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Mrs. Follett. I’m here to talk with Professor Tooth, but from what I heard of your phone call —”
    â€œGoodness gracious! Darrell, you’re old enough to know it is terribly rude to eavesdrop on conversations. That was a private call.”
    â€œI wasn’t trying to listen,” said Darrell, relieved she hadn’t had time to press her ear to the door. “I just heard you mention Professor Tooth’s name.”
    â€œYes. Well.” Mrs. Follett looked more flustered than ever. “I’m sorry to say that Professor Tooth has been detained and will not be here for the first day back.”
    â€œDetained? Is everything all right, Mrs. Follett?”
    â€œYes, of course, dear. It’s just that the professor is — has missed her flight back from Europe, and her return will be somewhat delayed.”
    Darrell turned to leave. “Okay, I’ll drop by tomorrow to see her.”
    Mrs. Follett shuffled papers on the counter nervously, tried to collect them into a pile, and dropped half of the stack onto the floor.
    â€œLet me help you with those.” Darrell started around the corner.
    â€œ
No!
” screeched the secretary, bringing Darrell up short. “No, thank you, dear,” she repeated more quietly, struggling to present an aura of calm. “I’ll be just fine. And I’ll let Professor Tooth know that you’d like to see her upon her return.”
    â€œOkay. Thanks.” Darrell left the office as the school secretary dived behind the counter to pick up the stray papers.
    â€œUpon her return?” Darrell muttered as she walked upstairs to the study hall. Her questions for the school principal would clearly have to wait. But what would keep Professor Tooth from attending the first day of the new term? A gust of cold wind blew through the front hall and slammed a door closed. She shivered. It was probably nothing. But a cold that could not be explained by the weather seemed to have settled into her heart.
    Nothing. Apart from the teacher’s name — a Professor Grampian — the course outline was completely blank. Darrell exchanged a glance with Kate, and they joined a group of students straggling down the hall to the old wing of the school. Kate and Brodie had been as surprised as Darrell was to hear of the absent principal, andthe whole school buzzed with the news after orientation, presided over by Arthur Gill.
    Mr. Gill was the art teacher at Eagle Glen but stood as second-in-command when Professor Tooth was away. His meeting had been informational and brief, and he had sent the first-year students off to find the new teacher, whom he explained would stand in for Professor Tooth in her absence.
    â€œIn her absence?” repeated Kate as they walked down the hall. “That sounds like she’s going to be away for a while.”
    Darrell nodded. “My conversation with Mrs. Follett made me think it was just going to be for today, but now I’m not so sure,” she said.
    Lily Kyushu looked over her shoulder at them. “I just hope this new teacher isn’t around long,” she said, swinging her swim goggles on one finger. “The way you two are always going on about history with Professor Tooth, I thought I’d give it a try this term.” She turned back to her friend Andrea. “I don’t really like history, but Kate said Professor Tooth has a way of making the past really come to life.” Kate winked at Darrell as Lily and Andrea hurried on ahead.
    Darrell waited until the other girls were out of earshot. “That was really clever,” she said disparagingly. “Now we’re going to have Lily breathing down our necks in history class. What were you thinking?”
    Kate shrugged. “It was just an idle comment — I can’t even remember when I said it,” she admitted. “Anyway, Lily and Andrea are so busy at the pool, they’ll get their history strictly by