In Sickness And In Death Part 16

Danny's left knee bounced up and down, up and down, up and down. I couldn't watch it anymore. I stilled it with my hand and shook my head.

He frowned.

Mrs. Travis folded her hands and leaned forward. "I met with Danny and Scottie yesterday. Scottie admits to taunting Danny and referring to Deputy Parker as a 'pig'."

She gave Ray an apologetic smile before continuing, "Danny admits to punching Scottie first. According to the teachers who broke up the fight, it was pretty much a free-for-all after that. I did sit down with the boys yesterday. They apologized to each other and shook hands."

She glanced between Danny and Scottie. "How are you boys feeling today?"

Both shrugged in response.

She nodded and began to alternate her gaze between Ray and me and Scottie's parents. "Danny and Scottie will receive a mandatory three-day suspension. If they are involved in any sort of fisticuffs again, with each other or anyone else, they will be expelled.

"Do you understand, boys?" She shifted her gaze to the boys in turn.

Danny and Scottie nodded.

"The boys can return to school on Monday. In the meantime-" she tapped two piles of books and folders in front of her, "-their teacher a.s.sembled their cla.s.sroom work for the rest of the week. He'll correct it all on Monday then test them on it. Do you have any questions?"

Oddly enough, none of us did. I think we didn't dare.

Outside the school, Danny climbed into the Lexus while Ray and I shook hands with the other boy's parents one last time. I hoped I'd never see them again.

We watched them get in their car and drive off. Ray shook his head. "You know who they are, don't you?"

I shook my head. "Who?"

"They own the vineyard on the west side of the lake, the one next door to the big hog farm. They've been very vocal opponents of hog farming."

"So you're not the only pig they're against." I smiled.

"Nice, Darlin', really nice." Ray leaned on his patrol car. "Can you take Danny to the shop with you?"

"I guess I'll have to."

"When he needs a break from his schoolwork, he can start helping Cory."

I didn't look forward to that. Maybe I'd take a leaf from Princ.i.p.al Travis' book and develop my own good behavior policy. "I'll have Cory call Brennan and ask him to bring in his car. Maybe I'll pick Erica's car up from The Lincoln House, too." If I couldn't find her spare key in her apartment, I could always have Danny hotwire it. A man should practice his skills, right? That would be our little secret.

Ray followed my car to the shop and pulled his patrol car into the drive behind me. "I didn't see any tail. I'm going to drive by as often as I can, just in case."

He waved. I blew him a kiss.

Danny observed us with a glum expression.

I didn't think now would be the time to ask him about last night's visit with his father, not while he was still reeling from the meeting with Princ.i.p.al Travis this morning. I decided to give him a few hours to regain his confidence instead.

Danny followed me into the shop, shoulders slumped and feet shuffling. But when we walked into the showroom, Danny's eyes lit up at the sight of the Ferrari. "Is that yours?"

"It's for sale. Until then, it's mine." Or the bank's. I can share.

He ran over to the car and leapt into the driver's seat. "It's so cool. I can't believe n.o.body bought it."

I couldn't tell a twelve-year-old the story of the dead man in the pa.s.senger seat, could I? He'd have nightmares. On the other hand, Ray's ghost stories hadn't bothered Danny the other night.

I filled him in on the ghost now riding shotgun. "So, that's why it may never sell. It makes people too uncomfortable."

"I'd buy it. It's awesome."

"I'm glad you like it." That made one of us, sadly not one with any income. "Come on, Danny. You can sit here and do your work." I led him behind the showroom reception counter and set him up with pencils and pens.

He gazed at the pile of books and folders without much enthusiasm.

I sat on the edge of the desk. "Cory will be here at nine. Ray said you can work with him after a couple hours of schoolwork. When you do, you will be polite and respectful. You will respond when spoken to and do exactly what he says. We can't afford any more mistakes."

Danny's eyes darkened.

I waited for an argument. It never came. "Okay. Get started on your work. I'll be in my office."

A stack of mail waited for me. I sorted through the payments, invoices, and junk, watching Danny out of the corner of my eye. He'd opened his books and his pencil appeared to be moving across the page. Poor kid, nothing had gone right for him lately, but we couldn't risk having him expelled from school. Wachobe only had one school, and I wasn't the home schooling type.

Cory breezed through the door at one minute to nine, stopping in the middle of the showroom when he spied Danny.

"Hey, Danny, what're you doing here?"

"I got suspended."

"For fighting?"

Danny nodded.

"b.u.mmer." Cory peered over the top of the reception desk. "Geez, they make you do homework when you're suspended? That stinks." He entered my office and dropped into the chair across from me, leaning forward to whisper, "Nice shiner."

I rolled my eyes. "The other kid's got a broken nose and two black eyes."

Cory whistled.

I moved on. "Listen, do you think Brennan wants to bring his Mercedes in for repairs? Ray would like Danny to help you complete them, you know, to pay off the deductible."

"Brennan's not worried about the deductible."

"At least he's still speaking to you. I bet he doesn't want to eat Thanksgiving dinner at our house again."

Cory stood and waved his hand at me as if to say forget-about-it. "He had his own wild childhood. The Danny thing didn't faze him as much as you. I'll call him now and see if he has time to drop off the Mercedes."

I picked up the phone as Cory disappeared into the garage. I dialed Leslie Flynn's number. After seven rings, I almost hung up. Then I heard her voice.

"Hi, Leslie. This is Jolene Parker. How are you?"

A few seconds pa.s.sed then the voice said, "This is her brother. I'll get her for you."

I heard him put down the receiver and walk away. Then I heard footsteps moving toward the phone. "Hey, Jolene, what's up?"

"You and your brother sound just alike."

"We are twins."

"I guess so. Listen, I hate to bother you, but did he ever tell you if he'd talked with my sister?"

"He did! I think she scared him a little. He likes to look at girls, but he's afraid to talk to them. She came right up and hit on him. She ah ... came on a little too strong."

Like when she asked him if he was big all over? "Sometimes she scares me, too. Did he know the missing girl, Josie Montalvo?"

"No."

Her answer was a little too fast for my comfort. "How do you know?"

"I read about her disappearance in the newspaper, and I asked him. He saw her on stage, that's all. Like I said, he never talks to girls. He just looks."

I wondered about a guy who just looked, but not as much as I wondered about a sister who knew all about her brother's desires to look. It seemed like an odd thing for a brother and sister to discuss over the breakfast or dinner table. Of course, Erica and I talked about things like that, but we were both girls.

Leslie went on, "I meant to call you. We didn't get to really talk until late last night. We spent most of the day fussing with the milking machines and milking the cows by hand. We didn't eat supper until after eight."

The shots had been fired at me around four in the afternoon. Leslie's brother hadn't known I was interested in him then. He'd been milking cows. He wasn't the shooter. I sighed.

"Something wrong, Jolene?"

"No, not a thing. Hey, what about the guy you were interested in? What did he think of your new look?"

"He didn't come by today."

"I'm sorry."

"Eh, the eggs are available every day. My time will come."

"I'm sure it will."

After we said our goodbyes, Cory appeared in my doorway. "Brennan's going to take me out to lunch later, then we'll stop by his house for the Mercedes and I'll drive it back here. In the meantime, I'm going to keep taking his Mazda apart."

"Why are you taking his new race car apart?"

"He bought it used. I want to go over it thoroughly and make sure it's not only going to run well on the track but that it's safe. I'm going to check every line, wire, and bolt."

"Anything I can do to help?"

He pointed his index finger at me. "I was hoping you'd ask. I could use a donut, a fried cake with chocolate frosting."

Cory and I had a tight relationship with the bakery down the street. A donut for breakfast one day, a cupcake for lunch the next. I could gain back all my weight loss by just thinking about what I'd consumed from them in the past. Still, a donut did sound good. I could walk down to the bakery and back to offset the calories.

"I'll go get some."

Cory gave me two thumbs up. "Thanks."

I walked out to the reception desk. "Danny, I'm going to the bakery for donuts. What's your favorite?"

For the first time today, he smiled. "I like powdered with raspberry jelly."

"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes. Cory's in the garage if you need anything."

I set off down the sidewalk, walking as briskly as two-inch heel dress boots allowed, enjoying the sun at first. Halfway there, I realized I was in the open air, easy pickings for any sniper who might be watching me. I should have driven.

I walked faster, keeping an eye on all the approaching cars. It would be hard to shoot me from the far lane, wouldn't it? Who would take the chance at this time of day, with all the other cars and people around? Darn it, did we really need donuts anyway?

By the time I reached the bakery, I'd broken out in a sweat, and not from the weather or my exertion. I could feel my heart pushing against my chest.

My eyes must have looked a little wild, because the clerk hurried to get my donuts and rushed me out the door, right back into the full view of anyone who wanted to kill me.

I walked home on the opposite side of the street, so I could watch the oncoming cars again and glance over my shoulder to make sure no one was sneaking up behind me. In the end, I was side-stepping like a crab.

"Ugh." I smacked into someone on the sidewalk, knocking the wind out of me.

"Jolene, what's the matter with you?"

I turned my head to find Celeste Martin glaring at me.

"Sorry, Celeste. I was just ... looking over my shoulder."

She inserted the key in the entrance to Talbots. "Afraid someone's going to take a shot at you again?"

"How do you know about that?" Ray had promised it wouldn't be in the news.

"The manager of the P&C goes to my church. It was all he could talk about last night at choir practice." She held the door to her store open as if waiting for me to follow her inside. I didn't want to, but then again, maybe I did.

Celeste turned on all the lights and headed to the back of the store. I tagged along behind her, clutching my bag of donuts.

She locked her purse under the counter and turned the key in the cash register. "I wanted to talk to you alone anyway."

"You did? What about?"

Celeste rested her hands on the counter. "There's something funny about your friend Leslie."