Rivaled in Murder

by Helen Gray

  Toni began to share her enthusiasm. “Have you looked in it?”

  Faye nodded. “I leafed through it quickly. It’s just disjointed scribbles and phrases Mavis has jotted down, but it’s a wonderful keepsake. Here, you take a look at it.”

  Toni nearly snatched the notebook in her eagerness. When she opened it, she saw what her mother meant. Spidery scrawls meandered across pages and in margins.

  Scanning quickly, there didn’t appear to be anything there of value other than sentimental. When she reached the point where the pages were blank, Toni flipped them back into place and started to close the book. But scribbles on the inside cover made her pause.

  She held it close to her face, trying to read the scrawls. Apparently Mavis had made a habit of jotting down random thoughts and facts, incomplete sentences, even single words. Toni squinted at something near the middle of the muddle, and made out what looked like a name. “Look at this, Mom, and tell me what you think it says.” She pointed to where she meant.

  Faye took the book and studied the words. “If that big scribble is meant to be a capital Q, it could be Quincy Life Insurance,” she said slowly after careful study.

  Toni nodded. “That’s what I thought. It makes me curious. Why would Mavis have written down the name of an insurance company?”

  Their gazes locked.

  “Why don’t we see what we can find out about that company?”

  Faye’s mouth made a little quirk. “How about you do that? You have a better idea how to go about it.”

  Toni dug her cell phone from her purse and dialed Jeremy Barnes.

  “Hi, Mrs. Donovan. What can I do for you?”

  “Hi, Jeremy. I’d like you to see what you can find out about a Quincy Life Insurance Company. I have no idea where it’s located or how to contact them.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds like you’re on another case.”

  “I’m just being nosy.”

  “So if I nose out this company, what specifically do you want to know about them?”

  “A nursing home resident by the name of Mavis Thornton died, and we found this company name scribbled in her notebook.”

  “Oh, yeah. I remember hearing my mom talk about Mrs. Thornton. She even stopped by her room and visited with her sometimes when she went to the nursing home. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  Toni thanked him, disconnected, and nodded at the notebook in her mother’s hand. “I think you should take that on to Buck now.”

  Faye grinned. “Should I tell him anything?”

  Toni considered a few seconds. “I don’t think so. Let’s see if he finds anything interesting in it.”

  Faye’s mouth twitched. “And keep us out of trouble, huh?”

  “We’re hungry, Mom.”

  At Garrett’s complaint, Faye blew him a kiss. “You’re always hungry. See you later.”

  *

  Kyle arrived home in time for supper. He didn’t complain about anything, but his solemn demeanor and lack of talkativeness told Toni that he had a lot weighing on his mind.

  “What’s happened?” she asked after they had eaten and the boys were in their room.

  He muted the TV and put down the remote. “Nothing,” he said briefly. Then he drew a long breath. “I’m just feeling overwhelmed. Our commercial insurance premiums have hiked again. And the paperwork required to meet FAA certificate holder’s policies and procedures is a nightmare. Just reading the operations manual and keeping up with aircraft and pilot requirements is enough to make a sane man crazy.”

  “And you were never very sane to begin with,” she said, attempting to lighten his mood. “After all, you married me.”

  He chuckled and patted the sofa cushion beside him. She left the recliner and snuggled close to him. He put his arm around her. “Yes, and that’s the most sane thing I ever did. I think think we’re a good match. How about you?” He pushed his forehead against Toni’s and pulled her to his chest.

  She nodded. “I think our levels of sanity are a balance.”

  They had both grown up here in Clearmount, and connected romantically when she was only thirteen, but they hadn’t married until after college. Over the years they had weathered both good and bad times together.

  His chest vibrated against her. “Fortunately, our offspring seem to be quite normal. At least so far.”

  “Even if they do drive us crazy sometimes.” She moved back to her recliner and started to grade a stack of quizzes, but couldn’t focus. Restless and unable to banish the feeling that she ought to be doing something about finding justice for Shelby, digging out information that would help Buck catch her killer, she plucked her phone from the coffee table and dialed John.

  "Would you like to run out and get a close-up look at the crime scene with me after school Friday?” she asked when he answered.

  “Sure. You can leave the boys with Jenny,” he added, as expected.

  Kyle had turned his attention to the TV sports channel, so Toni ended her call and returned to her paperwork, squelching irritation at people who glibly enthused about how nice they thought it must be to only work from eight to three and have summers free. Without those summers, Toni felt sure some teachers, including her, would eventually snap. Some taught summer school, while others took classes toward certification requirements or advanced degrees. She hoped there was no request for her to do a class this summer.

  Suddenly remembering the other thing she meant to do, she looked up Zoe and Melody’s phone numbers in the contact list she kept in the back of her grade book. Then she picked up her cell phone and dialed Zoe. When she got no answer, she hoped the girl simply had her phone turned off and wasn’t out where she might not be safe. She dialed Melody.

  “Hi, Mrs. Donovan.” The girl’s greeting sounded pleasantly surprised.

  “Melody, will you repeat the names of those cheerleaders that you showed me in your yearbook?”

  There was a moment of hesitation. “Will it get them in trouble?”

  “That’s not my intent,” she evaded. “But cheerleaders are heavily involved in school and community life, and I’m thinking they’re likely to know things that could be helpful in finding Shelby’s killer.” She consciously omitted Brant’s name.

  “Are you saying you don’t think the police have the right person?”

  “I’m saying I’d like to be sure,” she said evasively.

  “Oh, okay.” Melody sounded relieved. “Do you have a pen and paper?”

  “I do.”

  As she recited names, Toni wrote them down. “Thank you,” she said when Melody had finished. “Can you tell me how to find them?”

  It took longer for Melody to tell her where each of them lived and Toni to write down her instructions to get there.

  “If you don’t find them at home, you might check their hangouts. The Dairy Queen and the tennis courts at the school are favorites.”

  Toni noted the extra information. “Thank you. See you in the morning.”

  Toni returned to grading her quizzes. She was about half finished when her phone rang again. Kyle gave her a brow-raised look—and a smirk—as she reached for it.

  “Hi, Mrs. Donovan.” Jeremy greeted her, his voice tight with restrained excitement. “I found that company and tried to get some information. I told them my grandmother Mavis has died, and I’m looking after her affairs. I asked about her policy with them, as if I knew she had one. They confirmed that they do have one on her, and that a claim has already been filed for the benefits.”

  Toni gasped. “Who applied for those benefits?”

  “They wouldn’t tell me. Said since my name—the one I gave them—is not on the policy, they can’t discuss it with me.”

  Toni grinned. “I bet they’ll talk to law enforcement, especially if they think there’s something fishy and they might not have to pay those benefits, or get their money back if they already have.”

  *

  During the night Toni got up to visit the bathroom. On her
way back to bed, she heard sounds coming from the boys’ room. She slipped into her robe and went to check. When she opened the door and peeked inside, Garrett’s muffled murmurings became more distinguishable.

  She tiptoed into the room, sat beside him, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. He shifted from lying on his side to his back. “Shleeeep’n,” he mumbled, his lips barely moving.

  “Yes, you’re sleeping,” Toni crooned, brushing her hand across his brow.

  His head moved back and forth. “Noooo,” he moaned. “Red caa … shleeping.”

  Toni frowned. Had he said car? “You’re not in a car,” she said softly. “You’re in your own bed, in your own home.”

  “Trees,” he mumbled. “In trees.”

  This was too eerily similar to some earlier experiences when his dreams had been followed by discoveries related to murder cases. “Shhh,” she whispered, stroking his arm. “It’s okay. Whatever is bothering you, it’ll be all right. Night, night.”

  To her relief, he breathed deeply and relaxed. When satisfied that he was sleeping peacefully, she eased away and returned to her own bed. But it took a long time for sleep to come.

  Chapter 12

  Thursday morning Toni and Kyle caravanned away from the house in their vehicles, with her in the lead, and turned in opposite directions at the highway. When Toni arrived at her classroom, she had to hurry to have the lab ready in time for her first class.

  Third hour she went to the vending machines and bought a Coke—a matter of survival, she reasoned—and then set to work preparing for the next lab. When the extension phone rang, she plopped a Bunsen burner onto the table and rushed to answer the call.

  “This is Brice Haggett at Brownville,” the principal said. “I know the police have made an arrest, but I thought I’d go ahead and follow up on our conversation about the two girls you asked about.”

  “I’m glad,” she said. “I can’t help feeling the police have made a mistake.”

  “I don’t know what I think,” he said. “I talked to Britney Thomas today, and she was a little more forthcoming than Dione. It seems the two cousins had a grudge against Shelby because she was a lowly freshman cutting in on their turf.”

  “You mean with guys.” Toni didn’t phrase it as a question.

  His sigh was audible. “Yes. So they did things to harass Shelby. Britney admits they ganged up on her. But of course they both still deny having anything to do with her death.”

  “And even if they’re lying, why would they kill Brant when Shelby’s the one they want out of the way to eliminate the competition with him?”

  “I don’t know,” he admitted, sounding frustrated. “I’m simply passing along tidbits of information like I promised. I’ve been telling our police chief over here about it, and assume you do the same. I may not bother him with this, but I thought you would like to know.”

  “Of course. Even if he and your people are working together, there could always be a new detail emerge in any of the conversations that could change everything.”

  “I agree.”

  May I ask one more question while I have you on the line?”

  There was a slight pause, but then he said, “Go ahead.”

  “I understand you have a teacher who has been accused of …”

  “We do,” he cut her off before she could voice the ugly charge.

  Toni took a deep breath, fearing she had pushed him too hard. “In some Facebook chatter the name Mallory has been mentioned as a student who would want harm to come to that teacher.”

  His sharply indrawn breath hissed over the line. “What do you want from me?”

  “How does she get along in that class? Has she been written up for bad behavior, or had conflicts with the teacher?”

  “It's funny you should ask. She's pals with one of the girls we were just talking about, Dione. Can you hold for a minute?”

  “Of course.”

  Toni faintly heard computer keys clicking. Then there was silence.

  “She has a poor grade in that class, but no write-ups,” he said after several moments. “I don’t see how it means anything, though.”

  Toni did. It could mean the girl had found a way to make trouble for a teacher who didn’t give her the grade she thought she deserved. But she wasn’t ready to share her suspicions with the already overwhelmed guy. “Thanks for checking.”

  “Talk to you later,” he said and disconnected.

  Shortly after the bell rang to dismiss for lunch, John entered Toni’s classroom, carrying his lunch and a soda. He settled at the end of the lab table nearest her desk. “Have you learned any more about the murder investigation?” he asked, removing the lid from the covered plate he had already zapped in the microwave in his storage room.

  “Nothing,” she said, pulling her sandwich and Coke from the little cooler in her bottom desk drawer.

  “So what do you plan to do next, besides visit the crime scene?” His grin was smirky.

  Toni shrugged. “You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

  “Nope. I’m sure of you.”

  She bit into her sandwich and took her time chewing. Then she swallowed and met his gaze across her desk. “Okay, Smarty, what would you say if I told you I got a list of the Brownville cheerleaders?”

  He grinned. “I’d say you’re going to talk to them because cheerleaders are usually leaders in student life and know all the dirt.”

  She chewed fast and gulped it down. “You interested in a little trip after school?”

  He frowned. “I can’t today. I have a committee meeting. But Coach Hopper’s on the committee, so we’re meeting in the gym. Would you like to leave your boys there where I can keep an eye on them?”

  She considered for only a couple of seconds. “Sure. Thanks.”

  “If you’re not back here when we’re done, I’ll take Gabe and Garrett home with me.”

  They finished eating, and John returned to his room.

  After school, Toni left her room as quickly as possible and hurried to her van. While the heater warmed, she studied the list of names. She mentally eliminated Britney and Dione, since their principal had already talked to them. Then she eliminated Angie, because she had already met her.

  In reading over directions to the homes of the other five girls, she noted that the one named Mallory lived the side of Brownville closest to the highway. Since it was already so late in the day, she stored those directions in her memory and headed that way.

  Twenty minutes later she turned into the driveway of a large frame home with a porch across the entire front of it. The garage door was closed, so she couldn’t be sure if anyone was home or not. She exited the van, shivered as the frigid air hit her, marched up the walk, and climbed the stairs. She rang the bell and waited.

  Eventually the door opened, and a teenage girl peered out. She ran her gaze over Toni in a way that bordered on disdain. “Yeah. What do you want?”

  “Are you Mallory Johnson?”

  Wariness swept over the teenager’s features. “I might be. Who are you?”

  “I’m a teacher at the Clearmount School, and I’d like to chat with you a bit.”

  Toni scrutinized the girl in detail. About five foot four or five, she had long dark hair that had been heavily streaked with blond highlighting. Fine features. Artful makeup. She was a beautiful girl, but would be more appealing if she smiled.

  The girl returned her scrutiny. Then a flash of recognition crossed her face. “You’re that teacher who likes to stick her nose into police business, aren’t you?”

  “I might be.” She could be vague, too. “Would it matter?”

  Mallory gave a nonchalant shrug. “It depends what you want. Are you poking around about our local murders?”

  “Not exactly,” Toni said, making an effort to sound friendlier. “I know from experience that cheerleaders are school leaders, so I wanted to meet your squad.”

  At the words school leaders, the girl reacted ever so slightly, he
r posture becoming more erect and prideful. “That’s true,” she said with just a tad more friendliness, but without any invitation for Toni to enter the house. “We earn our positions through tryouts and voting.”

  “So you’re knowledgeable about things that go on in the school, like who’s dating, who’s breaking up, and who’s cheating on tests or bullying other students.”

  “Sure.” She practically preened. “A lot of stuff goes on that parents and teachers don’t …” She stopped suddenly, the fact that she was speaking to a teacher obviously penetrating.

  “Do you know who killed Brant and Shelby?” Toni asked it abruptly, and watched the girl’s reaction.

  Mallory’s eyes rounded in surprise, but she didn’t act defensive or evasive. Instead, her lips curled into an angry sneer, and she snorted in disdain. “The police have the guy.”

  “Maybe,” Toni allowed. “But they might be wrong.”

  “It could have been anyone. Brant was an operator with the girls. And he poached on other guys’ territory. Who knows? Who cares?” She backed up and started to close the door.

  “Just a minute, young lady. I’m not finished with you,” Toni said in her sternest teacher voice that made the girl pause before she could complete the act. “Is there much bullying in your school?”

  Mallory widened the door opening, and then gave another of her careless shrugs. “It happens. It’s part of life.”

  “What kinds of things are involved in this bullying?”

  “Oh, you know,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “Anonymous prank calls, name calling, spreading rumors. It’s kind of like with animals—the strongest survive.”

  It was time to get tough with an arrogantly tough girl. Toni stepped up almost chest to chest and locked gazes with her. “You’re so strong you think everyone should do whatever you say, don’t you?”