Dying to Teach Page 9

  She didn’t miss the relief in his tone when he said, “I hate to have you drive all the way back for that.”

  “Get a good night’s sleep. Bye.” As she dropped the phone in her pocket, a cab slid to a stop in front of the hotel. A man stepped out. Angie thought she recognized him, but as he turned to pay the driver she lost sight of his face.

  She continued on her way, past shops shuttered and locked tight for the night. Crime was one thing she didn’t miss about living in the city. Born a small town girl in a Cape Cod suburb, Angie had lived in the city only once, in Providence, Rhode Island, while she attended nursing school. One thing she loved about city life, always something to do, nice for a girl who didn’t sleep well.

  Angie thought about the man she’d seen getting out of the cab and realized who it was—Ted Chalmers. She should go back. He’d obviously come to see her. No way he’d come to shoot the breeze. No way he’d come to discuss the play. Angie kept walking. As a matter of fact, she picked up her pace. Not that she wanted to ignore the sad Ted Chalmers, but he’d established himself as a leaner-on, somebody who liked to cry out his troubles on somebody else’s shoulder—even a stranger’s. She hoped that by avoiding him he’d find a friend or family member to talk to.

  She walked for five blocks. The air turned cool; she was glad for the sweater. A few people were out enjoying the last of the evening. She nodded to a teenage boy carrying a football and a helmet, said hello to a woman walking a standard poodle, and felt a moment’s homesickness thinking of the beautiful Irish setter puppy probably cuddled up with Jarvis in bed. A very appealing place to be right now.

  Rather than retrace her steps, Angie walked east one block then a block south to explore the parallel street. Not much different. Another chain bookstore, another chain coffee shop, another bar, a restaurant—this one Hindu instead of Indian. The aromas coming from the Hindu restaurant nearly drew her inside. Maybe tomorrow night she’d take herself out for dinner. Or, better yet, maybe Jarvis would drive down for a visit.

  At a quarter to ten Angie arrived back at the hotel. The lobby was empty. This time she pushed the elevator button. Experience had proven that so much stair climbing just before bed was not conducive to sleep. The elevator door whooshed open. Out stepped Ted Chalmers. He seemed tired but quite glad to see her. Had he spent all that time hanging around the hallway near her room? A better question would be, how had he gotten her room number? Angie would have hoped things like that were confidential.

  Ted stood about five foot ten and was maybe forty-five years old. The hooded sweatshirt hung loose on his upper body, but the jeans outlined thick thighs and calves. The sweatshirt’s zipper was down about six inches, displaying a thick tangle of black curls. His demeanor seemed like that of a lost child. Why not? In the last few days his fiancée had been murdered and the school he worked for had virtually accused him of the deed. Nice to work at a place for a long time then find your co-workers believed you could commit such an act.

  “Hi Angie.”

  “Hi.” She made sure her voice didn’t convey too much welcome. At this late hour he should be home in bed. She should be in bed.

  “I, er, wanted to talk to you.”

  “I kind of figured that.”

  “Can we go upstairs?”

  “I don’t think so. Let’s sit in the bar.”

  They sat at a corner in a darkish area of the nearly empty hotel bar. A huge widescreen TV playing a football game kept most of the customers occupied.

  “What did you want to talk about?” she asked. He didn’t apologize for his late visit, which took him down a notch in her opinion. “Randy told me about your suspension. I’m sorry.”

  “I already started looking for another job—not in teaching—because even after I’m found innocent, they’ll never take me back. No school will ever hire me.”

  Angie nodded. She’d already told Randy this. In Randy’s defense, suspending Ted was really all he could do.

  The bartender arrived at the table. She ordered a glass of sauvignon blanc; Ted asked for a light beer and an order of buffalo wings.

  “I can’t believe Randy could hang me out to dry like that.”

  “I understand it was the school board. Randy went to bat for you.” She plucked a napkin from the holder on the table. “You realize the suspension doesn’t mean anybody—even the school board—thinks you’re guilty of anything. They’re protecting the school and the students.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that. It’s just that—I went to see Josh and Cilla…and they wouldn’t open the door.”

  “Are you sure they were home?” Damn. Even to her ears the excuse sounded empty. How could she defend perfect strangers? “All I mean is, maybe they need time to come to terms with this—the same as you.”

  “I know. It’s just been such a… You know we were getting married?”

  Angie nodded. Had he forgotten about their meeting at McDonalds?

  “I didn’t kill her.”

  She gave another nod.

  “You doubt me also?”

  “No Ted. It’s just that I’m not the person you should be telling this to. I’m a stranger come only to help the kids out of a tough situation.”

  The server delivered the beer and wine to the table. Angie sipped hers right away, wishing she’d ordered something stronger. “Did you and Gwen meet at school?”

  A smile pushed away the sad face for a moment. “Yes. Her first day there. She was getting the orientation from Randy. I went to his office to—well, that doesn’t matter, does it? We hit it off right away. Not as lovers, just as friends. We hung out during breaks, things like that.”

  “When did you start dating?”

  He raked a hand through his thinning hair. “Not till the end of school year. She finally said yes to a Fisher Cats ballgame. After the game we went to the Sam Adams Pub at the park.” His expression was more animated now as he recalled their early days. “On our second date we went bowling.” He laughed as he plucked a stray hair from between long fingers. “She was a terrible bowler. She only knocked down three pins all afternoon. After that we went for hotdogs in the park.” Now his face took on a nostalgic look. “We laughed the whole time about her bowling.”

  Maybe Angie’s instincts were all wrong, but in her two short conversations with Ted, she noticed a pattern. That Gwen only went out with Ted in public, no strings. Why? Was she embarrassed to be with him? The sweatshirt was a bit too casual for Angie’s taste, but he appeared clean, and decent looking. His manners were all right; so far he hadn’t picked his nose or anything like that. “How long before things heated up between you?”

  “That’s a gentle way of asking how long before we slept together, right? I don’t mind you asking anyway. About a year. No, it was exactly a year. We were—”

  Angie waved a hand. “I don’t want details. Please.”

  He laughed. It was a pleasant laugh. Nice that he had a sense of humor. Did it extend to leaving mousetraps for the new drama teacher?

  He tipped his beer to drain the last from the heavy glass. The sweatshirt slid sideways. Through the zipper opening she saw a glimpse of white. What the heck was that—lace? Angie stared; she couldn’t help herself.

  When she looked up, Ted gazed at her with dark-eyed curiosity.

  The bartender appeared just then, saving a potentially clumsy situation. He asked if they wanted another drink. When Ted hesitated, Angie quickly said no, that she had to get upstairs.

  Ted shot a glance toward the lobby door. “I guess I’m good.”

  Angie used the moment while he busied himself paying for the drinks to stand and step away from the table. As the bartender left, she faked a yawn.

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you around,” a disappointed Ted said.

  What had he expected anyway? Angie didn’t want to mull over the possibilities. She took his hand and shook it, said, “Take care of yourself,” and left him standing there.

  As she entered the elevator, Ang
ie wished she’d taken the stairs earlier then she would’ve missed him altogether. Lying in bed wide-awake from the adrenaline surge would’ve been a much more desirable way to spend the last hour.

  TWELVE

  In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Kiana scrawled the word Mom across the note and propped it against the teapot where she’d find it when she got up. The note said she had to leave early to do something for the play, and for her not to worry.

  She picked up the bag containing things they might possibly need: flashlight, penlight, miscellaneous keys, two pairs of rubber gloves, and a black toque. She eased the back door open—the back door because the front one sometimes squeaked—and then shut. For the first time she was glad they didn’t have a dog; he might’ve wakened her mother. She skirted the edge of the house to the front yard, staying in shadows all the way to the sidewalk. It was harder here to stay out of sight; a streetlight stood sentry at the end of their driveway. Where was Evan? He said he’d park under the elm tree next door. Its low, spreading branches would be great cover. Those branches kept out the hot summer sun too. It was always much cooler on that part of the sidewalk. She’d managed to talk her parents into getting an elm, and now a mega-smaller version grew in their backyard. An owl hooted, once, twice. She grinned. Evan often used that signal to get her attention in school.

  She turned left and headed toward the sound. There he was, sitting on his motorcycle in the deepest shadows. Kiana stayed close to the neighbor’s front picket fence, about a foot of the tree’s shadow touched the sidewalk here. A porch light came on across the street. Kiana froze. The neighbor’s door opened and a small white poodle bounded outside. If she moved Sparky would see her. And bark. He barked at everything. How long would it take him to do his duty? She could be standing here half the day. The dog sniffed every bush and blade of grass in its front yard, turned and started over. Enough was enough.

  Kiana took a step. The dog moved to another bush. While his nose was buried in the branches, she took another. And another. She’d lifted her foot for another step when the front door opened. Sparky glanced up, wagged his tail. The neighbor came outside. And stood on the stoop—looking in her direction. Could Mr. Thomas see her? She was tall. Perhaps her upper body was visible in the pre-dawn light. Then her neighbor started down the steps and moved along the front walk toward Kiana. What to do? What to say?

  But, rather than cross the street, Mr. Thomas went toward his car. He got in and started the engine. Kiana took two steps toward Evan, keeping one eye on Mr. Thomas, the other on the dog. She stopped moving when he got out of the car and went back to his walk. And stood looking at the spot where she’d been standing. He bent forward a little, as if squinting, then shrugged, called the dog and went back inside. Kiana exhaled and hurried toward Evan.

  There was no need for words; they’d gone over the plan several times last night. She hung her bag on the back of the seat and strapped on the helmet. She lifted her leg and slid it behind Evan. They used their feet to turn the bike and propel it to the corner where Evan started the motor and they scooted away without a backward glance.

  As expected, they found the school parking lots empty. These early hours were the only time the school was empty, the janitors having finished their shifts at 11 p.m., the secretarial staff not yet arrived. Evan cruised around to the back, careful to keep the sound of the bike to a minimum. Though this parking lot was far from the entrance they intended to use, this area was the least likely to be patrolled by local police or kids looking for a place to hang out.

  Like soldiers on a mission, they removed helmets and slipped the straps over the seat rest. Kiana slung her bag over one shoulder. The first search on the agenda was Mr. Chalmers’ office. Since he had been suspended from school—he must be the authorities’ main suspect. Therefore, she and Evan would focus their initial investigation on him.

  Before leaving school Evan had taped the lock on the door leading to Mr. Reynolds’ outdoor office. About a week ago, he noticed that nobody had gotten around to installing the security system around the new construction. At that time he never expected the information to come in handy. Yet, here they were.

  The brick wall was cool. They clung close all the way to the outdoor office. Evan twisted the doorknob and they slipped inside. The only light came through the glass front of the outer office, a red glow given off by the security system mounted in most of the hallways.

  They hurried from the office and ran on rubber-soled feet to the gym two right hand turns and three long corridors away. Mr. Chalmers’ cubbyhole-sized office was tucked between the two locker rooms. Not locked. When they opened the door, Kiana realized why nobody bothered locking it. The place was a mess. Both his desk and a counter that stretched the length of the room were stacked a mile high with books, sports equipment and crumpled uniforms. Kiana even spotted a power saw. She was afraid to breathe for fear the mountain would come tumbling down, burying her and Evan forever. He pushed the door shut and turned on the light.

  “Yuk, what’s that smell?”

  Evan pointed at a mound of takeout containers in one corner.

  Had the police inspection caused this catastrophe? No. This clutter was here already. Man, she would’ve hated being the cops assigned to look for evidence in this room. She also didn’t want to think what his house—where they would go later—looked like.

  “So. Where do we start?” she asked.

  “I’d say his desk. That’s a more private area, a more logical place to hide something.”

  “You could hide an elephant anywhere in here.”

  Evan nudged her arm. “You take the left side, I’ll take the right.”

  He didn’t waste any time digging into the bottom drawer. Kiana knelt, first checking to make sure she wouldn’t put her hands in anything disgusting. Maggots crawling everywhere wouldn’t have surprised her.

  “I wonder if he’ll notice we’ve been here,” Evan said.

  “He’s banned from coming near the school till this is solved.”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot. I guess that means we’re—woo-wee, what’s this?”

  Glad for the delay, she looked over her shoulder to see Evan dangling a lacy neon green thong from his index finger.

  Several images went through her mind right then—none of them good. First, she couldn’t believe Gwen would wear a thong, especially one in lime green. Kiana had pegged her mentor as the cotton brief type of person. The second image was one of Gwen and Mr. Chalmers in the process of removing that thong. The third image nearly made her barf. Gwen, a most fastidious housekeeper, and Mr. Chalmers had been doing it here—amongst this pigsty.

  Evan twirled the underwear on his finger for several revolutions then let it fly. It landed atop a pair of sweat pants bearing the school’s panther logo. Evan laughed and disappeared back into the drawer.

  “Glad you can find something amusing about all this.” Kiana sighed and pulled the top drawer open. She pawed through several handfuls of paper clips and pushpins, a box of staples, an unopened bottle of brandy, and a brand new box of condoms. “Eeuw.”

  “What?”

  She showed the two jock straps hanging from her fingers. She heaved them on top of the thong.

  “Gimme the flashlight, please.”

  Kiana dug it from her bag and handed it over. “Did you find something?”

  “No, but it’s dark under here.” Evan, on all fours, shined the light under the desk.

  She reluctantly went on to the second drawer. A jingling from Evan’s side of the desk delayed her search once again. This time, dangling from his finger was a trio of keys. One bore the Ford logo, obviously it went to Mr. Chalmers’ hatchback. Kiana recognized the keychain itself, a small silver panther. The kids sold them as a fundraiser last year. The other keys looked familiar. She drew her set from the chain around her neck. A comparison proved her suspicions: the keys matched the ones to Gwen’s office and apartment. Evan dropped them in his shirt pocket.

  So far h
e’d done all the discovering. He was also the one who found a most distressing clue, a small container of lighter fluid and one of those long-stemmed fire starters Kiana’s father used to start their BBQ grill. Evan flicked the button. A small flame leaped from the end. Why would anyone in school need something like this?

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Evan said, touching her arm. “Anybody could’ve put this stuff in here.”

  He was right. “Should we give this to the cops?”

  Evan shrugged. “Probably just our fingerprints on here now. Besides, haven’t the cops been here already? If they thought it was worth anything…”

  “Come on, let’s go.” She moved to stow the lighter and fluid in her bag, but Evan stopped her.

  “We don’t want to be caught carrying this.” He smudged at the fingerprints with the tail of his shirt then set the stuff back on the shelf where he’d found it.

  They stepped out of the room and shut the door. A muffled sound came from the end of the hallway, in the auditorium.

  “Mrs. Deacon’s here already,” Kiana whispered to Evan.

  “Probably. Let’s get out of here. We can come back tomorrow.”

  They hurried out to the motorbike and sped toward Mr. Chalmers’ house. The plan was—if he were home, they’d try to search his car. If not, they’d try to find a way inside. He lived in a sparsely populated area. Chances were the neighbors would be hyper-vigilant. Evan stopped the bike two blocks away, and they walked to the small cottage-style house. Kiana stifled her disappointment seeing the blue Ford in the driveway.

  The grass was all bent over and brown on the tips. A rusty lawnmower sat abandoned in the center of the postage stamp sized yard. No way could Kiana picture Gwen coming here, but she had, frequently.

  They tiptoed to the side of the car nearest an overgrown hedge. All the doors were unlocked. Kiana stood watch while Evan pawed through the multitude of to-go containers.