by Helen Gray
“I thought we had a healthy cash reserve,” Sam interjected, clearly upset.
“There have been some irregular payments,” Ryan hastened to explain. “The auditors found records of several payments to a consultant who doesn’t exist—sizable payments.”
“Doesn’t exist! What do you mean?” Betty Devore demanded.
Ryan raked a hand through his already rumpled hair. “I mean checks were written to a consultant who exists only on paper, so the money could be pocketed by the person behind the scheme.”
There was silence. “You mean Marsha Carter,” Sam Brinkman muttered in weary finality.
Ryan grimaced. “It looks that way. The Chief of Police has been checking into her personal records. He was initially looking to see if she had any insurance policies that would provide a motive for someone to murder her. He didn’t find anything like that, but he did find what he called a really fat savings account.”
“Don’t payments like that have to be handled by more than one person?” Betty asked, glancing around the table at each troubled face.
Ryan nodded. “They were approved by Mrs. Carter and the checks issued by our bookkeeper, Dana Smith.”
“But why would Dana do that?” Sam yelped. “Was she just going along with a scheme of Marsha’s to protect her job?”
“There was a little more to it than that.” Ryan shuffled papers again and located a particular printout. “The auditors ran a check of personnel against payroll and found that salary checks were being issued to Dana’s son.”
“I don’t remember hiring her son,” Betty snapped.
Ryan shook his head. “We didn’t. He was getting a check, but he doesn’t work here.”
“We’re guessing that was Dana’s payoff for processing the payments to the non-existent consultant,” Ken Douglas explained, his speech strained.
Toni felt as if she had just been dunked in icy water as the implications hit home. There had been no money to buy decent equipment and books for students because the greedy woman had been siphoning funds for her personal use.
“Then why aren’t you arresting her?” Betty demanded, her thick glasses giving her a wild-eyed look.
“We don’t know where she is,” Ryan explained. “She called in sick last Tuesday and hasn’t been back to work since. That’s why I supported Sam when he asked for the audit.”
“I started making calls after Toni Donovan came to me with questions and the suggestion that we should do an audit. A rather pointed suggestion,” Sam added, directing a grim smile at Toni. “That’s why I wanted her invited to this meeting.”
Lost in her angry thoughts, Toni suddenly became conscious of eyes focused on her, as if they expected her to say something. Years of standing before classes, mastering her emotions and maintaining control while working to hold the attention of students, helped her marshal her thoughts now.
“I found it out of character when more than one person mentioned Mrs. Carter being pals with Dana. Then I made several trips to the office to talk to Dana and found that she wasn’t showing up for work. From all that, I developed a feeling that the records should be checked.”
“I knew you were looking for Dana, but I didn’t know why,” Ryan said. “By chance have you contacted her away from school?”
“I tried, but didn’t catch her home.” Toni glanced around the table. “I drove out to her house Sunday afternoon. All I wanted to do was talk to her,” she explained defensively.
“It’s all right,” Dennis Guthrie said, a scowl making his bushy eyebrows slant. “You don’t have to apologize. We’re glad someone was trying to find some facts. Apparently the police haven’t been all that successful.”
“They’ve been working hard.” Toni didn't want any negative feelings to develop toward their local law enforcement. “Chief Freeman has let me exchange some information with him.”
Dennis nodded approval. “That’s good to know. I take it you didn’t catch up with our missing bookkeeper.”
Toni shook her head. “She wasn’t home, so I spoke to her next door neighbor. The woman said she saw Dana load some suitcases into her car earlier in the week and leave. She hasn’t been home since.”
Another spell of silence greeted that statement. Ryan finally spoke. “As soon as we finish this meeting, I think I should have Chief Freeman look for her.”
Sam nodded. “Good thinking.”
“I have a written report here, and I’m going to give each of you a copy of it to take home and read.” Ryan picked up a sheaf of papers and walked around the table distributing them. “I know you must have a lot of questions, but the truth is I don’t have any more answers right now. We’re going to have to assess the damage and meet again to decide how to deal with everything. I’ll talk to the Commissioner of Education and assure him that we’ll make things right as soon as we can.”
Heads nodded around the table.
“I want to thank Toni for pointing us in this direction,” Ryan said to the group. Then he directed his words to her personally. “We realize that you got involved in this thing in a rather grisly way, and that your follow-up has resulted in a personal attack on you. We appreciate how you’ve persevered.”
“If any of us can do anything to help you, I want you to let us know,” Sam added.
“Well, there is something I’d like to see,” Toni said, recognizing a golden opportunity.
“Name it,” came from Sam.
“I told Chief Freeman I’d like to look at Marsha’s computer, and he said he would have to think about it and get back to me. I’d like you to tell him you approve of me seeing it."
Ryan studied her. “You’re thinking that an educator might possibly see significance in her correspondence and reports that the police wouldn’t, aren’t you?”
Toni shrugged. “It's a long shot, but that's my hope.”
He addressed the group. “Anyone object to my telling Chief Freeman that we want him to let Toni give that computer a look?”
No one objected. “I think it’s a good idea,” Sam declared.
Ryan focused back on Toni. “I’ll ask him to bring it by or let me pick it up. Check with me first thing Monday morning.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
Sam pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “If that’s it, let's all go home so you can get on the phone with Freeman.”
The room emptied without anyone lingering. Toni was more convinced than ever that she needed to talk to Dana. And she wanted to beat the police to her.
When she got to the Zachary house, John met her at the door. “There’s a Coke in the fridge with your name on it. But you have to drink it here while you tell me about the meeting.”
“Hi, Toni.” Jenny appeared behind John, shrugging into her coat. “I’m going to pick up a pizza. How about I get two, and you and the boys eat with us.”
“Only if you let me pay for ours,” Toni said, stepping inside their living room.
“Oh, all right, if that’s how you’re gonna be,” Jenny grumped. “The boys are in the den.”
Toni dug out some money and handed it to her. “I’ll save my Coke to go with the pizza.”
While Jenny was gone, Toni settled in their comfy glider with her feet propped on the ottoman, and recapped the meeting for John.
“I really would like to hear Dana’s story,” she said at the end of her recital. “I’m afraid the police will find her and talk to her first, and I’ll just get second hand, possibly incomplete information.”
John sat up straighter on the sofa and tapped his forehead. “Just a minute.” He went to the kitchen and returned with a large phone book. “I think I remember that Dana’s maiden name was Harris. Or was it Harrison? Anyhow, right after she got the job here at the school I remember her saying something about her mother moving to Poplar Bluff after her dad died.” He flipped through the pages as he spoke.
“Okay, here we go.” He ran his finger down the page. “None of these Harris names sound right,” he mu
ttered, flipping the page. “Andy Harrison… Richard Harrison… Rodney Harrison.” He stopped. “Rodney Harrison. That has to be it. Dana’s son’s name is Rodney, probably named after her dad.”
Toni dug a pen and small notepad from her purse. “Give me the address and phone number.”
“Pizza’s here,” Jenny called from the doorway as he read them to her.
Toni wrote down the information, stuffed the notepad and pen back into her purse, and went to help Jenny in the kitchen.
“I have an idea,” John said minutes later as they sat around the table munching pizza. “Why don’t I drop Jenny at your house early in the morning to babysit—or young man sit, if you prefer—while you and I go to Poplar Bluff.”
Jenny's face brightened. “I’d be happy to do that. I mean it,” she repeated to convince Toni. “That way you won’t have to get the boys out of bed early on a Saturday morning.”
Toni smiled at Jenny’s earnest expression. “Okay. Maybe we can get lucky and beat the police to the punch.”
On the way home later, Toni’s cell phone rang. She flipped it open without looking at it. “Hello.”
“Hi, Terrific Toni,” Kara’s voice greeted her. “I know I shouldn’t call while driving, but I’ll keep it short. I just want to let you know I’m on my way down for the weekend.”
“I’m on the road, too,” Toni said, turning right off the highway. “Can we get together while you’re here?”
“There’s an estate sale I want to attend in the morning. Mom called and let me know that the Richardson heirs are selling a collection of their parents’ furniture and small items left after each sibling took what they wanted now that both of their parents are gone.
“Can you come over after the sale?”
“It’s a big one, so it may be late afternoon or early evening, but I will definitely get there,” Kara promised.
Toni wasn’t sure, but she thought she detected something in her friend’s voice, something not quite right. “I’ll look for you. We can visit and catch up on girl talk.”
“Thanks. See you.”
*
They met in the early morning cold at the edge of the woods. He carried his hunting rifle, and she carried a rolled up sleeping bag. He placed the gun on the ground near a tree, and they embraced.
“Here, let me do this,” she said, pulling away from him. She spread the sleeping bag on the ground next to the rifle and sat on it, leaning back against the tree. “Now,” she whispered, beckoning for him to join her. Within moments they were entwined in one another’s arms.
“Just a moment,” she whispered, scooting away from him. “I have a surprise for you.” She pushed him back up against the tree and kissed him. “Now close your eyes,” she murmured, backing away.
Seconds later there was a shot. Another followed moments later. She placed something in the pocket of his jacket, picked up a shell casing, and walked away.
Chapter 12
By eight o’clock the next morning, with John navigating, Toni pulled into the driveway of what they hoped was Dana’s mother’s house. “There are two cars here,” John noted. “Maybe one of them is Dana’s.”
They hiked up the short sidewalk to the small frame structure that looked like it would welcome a coat of paint. Toni knocked on the door.
When it opened, they were startled to find themselves facing Dana in person. Her face devoid of makeup and her brown hair straggling around her face, she looked hollow-eyed and haggard. Wearing a faded pink bathrobe and non-matching blue house slippers, she stared lifelessly at them.
“You may as well come in. I’ve been expecting someone to show up,” she said at last, her voice raspy, her manner defeated. She widened the door opening.
They stepped inside.
“This is my mother’s house, as I’m sure you know by now. She and the kids are still in bed.” Dana pointed them to a rocker and occasional chair that looked like they had been around for more years than she had.
The rest of the room was fairly neat, but with an air of haphazardness. The sofa had a pillow and rumpled blanket on it, suggesting that someone had slept there. Dana shoved the bedding to one end and sat at the other.
“You probably know what we want to talk about,” Toni began.
Dana nodded in weary defeat. “I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop ever since I got here. I just couldn’t work up the courage to face it.”
“Face what? Marsha’s death?”
Dana’s head jerked up, her eyes rounded in horror. “No! I had nothing to do with that. I meant the money.”
“Why don’t you tell us about it?” John said gently.
Dana’s gaze rotated to him. “I might as well. I don’t know what else to do. I knew you two found Marsha’s body and that Toni had started asking a lot of questions. It was only a matter of time until everything came apart. I panicked and ran.”
“How did you get involved?” Toni asked.
Dana shrugged in misery. “I was already struggling to get by after my divorce. My younger son is severely disabled, and I didn’t want to put him in an institution. I get a little disability check on him, but it costs a lot for other care. But I was making it. Until Rodney got into more trouble.”
“Rodney’s your older son.”
Dana nodded. “He’s nineteen, four years older than Robin. He’s had several jobs that haven’t lasted long, but we were still scraping by—until he got a girl pregnant and was ordered to start paying child support.” She pushed at flyaway strands of hair as her voice trailed to a quavery halt.
“Marsha came along and made you an offer,” Toni prompted.
Dana’s face crumpled, and she dissolved into tears, her head bobbing admission.
They waited for her to regain a semblance of composure before Toni spoke again. “Why don’t you tell us about it from the beginning.”
Dana pulled a tissue from the pocket of her robe and wiped her eyes. “When Marsha first took over as superintendent she hardly gave me the time of day. I wasn’t worthy of her notice.”
“How did that change?”
Dana bit her trembling lip. “She needed me. I don’t know exactly why, but for some reason she needed—or just wanted—a chunk of money. She called me into her office one day and handed me a payroll voucher in Rodney’s name. I didn’t understand, but she said she realized I was having a difficult time and was putting in more work hours than required. She said she wanted to make things easier for me, that the check would pay me for those extra hours, and there would be another one each month.”
John made an odd sound under his breath. “You believed her?”
The frightened bookkeeper shrugged. “I don’t know what I believed. I looked at that check and thought about the bills I needed to pay, and…” She paused, her hand over her mouth. “I took it,” she finished, her voice unsteady.
“And from that time on you processed any payment she submitted and didn’t ask questions.” Toni watched her eyes.
“I didn’t ask questions,” Dana repeated. “She got friendly with me, and the money took off some pressure. But I felt guilty. And scared,” she choked.
“Why were you scared?”
“Of getting caught for one thing.” Dana blurted, and then paused before continuing. “But one day, around the first of December I think it was, I overheard Marsha talking on the phone to someone about a job interview. I think she was getting ready to take off and leave me to take the blame for everything. I don’t know what other schemes she had going. I didn’t want to know.”
“You must have been under a lot of pressure.” Toni spoke without condemnation. She would leave the accusations and judging to the law.
“I was.” Dana twisted her hands together in her lap. “But the night she was killed I was nowhere near the school.”
“You’ll need to prove that,” Toni said bluntly. “Where were you?”
Dana rubbed a hand over her forehead. “I went to see Dean, my ex-husband. We got into a f
ight. He should tell you that.”
“Where is your ex-husband?”
“He’s staying with his sister in Brownville,” Dana whispered hoarsely, her eyes brimming with tears. “He hasn’t been helping with Robin like he’s supposed to. I was handling that, but I needed him to help with Rodney. He refused and started blaming me for everything and yelling at me. I guess we both got to yelling.” She took a ragged breath and wiped her eyes again. “He hit me, and that’s when I got out of there.”
“Was his sister home at the time?”
“No, she was at work. She works the night shift at the nursing home. She’s divorced and has a five-year-old kid. She leaves Brian with a babysitter.”
Toni vaguely remembered Dean Smith as a hard drinking guy who was no stranger to trouble. He had been a few years older than her, but she remembered seeing his name in newspaper stories more than once for running a meth lab.
“Are you aware that the police are looking for you?” John asked when Toni went silent.
“No, but I’m not surprised,” Dana answered shakily. “I knew it had to be just a matter of time.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
Dana stared at him and drew an uneven gulp of air. “Go back and face it, I guess.”
“Thank you for your candor,” Toni said at last, getting to her feet. When they stepped outside into the frigid air, she pulled her cell phone from her purse. “The Chief made me promise to tell him when I find out anything,” she said, scrolling through her saved numbers and pressing one. She opened the door of the van and climbed behind the wheel as the phone rang. John scrambled into the passenger seat.
“What’s up?” Buck Freeman answered personally, obviously having seen caller ID.
“John Zachary and I located the school’s missing bookkeeper,” she said in a rush. “I assume you’ve spoken to Ryan Prewitt about the meeting at school yesterday.”
“He called and told me about it.”
“Sam Brinkman invited me. I had asked Sam to request the audit, so he thought I should get to hear the results.”