“They have a training compound on the southeast side of town off Highway 175,” Webber said. “You can get the exact address online if you need it, though.”
Selena nodded, already pretty sure she knew where it was. She thought she’d seen a sign out that way the last time she’d driven to Athens to see some friends.
She was about to ask Webber what Brooks was like and what other cops thought about him and whether he was married, but the young officer held up a hand as a string of chatter came over his radio. She had no idea what all the codes and cop speak meant, but Webber obviously did.
“I gotta go,” he said. “They need me out front. You can grab your purse, but don’t try to clean up, okay? This is still a crime scene.”
Then he was gone, leaving her in the middle of the mess that was her classroom. He didn’t need to remind her it was a crime scene. That much was obvious.
Selena was digging her purse out of the big desk positioned in the front of the room when she heard the crunch of shoes on glass. She looked up, expecting to see Webber, and was surprised to see the principal and vice principal, relief on their faces.
“Selena,” Eva said, coming over to wrap her in a warm hug. “I tried to get the hospital to tell us if you were okay, but they wouldn’t release any details. I feared the worst.”
“I’m fine,” Selena said as she pulled back.
The hug reminded her again how bruised her body was. She’d noticed the purplish areas coming up as she’d been getting dressed at the hospital. They hurt like hell, but bruises were better than the alternative of getting shot.
“The doctor kept me for a few hours. He was concerned about a concussion,” she added, wanting Eva to know there was nothing wrong with her. “But I passed all the tests, so they said there’s no reason I can’t go right back to work.”
Eva smiled, the corners of her dark eyes crinkling a little behind her glasses. “I’m glad. We were all worried about you.”
While Selena didn’t doubt the older woman was concerned about her health, Eva’s husband happened to be one of the school board’s lawyers. Sadly, that meant almost everything that came out of Eva’s mouth had something to do with school liability. At the end of the day, Eva was probably more worried Selena’s injuries might end up costing the county somehow.
“Can I get some help cleaning up after the police are done with it?” Selena asked hopefully.
Hugh stepped forward. “This place is going to need more than a quick cleaning, Selena. I have people coming over to board up the windows, but they won’t be able to replace them until later in the week. I’m still working with the county office to find someone who can clean up the blood. There are only so many companies who specialize in that.”
Selena was shocked at the wave of anger that surged through her. She felt like punching a wall right then…or at least screaming. But she couldn’t do either of those things with Eva and Hugh there. So instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the frustration and rage flow over her.
“I guess I can use the library. Or the gym if I have to,” she finally said.
It would be a pain in the butt for sure, but nothing she couldn’t deal with. Then she saw the look that passed between Eva and Hugh, and her stomach twisted up. There was something they weren’t telling her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Had somebody gone after Ruben or her other students because he wouldn’t go with Pablo?
“Nothing is wrong,” Eva said. “But you won’t be teaching any classes this week. You and your students went through a horrible ordeal, and the superintendent wants to make sure all of you get the help you need to process everything that’s happened today.” She exchanged another look with Hugh. “We’ve given the students who witnessed the shooting the rest of the week off so they can see a counselor for post-traumatic stress. We’ve also gotten a substitute for you so you can get counseling.”
Selena stifled a groan. The woman sounded like Dr. Pham. “Eva, I don’t need counseling, and neither do my kids. What they need is to be in school instead of out there on the streets. In here, I can keep them out of trouble. Out there, they’re completely on their own. They’re never going to get counseling, and you know that.”
She didn’t know why she bothered. Eva and Hugh were the kind of people who thought schools were there to teach kids and nothing else. They refused to even consider that for kids like hers, school represented safety from alcohol, drugs, gang violence, abusive parents, and a hundred other things that could screw up their lives. Weekends and summer breaks were bad enough, but a week away from this school after everything they’d seen today was the worst possible thing for her students.
She kept trying anyway, hoping to sway Eva, even attempting to get Hugh on her side, but in the end, it was no use. The lawyers and the school board were doing what they thought was the right thing. There would be no arguing with them.
Selena returned to her desk to grab her purse, mentally putting together a list of which students she’d need to check in on first when Hugh spoke. “Selena, Eva and I were in the SWAT vehicle watching the video when Pablo tried to kill you. And while I know you aren’t the kind to seek out professional counseling for yourself, I hope you’ll take this time off to talk to someone. A friend, your family, a priest. Hell, you can talk to Eva and me if you want. But please, talk to someone. Don’t try to do this alone.”
She opened her mouth to tell him that he needed to spend more time worrying about the kids and less about her but bit her tongue. Hugh was just trying to help. It had been a long, crappy day, and her frustration was getting the best of her. So she nodded and thanked Hugh for his concern, then murmured a few noncommittal words about talking to a friend as she left.
The sun had set while she’d been inside, and the parking lot was now lit with nothing more than a few of those fuzzy orange streetlamps, which was why she almost missed the guy standing beside the car near hers as she approached. Selena slowed, her heart beating faster. She was just wondering if she should go back inside, but then the man stepped into the light. She sagged with relief when she saw it was Ernesto. She hadn’t recognized his car, because it was a new one.
“Hey there, Little Sis,” he said with a grin as he walked over to meet her. “What are you doing messing around with the gangs? Don’t you know that’s my job?”
Selena laughed, her mood immediately lifting as her very best friend in the world pulled her into a hug. While she wasn’t really his baby sister, that had never stopped Ernesto Lopez from treating her like one. Or kept her from accepting him as a stand-in for the real older brother she’d lost a long time ago.
“What are you talking about?” She pulled back to take in his fancy suit, not to mention the shoes that looked like they cost more than her car. “You don’t hang with the gangs any more. They’re bad for your image.”
Ernesto chuckled. “True.” He gazed down at her, his expression suddenly serious. “I was scared to death when I found out about what happened to you. Are you okay? I came as fast as I could.”
