Her last name meant something in this town.
It meant petty theft and broken windows and juvenile records. It meant her father in prison, a fixture of the state system, hisname still muttered whenever something went missing. It meant her mother drifting from state to state, never staying anywhere long enough for the credit card bills to catch up with her.
Hart.
A shorthand for trouble.
The cruiser pulled away, tires crunching softly over gravel, and Grace adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and turned toward the front doors.
She could feel the looks, the subtle pauses, half-glances held a second too long.
Police cruiser. Grace Hart.
Of course.
Grace squared her shoulders and walked inside.
The hallway buzzed with early-morning noise but the teachers’ lounge was quieter.
Grace could guess what they were thinking.
Of course she came to work in a police car.She’s a Hart.There’s always something.
She’d grown up fluent at reading judgmental tones of voice. The polite curiosity that wasn’t really polite at all. The way people held themselves back just slightly, like trouble was contagious.
She braced herself as she pushed open the teachers' lounge door.
"Grace!" Mrs. Ellery was up from her chair the moment Grace walked into the lounge. "We saw the police car. Are you alright?"
She’d been expecting judgment, not worry.
Mrs. Talbot set down her coffee mug with a sharp clink. "What happened?"
"I'm fine. There was... someone outside my house last night. I called 911."
Mrs. Ellery's hand flew to her chest. "Oh my God. Were you hurt?"
"I'm okay. Just shaken."
"You should've called me," Mrs. Talbot said firmly. "You could've stayed at my place."
"Or mine," Mrs. Ellery added. "Grace, you shouldn't have been alone."
Mrs. Talbot looked like she wanted to personally hunt down whoever had scared Grace. "What did the police say?"
Grace hesitated. "They're... looking into it."
"I'm calling my nephew," Mrs. Talbot said immediately. "If Crystal Lake PD isn't?—"
"It's fine," Grace said quickly. "Really. Luke—uh—Officer Bennett is on top of it.”
Mrs. Ellery touched her arm gently. "You know if you need anything—anything at all—we're here. Right?"
Grace's throat felt tight. "Thank you. That means a lot.”
She didn’t explain about Eli. About threats that had nothing to do with her.
She didn’t need to justify herself. These women were her colleagues, and her friends.
