Page 47 of Final Escape
“I tried to tell you,” Marie said, joining her at the doorway. “This is one principal who is all about the status quo. Me? Maybe I started out with stars in my eyes, but I don’t want to move away. Now I’m just happy doing the best job I can within the system, and I let it go at that.”
“This isn’t what I want.” Carrie reined in her frustration. “But it’s way too late to look elsewhere for the fall and Ineeda job to pay off my legal expenses from the divorce.”
“You also wouldn’t want the bad reference you’d get if you broke your contract for the fall. And given that other little problem of yours, I can’t think of a school system that would want to take a chance. At least, until the murder investigation is over.”
“But shouldn’t the welfare of a child matter more than anything?”
“Absolutely.” Marie rested her hand on Carrie’s arm. “You can help Noah a great deal, when he comes back. Just like his teacher did all last year with consistency and attention and praise.”
“I guess.”
“So, do you have time for lunch today?”
All of the other teachers had been distant since the weekend of Billy’s death, and though Marie had remained cordial, this was the first real gesture of friendship anyone at the school had offered since Billy died. “I’d like to, but I work at the rafting office this afternoon.”
“So you’re still getting along okay out there?”
“It’s quiet, but fine.” Carrie sighed. “Business is slow.”
Marie shuddered. “Well, I’ll have to say that you’re a braver woman than I am, just for staying out there. No matter what people say, I don’t believe you could’ve had anything to do with murder. And I’d always be wondering—what if the killer comes back?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
On Friday, a week afterPrincipal Grover’s sharp words in the hall outside her classroom, Noah still hadn’t come back to summer school. He and his aunt hadn’t been in church, either.
So when Carrie saw them outside the tiny town library on Monday afternoon, she hesitated, then pulled her Tahoe into an empty parking space a half block away and walked back.
Noah saw her first and offered a tentative smile of welcome. But when his aunt glanced around to follow his gaze, she stiffened and grabbed his hand.
“Hi, there,” Carrie said warmly, smiling at them both. “Beautiful summer day, isn’t it?”
Noah’s smile wobbled, then faded when his aunt gave his hand a slight jerk of warning. “Yes, it is,” she said. She shoved a long hank of dishwater-blond hair behind her ear. “So I guess we’d better be going.”
She turned to leave and Noah obediently followed, though he glanced over his shoulder at Carrie as if he wanted to say something but didn’t dare. “I hope we’ll get to see Noah back at school someday,” she called out.
Linda continued on a few more strides, but slowed to a stop, her shoulders slumped. She whispered a few words to Noah and gestured toward a bench in front of the bank, waiting until he dutifully went to the bench and sat down, and then she turned back.
