Things are heating up. Abby Wright is Jeri McKane’s biology lab partner and close friend. When a mysterious explosion in their lab sends Abby to the hospital, Jeri’s sleuthing nose smells more than just smoke. Can she unravel the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Worse yet, is the firebug at Landmark School targeting her? In the face of great danger, middle-school classmates are faced with the choice to trust God or to give in to their fears. Will faith and friendship prevail or has Jeri finally met a challenge too big to handle? Things are heating up. Abby Wright is Jeri McKane's biology lab partner and close friend. When a mysterious explosion in their lab sends Abby to the hospital, Jeri's sleuthing nose smells more than just smoke. Can she unravel the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Worse yet, is the firebug at Landmark School targeting her? In the face of great danger, middle-school classmates are faced with the choice to trust God or to give in to their fears. Will faith and friendship prevail or has Jeri finally met a challenge too big to handle? Kristi Holl is an award-winning author of dozens of middle-grade novels and six devotionals for girls. As a writing instructor with a background in elementary education, Kristi's books are on many recommended reading lists and have been nominated for numerous Children's Choice Awards. Kristi is married and has three grown daughters. She lives in San Antonio, TX. Visit wwwkristiholl.com to learn more. Burned Faithgirlz/Boarding School Mysteries By Kristi Holl Zondervan Copyright © 2011 Kristi Holl All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-310-72094-2 Contents 1 Alarm!......................................72 Arson.......................................193 Where There's Smoke ........................314 Fire Bug....................................455 The Scene of the Crime......................576 Web of Lies.................................657 Taking the Heat.............................758 Race to the Finish..........................879 Dynamite Dance..............................10310 Trapped!...................................111 Chapter One alarm! Today was a day for wrapping up in a warm blanket with hot chocolate — not trudging through depressing drizzle to Thursday's biology lab. "Rain, rain, go away," Jeri McKane chanted, "but don't come again another day." She pulled open the door to Herald Hall. Abby Wright, in her matching blue school uniform, sprayed droplets as she shook her pink umbrella. "But April showers bring May flowers, right?" "So far only April mud." Jeri plodded up the creaking wooden stairs after Abby, yawning as they reached the third floor. Near their lab, a fifteen-year-old boy was mopping, dragging his bucket on wheels behind him. Jeri watched three sixth-grade girls pass by. One kicked his bucket, and another knocked off his baseball cap. The third girl laughed and said, "Think you can handle the job, retard?" before ducking into the lab. Jeri clenched her jaw. Why do special needs kids get picked on all the time? Just because they have learning problems doesn't mean they have no feelings! Tim stooped to grab his cap. Arms waving wildly, he slipped on the wet floor and fell hard on one knee. Jeri hurried to give him a hand up. "Just ignore them," she said, flipping her straight brown hair over her shoulder. "It's okay." Overweight and pockmarked with acne, Tim Norton towered above her. "I don't mind." Through a jobs program for special needs students, Tim and three other teens worked mornings at the girls' boarding school. In the afternoons they attended classes at the New Hope Academy, a school in Landmark Hills for those with mental disabilities. "You okay, Tim?" Abby asked, her light blonde eyebrows raised in concern. "Those beastly girls are so blinkered." Jeri nodded, totally agreeing with the British word for narrow-minded. "They just like to tease me." Tim blushed and then held out his cap. "Wanna see something new?" His ball cap was covered with colorful buttons with sayings like "Holly weird" and "Future Movie Star." He pointed to a smiling strawberry button called "Merry Berry." Another one showed a dolphin with a club called "Golphin' Dolphin." "Awesome buttons," Jeri said, turning the cap around and around to read them. Abby touched Jeri's arm. "I need to measure our bean plant before class. Maybe that Miracle-Gro did its magic over the weekend." Jeri grinned. "Yeah. Hopefully it looks like the one in 'Jack and the Beanstalk.' " "No! Jeri and the Beanstalk!" Tim laughed so hard at his own joke that his eyes watered. With posture fit for the queen of England, Abby glided down the hall and disappeared into the science room. Because the lab was so small, only eight students were scheduled at a time. Tim pushed his mop in a circle, the gray strings smearing more than cleaning the mud. "Somebody made tracks all over. I'm cleaning it up." "Sorry we're so s