by Gerri Hill
“He mentioned it, but no, he didn’t really explain it.”
They were now in the building that housed the classrooms. The hallway was large and seemed endless, their shoes echoing loudly as they made their way deeper into the school.
“Red and blue,” Gayla said. “The reds are a mixed group. Some are just bordering on being a juvenile prisoner who should be at a detention center. Those who have committed violent crimes are not allowed here, thank goodness. Reds are sent here by a judge’s order. This school gives them the chance to get their life back together and to make a fresh start. The blues—in my opinion—should not be here. Most are just troubled girls whose parents didn’t know what else to do with them. Some parents look at this as some kind of boarding school, which is crazy. Others think it’s a boot camp that will instill the discipline that they obviously didn’t.”
“Surely they’re kept separate,” Paige said.
“Somewhat. The blues have the most freedom, especially at night with a couple of TV and game rooms. With good behavior, reds are allowed to get sent down to Blue Hall each evening, if they wish. The reds have a small TV room, but watching privileges are limited to two hours each evening, so that’s incentive right there.”
“How do you coordinate the classrooms?”
“Times are staggered. The blue rooms are just like your normal high school, basically. Reds have an armed guard in them.” Gayla smiled. “Your partner will no doubt be assigned that job. You make a cute couple, by the way.”
Paige didn’t know why, but she blushed at the comment.
“I saw you in the car earlier,” Gayla explained. “Very attractive.”
“Yes, she is.”
“I heard you went to the cookout yesterday. We went to Dallas instead. I needed a city fix. Real restaurants, shopping, movies.”
“Yes, I know what you mean. CJ and I are from Houston so this will be an adjustment, I’m sure.”
Gayla stopped in front of a pair of double doors. “The gym,” she said, pushing them opened. “It’s not full size, obviously, but it’ll give you enough room to work with.”
A basketball hoop was attached to one wall with four balls tossed haphazardly around it. A net stretched across the two shorter walls, for volleyball, she supposed. Other than that, the room was vacant.
“Curriculum is standard?”
“We’re sanctioned by the state but also have some federal guidelines to follow. There are six other schools like this across the nation, this being the only one in Texas. Unlike a juvenile detention center, once the girls are here, they’re here until they graduate.”
“So a fourteen-year-old could be sentenced to two years, but if they come here, it’s four?”
“Exactly. Our youngest is thirteen, oldest nineteen. For the most part, the system works. And it’s rewarding when they graduate and you know they now have a life ahead of them.” Gayla shook her head. “Not all, of course. Some leave here and go right back to where they were, but we do our best.”
“You’ve been here how long?” Paige asked.
“This will be our fifth year. I do love it. And, as you know, you can’t beat the pay. But there’s a reason for the high salary,” she said. “We live mostly isolated. And the main gate locks at ten so it’s not like you can make a late night of it. Except Saturdays.” She smiled again. “Shopping is a real challenge. I hesitate to even call Hogan Grocery a real store.”
Paige nodded. “I know what you mean. CJ and I drove to it on Saturday, hoping to find something for the cookout. The store was closed. In fact, the whole community looked shut down. We didn’t see a soul.”
“Well, not trying to sway you or anything, but that whole place gives me the creeps,” Gayla said with an embarrassed laugh. “In fact, I haven’t been there in two years, at least. If we need gas, we make a point to drive to San Augustine and do our grocery shopping at the same time.”
“You keep saying ‘we,’” Paige said. “Married? Partner?”
“Sorry. Husband. Dave. One of only two male teachers. He’s a history buff and loves teaching.”
“One of two?” Paige said, hoping she showed enough surprise in her voice. “He must really feel isolated.”
“Oh, we’ve adjusted. And we’re all great friends here. You have to be. The weekend cookouts are what keep us sane.” She leaned closer, her voice low. “Well, that and a good bottle of wine.”
Paige laughed with her. “I hope we fit in,” she said. “We were actually looking forward to living in a small town, but now that I’ve seen it, Hoganville isn’t really a town.”
“Oh, no. They keep very much to themselves. The first month we were here, we went into the café for a Saturday brunch. We sat there for ten minutes and no one came to wait on us. My husband went to the counter and asked if there was a problem. The lady just stared at him, her face expressionless. The next thing we know, someone comes out with two plates and puts them in front of us. Of course, we hadn’t ordered and I was afraid to eat it. We just got up and left and never went back.”
“That is weird,” she said. “CJ will want to try it just for spite,” she said, knowing it was the truth.
“I’ve been tempted to gather a group of us to all go together and see what they do,” Gayla said, laughing. “I’m not sure how they stay in business. Although it seems it’s only people from here at the school that they shun, which is odd. That whole community is a little on the spooky side.”
“Unusual spooky or scary spooky?”
“I’ll go with scary,” she said. “Did you meet Valerie?”
Paige nodded. “Yes, she was at the cookout yesterday.”
“Good. Ask her about the time she went into the grocery store.”
“What happened?”
“No, no. Get the story from her. It’s amusing now. Not so much at the time,” Gayla said with a glance at her watch. “I must get going. Let me show you your office,” she said.
It was small, housing only a desk and chair and one file cabinet. Paige looked at her questioningly.
“You’ll be assigned a laptop. There’s a closet over here,” she said, pointing out a door adjacent to the office. “There’s some equipment and stuff in there. Only the blues get gym, so you shouldn’t have a problem. And I’m not certain about your schedule yet. Director Avery was supposed to put all that together.”
“How long have you been without a gym teacher?”
“Months. We’ve done the bare minimum to meet state requirements, that’s it.” She lowered her voice. “And let’s say we didn’t exactly meet them.”
Paige pointed to her outfit. “I wasn’t sure what to wear,” she said.
“Oh, nothing like that,” Gayla said. “What did you wear at your previous school?”
Paige frowned. Crap. Was that covered in their backstory? She went with CJ’s advice instead.
“Just workout clothes,” she said evasively.
“Yes. That’s what Carol wore. She gloated over the fact that she had on shorts each summer when it was hot like it is today.” Gayla patted her shoulder and smiled. “You’ll do fine. Check with the director about your schedule.”
“Okay. Thank you for meeting me. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Oh, sure. And once you two are settled, Dave and I must have you over for dinner. Have fun today,” she said as she turned to leave.
“Gayla?”
Gayla stopped, her eyebrows raised.
“Well, we heard this...this scream last night. Some animal. It was really loud. Have you heard it?”
Gayla nodded. “Yes. It scared the crap out of us the first few times we heard it. It’s still unsettling.”
“What is it?”
She shrugged. “We don’t know. It’s been passed down that there’s a black panther that lives in the woods around here. Just a tale, though. Black panthers have never inhabited this area.”
She gave a reassuring smile before hurrying away, leaving Paige staring after her.
Fiona groaned, her eyes opening slowly. She knew she wasn’t alone and she tried to focus, seeing a shadowy figure standing near the bed. It was Mother Hogan. She turned, sharp eyes settling over Fiona.
“You’re awake finally. How do you feel?”
Fiona tried to swallow, but her throat was dry. “Groggy,” she said, her voice hoarse. The air was cool and damp. “Where am I?”
“Down in the chambers. This is your room for now.” She held a cup to her mouth. “Drink this.”
It was bitter and Fiona had to force herself not to spit it out.
“Antel will visit you each night until you are with child.”
Fiona looked away, trying to remember what had happened last night. When she realized it must be daylight by now, she tried to sit up. “School. I need to—”
“Not this week,” Mother Hogan said. “You could not explain.”
“Explain?”
Mother Hogan came closer, gently touching Fiona’s wrist, causing her to flinch in pain. She looked down, seeing bruises on both arms. She closed her eyes. Yes, the shackles. Wrists and ankles. She remembered Antel coming to her but...nothing else. Her body was sore, her muscles weak. Her head still foggy.
“As soon as you are able, you’ll have a bath,” Mother Hogan said. “I have everything ready.”
Fiona nodded. “I’m so tired,” she said.
“Of course you are, dear. You rest as long as you need. Belden is standing guard at the entrance. Let him know when you are ready.”
Fiona’s eyes slipped closed but not before she saw another shadow in the room, this one much larger, coming to her. She whimpered when she felt cold hands on her but didn’t have the strength to protest, didn’t have the strength to even open her eyes. Mother’s magic potion had worked quickly on her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
CJ loved the sound of the leather holster. It reminded her of her early days before she became a detective, before she joined the FBI. Simpler days, for sure. The chief, Horace Aims, had been with the school for twenty years. While his officers and guards came and went, he was a fixture. Divorced and childless, he devoted his life to the school. Unfortunately, none of his officers did the same. Most stayed only a few years before moving on. The pay was good, but even that wasn’t enough to make them stay.
Her first day had been nothing more than an orientation. Tomorrow, she would begin sitting in on classes. He’d given her a file to study; the girls who needed extra attention were identified, along with those who were considered the leaders of the various cliques. She pretended to be interested, but being a guard at a juvenile prison wasn’t exactly a career path she would have chosen. A few weeks of this was going to be a chore. She also wondered how beneficial it was going to be. Having them infiltrate the school wasn’t the same as integrating with Hoganville itself. Investigating Hoganville from a distance seemed to be the only way inside. Investigating the disappearances themselves was futile. She’d read the files. There was no pattern to them. Skin color was different, gender was different, age was different. It seemed to be an abduction by opportunity rather than intent.
She parked in front of the admin building where she and Paige had agreed to meet. After today, she would be assigned a souped-up golf cart to use around campus. That would probably be the highlight of this whole assignment. She’d at least have a toy to play with.
She grinned when she saw Paige coming toward her. She’d actually found that she’d missed her today, which surprised her. She was also surprised to see a matching smile on Paige’s face.
As soon as Paige got in, CJ leaned closer.
Paige shook her head. “Seriously?” she asked, but she didn’t pull away.
CJ felt a tiny twinge of arousal when their lips met. She had to stop herself from deepening the kiss, but she did allow her lips to savor it a few seconds longer.
“And how was your first day?” she asked when she pulled back, daring to meet Paige’s eyes. She tried to read them, but Paige looked away.
“You were right about my outfit,” Paige said. “Shorts.”
“Cool.”
“I also realize I know nothing about teaching a gym class.”
“How hard can it be?” CJ asked as she drove down the narrow road that would take them to their home.
“I’m not really into sports. That’s how hard it’s going to be. You should have this role. Not me,” Paige said. Then she tilted her head. “How was your day?”
“Boring. Visited with Chief Aims most of the day.”
Paige smiled quickly. “You look cute.”
CJ laughed. “Oh, yeah. A gal in a uniform.” She wiggled her eyebrows teasingly. “Is that what gets you off?”
Paige blushed, but her smile didn’t fade. “I like guns.”
“Well, baby, I’ve got a big one. I’ll show it to you later, if you want.”
Paige laughed. “No doubt you’ve used that line before.”
Their easy banter continued into the evening as Paige cooked dinner and CJ tried to give her some pointers on teaching a gym class.
“You could play handball,” she suggested. “Or Ping Pong.”
“I don’t think Ping Pong ranks as a fitness class, and I know nothing about handball.”
“What about dodgeball?”
“CJ, these are high school kids, not elementary.”
“So do three-on-three basketball. Hell, have them run sprints.”
Paige shook her head. “I’m going to blow our cover, I just know it.” She walked over, holding her hand under a spoon. “Here, taste this,” she said, shoving the spoon into CJ’s mouth.
“Mmm,” she murmured. “Good,” she said as she swallowed. “What is it?”
“Just an Italian sauce. I’ll pour it over pasta and bake it.”
“Spaghetti?”
“No. Penne pasta and some vegetables. We’ll have garlic bread too.”
“I think I’m going to love having you cook for me,” she said.
“The idea of doing a large dish is for leftovers. I don’t plan to cook every night you know.”
“I don’t mind leftovers,” CJ said. “I’m surprised you like them, though.”
“What does that mean?”
“I imagine growing up, you never ever had to settle for leftovers,” she said. The tone of the conversation had shifted with that one statement, and Paige had an uneasy look on her face, her smile long gone.
“What are you saying?”
CJ knew she should stop, but she didn’t. And she didn’t really know why. Paige’s social status had never been an issue. But no sense in backtracking now. “I’m saying you’re used to prime rib. I’m used to Hamburger Helper.”
“I can’t help who my family is or how I grew up,” Paige said. “But I never, ever, bring that to work.”
“You’re right. You haven’t. But we all know where you live. We all know what kind of car you drive.”
Paige’s expression changed from offended to wounded. CJ wished she had never brought the subject up.
“I bought the car for safety and reliability, nothing more. It isn’t some sort of a status symbol,” she said.
Anything CJ said would only further their argument, so she said nothing.
Paige raised her eyebrows. “What? It’s just a Mercedes. Lots of people drive Mercedes,” she said.
CJ shook her head. “Not cops.”
***
The week crawled by as Paige struggled daily to come up with activities to appease the girls. After their argument, she had grudgingly taken CJ’s advice and had ordered several popular exercise DVDs. Overnight shipping was a godsend, in this case. Zumba was the favorite, and Paige even found herself dancing along. She found that only a handful of the girls liked basketball anyway so there wasn’t really much complaining.
But still, she was nearly bored out of her mind. She only had three classes each day, with each being smaller than twenty students. That gave her a lot of free ti
me.
Time to think. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the dead-end case that her thoughts went to.
She rested her chin in her palm, her gaze going out the small, lone window in her tiny office. The area they were in was really pretty, she noted. Tall pines towering over lush oaks and other hardwoods, it looked inviting. And if not for the humidity and hot temperatures, she might be tempted to ditch the office and take a walk along the path that led to the lake. CJ’s morning runs took her to the lake, and she said it was very peaceful in the woods. Paige sighed. Shame she wasn’t into running.
She took a deep breath and slowly released it, trying to reconcile her growing irritation with CJ. She had to admit, it was mostly an irritation with herself; she just took it out on CJ. The hello and goodbye kisses had ceased. Thanks to CJ’s new mode of transportation, they were no longer riding together each day. Of course she was happy about that. Kissing CJ Johnston was not high on her list of things she wanted to do.
Oh, God, who was she kidding?
She was a woman with a pulse. That much was painfully obvious each time they did kiss. And tomorrow—Saturday—was the weekly get-together. It was at Suzette and Becca’s place. Mexican food. And they would be in public, they would hold hands and, knowing CJ, she’d find any excuse to cross the line that Paige had tried to establish. She would take liberties that she shouldn’t, and Paige would have to pretend that it didn’t bother her when they both knew it did. They were playing a dangerous game, and she didn’t know why she didn’t just put an end to it. CJ would push her as far as Paige would allow. She just wasn’t sure what CJ was getting out of all of this.
Her phone rang, startling her. She smiled when she saw Billy’s name displayed. She hadn’t spoken with him in the last week.
“Hi, Billy Boy. What’s up?”
“Wow. It’s nice to hear your voice,” he said.
Paige smiled. “Thank you. Yours too.”
“Howley wanted me to give you a heads-up. Got a missing person. Another college student.”
Paige sat up straighter, her brow furrowed. “When?”