Editing The Quiz (section)

== Chapter 3 ==
Everything was happening too fast. Gina left on July 2, and Violet almost immediately began visiting Victor every day. She literally spent hours sitting in the laboratory chatting with him, or taking walks with him, or coming to eat dinner with him and his uncle. Neither of them had jobs, so they could meet whenever they wished. Often as Janet and I were resting on a Saturday afternoon after a hard week at work, the two of them were skipping down the street talking and laughing.

By this time it had become clear to nearly everyone whom Victor really loved. He and Violet were devoted to each other. With my natural reserve towards him, I didn’t feel comfortable thinking about this infatuation, and almost wished that he would marry Gina or somebody else outside our circle.

Avery too resented the fact that Victor’s presence had shaken up our little group. Now we rarely had a chance to speak to Violet without some irritating phone call from him. Then, Janet was growing unhappier, one day mentioning to me that “I never will marry, Quincey. I’ll just be content to be a bridesmaid..”

“A bridesmaid?”

“At Violet’s wedding.”

I put my arm around her, and told her that she would find a husband in the future. But after that, I realized that it was a great struggle for Janet to be happy for Violet.

I said “nearly everyone” had figured out about the two. That didn’t include Gina. She sent Victor a postcard every weekend, even though he never responded. Each of these would have a little note: “For my friend, Victor.” “For my best friend, Victor.” “For Victor, with love, Gina.” But he never took the hints, and I saw the postcards carelessly strewn on his coffee table, where they lay for weeks..

Did I try to warn Violet? No. I think I was too shy. Avery, of course, tried to give her a talking-to, but Violet ignored her and called her “jealous.” So none of us did anything more.

We paid for our decision.

Gina arrived home on the 13th of August, and started work the next day. Personally, I was more than relieved to have someone around to discourage Violet from seeing Victor. Gina didn’t seem to have noticed anything new.

On the evening of August 14th, Avery and Janet decided to go watch a local football game. Violet, who had spent the whole morning with Victor at a coffee shop, said she was very busy and would stay at home. As for myself, I wasn’t feeling well, and went to bed early.

Then it happened.

I sat on my bed, drawing my knees up, holding my head on my arm, and trying to stop the dizzy feeling. I couldn’t see anything, even though my eyes were open.

This had happened before–when?

Now I could see again—but I was no longer in the apartment’s bedroom, but the Ryans’ living room. Horrified, I tried to leave, only to find that I was unable to move. I screamed, but no sounds came out.

The living room door opened, and Gina entered. She passed me as though I weren’t there, and I realized that I was invisible. Terrified, I could do nothing but hope that this dream would soon end.

She was followed by Victor.

Then he spoke.

“Gina—I have something to say to you.”

“What?” she asked a little sharply.

“You’re the first I’m telling, because you seem to be the first to arrive home. Guess what.”

She smiled. “You’ve found an actual career now?”

Victor laughed. “Perhaps one day, but that wasn’t it. Guess again.”

“You’re going on a tour of some country, aren’t you?”

“No! I’ll give you a hint—it’s got to do with your sister.”

Gina frowned suddenly. “What has she gotten herself into now?”

“Gina, she’s not in trouble!” He grinned. “I’ll tell you then—she’s engaged!”

He leaned back triumphantly.

Gina jumped back as though she had been slapped. “Engaged—to you, Victor?”

Could he not sense the grief, the anger, the hatred in her voice? No, Victor could not. He seized her hands eagerly. “This morning! Did you expect it, Gina?”

“No,” she replied, looking at the floor. I saw a tear trickle down her cheek, but she wiped it away fiercely.

Victor was laughing. “Do you remember that day when Violet came to see you? I came into the parlor, and met the loveliest girl in the world—my very own wife! Oh, Gina! It’s the best day of my life! Oh, now I suppose you’re my sister too!”

She did not speak, and my heart filled with sorrow for her. Sour and sharp as Gina could be, she was experiencing the worst pain imaginable—rejection. At that moment, I sincerely loathed Victor for wounding her heart so deeply.

He rose and embraced her before skipping away. Gina smiled until he left, then sat lonely and wretched, trying to stifle her sobs in her hands. She wiped her eyes on her shirtsleeve and swallowed before looking up. Now I could see her face, and I gasped. Her eyes were glowing now, with a violent intensity.

She stepped out of the room, and my head began whirling again. I only saw a black swirl, and thought I was escaping this horrible dream. I was wrong: now I saw myself in Mr. Ryan’s laboratory, amid various cupboards, papers, and cages full of guinea pigs.

Gina, wearing a thick mask, hurried into the room and opened a cupboard. It was full of bottles with moist and ragged labels. She peered at several of these before selecting one, then opened one of the cages and let out a tiny guinea pig. Pouring a little of the bottle’s contents into a small dish on the counter, she let the animal lap up the liquid. About twenty minutes passed, during which she set some of Mr. Ryan’s papers in order, biting her lip and occasionally wiping away a bitter tear. I was watching her intently when I saw something horrible. The guinea pig, still on the counter, was flipping over and foaming at the mouth, struggling to breathe. I gasped.

Gina stood up and watched the animal convulse, then looked at the bottle and spoke for the first time. “It’s the right one then.”

She took the bottle and stepped out of the room.

The image spun wildly, and I could see it no more…I found myself back on my bed, panting hard.

As soon as I realized where I was, I raced to the door. Someone was in danger, and I needed to help. I drove to the Ryans’ house as fast as I could. Finding no one there, I hurried to the Larsons’.

But I was too late.

Neighbors were standing in a thick circle near the house. They were all talking anxiously as I approached.

“The younger one was rushed to hospital…”

“They don’t think she’ll survive…”

“It was so sudden…”

I hurried to a man and cried, “Where’s Violet?”

“She drank something that didn’t agree with her, and started having convulsions. They took her away in an ambulance about thirty minutes ago. The rest of her family’s gone there too.”

Without delay, I called Mrs. Larson. “How’s Violet? Is she okay now?” I begged.

Nothing but crying on the other end. Then she managed to say: “Violet’s dead.”

I don’t remember what I did that night. I think I told Avery and Janet, but I don’t know. I am only certain that I cried all the next day, and didn’t even leave my room.

My friends visited me that night.

“She died of cyanide poisoning,” said Janet softly, taking my hand. “It was too late to save her.”

I said nothing.

Avery added, “There’s more.”

“What?”

“Gina went to the police today and confessed to murdering Violet!”

“Oh…”

“She stole a bottle of Mr. Ryan’s prussic acid that he keeps for experiments. Then she poured it in Violet’s coffee. Almost immediately—like twenty minutes later, Violet started convulsing and went unconscious…”

“That’s awful.”

“Gina says it was because of that Victor.” Even now Avery could not say his name without disgust. “He told her yesterday that he was getting engaged to Violet, and she got jealous. She’d always believed that he loved her, and she was so upset, she wasn’t thinking…but then, when she saw what she had done, it actually got to her what a monster she was. She said she couldn’t believe it, that she had permanently destroyed her sister—it had felt so easy when she was trying out the poison on the guinea pigs, you know? Well, all morning Gina was really broken and miserable, and this afternoon she went to her mother and told her everything, then she went to the police.”

I wiped back a tear. “Where’s Victor?”

“He learned about everything this afternoon. He was out of town,” replied Janet. “He’s shut himself up in the house now.”

I almost told them about my dream, but then decided not to. What good would it do?