Toni Donovan Mysteries- Books 1-3

by Helen Gray

  “Until your camera caught them in the coach’s office. Did you and Dustin date much during the week, or mostly on weekends?”

  “Our parents wouldn’t let us go out more than once or twice a week, said we had to get our rest and keep our grades up. Not that Dustin worried about the grades,” she added, her mouth twisted and trembling. “Monday night we were supposed to go to the ballgame together, but he caught me in the hall second hour and said he had to run some errands for his parents before the game and wouldn’t get done in time to come get me. I thought it was pretty lame.”

  “Which ticked you off, and you were letting him know about it in class the next day.”

  Sidney nodded. “Sometimes he would tell his parents he was going hunting. Then I would make up an excuse to leave my house, and we would meet somewhere.”

  Toni’s brain spun. “Like Saturday?”

  She nodded. “He was found at one of the places we used to meet.”

  “So you think he met someone else there.”

  “Yes,” she whispered, her eyes pinched shut.

  “But if he was there for a meeting—and not hunting—why did he have the gun with him?”

  Sidney only thought a moment before coming up with an explanation. “He always took his gun so his parents would believe he was really going hunting. When he got there he always kept it with him. He would never leave a gun in his truck where it could be seen and stolen.”

  Toni squeezed the girl’s hand. “I am so sorry about all this. I wish I could fix it, but I can’t. You’ve given me a lot to think about and discuss with the police, though.”

  Sidney had calmed down considerably. “Thank you for listening,” she said, withdrawing her hand and reaching for her purse. “I need to get home. I told Mom I’d only be gone an hour.”

  As Sidney pulled out of the drive, Kyle and the boys returned. Toni sent the boys to take their showers and told Kyle about the girl’s visit.

  “I think you need to call Buck,” Kyle said when she finished.

  She did just that.

  Chapter 14

  Toni Donovan again,” she said when Buck answered. Then she launched right into the story of Sidney’s visit. “The girl is convinced Dustin didn’t commit suicide, and I think she made some good arguments.”

  “The kid’s gun was a twenty-two rifle, he was using long rifle twenty-two shells, and there was a small amount of gunshot residue on his hands,” the chief enumerated thoughtfully.

  “But did he pull the trigger on his own, or did he have help?”

  The chief’s heavy sigh whistled across the line. “Toni, are you just looking for trouble where there isn’t any, or are you saying you think someone killed him?”

  She didn’t want to antagonize him, but she couldn’t just drop it. “I had Dustin in class every day, and I never saw any indication that he was suicidal.”

  There was a long pause. When Buck finally spoke, his voice was tinged with irritation. “It looked like a suicide, and there was a suicide note.”

  Almost afraid to say more, but driven by an invisible force, she persisted. “What if it was just made to look like a suicide? And what about the note? It was printed, not cursive. He never printed his classroom assignments. Are you sure he wrote it?”

  “Listen to me, Toni,” Buck snapped. “There was nothing to indicate it was anything but a suicide. Besides, who would kill a kid like that? I understand your reluctance to accept that a student would do such a thing, but there’s just nothing to suggest otherwise.”

  Toni decided she had no choice but to drop it. “Okay, I just wanted to let you know about Sidney’s visit. I’ll talk to you later.”

  After she disconnected, Toni sat staring at the phone in her hand.

  “What’s the matter?” Kyle, still holding the remote, had muted the television. “Don’t you think it was suicide?”

  “I think Sidney made some very valid points,” she said slowly. “When Kara told her fiancé about the suicide, his first reaction was to point out how foul play is always suspected when there’s a suicide in crime shows. It seemed like a joke at the time, but now I can’t get away from the idea. I’d hate to see something get overlooked.”

  “And someone get away with murder.”

  She put the phone on the coffee table. “It doesn’t feel right. There aren’t many coincidences in this world. And I can’t stop thinking about the two deaths and wondering if they’re connected.”

  Creases formed between his brows. “You think the same person who killed Marsha may have killed a student?”

  She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. I realize the causes of death were completely different. One was beaten, the other shot. The beating was a crime of passion, committed with the first weapon handy. The second, if it was murder, was premeditated. But the area where Dustin was found isn’t unusual. His parents said he often went hunting there, so other people surely knew that as well.”

  “But what would have been the reason?”

  “That’s where I’m stuck. They seem so unrelated. Of course…” She became silent, pondering.

  “What?” He put the remote on the table and leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs.

  “What if whoever killed Marsha felt threatened by Dustin for some reason? What if the boy found out who did it and was making threats?”

  His mouth pulled back in a tight frown. “That’s pretty farfetched.”

  Everything Toni could remember bounced around in her mind, trying to connect. Marsha had made a lot of enemies. The teachers resented her, as did the support staff. She had offended people in the community. She had convinced a married man to leave his wife and kids for her.

  Dustin, on the other hand, was too young to have left such a string of broken relationships. But he had caused trouble for a number of people. He had disrupted classes. He had been unfaithful to his steady girlfriend. Toni froze.

  Marsha had been involved with Jack Rayford. Dustin had been involved with Sidney Rayford. In both cases a lot of people were hurt and angry, but the common denominator was Janet Rayford. Janet would have hated Marsha for taking her husband, and Dustin for hurting her daughter. Could Janet have killed Marsha? Toni could kick herself for not checking on the woman more thoroughly.

  Another possibility floated through her brain.

  Could Dustin truly have killed Marsha? Could Janet have recruited him to do it? He had been dating her daughter, which meant he was a familiar face at the Rayford home. If Janet had recruited him, could Dustin have become scared of getting caught? Or maybe he just saw a way to pull Janet’s strings and threatened her. Or was there a completely different rationale? Maybe, if he became a threat, Janet changed her approach and seduced the boy, and then killed him.

  Even if all these things were true, would anyone listen to her? Toni doubted it. Everyone accepted that it was a suicide. The case would be closed.

  *

  The first thing Toni did when she got to her classroom Tuesday morning was call the technology director and cancel her request for him to trace the e-mail.

  As she finished the call, Ken Douglas entered her classroom, his countenance drawn and fatigued. His eyes swept over her forest green blazer and matching green shoes, but he didn’t comment as he normally would have. “I wanted to catch you before classes start and apologize for forgetting to check that e-mail you sent me. Things were hectic, but I should have gotten to it.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It wouldn’t have made any difference.”

  His brow furrowed. “You know where it came from?”

  “I rushed to get here early this morning so I could tell Dillon to not waste any more time tracing it. I planned to talk to you if I could catch up with you.” She gave him the condensed version of Sidney's visit.

  He covered his face with his hands. “When is this nightmare going to end?” he groaned, his head rotating back and forth in misery. Then he glanced up at the clock and gave a startled jump. “I have to run. The first
bell rings in about thirty seconds.”

  Toni went next door and peeked inside John’s room. “Would you like to go with me to talk to Janet Rayford after school?”

  He looked up from adjusting a microscope. “Sure. I know Jenny will be happy to look after the boys.”

  “I’ll fill you in later,” she promised as the bell rang.

  *

  As soon as Jenny left school with the boys, Toni and John headed for her red minivan. The sun was out, but the inside of the van still felt like an icebox.

  “You’re turning into a real detective,” John commented while they waited for the heater to warm. “Did you ever think about going into police work?”

  “It crossed my mind several times,” she admitted. “Having a dad in law enforcement taught me to question acts and motives. I learned to love science from both my parents, but from different perspectives. My dad saw it as helpful in getting evidence. My mother saw it as important in saving lives. I respected both.”

  “Did either of them ever pressure you to follow in their footsteps?”

  “Not really.” She put the van into motion. “Dad was stern, but the boys and I knew he loved us. He always seemed to enjoy my interest in his work, but he never tried to make a cop of me. As for Mom, she was gone a lot and always too busy, but we understood the importance of her work. I know this sounds corny, but teaching is my way of making the world a better place. I like the challenge of managing a classroom and sharing knowledge that could benefit the lives of my students.”

  John grinned. “Your teaching has always been simply classroom science, but now you’re using it to solve actual cases.”

  “Maybe.” She steered out of the parking lot. “I don’t seem to be very successful at this point.”

  “You’re not giving up the effort,” he pointed out. “Whatever the outcome, you’ll have given it your best. It sounds like you had a good childhood.”

  His return to the earlier topic surprised her. “I did, but don’t get the idea that everything was perfect. We had our good and bad times, our little conflicts and differences. But we always worked through things. What about you?”

  “My mom was the stay-at-home kind. My dad was a workaholic and gone a lot, but overall we had a solid upbringing.”

  Toni pulled into the Rayford driveway. “Okay, here goes nothing.”

  They marched up the walk together, and Toni pushed the doorbell. “I wonder if Janet will be sober or drinking again.”

  Janet appeared in the doorway, dressed in a business suit, her long dark hair done up in a stylish arrangement. Her expression was pleasant enough—until she recognized them. Then the smile turned to a scowl.

  “Hi,” Toni greeted her cheerfully. “May we visit with you for a few minutes?”

  “I’m pretty busy,” Janet hedged, obviously not thrilled at their presence.

  “We won’t take much of your time,” Toni promised.

  “Oh, all right.” The words and tone were ungracious, but she backed up to allow them entrance. “Come on inside.”

  John went to an occasional chair, while Toni sat on the sofa. Janet took the rocker across from them and tugged on her stylishly short skirt as it rode high on her legs. “What do you want now?”

  John gave her a disarming smile. “We both have Sidney in class, and we know how much Dustin’s death has upset her.”

  Janet seemed to relax a little at the mention of her daughter. “Yes, she’s taking it really hard. Everyone is,” she added stiffly.

  “I assume you knew Dustin pretty well,” Toni ventured.

  Janet frowned, and her gaze became frosty. “What is it you really want to know?”

  Toni steeled herself to say what she must. “We’ve had two tragic deaths in the past few weeks, and we’re just looking for any information that might help us figure out exactly what happened.”

  “I can tell you what happened to Marsha Carter,” Janet hissed bitterly. “Someone did the world a favor and killed her. The police have asked hundreds of questions and haven’t figured out who to give a medal to for the deed, and now here you are still asking questions. What’s going on?” Her voice had risen in shrillness.

  “We’re aware of your circumstances and how much that death affected you,” Toni said, hoping to placate the woman. “We’re aware that this latest death has also affected you through your daughter. We were wondering when the last time you spoke with Dustin was and what you can remember about his behavior.”

  Janet’s eyes narrowed. “Exactly what are you asking?”

  “We just want to learn more about his contacts and behavior over the past few days. Did he seem depressed or upset? Was there anything unusual about his behavior, anything that would indicate he was thinking of taking his own life?”

  Janet’s tone chilled. “No, I don’t recall anything different.”

  “When was the last time you saw him?”

  “Sometime last week, not that it’s any of your business,” she snapped. “And if the next question is where was I Saturday morning, that’s none of your business either. But I’ll tell you anyhow. I was here talking to my dear departed husband—not dead, just departed,” she added with acrid sarcasm. Then she emitted a harsh laugh. “He wanted to know if we could patch things up and try again. And, no, I can’t prove it. Considering that I told him to take a flying leap, and knowing that Jack isn’t Mr. Straight-and-Narrow, we have to expect that he probably would take great delight in not providing me with an alibi—if I need one.”

  “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to…”

  “Yes, you meant to ask me for alibis for the times of both those deaths,” she interrupted. “And now this conversation is over.” She stalked to the door and held it open.

  In the car a few seconds later, Toni looked over at John and winced. “Ouch!”

  John grinned, then sobered. “Do you think this is a case of a lady protesting too much?”

  “I’m not sure,” Toni responded thoughtfully. “She sounds pretty believable, but she certainly managed to avoid providing alibis for when Marsha was killed, or for the times of the rundown in the parking lot and shooting at the lake.”

  “Did you have anything else in mind for today?”

  “I wish we could talk to the Guthries, but they’re distraught and facing the ordeal of their son’s funeral. Even if that weren’t the case, I’m not sure I’m tough enough for another eviction right now.”

  “The police chief probably wouldn’t be too happy with us talking to them right now, either,” John said with a philosophic shrug.

  *

  The next morning Toni wore a sensible blue pantsuit with navy shoes and blouse to school, determined to appear calm and keep her mind on academics. But by lunchtime more questions had risen to plague her. She went next door to see John. “I’d like to talk to the coaches after school.”

  He nodded and waved her on her way. “I’ll get the offspring and wait for you here.”

  As soon as her last class dismissed, Toni headed for the gym to find Jordan Hopper and Lisa Baker. She marched across the shiny floor to where the dressing rooms, showers, and offices of the coaches were located.

  Jordan’s door was ajar. When Toni stuck her head inside, she was happy to find him seated at his desk. It looked like he was going over game schedules.

  He looked up. “Hi. What’s on your mind?”

  She stepped into the small room. “Got a minute?”

  “Sure,” he returned amicably. “Have a seat.” He reached for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that lay near the desk calendar he was studying. “Got to stay over tonight, run a few drills, and then get on the bus to go to an away game. Teachers eat so elegantly,” he said dryly before taking a big bite.

  Toni nodded agreement. “Twenty minute lunches and after school duties don’t allow for much fine dining. No wonder we’re such pigs.”

  “What can I do for you?” he asked between inelegant bites.

  “I’d like to ask you and Li
sa about Dustin’s recent behavior.”

  “Lisa had a dental appointment right after school, so there’s only me.”

  “That’s okay. You should be able to help me. In addition to being teacher aides in the P.E. department, I believe Dustin and Sidney spent a lot of time in the gym after school.”

  Jordan frowned. “I suppose so. Dustin was on the basketball team, and Sidney is a cheerleader, so it was a natural hangout. Dustin had practice nearly every day, and Sid hung around a lot. She ran errands for us.”

  “What about Dustin’s behavior? I mean, did he seem depressed or upset lately?”

  Jordan gave her an intense look. “Are you implying that you don’t think he committed suicide?”

  Toni shrugged. “Sidney is convinced that he didn’t.”

  “You’ve talked to her?”

  Toni repeated the tale of Sidney’s visit. “I think she made some valid points. Can you tell me anything that will confirm that he was suicidal?”

  Jordan swigged from a can of Dr. Pepper, eyeing her over the top of it. “No, I can’t really think of anything out of the ordinary,” he said when he put it down.

  Toni’s gaze swept over his office. A picture of his wife and kids adorned the wall behind him, and an oversized calendar and pictures of the basketball team filled the wall to his left. The calendar was covered with notations of game times and locations, along with names of game officials. The wall to her right was lined with shelves loaded with sports equipment and scorebooks. She noticed a long handled, heavy-duty flashlight lying along the back of a shelf. She forced her attention back to what Jordan was saying.

  “As a matter of fact, I was just talking with Lisa this afternoon before she left, and we were wondering what could possibly have been going through Dustin’s mind.”

  “So you’re saying you never noticed any kind of personality change or physical complaints, anything like that?”

  “No,” he repeated. “But I have to admit that it doesn’t sound like he was on a suicidal track. I remember one day last week he was kind of worked up over wanting to buy a jeep. I got the impression that his parents weren’t in favor of the idea, thought since he already had a pickup that he didn’t need to add to his collection of wheels. I think he also has a four-wheeler and a motorcycle. Had, I mean,” he amended grimly.