by Helen Gray
Reductions? Reassignments? Who had Marsha planned to terminate or move to another position? Had she acted on anything before her death? Toni reached for the phone.
“Sorry to bother you on the weekend,” she apologized when Sam Brinkman answered. “I need to ask another nosy question.”
“I wasn’t busy. What would you like to know?”
“I’ve been reading reports from Marsha’s computer, and I found one that indicates she planned to reassign and reduce staff. But it doesn’t state specifically who. Had any of this been acted on by the board?”
“There was some discussion about ways to reduce expenses,” Sam said in his slow, thoughtful way. “But no formal action had been taken. Which, in hindsight, is absolutely terrifying. The woman was skimming money and planning for others to lose their jobs to cover it.”
“Do you think she might have already been putting some of those things in motion, figuring it was a simple matter to get the board to rubber stamp it?”
There was a long silence before he spoke again. “It sickens me to admit it, but we probably would have done whatever she proposed.” Self-disgust laced the admission.
As much as Toni hated to admit it, he was right. Marsha would have gone right ahead with whatever she intended to do, confident of their approval. “I have a pile of stuff here yet to read, so I’d better get busy.”
As she placed the phone beside her, the weatherman appeared on the television screen. Kyle turned on the sound, and they listened to a forecast for light snow to continue throughout the night and stop by mid morning, with no hazardous accumulation. However, sleet was predicted to move in sometime in the afternoon.
“It looks like you can count on going to school in the morning,” he commented.
“But what happens after that is questionable,” Toni added.
Kyle took the boys outdoors, and Toni curled up to continue reading, content in the knowledge that he would be home every other night the next week. She read until she finished the last report about eleven o’clock.
*
On the way to her classroom the next morning, Toni tracked down Ken Douglas in the cafeteria where he was having a donut and coffee at the table reserved for staff. Two teachers at the other end of the table were absorbed in conversation. Toni slid onto the bench next to him. “I found out some interesting information about the car that tried to hit Garrett.” She gave him a quick summary of Tom Keller’s revelation.
Ken’s reaction was a look of silent puzzlement.
“I don’t know how relevant any of that is,” she said quietly. “But there’s something else I wanted to discuss with you. I copied a lot of stuff from Marsha’s computer, and yesterday I read a report that indicates she was planning to cut and realign staff. Sam Brinkman says there was some discussion, but no final plans had been approved.”
“That’s right.” He picked up his coffee cup, drained it, and set it back down.
Toni considered how to phrase her request. “I’m wondering if Marsha went ahead with anything in that respect, taking board approval for granted. Could you check with department heads and see if they can confirm any orders for reassignment or termination?”
He pushed to his feet. “I’ll get on it as soon as the bell rings and the halls clear.”
“Thanks.” They left in opposite directions.
Third hour Toni didn’t waste any time getting to the office to see Ken. “He’s expecting me,” she said to Pam as she entered.
Pam jerked her head in the direction of the door behind her. “That’s what he said.”
When Toni peeked inside his doorway, Ken was on the phone, but he saw her and motioned to a seat. She sat and waited for him to conclude his conversation.
“I’ve been calling department heads,” he said when he finished. “They all say that Marsha contacted them the week before Christmas and told them to anticipate cuts. They were to let her know by the end of the first week after break who in their particular department they thought they could survive without.”
Toni shook her head in a weary rotation. “She had total confidence that the board would approve whatever she proposed, didn’t she?”
Ken scowled. “She was a very confident person, and it sounds like the January board meeting was meant to be a downsizing one.”
“I wonder who all escaped the axe,” Toni mused.
He stared hard at her. “We’ll never know exactly, because the departmental recommendations would have been a mere formality. Marsha would have already known just who and where she intended to cut, and you can bet that my name was at the top of the list.”
“I don’t really see how this information can help, but thanks for checking.”
“You went to bat for me,” he reminded her needlessly. “I haven’t shared anything privileged with you. All this stuff is common knowledge.”
Toni got to her feet. “I’d better run.”
Back in her room, she went to the window and stood watching the snow. It was a light, gentle downfall, and the temperature was still forty degrees, so an early dismissal was not likely. When the bell rang, she turned to meet her fourth hour class.
When Jodi arrived seventh hour sporting another black eye, Toni’s heart sank. She watched until the girl sat at her desk, and then walked over and leaned down next to her. “Can you stay after school and talk?” she whispered.
Jodi didn’t answer. She just stared at the white board, as if she hadn’t heard.
Toni returned to the front of the room and began her lecture.
Jodi seemed to listen to instructions, and she participated in lab. During cleanup at the end of class, Toni watched to see what the girl would do. She held her breath as the bell rang and students filed out, then exhaled a long sigh of relief when Jodi remained in her seat.
Toni stepped out into the hallway and spotted John. “My boys?” she mouthed over the chatter of departing students and nodded back at her room, hoping he understood.
“I’ll get them,” he called, giving her his usual thumbs up and heading down the hall.
Toni returned to her room and took a seat facing her abused student. “Jodi, I’m sorry this has happened again. I want to help you, but I need you to tell the authorities the truth about what’s happening to you.”
After several moments of silence Jodi spoke in an unsteady whisper. “You mean the police?”
“You could talk to the principal or counselor. I know they’re both concerned and have already spoken with Protective Services.” Toni hoped she could reach the girl.
Tears glistened in Jodi’s eyes and leaked in a trail down her cheeks. Self-consciously she reached up and wiped her face. “I wish I’d never met him,” she choked in a rush.
“Let’s not waste time being sorry for things we can’t change,” Toni said gently. “Let’s get tough and do something about it.”
“I’m afraid to complain to the police,” Jodi said. “They probably wouldn’t lock him up, and then he would just get real mad and find me and take it out on me.”
Toni thought fast. “How about if we approach it a little differently?” She heard John and the boys arrive and go into his room across the hall.
“How?” Jodi’s voice was low, but there was a tiny spark of interest.
“Well, what if Donnie were arrested for something besides abusing you? Do you know anything he’s involved in that the police could catch him in the act of and arrest him if they had a tip? They could keep your name out of it, make sure he thought they got their information from another source.”
There was another long silence. “They might not be able to do that,” she said at last.
Toni sighed. She was tired, and she needed to go home, but she couldn’t walk away from a student in need. “Jodi, you have to get out of this relationship. It’s dangerous.”
“I know,” the girl admitted, nodding and choking back sobs.
“Sometimes we don’t have a choice about things,” Toni pressed gently. “Sometimes thi
ngs get so bad that we just have to square our shoulders and do what’s necessary.”
Suddenly Jodi did just that. She took a deep breath and sat up straighter. Then she looked Toni in the eye. “There is something. I don’t know the details, but I heard Donnie talking on the phone. He told someone, a customer I think, that what he needed would be in by Wednesday morning. After he hung up, he told me that he had some night work coming up tomorrow night.”
“Do you think he’s planning a robbery for tomorrow night?”
Jodi bit her lip and nodded. “I played dumb and didn’t say anything then, but later I asked him if he was going to go to Bennie’s party tomorrow night, like I forgot the phone call. He laughed and said no, he had to pay a visit to the tire shop.”
Toni’s eyes widened with comprehension. “You think he’s planning to steal tires from a shop, instead of taking parts from cars like he’s been doing?”
Jodi nodded. “That’s my guess. The only tire shop I know of is Palmer Tire.”
“Will you repeat this to the police if I call them?”
“I guess so.” The look on Jodi’s face was a mixture of determination and fear.
Toni rang Buck Freeman quickly, before Jodi could change her mind. “I have a student here with some information you should hear,” she said as soon as she had him on the line.
By the time Toni and the boys left the police station about five, the snow had turned to rain and was washing away the snow that had fallen earlier. But she felt somewhat better. Jodi had driven behind them to the station and repeated her story to Buck. After she finished and left, Toni had explained to Buck that Donnie was responsible for the condition of the girl’s face.
“We’ll get him,” Buck had promised.
Chapter 17
The next morning Toni shivered as she and the boys climbed into the van. The rain that had fallen during the night was lighter, but it was turning to drizzle, with the temperature hovering just above the freezing point.
As she walked up the hall to her room, her gut knotted. A picture was beginning to form in her mind, one that she dared not share with anyone yet, not without proof.
Her first and second hour classes didn’t go as smoothly as normal. Thoughts of the murder investigation, and the robbery planned for that night, kept her on edge. And the students were restless, watching the weather through the windows. Twice Toni lost her train of thought in the middle of an explanation and had to pause and refer to her notes. It was a relief when third hour arrived. She removed her lab coat and put her cell phone in the pocket of her black wool blazer. Then she locked her door and headed for the gym.
When she entered the big room, neither coach was in sight. A class of students was being led through warm-up exercises by a substitute, which meant that at least one coach was absent. Toni waited until there was a break in the exercise routine and approached the sub. “Who are you filling in for?” she asked politely.
“Coach Baker,” the young woman said. “Do you need something? Can I help you?”
“No, I just needed to speak to Coach Baker. Thanks.”
Toni swallowed frustration and returned to her room. It was like having an itch she couldn’t scratch. She felt drawn to the gym for answers, but Lisa was elusive. She wasn’t sure how everything fit together, but she was convinced that the coaches held the key.
By sixth hour keeping the attention of her students was a challenge. They kept staring out the windows at the light rainfall that was turning to sleet and pinging against the glass panes. Whispered murmurings circulated about the chances of an early dismissal. Toni doubted that would happen, since it was so near the end of the day and the precipitation was melting almost as fast as it fell. But a slight drop in temperature could make all the difference.
During last hour, while keeping an eye on the developing weather outside, Toni moved among the students, checking bookwork and facilitating labs. She stopped beside Jodi, who was adjusting a microscope over a slide. “How are you?” she asked softly while keeping an eye on the activity around them.
“Okay.” Jodi didn't look up.
“You’re welcome to go home with me if you’d like,” Toni whispered.
Where you’ll be safer.
Jodi looked up then, her eyes large and troubled. “Thanks for your concern, Mrs. Donovan,” she whispered, “but my dad didn’t go to work today. He’s home sick with the flu.”
With a parent present Donnie would not be likely to bother her. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was encouraging. With a small, reassuring touch to the girl’s hand, Toni smiled and moved on.
By dismissal time, that drop in temperature was happening. Everyone rushed to get the buses loaded and the buildings cleared. Toni picked up her boys and went straight home.
She had just taken a chocolate pie from the oven when Ken called to say that school had already been cancelled for the next day. Toni immediately called Loretta and relayed the message.
As she disconnected, she heard Kyle’s truck pull into the drive. It was a relief to have him off the roads. They weren’t hazardous yet, but it definitely wasn’t a good time to be out.
He sniffed as he entered the kitchen. “It sure smells good in here.” Then he spotted the pies. “Chocolate?” His face took on a little boy expression.
Toni grinned. “Of course. Is there any other kind?”
He tossed his bag and grabbed her in a bear hug. “Now I know why I married you.”
During supper Toni told Kyle about Jodi, and then about her boyfriend’s plan to break into the tire shop that night. “Do you think even Donnie would try anything on a night like this?”
He placed his fork beside his plate. “A guy like Donnie might see it as an excellent opportunity. He wouldn’t expect the police to be as vigilant in this bad weather.”
“Are you worried, Mom?” Garrett studied her face across the table.
“Yes, I am, but everything will be all right,” Toni assured him.
They let the boys stay up later than usual, since they could sleep in the next morning. Once they were in bed, Toni took a shower. When she emerged, pulling her robe over her nightgown, she found Kyle sitting on the side of the bed. He patted a spot beside him. “Let’s talk.”
She tied the belt and sat, not sure she was ready for whatever he had to say.
Kyle turned her to face him and put his fingers under her chin to force her face up. “I’ve missed you.”
His forthright statement took her off guard. Toni swallowed and placed her head on his shoulder. The scent of soap on his skin was so familiar—and comforting. “I’ve missed you, too. I’ve never meant to neglect you.”
“I know that. I’m sorry we’ve let ourselves get so busy that we don’t have time for one another. You’re a good mother and a dedicated teacher.”
She raised her head. “But not so good at the wife part, huh?”
He grinned. “You’re good at that, too—when we can squeeze it into our schedules.”
Toni pulled back enough to meet his gaze. “I know I’ve let things steal time from us, and I feel bad about that. But I’m not sure how to fix it.”
He stroked her hair. “I feel bad about it, too. But recognizing our problem has to be the first step toward fixing it. We’ve both gotten caught up in our jobs and other activities.”
Something in his tone put Toni on alert. She drew back and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Don’t give up your job. I’m selfish. I would love to have you home with me more. But I know how much you love what you do.”
He inhaled sharply. “You know I was thinking of doing that?”
“I sensed it.” I know you.
“But we don’t have time to spend together, just the two of us the way we used to do.”
His words touched her, reminded her how much she loved him. Toni took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. “I miss you, too. But don’t give up your job. Instead, let’s concentrate on finding ways to slow down and enjoy what time we can toge
ther.”
His eyes bored into her. “You mean that?”
She nodded. “I mean it.”
He kissed her and pulled her tight. “I understand that you have to keep Garrett safe, and that finding out who is behind all this tragedy is not something you can ignore. But please be careful and stay safe.”
She nodded and snuggled up to him. “I will. As soon as all this is over, why don’t we take some time off and get away from everything for a few days?”
His arms tightened around her. “I’ll schedule some vacation time for right after school is out for the summer.”
She unwrapped herself from his arms. “I’d like that.”
He smiled. “I still love you. And I’ll be here for you, no matter what.”
*
They had only been asleep a short time when the phone rang. Kyle reached over and snagged it. “Yeah, she’s here,” he mumbled and handed it to Toni. The digital clock read eleven-thirty.
“Yes,” she mumbled sleepily.
“We have a casualty.” Buck’s voice sounded gravelly and grim.
She came instantly awake, her stomach wrenching. “What do you mean, a casualty?”
A cough came across the line, followed by a clearing of the throat. “Donnie showed up at the tire shop about ten o’clock. He jimmied the back door and was filling the bed of his pickup with tires when we drove up. He jumped in the truck and tore around the building and out onto the highway. The roads weren’t safe, but he put the pedal to the floor.”
Dread curdled her stomach. “What happened?”
“He lost control on Scenic View Hill, went off the road, and rolled his truck.”
“He’s alive, isn’t he?” She held her breath.
“He’s in the emergency room here at the hospital. I don’t know just how bad he’s hurt, but it’s serious.”
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll call Jodi in the morning.”
Toni relayed to Kyle what had happened. Then she tried to go back to sleep, but it was a long time in coming.
