Nick frowned and Nicole knew he was thinking. “How big is the room?”
“Twenty feet square.”
He looked at Nicole. “You’ve been there right?”
When she nodded, he went on. “Do you think it would work for me?”
“Yes, I do. It could be good for both of you. You could share on the rent and the secretary’s salary too.”
He turned back to Roger. “This secretary any good?”
“I think so. She sure has organized me and my office.”
“Okay. I’ll stop in there tomorrow and check it out.”
They were all quiet for a little while then Roger looked up at Nicole. “Did you tell him that Floyd wants you to investigate there at the high school?”
“Yes, she did and I’m not happy about it either. One woman has already been stabbed there.”
Nicole tossed a throw pillow at Nick. “Oh Nick. Get over it. I’m much more capable of taking care of myself than most men.”
Nicole thought Roger had meant to say or ask something more, so she looked at him. “Why?”
“I was just wondering how you were going to go about it.”
She frowned. “I haven’t really thought much about it yet but as bad as I hate that teacher’s lounge, I’m going to have to spend some time in there … and the cafeteria too.”
He smiled at her and she felt it across the room. “Just be careful. I know you’re capable, but you’ll need to watch everyone, not just those two women who lied.”
Roger left shortly after that and Nicole and Nick prepared for bed. He’d driven seven hours that day, and she’d had one of the most stressful days ever.
Chapter Thirteen
Roger woke up Tuesday morning feeling as if he hadn’t slept at all and that was probably fairly accurate. He’d tossed and turned all night.
All of his thoughts centered on Nicole Fuller. He deeply admired the woman. In spite of all her handicaps, she led a very full and productive life.
Most people facing what she had six years ago, would have given up and become totally dependent on others. But not Nicole. She was the most independent woman he’d ever known.
Then he thought about the crime that was committed right in her classroom with her letter opener. As her brother Nick kept saying last night. Someone was out to frame Nicole for stabbing that woman.
He did have a few spare thoughts for her brother, Nick. From what he’d observed, there were two things about Nick that he liked. Nick loved his sister fiercely and was always there for her when she needed him. The second thing was that the guy seemed to be sincere and honest in his dealings with others too.
Well, he’d see if Nick wanted to share the office with him. If they did that, Roger would surely get to know the real Nick Fuller.
He stopped at a fast-food restaurant to grab some breakfast to take to the office to eat and some coffee to go with it. He’d given Gina money to buy a coffeemaker and coffee yesterday. Hopefully, she’d have it up and going today sometime.
When he reached his outer office door, he saw that the light was on inside and the door was unlocked. He looked at his watch. It was only eight-thirty. Gina wasn’t supposed to start until nine. They’d set her schedule for nine to one with lunch until two then she worked until six for his late clients.
He stepped into the office and found her working at a small table to the side of her desk which was specifically for a coffeemaker. She was making coffee. Great!
“Good morning Roger. How do you like your coffee?”
He smiled at her. “Good morning to you too and I like my coffee black with nothing in it.”
He went on into his office and set his breakfast on the desk. Then he went back out to talk to Gina.
She turned away from the coffeemaker and stepped over to her desk.
“Gina, how would you like another raise?”
She gave him a puzzled look. “But you just gave me one when you brought me on full-time.”
“Yes, that’s right.” He pointed at the empty private office. “But I may have someone who would be interested in taking that office and sharing all expenses with me.”
She caught on quickly. “Then I would be working for both of you?”
He smiled at her reaction. She seemed excited.
“Yes, you would be doing work for both of us but since my name is on the lease, you’d be working for me and he would be paying me half the lease amount and half of your salary.”
“What does he do? Would I be able to do what he needs?”
He smiled at her and mentally kicked himself. “I’m not sure. He’s an investment broker but I doubt if what he’d need you to do would be all that much different from what you do for me.”
She thought about it for a moment. “Do I know him?”
“No, he’s Nicole Fuller’s brother. Do you know her?”
“I haven’t met her, but I know she’s a teacher at the high school and she’s in a wheelchair. I also heard that another teacher was stabbed in Miss Fuller’s classroom yesterday. Do you think she did it?”
Roger took the chair that faced Gina’s desk. “No, I don’t. I’ve gotten to know her quite well and I’m sure she didn’t do it.”
“Good. I’ve only heard nice things about her from your sister Shelly.”
That’s right. He’d forgotten that Gina was a friend of Shelly’s.
“Anyway, Nick is his name, and he is her twin brother. He will be coming in later to check things out. You can talk to him then about what he would need for you to do.”
She still seemed eager.
“Depending on how much he’ll need you to do, I’m prepared to increase your pay accordingly if necessary.”
She gave him a bright smile. “Okay. I look forward to meeting him.”
“Good. I have an appointment outside the office at eleven but I’m going by the high school to talk to Shelly before that.”
With that, he went back into his office to eat his breakfast. He took one sip of the coffee he’d bought and dropped it into the trashcan. Hopefully, Gina’s coffee would be better.
She appeared in his open doorway then with a cup and she stood there until he took a sip and told her it was fine. He smiled to himself. It was good coffee.
Thirty minutes later, Roger was on his way out to the high school. He needed to talk to Shelly about Nicole. He had an almost desperate need to see how she was doing today. Very few people would be able to hold up under the stress she had to be going through. But she wasn’t an ordinary person as he was quickly finding out and he liked it.
Shelly was talking on the phone when he stepped into the high school office. But Ron Farley, the principal was coming out of his private office and came over to where Roger was standing on the other side of the counter.
“Good morning Roger. What can we do for you this morning?”
Roger didn’t know what to say. He’d been planning on talking to Shelly, not Ron. But on the spur of the moment, he had an idea.
“I’m just checking on my client to see how she’s doing today.”
Ron gave him a puzzled look. “Your client?” Then Roger saw recognition on his face. “Oh, you mean Nicole.”
He chuckled softly. “I don’t really think she’s going to need you on this Roger. Do you?”
Ron was more than twenty years older than Roger, but he’d only been principal there for the past ten years, just two years after Roger had graduated. But he’d always thought the guy was okay.
“No, Ron, I don’t think for a second that she did it.”
They were both quiet for a moment and then Shelly was off the phone and joined them at the counter.
“Hey Roger. What brings you into my neck of the woods this morning as if I didn’t already know.”
Ron gave her a questioning look while Roger gave her a dirty look. She just laughed.
“Nicole seems to be doing just fine. Ron put her in another classroom of course and things have gone pretty well for her so fa
r.”
Ron was looking back and forth between brother and sister then a knowing look came over his face.
He looked at Roger. “Now that I think about it, you and Nicole did seem rather close yesterday. When did this happen?”
Roger gave Shelly one last dirty look. “Thanks a lot Sis.”
Then he turned to Ron. “We’re just getting to know each other but I can tell you both this right now. I like what I see and no one better mess with her.”
Shelly laughed and Ron stepped back a little with both palms out toward Roger. “Whoa Roger. I’m with you about that little woman. She’s by far the best teacher I have here. So, you won’t get any argument from me.”
“You are keeping an eye on her though, aren’t you?”
“You know it. She stopped in here early this morning and briefed Shelly and me on what she’s going to be doing.”
Roger was surprised but realized that it was good for them to know.
“Good. If you two have her back, then I’ll feel better. Meanwhile, I’ve got an appointment to get to.”
He left the building with Nicole on his mind but then he forced his thoughts to his next appointment down at the Baptist church with Gil Turner.
He didn’t know the guy very much at all, but he was married to his cousin, so they’d met at some of the family dinners when Jo brought her family.
* * *
By ten o’clock on Tuesday morning, Nicole was starting to feel overtired. It was no surprise since she didn’t think she’d slept a bit the night before. She had to get to the teacher’s lounge to get a cup of coffee. Maybe that would lift her up a little.
She also needed to observe the other teachers as they came and went on break.
When she pushed the break room door open, she almost hit someone coming out. It was one of the coaches who held the door open for her to enter.
She paused there to look around the room. It was divided equally between tables on one half and stuffed chairs and sofas on the other half.
She saw René and Linda right away sitting on a sofa and there was an empty space at a table nearby. So, Nicole rolled over to that empty spot and stopped. That placed her with her face to the women she wanted to observe.
She didn’t have long to wait. Linda started talking.
“Look at her. Sitting there like nothing has happened.”
Then René took over. “Yeah, as if she didn’t stab poor Darla yesterday. Why everybody knows she did it.”
Nicole glanced around the room at the other faces she could see. Some showed curiosity, some fear and even a few showed anger. She’d have to remember those faces.
She wasn’t about to give either one of the other women the pleasure of saying anything to them or even acknowledging them in any way.
She was glad though when a male teacher sitting next to her leaned around to where she could see his face. “Shelly just called you to the office on the intercom.
Just as she was passing through the door one of the other teachers held open for her, she looked back and saw René speaking. “Better watch out. Who knows who she’ll stab next?”
A cold chill ran down Nicole’s back when she thought about that. Could René be right about one thing? Would there be someone else hurt there at the school?
When she wheeled into the office, she had half expected to see Roger and was more than a little disappointed when she saw Floyd standing there in uniform talking to Shelly and Ron.
“Then you’re okay with it Ron?”
“Yes. I trust your judgment Floyd.”
What were they talking about? Since she’d been summoned, it probably had to do with her. Oh well. She’d find out soon enough.
She stopped beside Floyd who looked down at her with a big smile on his face much like Roger’s smile.
“Nicole. Ron and I have been talking and we both think you might be in danger if you continue to investigate this attack.”
“I’m the only hope you have to investigate here. I can take care of myself Sheriff.”
He grinned down at her. “Now, Nicole, don’t you remember that you’re calling me Floyd now?”
She didn’t comment.
“Anyway, we’ve decided that you need to bring your M9 in here with you, at least until we catch this murderer. You can keep it in that pouch you normally do when you’re away from here.”
She looked up at Ron and he nodded. “Yes, Nicole. I have complete confidence in you and with your police background and all the school shootings around the country, it only makes sense that you be armed.”
Floyd stepped away from the counter to face Nicole. “Why don’t we go out to your van right now and get it.”
She turned to follow him and marveled at the fact that he allowed her to push her own wheelchair. Roger or Shelly one must have told him.
As they were making their way to the main entrance, several teachers came past from the lounge and René and Linda were with them.
Once outside, Floyd laughed. “We couldn’t have timed that any better Nicole. Now those women are going to think for sure we suspect you.”
She tried to laugh with him, but it was her reputation that was taking a major hit this week.
At the van, she gave him her keys, and he retrieved her weapon from the glove compartment. When he handed it to her, she quickly slipped it into the holster mounted on the inside of the bag on the right side of her wheelchair.
Floyd leaned against her van and looked down at her. “I want you to know I trust you completely Nicole. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dream of sending you back in there armed the way I am.”
“Thank you, Sheriff, … Floyd. That means a lot to me.”
He leaned over a little then. “How are things going between you and my little brother?”
She looked up at him with a mischievous grin. “That, my dear Sheriff is none of your business.”
With that, she turned her wheelchair and headed for the entrance knowing he was laughing loudly behind her even though she couldn’t hear him.
* * *
Roger’s meeting with Pastor Gil had been put off because Gil had to go to the hospital with a member of his church. So, Roger had spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at the office trying to catch up on all his new cases.
Finally, at three o’clock, he walked into the church office and was met by Betty Lewis, the secretary. He knew Betty quite well since her husband was Floyd’s Chief Deputy.
“Hi Betty. Is he back yet?”
She smiled up at him. “Well, hello Roger. Yes, he’s in there. It’s good to see you. I sure was glad to hear you’d moved back here to practice law. I know Dixie and Harold are as pleased as can be.”
She waved a hand at the pastor’s door. “Go on in Roger. He’s expecting you.”
When Roger entered the office, Gil was standing in front of his desk with his hand out toward him.
Roger shook his hand and sat with him at a small table in the other end of the room away from his desk.
Roger still marveled at how such a small man could have such a deep voice that made him a good speaker.
Gil surprised him with the first thing he said. “How is Nicole holding up with all that’s going on in her life?”
Roger didn’t know how much the pastor knew so he chose to keep it simple. “She’s a strong woman, Pastor, as strong as any woman I’ve ever known.”
“That’s good but you can call me Gil. Almost everybody else does.”
They talked for an hour and Roger went away from there fully understanding all he needed to know. He was glad Gil hadn’t pressed him to make a decision right then. It wasn’t that he wasn’t ready but for some reason, he felt Nicole should be there when he did.
He went straight back to his office since Nick was planning to wait for Nicole to come home from school and they were coming together for Nick to look at Roger’s spare office.
His timing couldn’t have been any better. Just as he pulled into his parking lot, Nicole was co
ming out of her van.
He walked up to stand next to Nick and watched her maneuver her wheelchair out of the van and up to them.
They went inside together after Nicole gave them both a look they interpreted as her wanting to wheel herself in.
Once inside his outer office, Roger introduced them to Gina who greeted them warmly.
“Oh Nicole, I’ve heard so much about you from Shelly and Roger that I feel like I already know you.”
Nicole just smiled back at her then gave Roger a questioning look he knew he’d have to answer later.
At least Gina had said nothing about the stabbing incident. He was sure Nicole was already sick of it.
Roger led the way to the empty office then stepped aside to allow Nicole and Nick to go in ahead of him.
Nicole stopped in the center of the room and looked around. Meanwhile, Nick walked around the outside of the room and paused to open the blinds to look out into the landscaping beyond.
Nicole looked at Nick. “I think it would be perfect for you Nick. You could set your desk right there in front of the window and still have plenty of room to sit with your clients out here.”
Nick looked at Roger. “How much is the rent?”
When Roger told him, he whistled. “Man! This kind of space in KC would cost three times that much.”
He walked around the room one more time and went out into the outer office.
Roger stayed in the room since Nicole did too. He looked down at her and again, he marveled at how beautiful she was with those blue eyes and her blond hair falling a few inches past her shoulders.
She grinned up at him. “He’ll take it.”
Roger didn’t even ask how she knew. He was already well aware of the special bond the twins had. They almost seemed to know each other’s thoughts.
She turned her wheelchair around and left the room with Roger close behind her.
When they joined the other two, Nick was detailing to Gina exactly what he would need her to do for him.
She looked up at Roger. “I think I could handle what both of you need at my present salary.”
Not My Solution Page 19
