Liz cast about for a name Kevin would believe. She caught sight of Matt leaning against a stall, the raised eyebrow the only indication that he had been listening. She pointed. "Matt. He asked me earlier."
Kevin followed Liz's pointing arm. He obviously hadn't noticed Matt in the shadows. Anger flashed over his face.
"That's right, Simmons. Liz is going to the prom with me."
Kevin's hands tightened into fists for a moment. Then relaxed. He blasted Liz with an angry look before turning on his heels and stalking out of the stables.
"What color dress are you wearing?"
Liz had been following Kevin's departure with her eyes. The tension only left her body as he moved out of sight. Matt's question barely penetrated. Swinging to face him she asked, "What?"
"What color is your prom dress. For the corsage. You don't want them to clash."
"White." Liz responded automatically to the question as her heart fluttered for a moment. There had been a flash of something in Matt's eyes, quickly lost in his normal surly expression. "But you don't have to be my partner. I was going to go with a group of girls."
Shaking his head, Matt walked up the off-side of Speedy, stopping to rest a hand on the horse's neck. "Simmons is a real piece of work. If you don't go as my partner he'll get really nasty. He won't forgive you for refusing him."
Liz sighed. Then looked at Matt. He looked so solid and comfortable as he stood quite relaxed, idly rubbing at the base of Speedy's ears. She ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips and passed her gaze over Matt before returning to doing up the cinch. All those miles Matt swam every day did wonders for his shoulders. Slightly distracted Liz turned her attention back to Speedy, giving him a nudge in the stomach to get him to exhale. She tightened the cinch another couple of notches, then turned back to Matt. "Are you still swimming every day?"
"Every day," he replied smiling at the nonsequitur.
"Even in winter? What about the ice?"
"Oh, I break that first. It can be real difficult trying to swim in unbroken ice."
"Maaatttt." Liz shook her head as she smiled at Matt. "You know what I mean. Isn't the water cold?"
"Well, of course it's cold. It's got ice forming on it. Okay, okay." Matt fended off Liz's mock slaps. "Nah, if you swim every day you don't notice the cold so much. Besides, when it gets colder I wear a triathlon wetsuit. You should come out and watch sometime. Well, I'm off."
As he reached the stable door Liz called out, "Dutch?"
Matt paused and looked over his shoulder. "Well, of course Dutch. I'm not made of money." He made a hasty exit as Liz reached for something to throw.
Her hands empty, Liz stood staring at Matt's retreating back, a smile on her face. The sight of his broad shoulders receding into the distance did funny things to her breathing. She was brought back to earth when Speedy bumped his head into her back. Hastily she turned her attention back to saddling her mount.
Liz scanned the room as she and Matt glided around the gym. She was enjoying herself considerably. There had been many a wide-eyed stare when she turned up with Matt. Even now there were eyes following them around the dance floor. A few of the stares were less than friendly. "Did you notice David Bartley came with Brent and not Sarah?" Matt nodded. "And the guy Sarah came with. Did you see him?" Matt was starting to grin. "Did you notice Trent came with a girl? I'm surprised Brent came with David. You don't suppose he's stopped playing the field?"
"No, I think it's still a case of so many girls, so little time. If he brought a date there would be some kind of expectations."
"Well, if he's not careful, he's going to find himself propped up at an altar by a couple of shotguns," said Liz, a little disgusted at Brent's behavior.
"Whereas, if Trent is involved in a shotgun wedding, it'll be his girlfriend with the shotgun props," Matt said with a smile.
Liz looked wide-eyed at Matt. "Do you know her?"
"Not really, but I've noticed how Trent behaves whenever she's around. If you want all the dirt you should talk to Glenna Sue Haggerty; she seems to know her."
When the music stopped they started to walk towards the refreshments. In the shadows by the drinks table Liz spotted something. "Matt, over by the curtains. What do you think Kevin is doing?"
Matt looked over towards Kevin, then back to Liz. "If Simmons is acting true to form he's probably spiking his date's drink. Come on, I can see your friend the stable manager and his girlfriend. We should pass on a warning to them. If anybody can handle Simmons it'll be that pair."
"You mean because Erika is a police officer?"
"There is that, but I was thinking your Mr. Muller can be very physical when he needs to be."
"Rudi? But he's as gentle as a lamb."
"Next time you see Sims, ask him to describe the bit of dental reconstruction his father did when your Rudi hit a guy who was giving Officer Fleischer a hard time. I'm not saying your Rudi is violent, but when he hits someone, they stay hit."
"Oh."
"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Matt asked as they left Rudi and Erika searching out Kevin and his date.
"No, and I'm glad we passed on a warning."
With the band now playing music more suited to the down-time dancers Matt and Liz abandoned the floor. As they walked back to the buffet tables Liz saw some of her friends and steered Matt towards them. "Hi, guys. You look all danced out. Joe Calagna, isn't it?" she asked as she looked at Glenna Sue Haggerty's date.
"Yes, and you must be her friend Liz." Joe did a graceful bow and kissed the back of her right hand.
"Very nicely done, Joe," observed Richelle Kubiak's date. "Hi, Liz. Has Matt been treating you well?"
"Thanks, Jonathan. Matt's been treating me fine. I didn't know you could dance."
"Mom's an Astaire and Rogers fan," Jonathan Fortney responded. "I think she married Dad because he could dance, and she's made sure both her kids could dance. She seemed to think it offered social benefits." With that he gave Richelle a quick cuddle. "I think she might be right. How about you, Matt? I wouldn't have thought you had time for dancing."
Matt shrugged his shoulders. "Miz Maddox struck a deal in exchange for additional coaching," he said, as if it explained everything.
"You get roped in as an extra male for her ballroom dance classes at school as well?" asked Joe.
Matt nodded. "You, too? I thought your aunt might have taught you."
"Oh Aunt Bitty did. That just made Miz Maddox more anxious to get her claws into me. Males as partners are rare enough; one who can actually move on a dance floor without tripping over his or his partner's feet, now those are like hen's teeth."
Liz examined the crowd, her gaze locking on one specific person. "Poor Julia. Prom queen, and her date unable to dance. Matt. Do you think you could . . . ?"
Matt looked at Liz, his eyes dancing, "Wander over and ask her to dance? Sure. If that's what you want. Are you all danced out?"
"A bit. And I'd like to chat with Tina."
"Have fun," Matt said. He dropped a kiss on her cheek before setting off towards Julia.
"Hey. Where's Matt going?" asked Tina Logsden.
"He's just going over to ask Julia to dance."
Tina looked at Liz wide-eyed. "Oh boy, DEAD. Girl, you are so DEAD."
Confused, Liz stared at Tina before turning her gaze onto Matt, who had just joined her cousin Julia. "What do you mean?"
"Lady Bountiful has just sent her faithful cavalier to dance with the poor wallflower. What do you think I mean?" Tina giggled as she watched the emotions passing over Julia O'Reilly's face as she debated whether or not to accept her cousin's largesse. "I think, right now, Julia would have been happier if you had been voted prom queen, rather than have her friends see you lending her your boyfriend."
"Matt's not my boyfriend. I told you what happened. He was in the stable when Kevin asked me to the prom. I'm really grateful that he didn't deny it when I claimed he had already asked me to the prom."
"Yeah, Right." Tina gave Liz a very superior smile and let her eyes drift from her friend to Matt and Julia who were now gliding around on the dance floor. Her eyes back on Liz she asked, "Have you ever asked yourself what a guy with no time for horses was doing in the stable just when you needed him?"
"Oh," responded Liz a little taken aback.
"Right. 'Oh.' I think the guy's got the hots for you," she said with a smile.
"Well, nothing can come of it." Liz shook her head gently, a blush growing. "Matt's said he wants to join the Marines. He reckons that they'll have more use for his swimming than the army."
"If he wants to use his swimming, surely the navy," Tina said.
Liz stifled a giggle. "That's what I said. Matt said that the navy has boats precisely so they don't have to swim."
As Liz, Tina, and a few of the unpartnered girls started talking amongst themselves the couples slipped back onto the dance floor.
It was the change in the beat of the music that drew them out of their huddle. "I think it's absolutely disgusting and shouldn't be allowed," muttered Tina, her eyes brimming with humor as she joined most of the guests in watching the couples dancing with the floor to themselves.
"What are they dancing?" asked Liz.
"Well, I'm no expert, but I think it's supposed to be a Tango," said Paola Villareal. "It sure looks like they are enjoying themselves, doesn't it."
"Yeah. They're really dancing up a storm. Who is the guy with Miz Stevenson?" asked Liz.
Tina looked at Liz. "Didn't you see the Christmas ballet? He was the Sugar Plum Fairy's cavalier." At Liz's shaking head, Paola and Tina exchanged horrified looks before turning back to the cultural desert that was their friend. "What about 'Bad Bad Brillo' and the continuing adventures of Brillo? Surely you have seen some of those, even if just on TV?"
"The Brillo saga. Yes, I've seen some of that. So, what part did he dance?"
"Lizzzzz. How could you fail to recognize Brillo?" Tina asked in a pained voice.
"Because Brillo's not a horse, obviously. You know Liz and her horses. If its not a horse, she's not interested. It's a wonder she didn't try to bring Speedy as her partner tonight, " Paola said. She turned her attention back to the dance floor. "It's a conspiracy," she muttered to her friends, pointing at the dancers. "Look at who has joined Miz Stevenson and her partner. There's Glenna Sue's sister Miz Haggerty, Miz Salerno, Miz Matowski, Glenna Sue and Joe, and Richelle and Jon. You realize they're all from the ballet. I bet those down-timers are guys that partnered the en pointe dancers in Nutcracker. It's a recruiting drive I tell you."
Liz, Tina and Paola, like most of the rest of the guests, stood watching the dancers dance the Tango, leaving the floor to the experts. It was a pleasure to watch, but too soon it came to an end.
Matt came to collect Liz for the next set and escorted her to the floor for yet another slow number. Tina turned to Paola. "Well, there is a lineup of guys holding up the opposite wall watching the dancing. It doesn't look like any of them are going to come over here to ask us to dance."
Paola looked at the males, then back at Tina, "You're right. If we want to dance, there is only one thing for it. We'll have to do the asking." Paola turned and offered Tina her left hand, "Miss Logsden, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"
"Why Miss Villareal, I'd be delighted." Tina smiled and she put her right hand in Paola's left and started onto the dance floor.
"Hey, just a minute. I asked. That means I get to lead," protested Paola.
"But next dance it's my turn to lead."
"Richelle. Are you all right?" Liz Manning asked. Richelle was bent over in the bushes, vomit pooling in front of her.
Richelle Kubiak looked up at the voice, Her wide unfocused eyes dominated a porcelain white face. "I do not feel so well."
"That's an understatement. Have you had anything to drink?" Liz asked.
Richelle tried to focus on her friend, "Drink? A little small beer."
"I mean alcohol. Have you had anything stronger than the small beer?"
Richelle tried to shake her head in negation, but the effort told on her and she collapsed back onto her hands and knees, dry retching.
"If it's not that, then is it something you ate?" Liz asked, wrapping her arms around Richelle's trembling body. She looked around for help. "Diana, can you come here? Richelle's unwell."
Diana Cheng made her way quickly over to Liz and Richelle. After a hasty physical assessment, she used a stick to stir the pool of vomit and sniffed it. "Come on. Liz, you take the other side. We need to get Richelle warm."
"Is Richelle all right?" someone slurred.
Liz turned to the voice. The pale face of Maria Pflaum struggled to hold eye contact.
"Hell. Maria, are you all right?"
"I don't feel so good."
Liz and Diana exchanged looks. It seemed that something was going around. Leaving Richelle in Liz's care, Diana knelt down beside Maria and checked her over. "What have you been eating, Maria?"
"Nothing. I haven't eaten anyth . . ."
Diana waited until the dry heaving stopped. "Are you sure?"
"Nothing, I've only had a drink of small beer since I arrived."
Diana looked over at the barrel of small beer sitting innocently on the back of a wagon. "Liz." As Liz turned to face her, Diana continued, "would you check out the drinks barrel and bring back a cupful?"
Leaving Richelle wrapped in a picnic blanket, Liz moved over to the beer barrel and tapped it for a cup. Sniffing it first, Liz then took a small sip. Looking back at Diana, she shrugged her shoulders before taking the cup to Diana. "What do you think?"
"Well it doesn't smell bad." Taking a small sip and then spitting it out Diana looked at the cup of offending liquid. "I don't know. The only thing I can think of is someone has spiked the barrel with booze. But what kind of dumb idiot would do a thing like that?"
"I can think of one name," said Liz, "but I wouldn't think it would be him. He should have learned his lesson at the senior prom."
Diana looked around the picnic site. There were a couple of girls suffering some kind of mystery illness. "If it is alcohol I suppose it's too much to hope its not home made 'shine.'"
Liz looked questioningly at Diana, "What?"
"People who know what they are doing throw out the first couple of ounces of flow to get rid of the methanol." Seeing Liz's confusion, Diana elaborated. "Methanol fractions off at a lower temperature than ethanol, so the first bit of flow contains some methanol. It's a toxin. If you don't dump it, anybody drinking your alcohol risks blindness, or," she passed her eye over Richelle and the other girls huddled in blankets around the fire, "you get illness. Mind you, they could just be reacting to too much alcohol."
Diana and Liz's contemplation of the huddled shapes by the fire was disturbed by a scream and splashing. Both looked towards the sound, to the beer barrel, then, with dawning horror, at each other.
Matt Tisdel was used to the walk to the swimming hole at the old quarry. It was one of his favorite swimming holes. The short municipal pool made training for distance swimming difficult; all that constant turning every few seconds or so interfered with the rhythm of his stroke. He was deep in his daydreams of what might have been but for the Ring of Fire when the high pitched scream penetrated. Looking up he could see splashing near the pontoon anchored fifty yards from the beach. Dropping into a jog Matt made his way towards the water. As he neared the bank he saw a girl strip down to her swimsuit and dive into the water. Sprinting now, he ran to the bank. Looking down the ten feet into the water he searched for the would-be rescuer. Spotting a body floating in the water Matt quickly stripped down to his swimsuit, then after scanning the water for any floating or submerged branches, jumped feet first into the water.
The frigid water almost robbed him of breath as he went under. Shooting to the surface in the shallow water he searched for the floater. Spotting the body he struck out with a powerful freestyle stroke that quickly closed the distance. Arriving at the floating body he quickly rolled the girl over. Kicking to stay afloat he felt for a pulse. He couldn't feel anything. Looking towards shore he could see people gathering on the short pier that jutted into the quarry. Rolling onto his back he took hold of the girl and kicked out for the shore. "She's not breathing," he called as helping hands dragged the bleeding girl out of the water. With a hand holding onto the pier Matt looked back towards the pontoon. There were a couple of people on it trying to drag someone out of the water. Their movements appeared uncoordinated.
"Are you all right, Matt?"
Matt looked up to see John Sullivan looking down at him, "Yeah, I'm okay. What about the girl?"
"Henry Sims and one of the girls are giving her CPR. Look. They seem to be having trouble out on the pontoon. Could you swim over and help? I'm worried about those guys still in the water. It's not so bad if they keep moving, but staying still in the water like that. Well, I've got a bad feeling about them."
"Okay, I'll start hauling them back if they can't manage on their own. Just make sure you have people ready to receive them."
Matt launched into a fast crawl and swam for the pontoon. Thirty seconds later he was helping get the last couple of swimmers out of the water. "Huddle together for warmth you guys." Pulling himself onto the pontoon Matt looked down on the shivering young men and women. A couple were going blue around the lips. Looking around the quarry Matt searched for a boat. Anything that floated. There was nothing. "Everybody. You have to stay huddled together for warmth. You understand?" The shivering swimmers nodded. "Right, I'm going to swim back to shore to get a rope or something. You just stay out of the water. You understand?" Seeing their nods Matt dived back into the water and struck out for the shore.
Helping hands dragged Matt onto the pier and quickly toweled him down before throwing a blanket around his shoulders. Shivering Matt turned to John. "I wouldn't risk swimming them back if we can avoid it. Is there a boat out here?"
"No," said John.
"Hell. Anybody know how the pontoon is secured?" Matt asked, looking around the faces congregated on the pier.
"I think it's a concrete anchor on a chain," suggested Mark Higgins. "The chain is attached to the pontoon by a shackle. If you can undo the shackle the pontoon should float free. I'll run back to the wagons and see if I can find any rope."
"Dieter and I'll get a couple of horses to help pull the pontoon," said Julia O'Reilly as she grabbed her boyfriend, Dieter Klaus Schmidt, by the hand and dragged him off towards the horses.
Still shivering, Matt turned to John. "The guys on the pontoon seem a bit punch drunk. Does that make any difference to anything?"
John Sullivan was thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Yes. It means we better get them on dry land and warmed up quickly. They're ripe for hypothermia, and if they are drunk, that's even worse. Look, Matt. If you're planning what I think you are, you're going to need some equipment. Stay here while I get a few things together."
Matt watched John run off, to return a few minutes later with a backpack in his hands. Mark Higgins and a couple of down-timers arrived at the same time, carrying some lengths of hemp rope.
"None of these will do on its own, but if we join them together, it should be enough," Mark said. He started unraveling the bundles of rope.
"Here, let me do that." John grabbed two lengths of rope and expertly joined them. "Matt," he called, "there's a large screwdriver, some knit caps, a thermos of hot water, and a couple of survival blankets in the backpack. Get them to wear the knit caps. Remember, we lose up to thirty percent of our body heat through the head. Try to get them to drink some of the hot water, and wrap them in the blankets. Here, use this as a leader. We'll attach the ropes when you get to the pontoon and you can haul the rope over. Much easier than swimming pulling a rope." John passed Matt a stick with heavy line wound round it.
Matt nodded in understanding. He put the roll of string into the top of the backpack and pulled the end free. He made a loop and tied it to a pile on the pier, then put the pack on and adjusted the straps. Then he lowered himself back into the water. It felt colder this time.
Matt barely felt the increased drag of the pack as he swam back out to the pontoon. He shivered when he pulled himself out of the water. The first thing he did was loop the string around a cleat. Then he emptied the backpack. He had to physically put the hats on the shivering men and women. One by one, he forced them to drink some of the hot water. After that, he wrapped them in the survival blankets and left them huddled together. He'd done the best he could.
He looked back to shore. Julia and Doug had almost arrived back with a pair of horses. It was time to see about undoing the anchor.
The shackle was old and rust had built up. Pushing the end of the screwdriver through the hole of the shackle, Matt applied all his strength. His body was starting to shake when the shackle squealed and turned a bit. Switching the screwdriver around Matt made another half turn. Half a dozen turns later a thought struck Matt. Going back to the pack he removed the ball of string, and unraveling it as he went, moved back to the shackle. Quickly he tied a loop of line to the chain. Now, when the chain was released they would be able to recover the anchor relatively easily.
There was a cry from the shore. Matt hurried to the front of the pontoon and started hauling on the line as he pulled the heavier rope toward him. With the rope in hand he secured it to the pontoon and hurried back to the shackle. With a few more turns the chain dropped free to be caught by the line Matt had tied to it. Letting line out, Matt waved to the people on shore. Slowly the pontoon started to move as the horses, aided by helping hands, hauled on the rope.
Helping hands carefully lifted their shivering friends from the pontoon and rushed them up to where fires had been lit. John stayed with Matt as he dried off and dressed in the clothes someone had recovered from where he had dropped them less than twenty minutes earlier.
"Help. Help. We need help. We have someone in the early stages of hypothermia," called Janie Abodeely as she ran up to the camp. "We need someone to ride to the nearest phone to call the emergency services. We might have another three or four cases." As she arrived at the campfire Janie looked at the girls huddled around the fire with Diana and Liz caring for them. "Oh hell. Is everything all right here? Liz? You came on a horse didn't you?" Not waiting for a reply she hurried on. "Look, I'll give you a note. You have to ride to the nearest phone as quickly as you can."
After hurriedly writing on a page from a notebook Janie grabbed Liz and dragged her towards the line of horses feeding from baskets set at their feet. "Which is your horse?" she asked still pulling on Liz's arm.
"Speedy. That one over there," Liz pointed.
"Oh good. Do you know the shortcut?" At Liz's nod Janie continued, "Quick, where's his tack." Liz looked around. The space where she had left Speedy's tack was bare.
"Someone must have taken it," Liz called. She ran to Speedy's head, stuffing Janie's note into her pocket. Untying the halter rope Liz quickly looped it over Speedy's neck and tied the end to the front clip. She then threw herself up onto Speedy. Bareback and with only a halter for control Liz led Speedy off towards the shortcut.
Fifteen minutes later Liz burst out of the valley and surprised the workmen gathered around the hut. Speedy staggered to a halt and helping hands caught Liz as she slipped from his back. Struggling to stand, Liz pulled at her pocket, her whole body shaking, as she tried to get Janie's note. "Help, we need help," she said.
As someone took the note, Liz collapsed from a combination of emotional exhaustion, coming down from the adrenaline rush, and her rubbery legs refusing to support her.
Reading the hastily scrawled note, Michel Kuhn detailed one of the boys to throw something over the horse and walk it around to cool it down. He then hurried over to the phone and made a call to the emergency services. After a few moments of conversation he gathered most of his crew, leaving a couple of men to look after the up-timer and her horse. Grabbing what equipment they could they started towards the site of the picnic.
"What have you got for us, Doctor?" Police Chief Preston Richards asked Dr. Adams.
"Well, three of the five who went into the water are in a stable condition. They should recover, but they will be in the hospital for a couple of weeks. For the other two, the prognosis isn't so good. Tina Logsden suffered severe head injuries when she dived into the quarry. She appears to have forgotten that the quarry shelves on that side. She is also suffering from hypothermia with complications, including cardiac arrest, probably due to the shock of the cold water. Young Glenna Sue Haggerty is critical. She has suffered a number of cardiac arrests in addition to hypothermia. We are still trying to stabilize her heartbeat."
"Do you have any idea why things happened like that? It seems everybody was okay, then suddenly everything went wrong."
"That's for the coroner to say, but there are indications alcohol was involved. In addition to our five hypothermia cases there were a couple cases of what appears to be alcohol poisoning." Dr. Adams held up his hand to stop Chief Richards interrupting. "They should be all right. But I want to keep them in for forty-eight hours for observation."
"Are you saying that the kids drank too much and then went swimming?" asked Chief Richards.
"I wish I could say that, but it appears that someone spiked one of their beverage barrels with spirits. Pretty cheap spirits at that. Diana Cheng, one of our new medical students, saved a sample and ran it through the lab. There were traces of methanol in it."
Seeing the shocked look of his audience he continued, "Oh, don't worry, the amount was too small to cause any permanent harm. The worst affected, Richelle Kubiak and Maria Pflaum, should make a full recovery." Dr. Adams gave Chief Richards and his officers a rueful look. "Given the girl's families, I wouldn't want to be whoever it was that spiked the drinks. Do you have any ideas as to who might be responsible?"
"Officer Fleischer followed up a hunch. She located a couple of bottles of cheap alcohol and a few doses of those horse steroids that went missing just after the Ring of Fire in the bedroom of one of the students," said Officer Bernadette Adducci, the juvenile officer.
"Who?" asked Dr. Adams.
"Normally we wouldn't say until our investigations are complete. But under the circumstances," Officer Adducci took a deep breath, releasing it, with the name. "Kevin Simmons."
"Oh." Dr. Adams nodded his head in understanding. There had been one fatality so far from the picnic. Kevin Simmons had taken a horse and, having poor horsemanship skills, failed to properly secure the saddle. At some stage, as he galloped away from the picnic site, the saddle had slipped, spilling Kevin. Unfortunately, he had caught a foot in the stirrup. Kevin's battered and bloodied body had been found, missing a boot, caught in undergrowth. "That's going to hit his parents Lorraine and Peter pretty hard. Does it all have to be made public knowledge?"
"Under the circumstances there isn't much point in revealing more than necessary. It won't bring those girls back, and Kevin Simmons can't be punished.
What about the Manning girl? I understood she was in a pretty bad condition," said Chief Richards.
"Liz Manning should be okay. She's a little stressed out." Dr. Adams grinned for the first time. "Based on the time Janie Abodeely wrote on her note and the time the emergency call came through, Liz Manning had just set an all time record for racing a horse through that shortcut. She wiped a good three minutes off her sister's record. I would think the less Liz remembers of that ride the better. Her sister JoAnn was always the risk taker of those two."
"Right. Dr. Adams, is there anything we can do before we go?" asked Chief Richards.
"There is one thing. If it hadn't been for the bravery of Matt Tisdel things could have been a lot worse. He seems to have behaved completely different from what people would expect if they listened to his uncle Melvin Sutter. Is there anything we can do for him?"
Chief Richards looked to Officer Adducci. As the juvenile officer Bernadette knew more about Matt Tisdel than he did. "I'll have Officer Adducci look into it, Dr. Adams. Matt does seem to have covered himself with glory, just like some of your new intake of medical students, and he shouldn't go unrewarded."
Glenna Sue Haggerty—On May 28, 1634, at Grantville Hospital. In her 18th year. Dearly loved daughter of Gary and Laurie, and beloved sister of Cameron, Duane, Marcie, and Blake. Dearly loved member of the Grantville Ballet Company. Glenna Sue will be sadly missed.
Tina Logsden—On May 25, 1634, at Grantville Hospital. In only her 18th year. Tina will be badly missed by her sister Susan and her grandfather. We will miss you xxx.
Kevin Simmons—Loving son of Mickey and Lorraine, loving brother of Andrea. Died in his 18th year in a riding accident.