She had a pot of tomato and rice soup simmering on the range, when the doorbell rang.
Darren! He's come to tell me what he's found out so far. She flung open the door and faced Jill, dressed in a sheepskin jacket and wool hat. Jill must have read the disappointment in her face because her greeting quickly turned into an apology.
"I'm sorry, Gabbie. I didn't mean to disturb you, but I had to stop by before I left town. I'm going away, and I need to talk to you about Theo..." A flood of tears put an end to her explanation.
Gabbie feared the biting wind would freeze them as they ran down her face. She took Jill's arm. "Come inside."
In the kitchen, she said, "Want some soup? I've plenty for both of us."
Instead of answering, Jill dropped into a chair and wept into her hands. "He has someone he's been dating like he's a single man. And all these months I've been trying to, trying to--" Gasps and wails prevented her from pouring out the rest of her anguish.
Gabbie filled two bowls with soup, and brought them to the table. "Eat," she ordered, and put bread in the toaster.
Jill wiped her face and blew her nose. "I'm worried about Theo, but she'll be okay with her father. You and I hardly know each other, but I want... I need to ask you to keep an eye on her. You don't have to call her or anything, but since you'll see her every day, just--just give her a kind word or a shoulder to lean on if she feels like talking."
Gabbie grit her teeth. Playing godmother to a hostile teenager she hardly knew was not a responsibility she welcomed right now. But Theo was burdened with more problems than her mother knew about, and Gabbie had always made herself available to her students. "Of course I will, Jill. Though surely you have a few good friends in town who'll be happy to look in on Theo on a regular basis."
Jill met her gaze. "Not really. My best friends from high school moved away, and working two jobs hasn't left me much time to socialize." Tears streamed down her face. "I didn't need anyone else when I had Cam. Damn that man! He was the only one who understood what I was going through.
"And then--" The sobs came, rasping, awful sounds that tugged at Gabbie's heart. Jill struggled to control herself and give voice to what she'd been harboring in silence all these months. "And then it turned out he didn't even want me in the end. What a fool I was. What a fool I am for still loving him and missing him, when I meant nothing to him. That bastard used me like he used everyone else in this town."
Gabbie folded her arms around Jill, as a blazing anger toward Cam ripped through her like a bolt of lightning. "Jill, please don't upset yourself. Where are you going now?"
"To my parents. They live in New Jersey. I'll stay with them till I decide what I'm going to do with the rest of my life."
Suddenly Gabbie remembered the investigation of Cam's death had been reopened. Darren would want to talk to Jill again.
"Jill, the police now think Cam was murdered, and--"
Jill nodded. "I know. Darren came by this morning to ask me about the last time I saw Cam. Then he questioned Fred. When he left, Fred was furious."
Gabbie's heart quickened. "Does Darren consider Fred a suspect?"
Jill shrugged. "I don't know. Fred wasn't worried about that. He said since Darren saw him out last night with this Anne from his lab, he figured he might as well break the news to me himself. You were there too," she added accusingly.
"Yes, I was," Gabbie admitted.
"And you wouldn't have told me either. I bet he looked happy." Jill covered her face with her hands.
Gabbie didn't answer. She feared another outburst of tears, but Jill pulled herself together.
"After Cam rejected me and--and died, I tried to make the best of things. You can't imagine how I tried. Candle-lit dinners, slinky nightgowns." She let out a mirthless laugh. "So hypocritical. Neither of us was interested. But I tried, for Theo's sake."
She shook her head. "And now Darren's saying Cam was murdered. I'm still reeling from that bit of news. What made him change his mind, after all this time?"
"Could be the threatening letter I got made him start to wonder."
Jill cocked her head and gave her a shrewd look. "Are you two a couple?"
"No!" Damn Fred! Those we see, see us. Gabbie felt heat rise to her face. "We're just friends," she added quickly. "Probably because he was Cam's best friend and the police chief, and I'm living here in the cottage and got to wondering if Cam's death was an accident."
"Oh." Jill nodded thoughtfully. "Though maybe it was, after all. I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill Cam."
"Come on, Jill. I met the guys--Reese and Jack, Terry and Don. They all hated him."
"Oh, they were furious with him because of that land deal he pulled over them. Believe me, I know all about it--from Reese and from Cam, himself. But Cam wasn't like anyone you've ever met." Jill smiled her lovely smile. "The guys were furious with him, but trust me, they all loved him. I know for a fact he sat each of them down, one at a time, and wooed and cajoled, apologized and made all kinds of promises till he was back in their good graces. Cam was always forgiven."
"Don and Terry didn't sound forgiving to me," Gabbie said. "And what about Fred?"
Jill waved her hand dismissively. "Fred wouldn't kill anyone over me. As for Don and Terry, I saw them having a heart-to-heart with Cam in the diner the day before he died."
Gabbie cast her a speculative glance. "Do you think a woman might have killed him? Maybe someone all torn up about his love 'em and leave 'em ways?"
"I doubt it. When he refused to take me with him, I nearly killed myself that night." She gave a humorless laugh. "Dumb me. I bet even poor, naive Sonia--whom Cam used to flirt with to make her feel good--knew he was all talk. Something I should have kept in mind."
They finished their soup in silence. "That was good," Jill said. "I didn't realize how hungry I was."
Gabbie stood. "Let me make you a tuna fish sandwich. You can eat it on the way."
Jill gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, I won't say no to that. Could I use your facilities?"
"Sure. You know the way."
Jill went upstairs. Gabbie raced into the den. "Cam," she called, keeping her voice low, "come here! I need you."
She called twice more, and was about to give up when Cam appeared. "What is it?" He sounded annoyed. "I did precisely as you asked and kept away."
"I know, thanks." She put her finger to her lips and spoke softly. "But Jill's here now. It's your last chance to tell her that you love her."
Cam started to fade. "Why did you bring here? I can't do this. I can't."
"Yes, you can and you will!"
"No, really Gabbie--"
"For once in your life you're going to do the right thing," she snapped. "Be a man!"
"Gabbie, where are you?" Jill called from the kitchen.
"In the den. Would you mind coming in here?"
"Sure, but I really must get going."
"I won't keep you, I promise."
Jill came into the room. She staggered and fell back against the couch when she saw Cam. "Is it you or am I dreaming?"
"No dream, I promise you" Cam crooned in a voice Gabbie had never heard him use before. "It's me, Jilly, and I've so much to tell you."
Gabbie left them and returned to the kitchen. When Jill appeared half an hour later, she was tearful again.
"Gabbie, I've just have the strangest half hour of my life!"
Gabbie gave her a wry smile. "I can imagine."
"Cam loved me, he really did! He says he loves me now."
"I know. He's told me often enough."
They hugged. Jill put on her jacket. Gabbie walked her into the hall.
"Take care, and try not to dwell on the past. I'll keep a special eye out for Theo."
"Thanks, Gabbie, I know you will."
The door closed behind her. Gabbie heard the car motor start up, and then fade away. It was a bittersweet sound, and for a moment Gabbie felt a pang of envy. Jill had left home just as she had, only Jill was fortu
nate to have had the support of a new friend and the reassurance of her former lover to see her off.
"No self-pity and no comparisons," she scolded herself. "You chose your new life. Now get on with it."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Gabbie had just finished her school work and was gathering up her books, when the phone rang.
"Hi, how are you today?" Darren said.
"Fine. I hear you've been busy talking to suspects."
"Can't keep a secret in this town."
"Except for the big one of who killed Cam. But we'll find out soon enough."
"We?" She loved the way his voice jumped up an octave when she got under his skin. "Gabbie, I told you last night, it's my job to find his murderer. I don't want you getting any more threatening notes or worse."
"I doubt that I will, now that it's official Cam's death was no accident."
"I spoke to the D. A.'s office. They told me if something shows up on the statue or the barometer, they'll present it to a judge ASAP, and the body will be exhumed pronto." She heard him swallow. "Trouble is, I ought to be there when the Suffolk ME examines the remains."
"I'm glad I can skip that part."
"It's the least I can do for Cam. Poor guy. Getting killed was bad enough, but having his best friend write it off as an accident must have hurt like hell."
His self-reproach came through loud and clear. She couldn't think of words to soothe away the sting, and then realized he wasn't fishing for sympathy. Instead, she said, "Feel like eating a home-cooked dinner tomorrow night?"
He chuckled. "I thought you'd never ask."
* * * *
The news that Cam's death was being treated as a probable murder spread through CH like wildfire. It was all the kids could talk about on Monday morning. Several of them swarmed around Gabbie's desk at the start of third period, as if she'd been their teacher since September.
"Hey, Ms. Meyerson. Aren't you scared, living in a house where a guy was offed?" Jeff said.
She knew the best way to calm them was to use this as a jumping-off point for a short discussion and a writing assignment.
"Death is a part of the life cycle," she said. "It excites us and fascinates us. At the same time it frightens the daylights out of us, because we know we all die. Nobody likes to think about that. Not that you should," she added quickly, gazing into the faces of her captive audience. "You're young and have your lives ahead of you."
"Unless someone gets hit by a car or catches an awful disease," one of the girls said.
"Yes," Gabbie agreed. "Anything can happen. In fact, there's a death coming up in The Great Gatsby. It's a pivotal event in the novel. I want you to be aware of the incidents of cause and effect that lead up to this death, and how the death impacts on the rest of the story. Now, let's discuss the chapter you read for homework."
She was in the middle of a similar spiel in her fourth period class when the fire drill bell rang.
"Everyone out! Form a double line and turn right. We follow Mrs. Bolton's class outside."
"We can't go outside dressed like this," one of the girls complained.
"Hey, I'll freeze my ass off," Ryan Marco said.
"Not your ass, your--"
Gabbie could well imagine what Jed Lancaster whispered, as the group of boys around him burst into laugher.
"No talking! Keep on moving."
Gabbie herded her students into the crowded hall, where they joined the throng moving toward the stairwell. They were descending the steps to the first floor, when the loud speaker boomed throughout the building.
"This is Dr. Jordan. Students, you are to leave the building immediately. Bus riders, go to the bus area. Buses will depart in ten minutes. Those seniors who drove to school are to get in their cars and drive home. Teachers, see to it that all students leave the building, then go directly to the shop building. Everyone must vacate this building."
Instead of obeying, many students turned to ask each other what was going on. The anxious buzz filled Gabbie's ears. "Everyone, keep moving!" she ordered, raising her voice above the din.
Someone at the top of the stairs started pushing and kids crowded into her students. A girl stumbled. Gabbie helped her to her feet. Fearing a stampede, Gabbie threw up her arms and faced the oncoming crowd. "Keep to the right! Keep to the right! No pushing. No shoving." She sighed with relief when they obeyed and moved in an orderly manner down the stairs.
"Hey, Ms. Meyerson, what's going on?" Ryan said as he pushed past her.
"I don't know."
"I bet it's a bomb scare," Lizzie Terranova said. "Why else would they send us home?" She looked terrified, Gabbie thought. "I hate to leave my good jacket in my locker."
Someone knocked into Lizzie, and Gabbie prevented her from falling just in time.
"I'm sure it will be safe there," Gabbie reassured her.
Lizzie grimaced. "Right. If the school doesn't blow up."
Gabbie retrieved her parka from the English office. She hustled students to the exit, as she made her way to the small shop building behind the main building. Some teachers were there already.
"Is it a bomb scare?" she asked Suzanne Lindstrom, the head of the foreign language department.
"So I've been told." Suzanne pursed bow-shaped lips. "Tim said the caller's voice was muffled, but he sounded like a kid. He told Tim not to worry because he had half an hour to empty the building before it blew. Then he started to laugh." Suzanne lowered her voice. "Tim thought he recognized the voice."
Gabbie's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, no! Not those two."
Suzanne's expression was wry. "Barrett and Todd. Who else would do something like this? I hope this time they'll nail them and put them away."
"They're a menace to society," Cindy West, another English teacher, snapped.
Gabbie sensed her colleagues' growing agitation as the minutes passed and they were left to their speculations. Finally, Tim Jordan strode into the room. He stood near the door, a grave expression fixed on his handsome face as he waited for the clamor to die down.
Gabbie observed his glittering eyes, the chiseled lips that barely contained his pent-up excitement. He's getting off on this. The school might be in danger of blowing up, but Tim Jordan is glowing in the limelight. She almost laughed aloud when he nodded, as though thanking an unseen presenter.
"Sorry for the delay. I commend you all for shepherding the students to safety."
"Shepherding the students?" echoed George Breck, the guidance counselor. "Give me a break."
Gabbie half-listened as Tim Jordan prattled on about how proud he was of the faculty's masterful handling of a potentially dangerous situation. At this very moment all students were safely out of the building. The police were on the premises, doing everything in their power to get the problem under control.
Andy Gorsky, the science and math chairman, finally said, "Tim, since time is of the essence, we'd appreciate hearing about the call you received."
The principal's jaw tightened, the only indication of his displeasure at having his speech cut short.
"It came at eleven minutes past ten to my private number. I was informed a bomb would explode in the high school in half an hour. Police Chief Rollins called in the county police. They traced the call to the bagel shop one block from here. As we speak, officers are searching the building for incendiary devices."
"Tim, we understand you recognized the caller's voice," Suzanne Lindstrom said. "Are you going to tell us who it is?"
The facial expressions of various faculty members reflected disgust, derision, and anger. They neither like him nor respect him.
Tim Jordan ran his finger inside his collar. Finally he said, "I can't say for certain, especially since the voice was muffled."
"May we assume this is the work of Barrett Connelly and Todd Ross?" Andy said in a reasonable tone. "They're our worst trouble makers, and both were absent from their fourth period classes."
Tim blinked, seemingly surprised by this bit of new
s. "We can't assume anything at this time," he said quickly. "A false accusation could lead to a lawsuit."
"Did anyone see Barrett and Ross near the bagel shop?" Gabbie said without thinking.
Tim looked over everyone's heads, but not before she caught sight of his eyes darting frantically from side to side. "Yes, Mr. Garcia, the owner, saw them there this morning, but neither he nor his wife can say for certain that they were still on the premises at the time of the call."
One of the social studies teachers chuckled. "Translated: until they're caught red-handed, those two are free to pull this again anytime they like."
Tim Jordan glared at him. "Don't be a fool, Phil. They've been taken to the police station for questioning. That is, they'll be questioned as soon as their lawyers arrive. You of all people should have faith in our legal system and our honorable police department."
"Maybe I would if they weren't exhuming a murder victim they claimed earlier was an accidental death."
A murmur rose, grew to a loud din, as teachers asked each other what the hell Phil was talking about. Gabbie felt her cheeks burn on Darren's behalf. It was an oversight, not stupidity, that he'd declared Cam's death an accident. More important, how had Phil found out about the exhumation so quickly?
"Quiet, please! Quiet!" Tim shouted.
He sounded desperate. He was in a tough spot, eager to give the impression he was on top of the situation, yet reluctant to name names and risk a lawsuit. But his egotistical arrogance prevented Gabbie from feeling any sympathy.
"You're free to go home now," Tim concluded. "If you learn anything about the bomb scare--and I don't mean hearsay or speculation--please contact the police. I'll see you all tomorrow morning." He made a hasty exit before anyone could question him further.
* * * *
Wet flakes floated from a dim gray sky, melting as they reached the ground. Gabbie pulled up the hood of her parka and hurried toward her car. She slipped into reverse and zipped out of the parking lot, eager to put distance between herself and the high school. She was filled with impotent rage--toward the two juvenile delinquents who had the power to shut down a high school, and at Tim Jordan, who didn't have the balls to take a stand and mete out the punishment they deserved. The idiot! Didn't he realize his passivity only encouraged Todd and Barrett to pull more dangerous stunts as they thumbed their noses at school authorities and the law?
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