DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE (19 page)

Her teeth shone white with her chuckle. “I was too busy laughing to be offended. If
the rest of the staff
were
the same way, they’d probably quit getting texts, too. Unfortunately, maybe they
have more to hide.”

“Do you know if Ms. Cooke’s gotten any texts?”

“When I told her about mine, she indicated she had gotten one, too. ‘A ludicrous assumption,’
Brenda had said.”

“I thought as much. How about other teachers? Everyone’s keeping quiet, and I have
nothing to go on.”

Faith pulled the sheet music to her ample chest and thought for a moment. “Tinsley’s
been the most vocal. He brought it up in the faculty meeting. The librarian received
a message as silly as mine. She also deleted it.”

“How about Miss Pringle? Does anyone know for sure if she received a text? Or what
it said?”

“Oh, she got one all right
.
” Faith shook her head. “That poor child. Found her crying in the staff bathroom.
Something about an inappropriate relationship with a parent.”

I studied Faith to see if she believed the truth of the text Maranda Pringle had received.
She didn’t. Just like Leah, she believed the best in people. I hugged Faith.

“Thanks, honey,” she said. “I feel real bad about Maranda. Maybe I could have said
something to her that would have snapped her out of whatever funk she had fallen in.
Despair is the devil’s instrument.”

“Miss Faith, let me know if you hear about anyone else getting texts. And if you can
convince them to go to the police, that would be a lot of help.”

“I will, baby. Now I’ve got to get to class. If you don’t sit on these students, they
just squirm out the door, looking for trouble.” She laughed and sauntered away, her
hips rotating beneath the floral drapery.

I glanced around the empty theater, then squinted up into the dark balcony. Why discredit
these teachers when they hadn’t done anything? Or had they? Certainly not Miss Faith,
but what about the Tinsleys, Vails, and Pringles who seemed to react to the messages?

Sometimes smoke does reveal fire.

It also bothered me that I couldn’t get a good picture of Maranda Pringle. Was she
a harlot or just misunderstood? Why did she leave such a boring suicide note?

Where had she gotten the ADHD medicine? And why
take
it and Xanax when she had a prescription for Zyban? I needed to learn more about
Pringle.

Four people might have answers. Her friend Olivia who worked at Little Verona’s. Grieving
Principal Cleveland. Coach Andy Newcomb, who according to Cleveland, had been recently
stepping out with Miss Maranda.

And Dan Madsen.

Before leaving the school, I found Scott Fisher in his classroom. He wore a white
lab coat and his short, brown hair had a tousled look, like he often ran his fingers
through his hair.

The Expo marker smudges on his forehead provided further proof. I knocked, entered
the classroom, and closed the door behind me.

Framed in the picture window, he looked up from his desk where he chewed on a pen
and appeared to be sorting through a large stack of notebooks.

I scooted between the lab tables to his desk, considering way
s
to make him admit he’d been ghost texted. I decided on a kernel of truth approach,
as I couldn’t admit going through his desk and finding the printed out text messages.

“Hey, Mr. Fisher
.
” I introduced myself as Tinsley’s set director.

“So Tinsley’s been hassled by this anonymous texter
.
” I leaned over his desk, trying my best wheedling look. “I want him to go to the
police, but he won’t do it. I thought if other teachers were getting hassled and they
went forward, maybe he would, too. It’s considered cyberstalking.”

Fisher stuck his pen behind his ear. “I’m sorry to hear he’s having this problem.”

“What about you? Are you having any problems?”

He fixed his gaze on a molecular model hanging behind my head. The pen slipped off
his ear and fell to the floor. Fisher bent over to search for the pen under his desk.
“I’m fine,” he called from beneath his desk. “No problems.”

I crossed my arms and waited for his head to reappear from beneath the desk. “Are
you sure? It’s not like the text messages have to be true to be considered stalking.”

“No. No messages.”

Narrowing my eyes, I fixed him with a hard stare. “Really? I thought I saw someone
in your room last night. I was here after hours helping Tinsley after the auditions.”

His brown eyes widened, causing the pupil
s
to shrink to pencil nub
s
. “My grade book is missing.”

“Someone stole your grade book?” I didn’t have time for the Case of the Missing Grade
Book. I also didn’t have time for the Case of the Pervy Teacher, but I’d have to make
the time. This guy was not going to admit he’d been accused of messing around with
a student. If he had, I’d turn him in. And probably threaten to shoot him. Then, I
might do just that if the student’s parents didn’t first. But if he was innocent and
I turned him in, I could ruin his life.

Dammit. Why couldn’t anyone be honest with me? I’d have to resort to lying
.
“Listen, Mr. Fisher. I’ve heard you’ve gotten texts. I’m close to the Sheriff’s Office.
We need to crack down on this cyberbullying thing and I’m going to give them a list
of everyone who’s been harassed.” I paused to let him volunteer information.

He nodded, glanced at the notebook on his desk, and drew a big checkmark on the page
with his wayward pen.

I felt ready to walk around his desk, grab the moldy banana, and smack him with it.
“Let me put this to you another way. Are you fooling around with a student?”

The color drained from his face. The pen dropped from his hand and rolled off the
desk. He made a move to bend over, but I held up a hand to stop him.

“Mr. Fisher, you are forcing me into a difficult position. There is no point in lying
about the texts, unless you are guilty. And if you’re guilty, I’m declaring a citizen’s
arrest and hauling your ass to jail.”

“Why would you say that?” He spit the words out like he was choking and his face purpled.
“It’s a big misunderstanding.”

My eyes narrowed and my chest heaved.

Behind me, the classroom door slammed open. “I’m going home with Chantelle.”

Fisher gulped air and turned toward the door.

With my fists clenched at my side, I eased to face the student.

A young girl dressed in the Peerless uniform tossed a backpack on a lab table and
looked up. “What’s going on?” Her face scrunched tight. “Who’re you?”

“Cherry Tucker,” I said. “I’m working in the drama department.”

“Right,” she said. “I heard about you. What are you doing
in here
?”

I glanced at Fisher. The purple had faded to a carmine pink, and he had collapsed
in his chair. “I’m wondering that about you. How do you know Mr. Fisher?”

She shrugged. “He’s a teacher.”

“That he is,” I said. “Are you in his chemistry class?”

“Chloe,” Fisher said. “She heard about the accusations. I told you it was a bad idea.
We can’t hide this anymore.”

I tightened my fists and stepped around the desk to stand next to Fisher.

Chloe looked from Fisher to me, shaking her head. “No. You promised. Everyone will
know. They’ll treat me differently.”

“I’m fixing to call the police in two seconds, Chloe,” I ground out the words, willing
my fist not to slam into Fisher’s face in front of the girl. “You don’t have to tell
me anything, but you’re going to have to talk to them. This is seriously wrong.”

She blanched. “I didn’t think...”

“She’s my step-daughter,” blurted Fisher. “Chloe doesn’t want any of the students
to know. It’s innocent. Someone saw her getting into my car. The staff knows, just
not the students.”

I unclenched my fists, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Okay then.” I bit
my lip so I wouldn’t let out a string of curses in front of Chloe and took another
deep breath before continuing. “Chloe, honey?”

“Yeah?” She stared daggers at Mr. Fisher, full of fifteen-year-old piss and vinegar.

“That’d be a yes, ma’am.” My voice caused her to peel her gaze off Fisher and stick
it
on me.

Her eyes widened and voice shook. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I almost got your stepdaddy in a crapload of trouble. Like lose his job and go to
jail trouble. Is Mr. Fisher a nice guy? Does he treat you and your momma well?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She found interest in her backpack strap and focused on winding it around
her finger.

“I’m guessing you couldn’t go to this school unless he was teaching here. Am I right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then put on your big girl pants and own up to having such a nice stepdaddy. Someone
out there is spreading ugly rumors. Rumors that can cause really bad things to happen.
You want that to happen to him?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Do you know who is spreading those rumors? Some kid having fun on his computer?”

“I don’t know.” Her cheeks flared. “Scott’s cool. But his class is hard. Some students
have pressured another teacher’s kid to help them cheat. I don’t want to deal with
that, so I asked Scott not to tell anyone he’s married to my mom.”

I patted Fisher on the shoulder with a trembling hand. “Sorry about that, Mr. Fisher.
I have a tendency to get overprotective in certain situations. No harm done.”

He mopped his face with his hand. “Where did you hear about this?”

I stopped my trek toward the door and turned back to face him. “You got texts just
like the other teachers, didn’t you?”

“I figured it was Preston King, trying to blackmail me so I ignored them. He’s flunking
my class and won’t graduate if he doesn’t pass. A
fter
the nine weeks
grade report
, he threatened to do something to me. I told Ms. Cooke what had happened and showed
her the texts. I assumed she took care of it.”

I whirled away from Scott Fisher, pulled out my phone, and ran out the door.

T
wenty-Two

I dialed Herrera as I scurried to the office. He must have learned my number, because
he answered with a familiar, “What now?”

Too many people answered my calls like that.

“Rumor has it
this
Preston King is running a drug cartel at Peerless.”

“We picked him up last night, but his parents lawyered up and got him out. We couldn’t
hold him on selling fake drugs, but I’m working on a warrant to search his room. His
lawyer said it was a prank, but the kids who bought his mushrooms gave us all kinds
of interesting information about Preston. They stole a grade book in exchange for
the mushrooms.”

“It was probably Scott Fisher’s grade book. I hope you get something on Preston. But
it’s really hard to tell rumors from fact at this school and all my intel on Preston
King is gossip. Do you think he could be our phantom texter?”

“I checked his phone. No texts to any teachers.”

“He would probably email the texts from his computer. That’s what the kids say.”

“The warrant will cover his computer and other equipment. We’ll find out if he did.”

I hung up and hooked a right into the office.

Tara hopped from her seat behind Amber’s desk. “Cherry, I haven’t seen you all day.
How are you?”

“Fine, thanks
.
” I walked past her. “How’re you?”

“Wonderful. It’s so busy in the office, but I’m very glad to help.” She scurried to
match my stride. “Did you see Laurence today? Is he assisting you? Are you going to
work on the set after school today? Do you need any help?”

“Yes. Yes. No. No. Listen Tara, I need to talk to Ms. Cooke. I’ll see you later.”

“Okey dokey, Cherry. If you see Lukey, please tell him I’ve been thinking about him.”

I considered telling Tara what I knew about Luke and Pettit, but figured it would
do more harm than good. Besides, I had more important business. Like going to the
principal’s office again. I knocked on Ms. Cooke’s door and entered at her command.

She looked up from her computer. “Yes?”

“What if Preston King is the one cyberbullying the teachers?”

“And that would be none of your business. I am not going to discuss a student with
you.”

I blew out my breath and turned toward the door.

“Miss Tucker.” She spoke with her clipped principal tones.

I turned back.

“You have no right to deal with any of my students. Your clearance checks out
,
and I’ll allow you to paint the set, but that’s it. I don’t want you here during
school hours. You are only allowed at Peerless under Tinsley’s direct supervision
and only in the theater during the scheduled rehearsal time. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I scraped my beaded cuff along the ground and knocked off a skull.

“You’re dismissed.” She turned back to her computer.

I stalked from her office, held up my hand to stop Tara’s mouth from running, and
stormed out of the building. After-school rehearsal wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow.

I’d been suspended from school. If Grandpa found out, he’d kick my can for sure.

If I had a better vehicle I would have burned rubber out of the school parking lot,
but the Datsun didn’t burn anything but oil, so I had to content myself with puttering
back to town. I never got a chance to eat in the Peerless cafeteria, so I pondered
the best place to fill my stomach and work out my current troubles. I headed southeast
into Line Creek, swung by Lickety Pig, and pulled into the Sheriff’s Office smelling
of barbecue. Grasping paper bags and cups of tea in both hands, I backed through the
glass door and dumped a bag in front of the shielded reception window.

Tamara arched a brow. “Is that for me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “And I’ve got one for Uncle Will. Is he around?”

Tamara slid an arm through the window’s hole and snagged the bag. She tossed her braided
pony tail back, causing a frenzied clicking from the red, white, and black beads.
“You bringing anyone else barbecue?”

“No, ma’am. Just myself. I thought I’d eat lunch with Uncle Will.”

Her deep ochre eyes studied me. “I thought you were working at that school.”

Dammit, how did Tamara sense I had gotten expelled? “It’s an after-school gig. Set
painting.”

“Stay out of trouble.” She pushed the buzzer.

“Yes, ma’am.” I scurried to the door, yanked it open, and sped up the hall. Just before
I knocked on Uncle Will’s door, the entrance to the junior officers
’
room opened, and Luke poked his head out.

“Thought I saw you on the monitor,” he said. “Is that for me, sugar?”

I steeled my loins and thinned my lips. “No. I am visiting my Uncle Will.”

He sauntered over, his uniform hugging his lean frame and causing a frenzy of hormones
to ping pong inside my body. “How are you today?”

I tipped my chin up. “Just fine and you?”

“Feels a little cold in here.” Luke faked a shiver and tucked a stray hair behind
my ear. “Are you mad I didn’t take you home last night? I wanted to take you home.”
He winked.

“Ha.” I clenched the barbecue bag and styrofoam tea cups and used my shoulder to untuck
the hair. “Actually, I was glad Todd picked me up. I got to hear about his conversation
with Tara. She told Todd all about her prior engagement to Anthony Pettit.”

“Oh.” Luke’s swagger dipped into now-I’ve-done-it realm.

“Nice work, Harper. You broke Tara’s heart just to get back at Pettit. Hope you taught
Pettit a good lesson
.
” I backed toward Will’s door. “I sure learned one.”

“Hear me out
.
” Luke snatched the Lickety Pig bag from my hand. “I wasn’t trying to use Tara. Pettit
is an asshole. Everyone knew he was getting some on the side. When I saw Tara at Red’s,
I felt sorry for her and asked her to dance. I didn’t tell her to break up with Pettit.
I didn’t tell her anything.”

“You asked her to a wedding.”

“I needed a date and she’s nice. And I thought you were with Todd McIntosh.” His voice
softened. “I’d rather have taken you.”

“You can’t take me to a Branson wedding, Luke. You can’t even bring me to the house
without causing a fracas
.
” I felt my eyes tear up, and I kicked the wall with the heel of my boot. “Our family
history is too ugly.”

And about to get uglier. Damn Bransons. And Cody.

“They’re not my family, sugar. I meant what I said about not letting them get between
us.” He pushed the Lickety Pig bag back into my hand. “What’s going on at school today?
Everyone talking about the kids we caught in the garden?”

I nodded, glad to be on the safer topic of suicide and stalking. “Dr. Vail and Cleveland
weren’t at school today. And Dan Madsen’s back in town, which I find a little too
convenient.”

“See if any of them will meet you at Little Verona’s. Maybe you’ll get a reaction
from Pringle’s friend.”

The door next to my elbow swung back and Uncle Will’s bounty filled the opening. “There
you are, hon’. Tamara said you brought me lunch. Kind of late for lunch, but just
pleased as punch to have you think of me. And then I wondered if you’d changed your
mind.”

“Just got sidetracked,” I said, handing Will the bag.

“Come in and share my repast.” He nodded at Luke and guided me into the room. “Talking
about the Peerless case, were you? I heard about the fake drug bust last night.”

Luke stepped into the doorway. “Turned out to be a prank, but the kid in question
might actually deal.”

I followed Will to his desk, plopped into a chair, and scooted sideways to face both
men. “Herrera is trying to get a warrant. They’re going to check Preston King’s computer
to see if he’s also sending the texts.”

“Deputy Harper, you got some place to be?” Will paused from unwrapping his sandwich
to glance at Luke. “I don’t believe your orders include chatting with my niece.”

“Yes, sir.” Luke spun on his heel and shut the door.

I turned back to face Will. “Herrera told me about Pringle’s tox screen. Why would
she take ADHD meds when she had antidepressants available?”

“Perhaps the young drug dealer will have information about that. Kids will try any
kind of drug, and ADHD meds are easy enough for them to get and sell. Strattera is
not something an adult would normally seek out for getting high, though. From what
I understand, it’s non-stimulatory. Not like Adderall.”

“So if Maranda Pringle wanted to commit suicide, Strattera makes sense.”

“I suppose.” Will sighed and took a bite out of his sandwich.

“I wish the GBI would hurry up and decrypt her phone to check for those deleted texts.
Herrera and Luke think the Phantom is just some kid causing mayhem. Poison pen stuff
without really knowing if the insinuations are true. I think certain texts may be
deliberate. Possibly blaming certain folks for Ellis Madsen’s death last year.”

The clock on the wall clicked off seconds.
Will chewed his barbecue, and I unwrapped my sandwich, both of us consumed by our
thoughts.
“Of course, some texts seem to have nothing to do with Ellis or anything at all
.
” I sighed. “I don’t get it. I need more information, but maybe Luke’s right about
the Phantom’s scatter-shot approach.”

“You’re spending some time with Harper on this.” Will eyed me over his sandwich. “Remember
what I told you? Are you taking my advice seriously?”

“Of course,” I said. “I take catching the perp who’s bullying teachers very seriously.
One woman may have lost her life to him. That’s pretty sobering.”

Will swallowed and coughed. “You’re not catching any perps, honey, that’s Herrera’s
job. You’re just solving a puzzle.”

“Right.” I smiled like I meant it.

“Anyway, that’s not what I’m talking about. You’re not fooling around with Harper
when I told you to leave him alone?”

“What if he doesn’t want to leave me alone?”

“Then I’ll get a restraining order
,
although I’d rather not since he’s a good officer and it would reflect badly on my
department.”

I rolled my eyes. “I understand.”

“Have you talked to Cody?”

“I can’t find him to talk to him. I saw him for about two seconds and he took off
before we could have words.”

“What is going on with that boy?”

“I don’t know.” The barbecue stuck in my throat and I took a long sip of tea.

Will’s forehead produced new wrinkles. “Did he and JB Branson get into a scuffle at
the dealership? Is that why Cody quit?”

I kept my lips busy with the tea straw.

“Damn, I bet Cody mouthed off to JB and got fired. Now Cody’s mad and looking to get
even with the boss.” Will shook his head. “Y’all are too stubborn for your own good,
you know that?”

“I know,” I muttered.

“I can’t waste my man power on a family issue,” Will said. “You’ve got to find your
brother. Before Cody does something really stupid and one of my deputies ends up arresting
him.”

I’d add it to my to-do list.