Rivaled in Murder

by Helen Gray

  "Come where?"

  Zoe spoke up now. "We were supposed to go to a party together Tuesday night, but Shelby didn't show up to meet us. We waited a long time. Finally we gave up and went on without her."

  "What kind of party? Where?"

  "The monthly birthday party," Zoe answered, darting a sidelong glance at her mother. "The kids we used to hang out with at Brownville have a party once a month for the ones with birthdays that month. They still invite us sometimes. We wanted to go because Shelby had a birthday at the end of the month. We were worried about her and hoped to see her." The explanation was faltering and tearful.

  Her heart aching, Toni interjected a question. "Where did you have this party?"

  "They go somewhere different each time. We drove to Wappapella Lake."

  "In the cold?" The chief’s expression displayed skepticism.

  Zoe swallowed. "Yeah."

  "Was there drinking?" His voice had become stern.

  Zoe shrugged, pulling her coat tighter around her. "Maybe. Not us."

  He shifted his gaze to Melody. "Is that the truth?"

  Melody nodded, her hands twisting in her lap. "There might have been some kids who had drinks with them, but I never saw any. And we didn't do anything bad. Some of the others brought cake and snacks. We took some sodas."

  "Shelby didn't come," Zoe repeated in a rush. "While we were there, Forrest Gump got a text message saying she had been reported missing."

  "Forrest Gump?" His voice gruff held incredulity.

  "Farris Gunther. Most of the kids call him Forrest Gump. He thinks it's funny, that it's just because his name is kind of like in the movie. But it's more. He's not slow witted like Gump, but he's not a top student either. And sometimes he acts like Gump."

  "Everybody likes him, though," Melody insisted, a bit defensively. "He makes us all laugh, and he's always talking about the devil or angels."

  "The devil made me do it," Zoe mimicked, her flow of tears momentarily eased at the humorous memories. "He says that when he does something bad or stupid. When he's good he says the angels are with him."

  "He gives them names," Zoe explained. "The angel of laughs. The angel of good looks. Things like that."

  "Did anything unusual happen at the party?" Buck cut off their rambling.

  Both shook their heads, exchanging guarded glances.

  "Nothing weird," Zoe said.

  "Except that the girls started crying when Forrest got the message about Shelby and Brant being gone," Melody added.

  Toni dug a notepad and pen from her purse and handed it to Zoe. "Will you girls do something for me? I'd like you to make a list of everyone who was at that party."

  The girl shrugged, but then took the items. When she began to write, Melody watched her, reading upside down and offering a name when Zoe paused. When they finished, Zoe handed the notebook back to Toni. She scanned it, and Todd's name jumped out at her. Disappointment stabbed at her.

  "You girls may go now," Buck said in dismissal. "Thank you for your honesty. And thank you for coming along," he said to the silent mothers.

  When they were gone, he faced Toni. "That list was a good idea."

  "I don’t know how helpful it’ll be, but I thought it might be interesting to find out what kind of car each of the kids drive. You can get that information, so it's yours."

  She handed him the list. Then she took a deep breath and admitted, "I spoke to the caretaker who found the bodies."

  He dipped his head, his brows rising. "You can't stay out of it, can you?"

  Toni winced. "I get to wondering about things."

  "And you go off looking for the answers without letting me know."

  "I'm letting you know now."

  He snorted. "So what did he say that made you let me know?"

  "He said the driver’s window of Brant’s car was down. So I'm assuming that's where the shooter stood to kill them."

  "You know you drive me a little crazy at times, don't you?" The words were gruff, but then his visage softened. "But I admit you have a tendency to dig out pertinent details. And you're almost like family," he added grudgingly.

  The admission touched Toni. "So did the bullets enter the victims at an angle consistent with that?"

  A look of pain flashed across his face. Then he took a breath and erased all emotion from his expression. “That’s what the position of the bodies and blood spatter say. It appears that someone walked up to the car, and Brant rolled the window down. That makes me think they were acquainted and talked. The conversation got heated, and the visitor started shooting.”

  “How many bullets were fired?”

  “The boy took four shots, the girl two."

  “Were all the casings found?”

  “Yes.”

  “So there’s no chance it was a carjacking gone awry?”

  He shook his head.

  "Thanks. Just so you know, I plan to call the Brownville principal tomorrow and see if he'll tell me anything about a couple of students by the name of Dione Gorski and Britney Thomas who had conflicts with Shelby."

  "Aw, get outa here."

  She did.

  *

  Toni collected Gabe and Garrett from the front office and headed to the van. She didn’t know when—or if—Kyle would be home, so she would go ahead and fix supper for her and the boys. Her husband could zap his and eat whenever he arrived.

  As she slid behind the wheel, her phone dinged, announcing a text. She started the motor and heater, and then checked the message. It was from Kyle.

  Still stranded. Hope to be in tomorrow. Sorry.

  Well, that was that. She tamped down on her frustration and texted him back.

  Thanks for letting me know. Hope you make it. Miss you.

  A few minutes after they finished eating and settled in the living room, the land line rang. Toni put down the TV remote and answered it.

  "One of the students on that list of party attendees has a car that matches the description of the one driven by the girls' assailants. We've brought the boy in for questioning." Buck's voice was abrupt and gruff.

  "Who is it?"

  "Farris Gunther."

  Toni released a whoosh of air. "Finding out that their friend is suspected of attacking them will upset the girls."

  "I don't like telling them, but it'll be worse if they hear it another way. I'm calling their mothers next and cautioning them to keep the girls as close to home as possible, ground them if necessary."

  "I'll keep tabs on them as much as I can at school."

  Toni was stepping out of the shower when she heard a vehicle drive up outside the house and stop. She yanked her nightgown over her head, grabbed her robe, and went to peek out the bedroom window. She recognized her mother’s car.

  Curious, she pulled on her robe and hurried to the door. She opened it just as Faye started to press the bell. “Hi. What are you doing running around this time of night?” Toni asked, and then noted her mother’s lack of a smile. A knot of apprehension formed in her stomach.

  “I’m tired and don’t have time to come in and visit, but I wanted to stop by and see you rather than call.” Faye stepped into the foyer to get out of the cold, but advanced no farther.

  Toni forced her tense muscles to relax. “What’s wrong?”

  “Mavis just died.”

  Chapter 5

  “Mavis is dead?” Toni repeated in shocked disbelief. “She seemed fine Saturday. What happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Faye said tightly. “After work I decided to run over and visit with her before going home. When I got to her room, they were wheeling out a sheet covered gurney. When I asked what happened, the duty nurse said it looked like a massive heart attack. I thought you’d like to know. And I think I’m crazy.”

  Toni snorted. “Now I where I caught it.” She quickly sobered. “Tell me why you’re crazy.”

  Faye shook her head slowly. “I’m probably looking for trouble where there isn’t any, but I have this awful
feeling that something’s not right. Mavis shouldn’t have died,” she finished abruptly.

  “And you think I’m crazy enough to follow your reasoning,” Toni said with certainty. “Tell me why she shouldn’t have died.”

  Faye hauled a long breath up from her lungs and released it in a rush. “The fact that you’ve uncovered hidden information in some deaths tells me you’ll take me seriously. Mavis may have had a heart attack, but she had no symptoms to warn of such an event.”

  “What kind of symptoms?” Toni was fully alert now.

  Faye dabbed at her eyes. “She had never complained of chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, or any other indicator of heart trouble.”

  Toni weighed the implications. “Are you saying you think there’s something fishy about the death?”

  Faye bit her lip, fighting for composure. “I don’t know. I may be paranoid, but I have a bad feeling in my gut.”

  Toni understood the sensation. “If it’s bothering you enough for you to talk to me like this, I think you should follow your instincts and talk to someone who will examine her more thoroughly.”

  Faye nodded, her expression intensifying further. “I think I’ll call Doctor Edwards and see if he’ll order an autopsy. If he won’t, I may contact the sons, or the sister, Ida, and ask them to request one. Thanks for listening.”

  “Let me know how things go,” Toni said as Faye turned to leave.

  Her mother’s visit left Toni with a feeling of unease. She had nothing but Faye’s uncharacteristically tense manner and comments on which to base that feeling, but it was so strong that she couldn’t banish it. As she prepared to crawl into bed later that evening, her cell phone signaled a text. She grabbed it from the bedside table. The message was from her mother.

  Dr. Edwards also uneasy. Autopsy starting immediately.

  *

  Thursday morning Mavis’s death returned instantly to Toni’s mind and haunted her as she rose and dressed, fed the boys, and drove to school. But once in her classroom, she forced the tangle of emotions to the back of her mind and tackled business of the day.

  When her free period rolled around, she went to her extension phone and asked the secretary to give her the number of the Brownville High School. As soon as she had it, she placed a call. When a secretary answered, she gave her name and asked to speak to the principal.

  “Do you mind holding? He’s on another line, but he should be free soon.”

  Toni squelched her impatience. “Yes, I’ll hold.”

  Three minutes later she stopped drumming her fingers on the bookcase when a deep voice came on the line. “Hello, Mrs. Donovan. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m hoping you can tell me about the conflicts a couple of your students had with Shelby Warren.”

  Silence fell for several moments. “Are you involved in the investigation into Shelby’s death?”

  Toni wasn’t sure how to answer. “I have two of her friends, Zoe Haynes and Melody Cahill, in one of my classes here at Clearmount, and they were attacked on our parking lot day before yesterday.”

  “Oh, yes. I remember those two. They attended here up until a couple of years ago.” He sounded a little friendlier now.

  “They’re very upset about their friend’s death, and when we talked after the attack on them, they mentioned Shelby having conflicts with two girls by the names of Dione Gorski and Britney Thomas.”

  “They did,” he said forthrightly. “Those two girls are cousins—not that it matters—but they cover one another's backs, if you know what I mean. Each of them spent time in detention for scrapping with Shelby. What specifically are you asking?”

  Toni drew a deep breath. “I’m wondering if there was enough anger for one or both of those girls to have killed her.”

  He didn’t respond immediately. “I don’t know how to answer that,” he said at last. “I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll call them in separately and question them. Then I’ll get back to you and let you know how it went.”

  “Thank you. I realize they aren’t going to admit anything, but you know them well and might be able to form an opinion about whether they’re involved.”

  When he said good-bye and disconnected, Toni scuttled back to her desk and grabbed some change from her wallet. Then she practically ran up the hall to the vending machine and bought a Coke. “Caffeine should be available to faculty members in IV form,” she muttered as she popped the tab and removed it from the can.

  As she took a big swig, her principal came striding up the hall. He stopped beside her. “I understand you’re getting involved in that Brownville case.”

  When their superintendent had been murdered year before last and he had been considered a suspect, Toni had believed in him and helped prove his innocence. In the two subsequent cases, he had located information when she needed it. She had no doubt he would help again—if he could.

  “I never intended to,” she said, running a thumb around the rim of the Coke can. “It just seems to happen.”

  His grin was half smirk. “Is there any way I can be of assistance?”

  She considered the offer. “Who do you know personally at the Brownville School who would know about the students’ personal lives?”

  He deliberated for a moment. “I’ve chatted with the coaches during activities that involved both our schools, and gotten to know them fairly well.”

  Toni brightened. “Perfect. When you see them, you can drop questions about their murder case and whether they know of any suspects into your conversation.”

  Now he grinned outright. “I’ll let you know if I learn anything that sounds like it might be relevant.”

  As he turned and continued on down the hall, it occurred to Toni that a chat with the Brownville cheerleader sponsor might be worthwhile. If she wasn’t mistaken, she knew who had that particular duty.

  *

  After fourth period, Toni hurried to the cafeteria to monitor student behavior during lunch. It was John’s week for duty, but he had asked Toni to trade today for one during her duty week two weeks from now so he could attend a lunch meeting of the honor society today, a club he co-sponsored. It was the only time some of the students could attend.

  She stood next to the north wall as students filed in, stood in line, and then filled their plates. When most were seated, she slowly strolled around the perimeter of the room, and eventually ended up back at the north wall.

  She glanced toward the east entrance, surprised to see a pair of deputies enter and approach the table where the principal and several faculty members sat.

  One of the officers spoke to Ken for several moments, who then stood and headed across the room. Ken stopped behind Vonda Miller and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. She looked up, and he spoke to her briefly. The girl frowned, but nodded. Then she shoved what looked like the final bite of her hamburger into her mouth, washed it down with a swig of milk, and gathered her tray.

  While Ken returned to the faculty table, Vonda took her tray to the kitchen depository window and left it. Then she walked to where the officers waited near the table.

  As Vonda was escorted from the room, Toni wondered what in the world was happening. The girl didn’t appear to be under arrest, but her expression clearly said she wasn’t thrilled about being summoned. Vonda was a good student. Toni hoped she wasn’t in any kind of trouble.

  Scenarios flitted through her mind. Could the girl possibly be involved in those murders in any way? She seemed a very unlikely suspect. Informer? Not likely, considering how openly she had been approached.

  The bell ended Toni’s speculation. She followed the students from the cafeteria and headed back to her classroom.

  When Zoe and Melody arrived sixth hour, they came straight to her desk. As usual, Zoe spoke first. She was clearly upset. "This is crazy. Farris isn't real smart, but he's funny. And he's not mean."

  Melody wrung her hands. “He wouldn’t try to hurt us.”

  So they knew he had become
a suspect. Toni raised a silencing palm. “So far as I know, he hasn’t been charged with anything. He’s just being questioned.”

  “This is just too much. Shelby’s dead. We’re jumped. And now Farris is in jail.” Zoe's voice had become a shrill wail.

  “He’s not …”

  Suddenly Zoe covered her face with her hands and began to sob, her shoulders heaving. Tears leaked from Melody's eyes.

  Something in their manner bothered Toni. Yes, they were grief stricken over Shelby, and upset about Farris, but gut instinct told her there was more behind this outburst. She didn't have time to deal with it right now, though.

  "I have to begin class. Can you come back after seventh hour for a few minutes so we can talk some more?"

  Melody looked at Zoe. "I can if you can."

  Zoe nodded. "Okay."

  Toni proceeded with the day’s lesson. Exactly one minute after the room emptied of her last class, the two girls returned. Toni pointed a finger at the front lab station. When they were seated, Toni took a chair across the table from them. She placed her hands flat on the wooden surface and braced herself mentally. “Zoe. Melody. Listen to me. You have to tell me what’s wrong. I know a lot goes on in the teenage world that you think you can’t tell an adult. But you have to trust someone. Let it be someone who cares about you. Let me help you.”

  They both sat in silence, staring down at their hands.

  “Look at me,” Toni ordered. “You’re scared. That’s obvious. But I think there’s more to it than just worry about Farris. Tell me what it is so I can help.”

  Melody opened her mouth, and then closed it. She raked her teeth over her bottom lip for several moments, and then spoke in a choked whisper. “We’re being attacked again. A different kind of attack.”

  “The same thing happened to Shelby,” Zoe nearly shouted, twisting agitatedly in her seat. “Now she’s dead.”

  Toni reached over and tipped Zoe's face up to meet her eyes. “What kind of attack?”

  The girl's mouth trembled. “Online.”

  Remembered bits of stories flashed through her mind, giving Toni a glimmer of what Zoe meant. Girls using their phones in the locker rooms to take pictures of girls they didn’t like and posting them online. Web sites created to vote for the school’s ugliest girl, the most hated, the biggest slut, and more.