Come Homicide or High Water

by Denise Swanson

  “I made her breakfast—Edie liked this puffy French toast and Mr. Baker couldn’t get it right.” Krissy played with the ends of her hair. “Then we’d do the dishes together and watch TV while Mr. Baker ran errands.”

  “Like what?” Wally asked.

  “I don’t really know, but I think he mostly stayed around Bord du Lac.” Krissy sipped her tea. “We usually went with him if he went into town. Edie liked going to the supermarket or dollar store.”

  “What did you do with her the rest of the day?” Wally jotted down a note to check the security cameras at those places on the date Mrs. Baker had gone missing and a few days after that.

  “Edie liked to do crafts so we generally worked on one of those.” Krissy tilted her head as if in thought. “And she liked to play UNO.”

  “Did Mr. Baker join you?” Wally doubted it, but he had to ask.

  “No.” Krissy grimaced. “Mr. Baker mostly watched war movies or sat out on his deck keeping an eye on the lake to make sure people obeyed the rules.” She giggled. “He had this huge megaphone that he’d use to yell at them if they were doing something wrong.”

  “Did you and Mrs. Baker ever go outside?” Wally asked, hoping for some kind of lead since crafts and UNO didn’t give him any ideas.

  “Once, we took a walk on the concrete pathway that circles the development.” Krissy exhaled loudly. “But we never did that again.”

  “Why is that?” It felt as if he was onto something and Wally leaned forward.

  “Well…” Krissy bit her lip. “The thing is, Edie slipped away from me when we stopped at the little park halfway through.”

  “Oh?” Wally made a note to look at that park again. “How did that happen?”

  “I had to use the bathroom and I asked her to sit at the picnic table until I got back.” Krissy clasped her hands around her mug as if she were suddenly cold. “And when I was finished she was gone.”

  “But you located her.” Wally studied the young woman. She was harder to read than he expected. He should have had Skye here to help.

  “Yes.” Krissy stared over Wally’s head. “She’d taken a golf cart from one of the neighbors’ driveways and was almost to the main road by the time I found her.”

  Wally made a note to have Anthony check to see if any golf carts had been reported stolen, then asked a few more questions and rose from his seat.

  As he walked Krissy to the lobby, Wally said, “Oh. One more thing before you leave. When I spoke to you the day she disappeared, why didn’t you tell me that she’d gone missing previously?”

  “Uh.” Krissy studied her boots. “I never reported that incident to Mr. Baker, and I didn’t want him to find out.” She looked up with wide blue eyes. “When he loses his temper, he’s sort of scary, you know?”

  Wally watched the young woman exit the station, staring at her retreating figure. Just how scary was Gerald Baker when he was annoyed?

  Chapter 14

  I’ll Come Home to You

  As Skye hurried down the high school hallway alongside her intern, she rubbed her temples. Homer had ordered Piper to inform Pru Cormorant that her referral had been rejected. Unfortunately, Skye hadn’t felt as if she could send the young woman into the lion’s den all alone, even if Pru was more a hyena than the king of beasts.

  After the PPS meeting was over, Skye had called Dorothy. Once she heard that everything was fine at home, Skye had texted Wally, then told Piper she’d accompany her to confer with Pru. This year, the English teacher had sixth period free, and Skye was intent on getting to her before the end of fifth period. Otherwise she’d have to track her down, which would take more time than Skye had to spend.

  “Ms. Cormorant sure lucked out with room assignments,” Piper murmured, keeping pace with Skye. “Hers is one of the few in this school that has actual walls instead of those folding accordion partitions. And windows too!”

  “Don’t forget the exterior door. When the weather’s nice, she usually spends her planning periods on a lawn chair outside her room tanning.” Skye lowered her voice. “And unless she calls you Ms. Townsend, don’t call her Ms. Cormorant. It puts you in a subservient position. As if you’re one of her students instead of a colleague.”

  “Right.” Piper’s cheeks reddened. “I knew that, but she’s so…so…”

  “Intimidating?” Skye suggested.

  “Yes.” Piper nodded. “And it seemed to make her mad when I used her first name.”

  Skye slowed down and looked into Piper’s eyes before she said, “If you want to make everyone happy, school psychology may not be the best choice for you.” Skye winked. “Although the only profession I can think of that makes everyone happy is an ice cream truck driver.”

  Piper giggled, then turned serious and squared her shoulders. “You’re right. I need to toughen up.”

  “Just remember, behind Pru’s back most of the staff call her Corny. Not that I condone that kind of thing,” Skye said, then added under her breath, “Even if she is a bully.”

  A few steps later, Piper and Skye arrived at Pru’s door just as the bell rang. They waited while the students poured out of the room, and when the last one passed them, they entered and found the aggravating English teacher cooing sweet nothings into her cell phone.

  Skye blinked at the affection in Pru’s voice and studied her. There was something different about the woman. Her egg-shaped body and gaunt limbs were the same. Her head still seemed too small for the rest of her. And her skin still had an alligator-like quality after all her years chasing the perfect shade of bronze. So what was it?

  Before Skye could decide, Pru noticed them, said something into her phone, then hung up and demanded, “What are you two doing here?”

  Skye nudged Piper. She was there to support the intern, but the young woman had to learn how to deal with difficult faculty members.

  “I…uh…I mean the PPS team discussed the student you referred and—”

  “Speak up.” Pru’s watery blue eyes were malicious. “I don’t know how you think you can do your job if you can’t make a clear statement.”

  Skye bit the inside of her cheek, then forced a pleasant expression on her face and said, “In our job, sometimes it’s better to be less blunt.”

  “What are you doing here? I thought you were still home with your babies.” Pru raised an overplucked eyebrow. “Tired of playing mommy already?”

  “Of course not.” Skye pasted a fake smile on her lips. “But supervising Piper’s internship is my responsibility.” She shot the teacher a hard look. “And making sure she learns how to handle all sorts of individuals, especially those who have strong opinions, is part of that.”

  “If you’re implying that I go out of my way to offend people, go ahead and say it.” Pru chuckled nastily. “But trust me. It’s not at all out of my way.”

  “You know, Pru, that little thing in your head that keeps most people from saying things they shouldn’t?” Skye crossed her arms. “It seems motherhood has destroyed mine. So watch it.”

  “Fine. Can we get on with this?” Pru glanced at the cell she still held in her hand. “Some of us have better things to do in our one free period.”

  Hmm! Skye was dying to know who the teacher had been flirting with on the phone. At one time, she’d suspected that Pru and the superintendent were having affair, but she’d found out that their parents were second cousins and they were raised like brother and sister. So he was out.

  Skye nudged her intern again and Piper cleared her throat, then said, “After an extensive file review and a discussion of the student with the members of the PPS team, we have decided that Liam does not require any additional modifications or services.”

  “He isn’t able to cope with the high standard to which I teach.” Pru pursed her thin lips. “He isn’t at the same level as the other students and needs to move into a dif
ferent English class.”

  “He is on the college prep track.” Piper lifted her chin. “And will remain in your section.”

  Skye’s chest swelled with pride. Piper had faced the scary woman without flinching.

  Pru tsked. “When I started at Scumble River High School, someone like Liam would have been guided into the trades or perhaps the military.”

  Skye dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from asking what it was like to teach during the age of dinosaurs.

  Piper, having apparently found her courage, said, “Thank goodness children are now guided according to both their interests and abilities.”

  “Not in my opinion. We need to stop coddling these students and their helicopter parents. They need to be steered into some area they can earn a living and not become a drain on society.”

  Pru patted her hair and Skye figured out the difference. Not only was it now blond, it was freshly shampooed and had been cut into a more attractive style. How had she missed that when she first looked at the teacher?

  Having heard the teacher’s opinion on the subject before, Skye decided that it was time to put the brakes on her rant and said, “Be that as it may, Liam is staying put. Deal with it.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Pru waved her skeleton-like hand. “Wait until I speak to Homer.”

  “He was at the meeting and was the first one to say that Liam was fine.” Skye held back a snicker as the woman’s jaw dropped.

  “That’s…I mean…” Pru’s voice rose. “Homer would never…”

  “What was that about speaking clearly?” Skye murmured before she could stop herself.

  “I beg your pardon?” The self-centered teacher wrinkled her brow, seeming not to understand the reference to her earlier jibe at Piper.

  “Never mind.” Skye shook her head and said, “We won’t keep you any longer.”

  “Wait!” She looked at Skye through her sparse lashes and asked, “Do you still work as the psych consultant to the police department?”

  “Yes.” Skye had no idea where the teacher was headed but waited for her to go on.

  “Have the police had any luck locating that missing woman?” Pru’s pointy nose twitched, making her look like a rabbit on the trail of a tasty carrot. “I believe her name was Edie Baker?”

  “Not so far.” Now Skye was really confused. Pru rarely showed concern for another human being. “Wally is meeting with her home health aide today, so maybe that will result in a new lead.”

  “But don’t you think the poor thing is probably dead?” Pru nibbled a ragged cuticle. “After all this time and in her mental condition?”

  “It’s certainly possible,” Skye said carefully, again wondering why Pru cared.

  “Do you know how long they keep the case open before they declare her deceased?” Pru’s tongue snaked out and licked her lips, which Skye noticed had a coat of soft pink lipstick rather than her usual harsh dark red.

  “I have no idea.” Skye made a mental note to tell Wally about Pru’s interest.

  “It would be a blessing really.” Pru’s expression was hard to read. “For everyone concerned.”

  “Anyway.” Skye shuffled her feet. “Piper and I need to get going.”

  “As do I.” Pru’s irritation with Skye was obvious. “You do not have thirty young minds to enlighten.”

  “Right.” Skye herded Piper toward the doorway. “Have a good afternoon.”

  As soon as Skye and Piper were behind the closed doors of the psych office, Skye went to her desk and opened the drawer. After a bit of rummaging, she found her secret stash and selected a candy bar.

  She presented the giant peanut butter cup to her intern and said, “You did an extremely good job handling a difficult faculty member.”

  “Thank you!” Piper tore off the wrapper and took a huge bite.

  “I’m also impressed with how well you’re working with Euphemia.” Skye debated for a second, then grabbed a miniature Kit Kat for herself. “How do you feel you’re doing with the rest of the staff?”

  “Things seem to be going okay with almost everyone.” Piper sighed. “But how do you stop from blurting out things when they’re being ridiculous?”

  “Actually, I’ve often thought that I should be given an award for keeping my mouth shut when there’s so much that needs to be said.”

  “You’re so funny!” Piper squeezed past Skye, took a seat behind the small desk, and flipped open her iPad. “Just a second while I find my notes.”

  As Skye waited, she considered Dr. Wraige’s bribe. It would be nice to know that not only was this space hers for good, but that she’d have a budget to fix it up and buy new materials.

  She’d only wrested the ten-by-ten windowless room away from the boys PE teacher/guidance counselor after pointing out that he already had a private office in the gym complex, while she had to beg, borrow, or steal a closet or cubbyhole to evaluate or counsel students. He hadn’t been happy to relinquish the space and Skye was always on the alert for his counterattack.

  It had taken a tornado to get the walls repainted, and while the new soothing blue color helped a lot, the uncovered fluorescent tubes in the overhead lights still cast a sickening tinge over everything. And the furniture was all stuff that she’d managed to scavenge.

  It was fun to think about actually ordering new things like a trapezoidal table that didn’t have one leg shorter than the other two and student chairs that were actually comfy. She’d keep the wooden file cabinet. The vintage style appealed to her. But she really needed a cupboard that locked to keep her assessment kits safe.

  Still, what she had at the high school was heaps better than the space or furnishings at the grade school or the junior high. There, the rooms barely fit Skye, a student, and the folding tray she used for testing.

  Wait a minute! Skye straightened. She didn’t have to depend on Dr. Wraige. Now that Wally’s family wealth was public knowledge, she could just pay to redecorate all three offices herself. She couldn’t do anything about their size, but she could make them more comfortable.

  The insurance they’d collected on their previous cars and house had covered over half of what the Mercedes and the new place cost. And even with those expenses, they’d barely touched the interest that had been piling up from Wally’s trust fund all those years that he had hidden the fact that he had money beyond his salary.

  “Skye?” Piper’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry, just daydreaming.” Skye reluctantly quit mentally shopping, refocused on the issue at hand, and asked, “What did you say?”

  Piper nodded. “I found my notes and I could use some suggestions with how best to interact with a couple of people in the district.”

  “Shoot.” Skye settled into her old leather chair and folded her hands on top of her scratched wooden desk. “Homer is one, right?”

  “Yes.” Piper made a face. “And Ursula Nelson at the junior high.”

  “Homer is a lot like Pru Cormorant.” Skye narrowed her eyes. “But he uses his size and position to intimidate his employees. Truly, I’m not sure I handle him all that well myself, but my best advice is to maintain a respectful demeanor, but don’t allow him to push you around, which you seem to be doing.”

  “Okay.” Piper jotted a note into her iPad, then asked, “And Ursula?”

  “Another tough one.” Skye thought about the junior high secretary. “She’s touchy and I suspect it’s because she feels as if we all think we’re better than her because of our education.”

  “So maybe try to make sure that I let her see that I value how much she does to keep the school running,” Piper murmured. “Right?”

  “Bingo.” Skye held two thumbs up. “Oh. Also, she has a weakness for homemade chocolate chip cookies. But only give them to her, not anyone else. She needs to feel special.” />
  “Got it.” Piper smiled.

  “I wanted to check with you about one other thing.” Skye couldn’t believe she’d nearly forgotten about poor Jenna Quinn. “How did it go when Beilin Quinn showed up and you helped him break the news about his wife to his daughter?”

  “As well as could be expected.” Piper sighed. “Mr. Quinn explained that Jenna’s mom had gone to heaven and then I helped Jenna process the information and her feelings.”

  “It sounds as if you handled another tough situation very well.” Skye smiled warmly. “A few weeks ago, when you were testing Jenna, did she mention anything about why her mom didn’t want her in the Chicago schools?”

  “Nothing about that came up.” Piper tilted her head. “The only thing that I got from our sessions that was even remotely related to that was Mrs. Quinn’s excessive protectiveness of her daughter.”

  Skye had also gotten that impression and said, “Maybe Jerita felt that all city schools were dangerous, even though that clearly isn’t true.”

  They spent another fifteen minutes talking over cases, then Piper left to do an observation. With the office to herself, Skye checked her phone.

  When she saw the text from Wally asking her to drop off Homer’s trash at the police station as soon as she could, she typed a hasty reply: Should be there in fifteen to twenty minutes. I just need to say a quick hello to Trixie.

  As if Skye had conjured up her friend, the office door crashed open and Trixie Frayne burst into the room. While Skye wanted to spend time with her BFF, she also thought that Trixie might have some information on Jerita or the others involved in the case.

  In addition to being the school librarian, Trixie was also the cheerleading coach, cosponsor of the student newspaper, and founder of the service club, so students often told her things that they’d overheard from their parents.

  As Trixie rushed into the office, Skye examined her friend. It was hard to believe they were the same age. Trixie’s elfin quality made her seem at least ten years younger. She had short cocoa-colored hair with matching brown eyes. And although she was less than five feet tall, and probably didn’t weigh a hundred pounds after eating a big meal, her body was the only thing about Trixie that was tiny. Her personality and her heart were the size of the Statue of Liberty.