Out of Bounds Read Free Page A

plastered with big phony smiles, and they held out their hands, palms up.
    â€œYou got some for us?” one of the boys asked, rubbing his fingers against his thumb.
    â€œCome on,” said Nancy, taking Cynthia’s elbow.“Let’s go to my car where we can have some privacy.”
    Bess, George, Cynthia, and Nancy walked over to the Mustang, trying to ignore Cynthia’s tormentors.
    â€œDon’t worry, Cynthia,” Bess said, opening the door and sliding into the back seat. “Now that Nancy’s on the case, it’s as good as solved.”
    â€œBess is my biggest fan. Now, tell me everything,” Nancy said, facing Cynthia, who was seated beside her in the front. “About Touchdown, Pete, Mark, that guy Edgar—everybody.”
    â€œWell,” Cynthia began, “when I first got the job, everything was cool. Pete was friendly, Mark was friendly. Everybody got along. Then things started to change.”
    â€œWhen did they start to change?” Nancy probed.
    Cynthia thought for a moment. “I guess it was around the beginning of football season,” she said finally. “Pete started getting grouchy, then he became kind of paranoid. He started yelling at us whenever we did any little thing wrong.”
    Cynthia looked as if she was about to start crying again. Without prompting Bess passed a tissue up to her.
    â€œWhat else do you know about Pete?” Nancy asked gently.
    Cynthia took a deep breath. “Let’s see—he’s a football nut. I guess that was pretty obvious bythe club’s decor. He was a star at Bedford seven years ago.” Cynthia’s blue eyes were fixed, staring out the windshield at nothing.
    â€œHe’s built like a football player, that’s for sure,” George observed.
    â€œDid he have a college or pro career?” Nancy asked.
    â€œAccording to Rob, he had a bad injury his first year of college, and he never played after that.”
    â€œYou mean Rob knows Pete?” Bess inquired.
    â€œOh, sure,” Cynthia said, turning around to face Bess. “Pete’s tight with all the guys on the team. He’s like a groupie. Always gives them bags of goodies to take home when they leave Touchdown, that kind of thing.”
    â€œWhat else, Cynthia?” Nancy asked.
    Cynthia wound a lock of hair around her finger, corkscrew style, as she thought. “Rob said he tried to be a sports agent after he left college. He still handles a couple of not very successful pro players on the side, but I don’t think he really makes any money at it.”
    At that moment a horn honked close to them, making them all jump. “It’s the guys!” Bess blurted out.
    Rob and Bill were waving out the open passenger-side windows, and Lonnie was driving. Cynthia quickly checked her reflection in the mirror on Nancy’s visor.
    â€œDo I look like I’ve been crying?” she asked, turning to Nancy.
    â€œNot really,” Nancy lied, taking in Cynthia’s red-rimmed eyes.
    â€œHey, there!” Bill shouted as Lonnie steered his car into a space. All three guys seemed to be in great spirits.
    â€œPlease,” Cynthia said quickly, scanning the girls’ faces. “Don’t mention all this, okay? Not yet, anyway. I don’t want to spoil their good time—not right now.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” Bess told her. “We won’t say a word. You can tell them when you have to.”
    Cynthia flashed them all a quick smile. “Now, come on,” Bess urged. “Let’s say hi to the guys.” With that she opened the car door and got out. Nancy, George, and Cynthia followed her lead.
    Cynthia Tyler really was a sweet girl, Nancy thought. She promised herself then and there to help solve the mystery of the missing money and clear Cynthia’s name.
    â€œAll right!” called the guys as they tumbled out of Lonnie’s car. They raised their fists in the