by Kathi Daley
“I think Echo wants to have a puppy to play with,” Gracie said persuasively. “We have four cats but only one dog.”
“If we don’t find the owner it will be up to Papa. I’m not sure Crissy is going to like having to share you with a puppy.”
“She’ll get used to her. Crissy got used to Echo, and she didn’t like him at all when she first came to live with us.”
“That’s true,” Tj admitted.
“I’m going to name her Pumpkin because she’s orange and it’s Halloween,” Gracie decided. “Can she sleep with me?”
“We’ll see.”
By the time the group walked in through the kitchen door dinner was on the table. Tj slipped a collar on the puppy and attached a leash. Then she gave her some food and water and tied her up close enough to the family so she wouldn’t feel deserted in a strange environment, but far enough away so she wouldn’t get the idea it was okay to lay under the table while the family was eating.
“Gracie made the finals for the spelling bee,” Tj announced when everyone had been served.
“That’s wonderful,” Tj’s father, Mike, or as the girls called him, Papa, exclaimed. “I knew all that practicing would pay off.”
“I even beat Julie the brain.” Gracie grinned. Julie often beat her in academic competitions. “She forgot the second S in misspell.” Gracie giggled.
“Oh, that is funny.” Tj laughed.
“She came in second, so she’ll still get to go to the final round, but it was fun to win for once. Trisha was absent or she probably would have won, but I think she’s going to be in the finals, too. My teacher said she was taking the top five spellers to the spell-off.”
“You’ll win,” Ashley said with confidence. “Just don’t overthink it. People tend to do that. Overthink things. The more you think about something you already know the more you might mess it up.”
“Thanks, Ashley.” Gracie smiled.
After Tj dinner was finished, Tj called Rosalie who came by and gave Pumpkin a clean bill of health. Mike and Rosalie settled in to watch a movie in the den while Tj got the girls to bed. Once everyone was settled she lit some pumpkin candles and curled up on the living room sofa in front of the fire. It had started to drizzle, and the long-range forecast called for rain for the next twenty-four hours at least. Tj’s boyfriend Hunter Hanson had said he’d call when he got off work, but although it was almost eleven o’clock he’d yet to check in. She knew he must be dealing with some sort of an emergency and would call if he could. One of the difficult things about dating a doctor was the unpredictability of his hours.
Echo had curled up on the floor beneath her feet and Cuervo, her big orange tomcat, was curled up in her lap. Pumpkin had been thrilled to sleep on Gracie’s bed and the other cats in residence had likewise found comfy places to settle in for the night.
The phone rang as Tj took a sip of her wine. It was Hunter.
“Hey, did you just get home?”
“Actually, I’m still at work,” Hunter answered.
“I heard there was an accident on the summit.”
“Yeah.” Hunter sighed. “There was. It was a bad one. I’m exhausted, but I wanted to call to say good night. I should have tomorrow night off if you want to do something.”
“That sounds fun as long as Samantha Colton doesn’t dig up something that has me cowering in my room.”
“Who’s Samantha Colton and why would she have you cowering?”
Tj explained.
Hunter let out a long breath. “I’m not sure how well that’s going to go over with our group, and it certainly will affect the weekend. Pretty much everyone who was at the party on the night Holly was murdered will be in town for the reunion.”
“I suspect that’s the reason Samantha Colton chose now to investigate this particular cold case,” Tj said. “I’d love to find Holly’s killer, but I agree that digging up the events surrounding the murder while everyone is in town is going to put a definite damper on the festivities. Still, I guess the woman is going to do what she’s going to do. Maybe I can convince her to take a soft approach to the investigation. If Roy is right, her investigation is already responsible for Mia Monroe and Jada Jenkins bailing out.”
“They aren’t coming?”
Tj filled him in on what Colton had said to Mia. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, she came right out and accused Jada of cheating on her midterm exams the first quarter of her senior year.”
“What? Why would Jada cheat? She was the smartest student in the entire school next to Mackenzie Paulson.”
“And you,” Tj reminded Hunter. He had excelled academically, but he’d also played sports, which took up a lot of his time and prevented him from participating in some of the advanced classes that would have made him a contender for the coveted valedictorian spot.
“To be honest, when Roy first told me what Colton had accused Jada of doing, I outright insisted cheating wasn’t even a possibility,” Tj continued. “But then I remembered her mom and dad split up just as we began our senior year, and I seem to remember her missing a lot of school.”
“That’s right,” Hunter said. “Now that you mention it, I remember that too.”
“Yet she aced all her midterms.”
“Maybe she got extra tutoring or studied at home even though she skipped classes,” Hunter speculated.
“Maybe. But according to Roy, Colton accused Jada of cheating on her midterms in order to maintain her GPA, which she desperately needed to be accepted at MIT.”
Hunter didn’t say anything, but Tj was sure he was frowning. “Did Jada tell Roy that?”
“No, Colton did. She told Roy she believes Holly somehow found out Jada cheated and threatened to tell the administration unless she used her tech know-how to break into the email accounts of some of our fellow students.”
“The whole thing sounds fishy to me,” Hunter declared. “First of all, how did Holly find out Jada cheated, if she really did? And second, why did Holly want access to the student accounts?”
“Roy said Colton didn’t know the answer to either of these questions but intended to find out.”
“Okay, then maybe a better question is, how did Colton find all of this out?” Hunter asked.
“Someone must be talking.”
“Yeah, but who would know any of this except Jada and Holly? Holly is dead and Jada would have no reason to bring it up herself.”
Tj thought about it. “The only person who comes to mind is Jessie Baldwin. Jessie and Holly were best friends. It stands to reason that if Holly did have this information, she would have shared it with Jessie. The thing I can’t figure out is why Jessie would share the information with Colton. And when would she have shared it? According to Roy, Colton was in LA yesterday, and he said I’m her first appointment in Serenity, so when could she have spoken to Jessie, or anyone else for that matter?”
Cuervo tried to knock the phone out of Tj’s hand. Apparently, he’d decided she’d ignored him long enough. Tj adjusted her position so the cat could climb into her lap while she waited for Hunter to respond.
“As you said, Holly was Jessie’s best friend,” Hunter said. “If I were Colton I’d start with the best friend. She probably already interviewed her, maybe over the phone, and I’m betting Jessie shared what she knows. I’m sure she’d want Holly’s killer found, no matter who it might be.”
“I guess that makes sense. I don’t want our reunion ruined, but I am sort of curious to find out what else Colton might have dug up. I’ve seen Second Look a couple of times. In most cases the investigators dig up as much evidence as they can before they show up on location. The show actually has a pretty good success rate. I’m betting Holly’s killer will be pretty nervous when they find out who Samantha Colton is and what she’s doing in town.”
Chapter 3
Tuesday, October 27
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As far as Tuesdays went, this one was shaping up to be one of the oddest she’d had in a while. She woke up to a torrential downpour that caused the small creek that ran behind the house to overflow, flooding the basement. By the time she’d helped her dad and grandpa redirect the water and mop up the mess, she’d barely had time to grab a cup of coffee before she had to hop into the shower to get ready for work. As she hurriedly rushed from her bathroom into her bedroom to dress for the day ahead, she tripped over Pumpkin, who had wandered in through the partially open door. The bruise on her arm was painful but not dire, but the one on her cheek was going to cause her more anguish than she was prepared to deal with.
After ushering her sisters through the steady rain and into the 4Runner she turned the ignition switch only to find the battery was completely dead. Luckily, her dad was still at the house, so she enlisted his help to drive her and the girls into town. After saying her goodbyes to her sisters at the front entry, where the hallway to the elementary school veered to the left and the hallway to the high school veered to the right, she headed toward the teachers’ lounge on the high school side of the building. Even with all the delays, she’d made it to work with a few minutes to spare.
“Coach Jensen.” Carly poked her head in the door of Tj’s office just as she’d sat down at her desk. “You wanted to see me again?”
“Yes. Come in and take a seat.”
“Did someone hit you?” Carly frowned as she sat down across from Tj.
“I tripped over the puppy my sister found last night and hit my face on the dresser.”
Carly raised one eyebrow in an expression of doubt.
“I know that sounds like a cover-up—the type of story someone who had been hit in the face would tell—but it really is what happened,” Tj assured her.
“Maybe some makeup?”
“Makeup might be a good idea,” Tj acknowledged. She had a feeling this was going to be a very long day. “I asked you to stop by because—”
“You’ve changed your mind about the suspension?” Carly interrupted hopefully.
“No, I’m afraid I really can’t do that. But I do have a proposal for you.”
“A proposal?”
“I’ve spoken to Principal Remington and he’s agreed to reevaluate the length of your suspension if you’re willing to make some concessions.”
Carly frowned but didn’t say anything.
“Basically, as things stand now, your suspension runs until the end of the soccer season. We still have four weeks in the regular season and then the play-offs. Principal Remington is willing to reevaluate after two weeks if you’ll apologize to both the girl you elbowed and her coach and agree to counseling. You’ll also need to work as a nonparticipating member of the team during those two weeks.”
Tj could see Carly was about to refuse.
“Principal Remington is being more than fair. I’d take him up on his offer if you care about your chances for a scholarship.”
“What kind of counseling?”
“Mrs. Remington will arrange for you to see a psychologist she knows who specializes in both grief counseling and anger management. Dr. Cowell will meet with you here on campus at no cost to you or your mother.”
Carly bit her lip as she considered the proposal.
“I spoke with him after my mom died,” Tj said. “He’s good at what he does. He’s a kind and caring man. I think you’ll like him.”
“He helped you?”
Tj nodded. “He worked with my sister Ashley as well. Like you, she tended to work out her anger and grief with her fists. She still lashes out at times, but I think Dr. Cowell really helped her to learn impulse control.”
Carly appeared to consider her options. She squirmed around in her chair in a way that indicated she’d rather be anywhere else, but she didn’t bolt as Tj had half-expected she would.
“And the work thing?” Carly asked.
“You’d be my assistant and do whatever I ask you to do. Additionally, you’d attend all practices and games, but you wouldn’t be allowed to suit up until after the suspension is lifted.”
Carly smiled. “I can be your assistant?”
“In a menial labor sort of way.”
“Okay. I agree to Remington’s terms. But how am I supposed to apologize to the girl I elbowed? The team was visiting from Reno.”
“I’ll arrange for you to make the apology via Skype. I’ll let you know the details once I work them out. We have practice at our regular time this afternoon, so I expect you to head over to my office as soon as your fifth-period class is over.”
“Okay. I’ll be here.”
“And Carly…when you meet with Dr. Cowell, give him a chance. I know you don’t think counseling will help, and I can’t guarantee anything, but it might.”
“Does my mother know about it?”
“Principal Remington spoke to her this morning. She indicated she wouldn’t force you to see the man if you didn’t want to, but she wouldn’t interfere if you were willing.”
“In other words she doesn’t care one way or the other, just like she no longer seems to care about anything.”
“I think she cares,” Tj reassured her. “But we both know this whole thing has been hard on her. Maybe if you’re able to work through things you can help your mom to work through her grief as well.”
Carly didn’t answer. She simply stood up and thanked Tj for finding a solution that would let her stay with the team. Tj let out the breath she’d been holding after Carly left her office. Hopefully, Carly would take this chance she’d been given and make the most of it. She’d had a rough couple of months. There was nothing anyone could do about Kenny’s death. All Tj could do was help Carly move past it to the best of her ability.
Later that afternoon Tj sat with Gina during lunch. “Teens these days have it tough,” Tj said between bites of her tuna sandwich. “Not only do they have to deal with bullying on campus, but they also have to worry about someone posting embarrassing photos of them to all their friends with the click of a cell phone camera.”
“I take it you talked to Lexi?” Gina asked.
“I tried,” Tj answered as she opened a bag of potato chips. “I called her, but she said she didn’t want to talk about it. She’s totally mortified. She swears she’s never coming back to school. I wish I could figure out a way to help her. Even if we catch the person responsible, it won’t erase the embarrassment she’s feeling.”
“Lexi’s little song and dance in the shower was embarrassing,” Gina admitted, “but with the exception of some side boob the wall hid her private parts. I would be just as mortified if it had happened to me, but Lexi can’t allow this bully to ruin her life. There has to be something we can do to change her mind. Did you speak to her mother?”
“No, but Principal Remington did. She wants to give Lexi time. She told him Lexi threatened to run away if she tried to force her to go to school. I might try to talk to Lexi’s mom myself if I get the opportunity. She went to this school, you know.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. She was far enough ahead of me that we weren’t here at the same time, but I know who she is. The really sad thing is that when she was in school she was the bully.”
A look of surprise and disbelief crossed Gina’s face. “Get out.”
“It’s true.” Tj took a sip of her soda before she continued. “She was the queen bee of Serenity High School her entire four years. Chantel was head cheerleader, homecoming queen, and undeniable it girl during her reign. From what I’ve been told by my friends who have older brothers and sisters, she either liked you or she didn’t, and if she didn’t, she treated you like dirt.”
“But Lexi is so sweet,” Gina countered. “I can’t believe she was raised by a queen bee.”
“Believe it. Like I said, I didn’t know Chantel well, but I knew
who she was. Her reputation was widespread in the community as a whole, not just in the high school. She was really stunning. Everyone thought she would grow up to be a famous actress or a supermodel.”
“So why didn’t she?” Gina asked as she finished the salad she’d brought from home.
“She got pregnant and became a single mom when she was just eighteen.”
“Oh, wow. Was the father in the picture?”
“No. To be honest, I don’t know who the father even was. I’ve looked at Lexi’s student records and there isn’t a father listed. Lexi’s emergency contact is a family friend.”
“It’s hard to grow up without a dad,” Gina commented as she began gathering her trash.
“I have a great one,” Tj said, “but I grew up without a mom, and it is hard. In any case, I imagine having to raise a baby on her own humbled Chantel. I still don’t know her well, but I’ve seen her around town and we’ve worked together on a few committees. We’ve never really talked on any sort of personal level, but it seems she’s managed to put her bullying aside and has turned out to be a really nice lady who cares deeply about her daughter.”
“So the bully’s daughter became the victim. That would be almost poetic if it wasn’t so sad. Lexi is a great kid. We need to find a way to help her.”
Chapter 4
Samantha Colton was an absolutely stunning woman. She was at least six feet tall, making Tj, who stood at five foot nothing, feel like a child. Her dark hair was pulled back to show off her flawless mocha skin and deep, dark eyes.
“Ms. Jensen.”
“Tj is fine. May I call you Samantha?”
“If you wish.”
“Please have a seat,” Tj offered.
Samantha sat down and crossed her legs. She took a pen and a small notebook out of the large bag she carried. “I know you only have fifty minutes until your next class, so I’ll be brief.”
“Okay.”
