Page 75 of Death on Riddle Road
“She was—Jaylynn was unlike anyone I’d met.An amazing teacher.Drew the children to her.Drew everyone...”His shoulders dropped as he picked at his salad.“We never had a romantic relationship.Not that anyone believed that after she was killed.”
It didn’t seem the time to interrupt to say that Donna might have believed it.
Besides, he pushed himself up in his seat and said more strongly.“I would have.Would have in a heartbeat.It was all Jaylynn putting on the brakes.She was troubled about their marriage and she thought he was being unfaithful, but she wouldn’t break her vows.”His mouth went sideways in something closer to a grimace than a grin, though his tone was wry.“Not sure she was even all that tempted.”
He ate more salad.
“Did she ever talk about who she thought Derrick might have been unfaithful with?”
“Not really.I don’t suppose I should have said she thought he was cheating on her, because she never did say it outright.”More firmly, he added, “But I know that’s what she feared, what she was saying without saying it directly.
“She loved him.Really, really loved him.And she was determined that they’d be a real family, give Robbie a stable, secure home.As much as she loved Derrick, she loved Robbie a hundred times more.It was all about what was best for him.”
“Which put you...?”
“Way, way down the list as a reliable, safe sounding board.Not the man of her dreams, the way the gossip mill started saying after she was killed.”
A frown pulled down his brows.The expression added a new dimension to his face, sharpening the blandness.If he’d frowned a lot at Jaylynn might everything have been different?
“You know, it wasn’t immediately after she was killed, though.I shouldn’t have said that.That’s how it’s told now, but that wasn’t what happened.I’ve always wondered about that, in fact.It was odd.I mean people knew about our friendship — all the other teachers and staff at school, for sure — we never tried to hide it.Why should we?It never once went beyond what was proper.”
His gaze went unfocused.
Clara and I held still, watching him.
After a full minute, he twitched one shoulder, pulling himself back to this moment.
“As I said, that was Jaylynn’s choice.And I honored it.So...Never once beyond what was proper.And the rumors about us — that it had been something not proper — didn’t come out until...later...”
Clara waited a couple more beats then said very softly, “Do you remember when?”
Without blinking or looking at us, he said, “Right after Derrick’s arrest.”
A woman’s voice cut across the end of his answer.“So, this is where you disappeared to.”
We all looked, but only Evan gasped.
A young woman who gave new meaning to the phrase hugely pregnant grasped the back of the chair next to Evan with one hand.I seriously doubted she could get both hands on it at the same time because of the baby belly.Possible she also had shorter arms than most, but mostly it was the baby belly.
“Quebec?”He tried to scramble upright, but with little room until the back of his chair connected with the one behind him and his wife blocking his sideways exit, he was caught in an awkward half crouch.
“Who are these women?”she demanded.
“They’re—They’re—” Evan stuttered.
“Hi, I’m Clara Woodrow and this is Sheila Mackey,” Clara slid in smoothly.But, hindered by being the farthest away from Quebec Ferguson, her warmth didn’t appear to penetrate.
As for me, I was fully occupied with preventing myself from gaping at her belly.
“I’m out running errands and then I see my own husband here with two strange women.”
Her voice drew stares.
I was dissecting her words.No way she was out running, even errands.Okay, she probably meant it metaphorically, but how could she drive, either?Reaching the steering wheel with both hands couldn’t be any easier than reaching the back of that chair.
Oh, yeah, and Clara and I were notstrange.
The sound of furniture scraping on the floor penetrated and I realized the occupants of the table behind Evan had moved, allowing him to get out of his chair.
