Power of Suggestion Read Online Free Page A

college in the past.”
    Easterling gave a dismissive wave in Nancy’s direction. “Give me a break,” he scoffed. “A teenage detective?”
    Nancy felt a surge of anger at the man’s attitude. She opened her mouth, but Easterling held up his hand.
    â€œLater,” he said. “Right now I want to get the details straight. What were you kids doing here?”
    Parker had gradually been coming out of his daze, and now he was lucid enough to respond, “They were here to meet me.”
    â€œAnd you are . . . ?” Lieutenant Easterling asked.
    â€œParker Wright. I’m a student here.”
    The lieutenant fixed Parker with a stony gaze as he said, “All right. So where were you when the shooting happened?”
    â€œI—I was in the lab, I guess,” Parker replied. Nancy noticed that the same look of confusion had come over him, as if he wasn’t quite sure.
    â€œWhat do you mean, you guess?” Easterling demanded. “You were there or you weren’t! Did you see anything? Who shot this guy—what’s his name?” He turned expectantly to Captain Backman.
    â€œWayne Perkins,” the captain supplied.
    â€œThat’s right—Wayne. So who shot him? Did you do it?”
    The bluntness of the question shocked Nancy. If this was the way Easterling conducted an investigation, then she was unimpressed.
    â€œNo—of course I didn’t kill him,” Parker protested, flustered. “At least, I—I don’t think I did.”
    Easterling let out a sigh. “I can see this is going to be a long night,” he said. “I want the four of you to come downtown to the station with me. We’re going to need to ask you a few questions.”
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    â€œWhy is this taking so long?” Bess asked.
    It was after eleven, and she, Ned, and Nancy had all been questioned extensively by the police at the Emersonville police station. Now they were sitting on a wooden bench in the front room of the station, waiting for Parker. Despite the late hour, several officers were busy at desks in the open room.
    â€œThey’ve been questioning Parker for more than three hours now,” Ned said, resting hiselbows on the knees of his corduroys. “I hope they’re not being too hard on him.”
    Nancy wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t blame the officers for questioning Parker so thoroughly. She didn’t want to believe that Parker Wright was capable of murder, but the evidence seemed to point to him.
    The three teenagers looked up as Parker emerged from a hallway to the side of the station’s front room, accompanied by Lieutenant Easterling and a uniformed police officer. Nancy’s heart went out to Parker when she saw his confused, dejected expression.
    â€œCan we all go now?” Bess asked Easterling as he, Parker, and the police officer approached.
    Easterling hesitated before answering. “You three are free to go, but your friend Parker is going to stay here with us for a while.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Ned demanded, getting to his feet. “What’s the problem?”
    â€œLook,” said Easterling. “Parker’s fingerprints were all over the gun. He had motive, and he had opportunity.”
    Nancy gripped the edge of the bench. She had a feeling she knew what the lieutenant was going to say next, and it wasn’t good news.
    â€œI don’t like to have to tell you this,” Easterling went on, “but I’ve arrested Parker Wright for the murder of Wayne Perkins.”

Chapter

Four
    B UT THAT ’ S impossible!” Bess protested. She looked at Parker, then burst into tears.
    Nancy didn’t even know she’d been holding her breath until she suddenly let it out in a rush. As she wrapped a comforting arm around Bess’s shoulders, her eyes strayed to Parker. He stared down at his feet, but Nancy saw the hot red