The Mystery of the Soccer Snitch by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504007535
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

CHAPTER 9

A Confession

The next morning, at school, lots of Jessie’s classmates came to congratulate her on being asked to be mascot.

Jessie said thank you, always adding, “But I don’t think I’ll go. I don’t think it’s fair to Kayla.”

“I’m sure you’ll go, Jessie,” Danielle said coldly.

Jessie turned to look at Danielle, astonished.

“Everyone keeps thinking I wrote that letter,” Danielle said, “because I don’t like Kayla. Here’s what I wonder. I wonder if Jessie wrote the letter because she knew Coach Olson likes her best, so she knew she’d get to go to Brazil as mascot!”

“I did not write that letter,” Jessie said, horrified.

Just then, Ashley walked over to join them. “Maybe it was Jessie who wrote the letter!” Ashley said.

Jessie folded her arms across her chest and looked at Ashley. “Tell me about that golf ball Danielle used to trip Kayla,” Jessie said. “What do you know about it?”

As before, the mention of the golf ball had a strange effect on Ashley. She looked quickly away and didn’t say anything. She rocked on the balls of her feet, as if she wanted to run away.

No doubt, there was something going on with Ashley and that golf ball.

“It’s okay,” Jessie said gently. “You can tell me. I don’t think you broke the window. Something seems strange, though, about the whole thing. A bunch of golf balls were found inside the store. Danielle used a golf ball to trip Kayla. Then people started blaming Kayla for breaking the window when I know she didn’t.”

Ashley had a pained, guilty look on her face. Jessie suspected Ashley was about to make a confession. She was thus surprised when Ashley cried, “I didn’t break the window either! I promise.”

“I know you didn’t,” Jessie said. “Mr. Beck, the handyman, knows about old windows. He said it probably broke by itself.”

“Well, good, because I didn’t break the window,” Ashley said.

“Then why do you act strangely every time someone mentions the golf ball?” Jessie asked.

Ashley narrowed her eyes. A moment passed. Then another. Jessie thought Ashley was about to say something mean. Instead, she said, “I was walking to practice on Wednesday, and I went by the old store. The window was broken and inside were some golf balls. I reached in and picked one up. While we were waiting for practice, Danielle and I were rolling it back and forth.”

“I see,” Jessie said. “The truth is that you stole the golf ball.”

Ashley looked horrified. “It was just laying there! It didn’t belong to anyone! The store was abandoned! It really wasn’t stealing!”

Jessie didn’t answer.

“It wasn’t,” Ashley said. Then she softened and looked genuinely frightened. “Was it?”

“It was stealing,” Jessie said. “Why did you take it?”

“It was just sitting there inside the window. I don’t know. I shouldn’t have.”

“Just go put it back,” Jessie said.

“I would, but Kayla still has it. I can’t ask her for it back. She’ll wonder why I’m asking. Then she’ll figure out I stole it, then she’ll tell everyone I stole it to get back at me for being mean.

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