Foxe Hunt (17 page)

Embarrassed, Skyler looked away. “But I do want to see you,”

he said quietly.

Keith paused. He was breathing hard. His fingers were restless on the clipboard hanging at his side, loosening and tightening.

“And I want to see you. If you could just see your way to trusting me.”

He jerked his head up. “I do! I really do.”

Keith sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked over his shoulder toward the field. The wind had died down to a rippling breeze, still strong enough to stir up dried leaves that ran in circles around the school benches. The lights on the field were coming on and the sun hung at a lower angle near the purpling mountains. “Okay. How about dinner tonight?”

“I was meeting my friends for dinner.”

“Oh.”

“But why don’t you come? No more surprises, I promise.”

“Okay, Skyler. If you can trust me then I can trust you.”

§ § §

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131

The Taquito Grill’s ceiling was painted with a twilight sky.

Strings of paper lanterns lit the dining area with soft lighting.

Sidney was absent. She said she was too busy with work, but Jamie, Philip, and Rodolfo were sitting in a booth when Skyler arrived. “Hi guys.”

“Hi, Skyler,” said Rodolfo flirtatiously. “I’m glad to see you’re alone.”

“Not for long. I’ve invited Keith to come.”

“Oh.” He wilted, scooped up a chip, and crunched it loudly.

Jamie poured some margarita from the pitcher into a glass and passed it to Skyler. “So all is forgiven? Did you ask him about the computer thing?”

“Yes, and it’s all perfectly innocent, I guess.”

Philip sipped his drink. “What do you mean, you guess?”

“Mr. Sherman confirmed his story. Kind of did it in front of the both of us.” And Skyler explained what happened.

“Smooth,” said Philip. “And the guy still wants to see you?

Give him points for perseverance.”

Skyler shrugged and took a gulp of his margarita. “So it’s okay between us. Like I said, he’ll be here any minute, so
please
, you guys, don’t say anything embarrassing.”

“We never say anything embarrassing, do we Jamie?”

Jamie shook his head at Philip. “Not me.”

“Guys,” he warned.

“Here’s Hunk on a Stick now!” chirped Jamie.

That was just the sort of thing— Skyler turned around and there he was. All right, so he was Hunk on a Stick but he hoped Keith hadn’t heard that.

When he got to the table he leaned down and kissed Skyler on the lips. No one had ever done that. Not in Redlands. Not at his favorite restaurant. Not out in the open like this. He quickly looked around but there was only a young waitress in the back who was looking at them and smirking. What if one of his
132 Haley Walsh

students was here?

Keith seemed oblivious and scooted in next to him. “Hi, everyone. So what’s good here? I’m starved.”

Philip rested his chin on his hand. “So Keith. How are you finding life in Redlands?”

Keith lowered his menu and smiled, turning to Skyler. “I’d say that things are looking up.”

Jamie “awwed” while Rodolfo rolled his eyes and loudly crunched another chip.

“Keith,” said Jamie. “Skyler tells us you’re from Seattle.”

“Yes, I’m from there. I lived in a lot of places, though. Went to school in Boulder.”

“That’s in Colorado,” Jamie stage-whispered to Rodolfo.

“I know where Boulder is,” he snapped. “A boulder is also just a big rock.”

Keith narrowed his eyes slightly at Rodolfo but said nothing.

The cute waiter showed up to the table, looking them over until his eyes fell on Skyler. He sighed. “I’m guessing you want the number three with no beans.”

Keith nudged him with his elbow. “Skyler, if you order the enchiladas ala carte with rice on the side you save twenty-five cents.”

He looked at Keith’s sincere expression and said, “I’ll do that then.”

“I’ve only been saying that forever,” said the waiter under his breath.

Everyone ordered and then filled up their glasses as the waiter left.

Philip turned to Skyler. “Any word on your friend Jeff?”

“No. In fact, I’ll have to call him. I could just kill Sidney for arresting him. How could she think that?”

“Some people seem innocent when they’re not,” said Keith Foxe hunt
133

casually, munching on a chip. Skyler glared at him. “I’m just saying.”

Skyler brooded into his drink. He wished that Keith hadn’t said that. He kept thinking about their quick meeting with Mr.

Sherman and it all seemed so spurious, like what
wasn’t
said was making Skyler uneasy. And then he remembered that Sidney said the same thing about the holes in Keith’s records: What
wasn’t
said was the suspicious part. What sort of “job” would he be doing on the principal’s computer that he’d have to do it late at night? Because Skyler was just not buying the nerves-on-edge excuse. Why did the man have to be so mysterious? Wasn’t there enough mystery surrounding them? Damn, he thought he was okay with this but the least little thing made him question it all over again.

His phone buzzed. He took it out and saw that it was Sidney.

“Hi, Sid.”

“So you’re talking to me again?”

“You’re such a beyotch! Yes!”

“Okay, then. Just clearing that up. I thought you’d like to know. Julia Meyers just woke up.”

Skyler made his excuses. Keith even offered to go with him, but with a pang of something unnamed, Skyler didn’t think that the first thing Julia would want to see was Keith Fletcher.

After stopping at the florist, he made it to the hospital in fifteen minutes. Sidney had told him which room and when he exited the elevator and walked toward the room number, he expected to see a police guard standing outside of it. But the hall was empty except for a frail old man in a hospital gown, holding the back closed with one hand and clutching a rolling IV stand with the other. The place smelled of antiseptic and floor cleaner.

He hated the smell of hospitals.

Skyler looked through the window on the door and saw Sidney inside. Tentatively he knocked and Sidney glanced up. He pushed it open. “Can I come in?”

She motioned for him to come forward. She turned back to the bed, which was still hidden behind a curtain, and said, “A teacher from your school is here. Skyler Foxe.”

“Skyler?” said a hoarse voice. When he came around the corner he was shocked by what he saw. Julia had been a hefty woman, but three weeks in a coma gave her a waxy, sunken look.

Sidney had told him she woke up yesterday but since she had no family she hadn’t had any visitors except for police. The poor thing had had a tube down her throat for nutrition and she told him that her voice was going to be sketchy, and
not
to ask her any questions. But of course, he was itching to do just that.

A tiny Asian nurse fussed at the beeping machines at her bedside and she turned a stern eye on him as he got closer.

Skyler clutched a bouquet of flowers. Her eyes followed him as he moved into the room. He forced a smile. “Hey, Julia.”

“You’re the new English teacher,” she said in that harsh voice like a raspy whisper.

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He flicked a glance at Sidney. She had a look that said she would tell him more in a bit.

“Yeah.” He set the flowers on her nightstand. “I’m the one who was there when you had your…accident.”

“I don’t remember it,” she said. And by her eyes, he could tell she barely remembered him. Until something in them came into sharp focus. “You have to be careful, Skyler. Something isn’t right at the school. Jordan Stacey was paid to leave. I know she was.”

“Jordan Stacey…the biology teacher? The one Keith Fletcher replaced?”

“Yes. Fletcher. I think he’s trouble.”

Skyler’s gut flipped. “But he seems okay. He seems like a nice guy.”

“Looks can deceive. It was Jordan who first told Mr. Sherman about the grades.”

Skyler moved closer. “What about the grades, Julia?”

“Skyler,” warned Sidney. “You don’t want to tire her.”

He ignored her. “What about the grades, Julia?”

“She knew that some of her students—those on the football team—were getting lower grades than what was showing up on the computer files. She filed an objection and she said the football coach warned her to stop.”

Skyler glared at Sidney.
See?
he wanted to yell. “Julia, why didn’t you tell me all this before? You just gave me a bunch of cryptic warnings.”

“I didn’t know you either. I guess I’ve grown a bit paranoid.”

She gave a wry laugh that sounded more like a cough.

Sidney moved in front of Skyler. “Ms. Meyers, do you know personally of any direct threats to you?”

“Yes.” She licked her lips. “I went into the computer and checked the data for two years back and rechecked it to my own records. The grades had been changed. I bypassed Sherman and went directly to Carson and he laughed me out of the gym.”

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“Did he threaten you?”

“He…he…”

The machine began to beep louder and the nurse approached the bed. “I’m going to have to ask the two of you to leave. Ms.

Meyers’ blood pressure should not be elevated like this.”

Sidney held up a hand to her. “Ms. Meyers, what can you tell me about your accident?”

She frowned. Her eyes showed her distress. “Nothing. I don’t remember it.”

“Ms. Meyers, I can’t proceed without more information.”

“But it had to be Carson!” cried Skyler. “Who else?”

“Okay, that’s it,” said the nurse. She grabbed Skyler’s arm in a pretty strong grip and reached for Sidney, but she swept her coat back, showing the badge pinned to the waist of her skirt. “Uh uh,” she warned.

She left under her own power and the nurse deposited Skyler outside the door. Another nurse came trotting down the hall and went into Julia’s room. Skyler stared at the movement of the nurses through the window until one pulled the curtain and blocked the view.

Skyler chewed his lip. “I hope she’ll be okay.”

“The fact that she woke up is a good indication.” Sidney paced across the shiny floors. “But that she can’t remember the incident sucks big time.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I have to wait and see. Maybe she’ll remember more.”

“What about Carson? You heard her. The man’s a menace.”

“Skyler, I already investigated him. He wasn’t there at the time.”

“Well, what about his flunkies?”

“Like Keith Fletcher? Julia Meyers doesn’t seem to have a very good opinion of him.”

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“That’s because she doesn’t know him.”

“Oh yeah? When were you going to tell me about the computer thing in Sherman’s office?”

“How did you hear about that?”

“Jamie. He’s my source for all information Skyler-related.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“Well? So what did Keith say to convince you that he
wasn’t
up to no good?”

“He said he was doing a job for Mr. Sherman. And then we went to Mr. Sherman and asked him. And he agreed.”

“A job? What sort of job?”

“They didn’t tell me. I assume because it’s none of my business.”

“Has it occurred to you that maybe Mr. Sherman might be in on it? Might be collecting some sort of kickback?”

“Mr.
Sherman
? He’s as straight-laced as they come. But I did hear a rumor about Wes Sherman
Jr
.” Skyler related what he had heard, especially the phone call he’d overheard from Carson. “So what do you think of that, detective?”

“Hmm.”

“Is that an interested ‘hmm’ or a go-away-and-shut-the-fuckup-Skyler ‘hmm’?”

“An interested ‘hmm.’”

A shadow fell over her and Skyler turned around. Mike de Guzman stood there, looking like he stepped out of
Law & Order
with his short black hair and a well-fitting tan suit on his trim shoulders. “Skyler.”

“Hi,
Mike
,” he said with a smile. He turned that smile on Sidney.

A blush tinged the man’s bronzed cheeks. “So Sid finally told you about me.”

“Uh huh. I think the two of you should come over to my Foxe hunt
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place some night for dinner. Get things rolling.”

“‘Things’?”

“You know. This dating thing.”

Mike glared at Sidney, who turned away but not before punching Skyler in the shoulder. “Ow!”

“You told him
that
? You finally tell your best friend about me and you tell him
that
?”

“He’s my best friend. I tell him everything.”

Skyler gave Mike a shit-eating grin. “I’m afraid that’s true. So
Mike
.” He put his arm around the man’s shoulders and steered him away from Sidney. “Get her to come over some night. We’ll double date.”

“Oh. You have a boyfriend?”

“Well, he’s not exactly a boyfriend…”

“Skyler,” said Sidney catching up and walking on his other side. “I don’t think you should see Keith anymore.”

Skyler stopped. “What? Why? Is it because of what Julia said?”

“Yes. What do you really know about that guy?”

“The boy scout with the holes in the record?” asked Mike.

God, he knew, too?

“Yeah. That guy. Skyler, I think it would be safer if you just cooled it.”

“He didn’t do anything. And it sounds like all this stuff with the computer happened way before Keith got to the school.

Maybe you should follow up on this Jordan Stacey. Ask her what the deal is.”

“We are. But she moved out of state and she’s been hard to locate.” She seemed to cut herself off in mid-thought. “Still,” she resumed, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“But…I like him.”

She sighed and exchanged glances with Mike. “Skyler, I can’t
140 Haley Walsh

tell you how many times a guy that looked perfectly innocent turned out to be very guilty.”

He looked at Mike for confirmation and he nodded apologetically.

“Really?”

They both nodded together.

“Shit.” It did seem like a lame story—doing a “job” for Sherman, but the principal said it was true. Except maybe he was up to something, too? This was getting insane. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to trust anyone!