Dying To Teach Part 17

He peered at it in confusion a second, then smiled. "Where did you find this?"

"On the floor in the teacher's lounge."

His happy expression sagged.

"We'll talk about it later. I want to get to school before Mrs. Deacon."

"So, you're liking the new teacher," came her mother's voice from the den.

Kiana dropped the other shoe on the floor. "I thought you went upstairs."

"I did. Then I came down."

"So, she's nice?"

"She's great," Evan said.

Kiana put on her jacket, sliding away from Evan's attempt to help. She slipped the backpack over one shoulder, plopped a kiss on her mother's cheek, and pulled open the front door.

Evan followed her down the walk. "Your mom is really nice."

"Overprotective."

"And she's pretty."

"I guess." She stopped at the end of the walk.

"You don't look like her."

"That your way of saying I'm not pretty?"

"You're gorgeous. I tell you that all the time. What I was saying is that you don't look like either of your parents."

Where was this leading? Was it his back-ended way of making up for the near-fiasco at Mr. Reynolds' house? She wanted to stay angry a little long. And she sure didn't want to talk about this. "Dad's mother was born in Peru. I guess I got her coloring."

"Peru, huh?"

She hefted the backpack onto both shoulders, turned and started along the sidewalk.

"Kee?"

"Leave me alone for a while."

He raced up beside her. "Why are you mad?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

Evan didn't catch up again till she stood in front of her locker, switching books around for her first cla.s.s. By now she was feeling bad for the way she treated him. So what if he didn't come to her rescue? Maybe he hadn't realized there was any danger. He was who he was. She had to accept that.

He took the math book from her fingers and held it against him. For the first time that morning, she looked him in the eyes.

"Are we okay now?" he asked.

She nodded. "So, tell me how your lens case got in the teacher's lounge."

He heaved his coat on top of a pile of junk in the bottom of the locker and slammed the door before things could fall out. He turned with a grin. "Simple. Mr. Reynolds sent me to get Mr. Philmore. It must've fallen out of my pocket."

She shot him a doubtful look. Evan might look like a goody-goody, but he had a s.p.u.n.ky side that loved challenges. If somebody dared him to go there...

Kiana let it drop for now. He stepped in place beside her as they headed for their first cla.s.s. "Kee, do you think the janitor did it?"

"You mean, set the fire or kill Gwen?"

"Right now, just the fire."

"The whole fire-thing doesn't make sense. Why would anybody do that?"

The question received a shrug from Evan.

"The only way I can figure he would care about that picture," Kiana continued, "is if he's in it. We need to find out more about him. Can you remember his last name?"

Evan's gave drifted to the ceiling and after a moment, back to her face. "Underwood."

"I was thinking we could ask Mrs. Deacon's boyfriend to check him out."

"Boyfriend seems a funny way to describe him."

"Okay, let's ask her man-friend."

Evan laughed. "That just sounds weird."

As Kiana entered the cla.s.sroom, the teacher wiggled a yellow piece of paper toward her. Kiana read the note: Mrs. Philmore called. The costumes are ready. Want to go with me? Meet me in my office when it's convenient. Mrs. Deacon.

"I have to leave," Kiana said.

The teacher nodded. She already knew. That meant Mrs. Deacon had delivered the note in person. Kiana liked that. Most teachers sent a go-fer.

She found Mrs. Deacon, who wore a gorgeous handkerchief skirt in Kiana's favorite color, teal. The material flowed around her legs as she moved near the green room table, that had been cleaned off and-no, it was a whole other table. This was smaller and less beat-up. Kiana's "good morning" made Mrs. Deacon spin around.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's all right."

Kiana didn't miss the fact that the teacher's eyes flickered over her left shoulder, toward the stage hallway. Something had spooked her. Funny, Kiana wouldn't have thought Mrs. Deacon to be easily frightened. "Everything okay?"

There. She did it again-that little eye-flicker toward the hall. Something was definitely wrong.

"No. Everything's fine."

"Smells awful in here, like somebody cooked an animal."

"The janitor was just here. He went for more fans to air the place out."

Could that be what had her on edge-the janitor? "Which janitor was it, the one from the other night?"

The way Mrs. Deacon nodded told Kiana the janitor wasn't the problem this morning. Somebody, or something, else had her watching the exits.

"You ready to go?"

"Can I leave my backpack in your office?"

"It's open, help yourself."

When Kiana returned, Mrs. Deacon had her jacket on. It was a darker teal than the skirt, made of some soft looking fabric, wide at the shoulders and tapered to make her already-slim waist look slimmer. They walked out together.

It was a beautiful autumn morning with just a touch of chill in the air. Most of the trees had dropped their leaves and were stretching their black branch-fingers to the brilliant blue and white sky. The scene needed to be put on canvas. Kiana wished she could paint. Mrs. Deacon punched the b.u.t.ton on her remote and the headlights of a dark blue car blinked. Was that a Lexus? Man, the theater business in Alton must pay well. Kiana climbed in the pa.s.senger seat and buckled up. But they never made it out of the parking lot.

TWENTY-TWO.

The thumping rear tire made them both groan. She added a curse under her breath and slapped the steering wheel with both palms, which made Kiana laugh. "My mother swears like a sailor when we have car trouble."

"I held it in for your benefit." She got out and went to see how bad it was. It didn't take a mechanic to see the tire had been slashed. Now she did curse.

"That's more like it," Kiana laughed.

Angie jumped. "I didn't know you got out of the car."

"Obviously. This couldn't have happened in a better spot. I bet there are a dozen guys in the shop who'd be more than happy to change it. I'll go ask."

"Ask nice."

"Bet on it."

"I guess I'll call the police."

"You should also call Mr. Reynolds. I think the school has security cameras."

A half hour later the tire was changed and the police report given. Angie and Kiana left Randy searching through the security tapes from that morning and headed for Cilla's shop, stopping first at the coffee shop for well deserved fortification.

Back in the car, Kiana dropped a bomb. "I guess I should tell you what happened this morning."

Angie bent forward and adjusted the heater k.n.o.b, buying a moment to steel her features into nonchalance. Then she sat back in the seat and waited.

"Evan and I found something in Mr. Reynolds' office." She drew an object from her pocket and laid it in Angie's hand.

Angie knew the significance of the rainbow. "I'm sorry, Kiana, I don't get the importance of this."

"This is a gay insignia."

"I know what it is." She laid it on the seat between them. "Where did you get it?"

"In a trashcan in Mr. Reynolds' office. I know you're going to say he could've taken it from somebody-I've already considered that. But I also found one in Mr. Reynolds' car. It was stuck on the dashboard."

"I a.s.sume you're reading some sort of importance into it," Angie asked. Didn't someone mention Randy was gay?

"What if Gw-Ms. Forest found out and threatened to tell on him?"

"You think she'd do that to him?"

"Not under normal circ.u.mstances."

"Have you uncovered any abnormal circ.u.mstances that make you think she'd change her mind?"

"No." Kiana sipped her hot chocolate. "So, do you think we should discount the information?"

"Never discount anything."

The unusual conversation ended as they got out of the car in front of Cilla's shop.

Kiana held the door for Angie. "I love the smell in here. It's like stepping into a giant dressing room."

Cilla was just finis.h.i.+ng up with a customer. She handed a large paper bag across the counter and came toward them, tan rayon slacks and a tan and pink striped blouse. Her reddish-blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail that swished with equal measure rhythm her shoulders.

"Oh. My. Gosh," Angie said as the heat of embarra.s.sment erupted into her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" both Cilla and Kiana said at once.

"I just remembered you and Josh invited me to dinner last night."

Cilla laughed. "I heard you had something a lot more pressing going on."

"You won't even believe it!" Kiana said.

"I was going back to my office to get my things when all h.e.l.l-excuse me Kiana-broke loose."

"I heard you had quite the mess." Cilla was gracious. She didn't seem to harbor any animosity for Angie's forgotten appointment.

Kiana and Angie alternated-much the way Kiana and Evan always did-providing a detailed story about the previous night.

"After the girls called, I rushed back over here to start putting things together for you." Cilla walked toward a folding table set in an open s.p.a.ce. It was covered in piles of clothing. Cilla pointed to each one in turn, naming the character for which it was intended. "I was sure glad Donna provided a list because I'd totally forgotten two of the minor characters." She slapped the nearest piles with her palms.