Nancy decided to question him. By the time she reached the spot where he had been standing, however, he was gone.

When the game began again it quickly became clear that Emerson had lost its edge. St. George’s scored three times in less than one minute, and a series of fouls by Emerson players only made the situation worse. With ten minutes left, Emerson’s lead had dropped to a slim four points.

Nancy cheered herself hoarse. If Emerson didn’t pull together soon, she knew, they’d lose the game—and with it their chances of making the NCAA playoffs.

The score seesawed, but finally, with just five minutes left to play, Emerson began to rally. Coach Burnett called for a full court press—an aggressive defense pattern. It was a risky move, but it worked. Frustrated, St. George’s lost its momentum. The rhythm of the game shifted. Once again Emerson regained the upper hand. When the final buzzer sounded, the score was Emerson 79, St. George’s 73.

Afterward, Nancy and her friends went with Ned to his fraternity, Omega Chi Epsilon, for the victory celebration.

“All right, let’s party!” George said as they entered the darkened, jam-packed common room.

“You said it. That game was tense. I need to relax,” Bess agreed.

The two snaked their way through the noisy crowd to the refreshment table. Nancy stayed where she was, staring blankly at the partyers. She felt Ned’s hand on her shoulder.

“Everything okay? You aren’t in much of a party mood,” he observed.

Nancy smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I guess my mind’s still on the game.”

“Why? We won, didn’t we?”

“Sure, but you almost lost because of that so-called practical joke. I should have known something like that was going to happen.”

“Nancy, you couldn’t have prevented it.”

“Maybe not, but if I had been prepared I might have picked up some clues! As it stands, I’ve got exactly one suspect and zero evidence.”