A smile spread across Sarah’s face, her eyes dancing with her discovery. “You’re right. The light is completely wrong in Sherry’s picture. Sam has a halo on his head that could only come from behind. In her picture, the background is completely dark. There’s no way that photo could have been taken outdoors, at night. In the other picture, there’s a lamp in the corner. That’s creating the glow.”
Rikki released a harsh laugh. “And look at the kids in the campfire picture. They aren’t looking at us. I don’t know too many teens whose eyes wouldn’t be glued to that action.”
“Oh, my God! That bitch deliberately lied to get Sam in trouble.” Sarah looked at Edwards, who grinned back at her, triumph easing the stern lines of his face. “Why the hell would she do this to Sam? I thought she wanted him to be the second Mr. Hillman.”
“We…um, Sam and I, ran into Sherry at Red’s Tavern on Saturday. We were on a date, but that didn’t stop her from coming onto Sam. They had words…I’m not sure what about since I was across the room. She left mad. Angry enough to try to discredit him and shame me.”
Edwards heaved a disgusted grunt. “Mrs. Hillman has been a pain in my side from the minute Alyson entered the ninth grade. She’s made it a point to let everyone know she had a claim staked on Sam.”
“I had a run in of my own with her earlier in the week. This is probably all my fault because I insinuated that Sam and I were together. I’d caught her allowing her daughter and Suzannah Holmes to harass Katie Germaine in the grocery store.” Rikki shook her head, recalling the incident. “She practically cheered the teens on while they bullied Katie.”
A scowl marred Sarah’s brow. “Sherry was a bully when I went to school here. It must be true…mean girls do grow up to be mean women.”
Sarah’s echoing of Rikki’s own thoughts surprised her. Edwards stood up.
“If you ladies will excuse me for a minute, I have to make a call to our attorney and district superintendent. Sarah, I’ll use your office, if you don’t mind. Ms. Salerno, I hope you have time to stay, in case they have any questions. I’d like to end this quickly, before it becomes too public.”
Rikki adjusted her position on the hard chair, trying to get more comfortable. “I’ll wait. I want Sam’s named cleared as soon as possible.”
Edwards exited the room, carefully closing the glass-paneled door behind him. When the door slid shut with a soft snick, Rikki exhaled hard, the sound loud in the quiet office. She gazed at her lap, fingers twined together in a painful grip.
Sarah laid a hand on the arm of Rikki’s chair. “Would you like a bottle of water or cup of coffee? Although, I’m pretty sure the pot has been sitting on the burner all afternoon. But it is coffee. And you look done in.”
Her stomach clenched at the thought of burned coffee. Grimacing, she asked, “I don’t suppose you have any beer lying around?” Lifting her gaze from her clenched fists, she caught the wry grin on Sarah’s face. “No, I guess you wouldn’t. This is a high school, after all. What kind of example would that set for the students?”
“Once this is all over, we’ll go out and get that beer. I’d enjoy that very much.” She took the file folder with the offensive pictures from Rikki, shoved the envelope she still held inside, and put everything on Edwards’ desk. She shifted in her chair to face Rikki. “You know, we have several reasons to thank you.”
Rikki shot her a quizzical look but waited in silence for Sarah to continue.
“You’ve been so helpful with Katie Germaine. Giving her a job, helping out on Friday night. I know she really likes you.”
“Katie’s a good kid. She reminds me a little of myself. Plus, she’s got mad skills with a camera. You can’t really teach the kind of intuitive eye Katie has.”
“She stopped by my office to talk this morning after word got out to the student body about Sam’s suspension. She seemed despondent about the entire affair. We encourage students to talk about what’s bothering them. She’s as upset about you being drawn into this as she is over the accusations against Sam.”
Hearing the word “despondent” made Rikki remember what she’d discovered on her laptop after Katie had left. Jesus, was that just yesterday? She was exhausted. Her raging emotions over the last twenty-four hours had gotten the best of her.
“I’m not sure whom I need to talk to about something I found out about Katie. I’m very concerned for her safety.”
“Her safety? This sounds serious.” Sarah scooted to the edge of her chair and looked earnestly at Rikki. “Tell you what…start with me and I’ll help if I can. What’s going on?”
“When Katie finished work last night, she’d left some windows open on the computer. Her Facebook page had horrible posts from other people. She’s being cyber-bullied. I’m troubled by that, but I’m terrified because she also had windows open about how suicide affects loved ones left behind, and the worst one—the least painful ways to commit suicide.”
“Oh, no!”
“I spoke to Katie last night after she left and she seemed okay. But I’m still worried about her. On top of everything else.”
“Do you think she might be a danger to other students?”
Rikki shook her head. “I don’t know her all that well, but I don’t think so. The searches were only about her, not how to harm others.”
“It’s a cry for help. I have to believe if she really wanted to end her life, she’d have closed those pages and deleted the browsing history. Statistics show that kids truly intent on suicide don’t let anyone know what they are planning until it’s too late. I have to call her parents. Do you know where Katie is right now?”
“She’s at the museum with my brother and grandfather. I explained the situation to Gunnar and he promised to keep an eye on her until I had a chance to talk to someone here about what I’d discovered. He texted me while I was driving here to let me know she’d arrived safely.” Rikki glanced at the slender gold watch on her wrist, a gift from her grandmother when she’d been Katie’s age. “She’ll be there for at least two more hours. The exhibit opens at the end of the week, and there is a lot left to do to get it ready.”
Sadly, the list included taking delivery of the portable panels Sam had promised. Grief shot through her, swift and sharp, over the reminder that their relationship had been reduced to strictly business. Anger followed fast on the heels of despair. Damn him and his words.
“As soon as Mr. Edwards returns, I’ll call her parents. Can you send me the links to the sites Katie was on?”
“I’ll text Gunnar. He has the laptop.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She’d asked Gunnar to keep his phone handy, in case she needed information from him. Sarah rattled off her email address which Rikki tapped into a message to her brother. She hit send and waited for a response.
“Sam is very lucky to have you in his life. You’re good people, Rikki.”
Not quite good enough for the likes of him. At least her breasts were. Rikki’s eyes narrowed and she averted her face to hide the emotion unwinding through her the way film spools out of a cylinder. Not soon enough, though.
“Oh, no. This whole situation with Sherry has caused problems between you guys.” Sarah’s tone was part pissed off, part sad.
Rikki unclenched her jaw and offered Sarah a tight smile. “No, it was something else. He doesn’t trust me. Shoot, he probably doesn’t even like me anymore. He thinks I’ve lied to him and…” She trailed off and bit back a sob. Not cool, Rik. Don’t dump your problems on this kind woman.
“Rikki.” Sarah wrapped her hands around Rikki’s cold ones and squeezed gently. “You need to find a way to forgive him. Sam will get over what he thinks you’ve done. Especially when he learns how you’ve come forward to help him.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but I don’t think so. God, we’re so angry at each other I doubt we’ll be able to get past it.”
A chirp from her phone saved her from having to say more. A smile tugged the corners of her mou
th. “Gunnar sent you the links. He says Katie and Silas are discussing the intricacies of natural versus artificial lights. That will keep her occupied for a while.”
The office door swung open seconds later to readmit the principal. Sarah stood up and excused herself with a final pat on Rikki’s shoulder before racing out the door to call the Germaines. Rikki composed her expression and turned to face Edwards.
“What did they say?”
“Pending an official review of the evidence at a special meeting of the district’s executive board next week, Mrs. Hillman’s charges against Sam will be dismissed.”
“Good.”
The single word wasn’t nearly big enough to communicate the relief racing through her, but it was all she could manage.
She’d fixed the horrible situation. If only she could repair the damage his hurtful words and her betrayal had done to their relationship with as much ease.
Chapter 25
Katie’s parents arrived at the museum to pick their daughter up about an hour after Rikki returned from her meeting with Principal Edwards and Sarah Willis. Katie’s mouth had fallen open when Mrs. Germaine rushed through the front door and enveloped the girl in a huge hug. Tears streamed down her face and she crooned nonsense to her child. Confusion painted Katie’s face, but relief lurked at the back of the teen’s pale blue eyes.
As her mom bundled the girl out the door her father held open, Katie turned back and shot Rikki a grateful look. It was clear the girl knew what had happened: Rikki had discovered her secret and secured the help Katie needed. Sarah Willis wouldn’t have revealed Rikki as the source of information, but Katie was a bright girl. It wouldn’t take long for her to put two and two together and come up with an adult who cared.
Gunnar walked over and slung his arm around Rikki’s shoulders, giving her a squeeze. He’d lived through her years of being bullied, too. Earlier today, when Rikki had shared what Katie had been searching on her laptop, he’d insisted she find someone to tell and promised to keep the girl busy while Rikki took care of things at the school.
The bemused look on Silas’s face disappeared when, between the two of them, they’d explained what the dramatic family scene had been about. He plunged into a diatribe in Swedish when they were done. He couldn’t abide bullies, either. His rant was fast and furious. Rikki only caught every other word, but the gist was someone would smoke a turd in hell for pushing that wonderful little girl to the edge like that. When she heard his favorite expression, Rikki’s giddy laugh filled the large exhibit hall. It was good to laugh again.
Silas had been tired from his flight and retired to the inn, and Gunnar and Rikki went to a sports bar in Salem for dinner. Hunger pangs gnawed at her stomach throughout the entire drive, but the smell of fried food replaced them with a serious case of what her grandmother had called tummy revolt. Rikki ordered a salad and pushed it around on the plate while making small talk with Gunnar.
* * * *
After another restless night, she’d risen early and gone for a stress-relieving run, hoping to ignite her appetite and clear her mind. By the time she’d returned home, Gunnar was up and complaining about her lack of loaded-with-sugar pastries. Silas had called and asked them to meet him for breakfast at a local restaurant. After she grabbed a quick shower, Gunnar escorted her toward Front Street.
“Here it is,” he said, grasping her elbow and steering her toward a small café. “Silas said he’d eaten here years ago and the food was great. Let’s hope it still is.”
Rikki glanced at the storefront and froze when she saw the name painted in gold on the window. Caro’s Taste. This was the restaurant Jem George owned. Sam’s future sister-in-law. What if he were inside? Could she face him? She was sure she looked as bad as she felt. Her image in the mirror this morning had revealed deeply bruised circles swimming under eyes so bloodshot and bleak, it hurt to look at them. Her outfit did nothing for her confidence, either—raggedy jeans, an oversized baggy sweater, and tennis shoes. Not the power outfit she hoped she’d be wearing the first time she ran into the man who’d crushed her heart.
Gunnar tugged on her arm, impatient to overload his system with carbs and coffee. For a guy so attuned to health and fitness trends, her brother sure allowed his cravings to rule. When he dragged her through the door, the bell above jingled, light and airy. But to Rikki, it tolled like a mournful funeral dirge. She scanned the diners, looking for the familiar face of the man she still loved. He wasn’t there. Relief and disappointment vied for a place in her heart.
Silas had beaten them to the restaurant and waited at a table near the swinging door to the kitchen.
“Do you want anything to eat?” Gunnar asked.
Rikki glanced at the menu board, searching for something that sounded good. “I’ll have the egg and cheese bake and a cup of green tea.”
She made her way toward Silas’s table and slid into the chair. He put his newspaper aside and smiled. She almost liked him better when he’d been constantly grumpy. The kind, concerned elderly gentleman seated across from her now was disconcerting.
“You are okay, Rikki?” he asked, his gaze intent, implying he wasn’t going to believe her if she said she was fine.
“I’ve been better.” Confession was supposed to be good for the soul, so why did hers still ache?
Tears rushed to her eyes when her grandfather patted her clenched fists. What the hell? She wasn’t a crier. Even at the lowest moment of her teen years, she’d come back swinging at problems. She blinked the offending moisture away, hating Sam for breaking her heart and reducing her to a sniveling pile of goo.
She wasn’t going to give into it. She couldn’t. Squaring her shoulders, she pulled her hands from Silas and dropped them into her lap. The sooner they got off the topic, the faster she could return to normal.
Nodding to the newspaper Silas had discarded, she asked, “Is there anything in the paper about the Sims website?”
Gunnar joined them, put a steaming cup of tea in front of her, and straddled the third chair at the table. Silas watched her critically for a moment while Gunnar settled, then he nodded, as if ending an argument in his head on whether or not he should pursue his original question or let her change the subject.
“There is nothing,” he replied, opting to move on, much to Rikki’s relief. “There is, however, a very nice report of the exhibit opening. The opening event should be well attended. It was a stroke of genius, Marguerite, to invite the local schoolchildren to participate with their photos. Young Katie showed me the images on the computer yesterday and their work is fantastickt. Freaking awesome, I believe you would say, ja? There was one in particular I liked. I think it should be included in the show.”
She grinned at him, the motion rusty after the past forty-eight hours. “I’m meeting the framer late this morning to finalize the last few photos. Jenni and I talked it over and decided to frame each picture individually, instead of presenting a uniform look. Most of them are done, but I wanted to see them all assembled in one place before deciding on the frames for the last two. Would you like to go with me?”
“No, I think this day I will work in the darkroom. I found on your desk a roll of film, so at least you carried out part of my instructions.” He tapped the table with his crooked forefinger. “I will develop this and then we will study the images together. This way you can learn.”
Gunnar slurped his coffee. “What do you need me to do? I’m free all afternoon. Will Katie be at the museum? Will you be through in time, or do you need me to keep an eye on her?”
“Grandfather and I have to go to Boston this afternoon. It would be good if you could hang out with her.” Katie had called late last night to say thanks and to ask if she could still be Rikki’s intern. Rikki had told her she’d better show up for work the next day. Katie was definitely needed, and wanted. She continued, “The portable panels are being delivered this afternoon. Can you meet the contractor?”
Sympathy flared in Gunnar’s eyes, quickly r
eplaced by an angry glint. He knew the contractor was Sam. He also knew Rikki didn’t want to see him. “Yeah, I’ll take care of that. Katie can help me.”
The door to the kitchen swung open and Jem stepped out, carrying plates to their table. Of course, she’d be the one to deliver Rikki’s breakfast. Why the hell not? Rikki’s head pounded and she braced herself, not sure of what Jem would have to say about her deceit.
She set the food on the table, then squeezed Rikki’s shoulder. “Sam told Jack and Jack told me what was going on. I’m so sorry for everything you have to deal with right now. Jack also told Sam he was being a dumbass. And I agree. It’s not too weird that I’m on your side, is it?” She glanced at Gunnar and Silas, an apologetic smile on her lips. “We haven’t met. I’m the dumbass’s future sister-in-law.”
Gunnar laughed as he stood and introduced himself while Rikki recovered from the shock of Jem and Jack siding with her. “Can you join us?” he asked, indicating the open chair at the table.
“Hey! I know you.” Jem’s eyes widened and her gaze swung from Gunnar to Rikki and back. “I met you in New York City. At a dinner party Margo Tremont threw. I remember you. Rikki, this is the brother from Maine you told us about.”
Gunnar studied Jem’s face and a grin slowly lit his face. “Oh my God, I remember that. I think I tried to get you drunk. I should probably apologize.”
Jem’s laugh was husky. “No, you were fine. I’m just a lightweight. Always have been.”
“I hope you’ll forgive me and join us.” Gunnar pulled a chair out invitingly.
“For a moment, then I have to get back to the kitchen.” Jem sat and the pretty young woman behind the counter brought over a clean cup and a thermal coffee carafe. Jem turned to Rikki when the girl left. “Have you talked to Sam?”
“No, and I doubt he’ll seek me out.”
“Don’t be so sure. I know he is very sorry for hurting you.”
Exposed to Passion (Five Senses series Book 3) Page 23
