Page 59 of From the Darkness

“Very good,” he finally said. “Yes, this is what I was looking for.”

The pronouncement seemed to do wonders for Nola’s tension level. And Mrs. Martindale, who had been hovering in the doorway, departed.

“Of course, I’ll have to review this material in my office before I write you an official letter,” he said. “But I think I won’t need to make another home visit for several months.”

“That’s good,” Nola answered.

Feeling as if she’d gotten an outstanding grade on her College Board exams, Bree let out a small sigh. “Do you want to see the schoolroom?” she asked, thinking that might be a way to get him off alone.

But he shook his head. “I’ve seen it. I assume there haven’t been any major changes.”

“No,” Nola answered.

Mr. Hirsch sipped his tea and ate several more cookies before standing. “It was nice meeting you,” he said to Bree.

“Yes. Thank you for stopping by. I should get back to Dinah,” she added, leaving the room, still hoping she could get a few moments alone with the man. She didn’t know him. But he seemed to be conscientious about his job, and perhaps he could help her and Dinah get away.

Instead of heading upstairs, she walked to the back door and slipped outside. It was still cool, and she shivered in her thin shirt as she walked quickly around the house toward the front driveway, where she saw a small black car parked.

Hirsch came out, and she started to walk toward him. Then, movement at the side of the driveway caught her eye, and she spotted Graves—pruning bushes.

An unladylike curse sprang to her lips. Every damn bush on the estate looked like it hadn’t been pruned in months—maybe years. Now here was Graves working away like he performed this service on a regular basis.

Probably he’d been sent out here to make sure she didn’t get to Hirsch, she decided, thinking how paranoid that sounded. Yet she couldn’t come up with any other explanation.

She thought about marching to the driveway anyway and asking for a private word with the school official. But that would certainly tip her hand—perhaps without doing any good. All she knew about Hirsch was from one brief meeting. He’d gotten a favorable impression of her from the work she’d presented. But that could change—if she came across as a hysterical female, and he went back to Nola with his assessment.

Her lower lip clamped between her teeth, she watched him climb into his car and disappear down the driveway.

Her pace was slow as she returned to the schoolroom. Under her breath, she began talking to Troy.

“Well, the School Board isn’t going to toss me out on my ear,” she told him. “But I’m no closer to getting out of here than I was when they locked the gate behind me. Any suggestions?”

When he didn’t answer, she cut off the one-sided conversation as she stepped into the room.

Looking around, she was seized by a moment of panic when she didn’t immediately see Dinah at the desk—until she spotted the girl sitting in the love seat in the small alcove at one side of the room. A large book was spread across her lap.

As the child glanced up and saw her, a pinched look captured her face.

Bree walked quickly toward her.

“I . . . I know I’m supposed to be working,” the small voice quavered. “But I was afraid you’d have to leave.”

“No. Everything’s fine,” she said, thinking that at least the statement applied to her tenure here.

“I’m glad,” Dinah whispered.

“Me too.”

She slipped onto the sofa beside the little girl and looked down at the book—a picture album.

She saw several photos of Dinah with Troy. Then Dinah with Grace.

“That’s your mom?” Bree asked as she studied the photographs, thinking that Grace London had been very attractive.

“Yes,” the girl whispered. “I look at pictures of her because when I don’t, I start to forget what she looked like.”

Bree’s heart squeezed. Quietly, she slipped her arm around the child and felt gratified as Dinah leaned into her.

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