Read Online The Photographer by Barbara Steiner - Free Book Online

aren’t anywhere near final yet. And I’m sure you’ll remedy this problem in next week’s newspaper.” Mrs. L. smiled an I-knew-you’d-agree smile and dismissed Megan.
    Megan’s mind swirled with thoughts that were trying to come together. She clutched the stack of slick, pasteboard images on top of her books and disappeared into the newspaper office. She’d cut her last two classes.
    Monday was quiet, since the scramble to get out Friday’s paper never started until after the staff meeting. Megan pulled out a sheet of notebook paper and spread the shiny faces before her. She started with a list. Cynthia, Roxie, Bunny, Candy, Marva, Lora. These were the girls that were sick. These were the faces she’d looked at in Mrs. Leffingwell’s office, the ones that were spread before her.
    She tallied the number of photos of each girl. Cynthia led the count, but there were several poses for each girl. Homecoming, Halloween, informal poses in the hall, the courtyard, the classroom. When had all of these been taken? Recently. When had the girls become ill? Just these last two weeks. Who was most ill? Cynthia and Bunny. They also led the list for number of photos taken.
    Her hands shaking, Megan turned over each photo. The photographer’s name was required on each. Quickly she glanced through the stack. All the pictures were by one staff member.
    Derrick Ames.
    None of the photos in the stack she had before her belonged to her or Robert. But what did that mean? Derrick had turned in his photos. She and Robert hadn’t gotten around to it. Megan had taken photos of these same girls. What was she sitting here trying to prove? That because these girls had been photographed they’d gotten sick? No way. That was a ridiculous thought. It was simply a coincidence.
    And why was she upset that Derrick’s name was on each of these particular photos? Why wouldn’t they be? He’d been assigned all these jobs.
    Then she remembered all the extra photographs Derrick had taken of Cynthia at the dance. He hadn’t been assigned those. She thought of the look on his face when Cynthia had fallen ill, that grin.
    You can’t incriminate a person for his attitude, she told herself. For not liking someone or being angry at her. Her mind was trying to force an idea on her that was totally impossible. But something told her it wasn’t. Just as she had known Bunny had fallen, just as she had felt that Cynthia was ill at the dance, she knew Derrick was behind the Homecoming Attendants’ being ill. But how could she ever prove it? Unless she had some proof, people would just laugh at her.
    A clicking sound caused Megan to jump. She shuffled the photos into a pile, covered them with her notebook. She was holding her breath when Robert entered the office and flicked on the light. She hadn’t even noticed that the sky had darkened, promising more snow.
    â€œMegan? What are you doing, sitting in here with such dim light? It’s sixth period. Don’t you have English?”
    â€œI guess so.” Megan forced herself to breathe normally.
    â€œYou guess so? What’s wrong, Megan? You aren’t getting sick, are you?” Robert sounded worried.
    â€œNo, no, I’m fine,” she assured him. “Well, actually, I’m not fine. I’ve discovered something, Robert. Mrs. Leffingwell helped call it to my attention. Come here and look.” She might as well try out her theory on Robert, see what he’d say. She spread out all the photos again.
    â€œAll the girls who are sick have been photographed an unusual number of times. And the photographer for all of these particular photos is Derrick.”
    â€œSo? You and Derrick and I do almost all the photography work for the paper. And a lot of our pictures go on to the annual staff.”
    â€œI know that, but—”
    â€œThose are the most popular girls in the school. You know there are always