“You can’t blame yourself, Emily.” Justine reached out, gave her hand a quick squeeze, looked at her as if she feared Emily might be about to fly to pieces. “It wasn’t your fault he went crazy. God only knows what set him off.”
But Emily did know what set him off.
“Hey, Ms. Mallory!”
Justine turned to greet the football team jogging by in a haphazard formation. “Morning, boys.”
A couple of the guys grabbed their chests dramatically at the idea that she’d even spoken. Wolf calls and flagrant gestures of adoration were showered on the school’s favorite teacher as the team shuffled past like misfit military recruits in boot camp. Justine Mallory had been and, evidently, still was every high school boy’s fantasy.
Justine waved off the last of the hoots and hollers. “Those boys. I swear, they never change.”
“I really have to go.” Emily couldn’t be here any longer. “It was good seeing you again, Justine.” Emily opened the door, the panic threatening to swell again.
Justine touched Emily’s shoulder. “You stay away from him, Em. You’ve been through enough.”
Emily tensed. The breakdown had been kept a secret, but like everything else in this town, rumors got around. Folks still whispered behind their hands about her. She’d learned to hate that about Pine Bluff.
“I don’t mean to scare you,” Justine went on, “but he could still be dangerous. Maybe even more so now. It’s not safe to get too close.”
Emily introduced as much confusion as she could summon considering the realization that comment had prompted. “Why would you think I would do that?”
Had she really expected to be able to hide it? Some folks had nothing better to do. Gossip radars had likely gone up the moment she entered the city limits.
“Rumors get around.” Sympathy marred Justine’s remarkably unlined face. “There isn’t anything you can do, you know. You need to let this go. We all do. Did you see the paper?” She visibly bristled. “They’re even bringing up that nonsense about his so-called alibi. He lied then; he’ll lie now ... or worse. Stay away from him, Em.”
Emily shook her head. She hadn’t seen the paper. “I appreciate your concern, Justine, but I’m fine. Really.” This time Emily got into the SUV. Her parents had the market cornered on concern for her. She didn’t need any more, not even from the teacher and the principal she’d always admired.
“You let me know if you need anything.”
Emily managed a wobbly “thank you” before starting the engine and backing out of the parking slot.
Waving, Justine watched her go.
Before Emily pulled out onto the street she glanced in her rearview mirror. Another woman had joined Justine. To get the latest gossip no doubt. Emily squinted to make out who she was. Haphazard ponytail,baggy clothes, a stark contrast to Justine’s model-perfect appearance. The other woman looked toward Emily’s car and waved. The odor of formaldehyde and mutilated frogs resurrected in her olfactory. Misty Briggs. Biology and Chemistry. Batty Briggs, her students had called her, probably still did. Emily waved back, then drove away.
The rumors were spreading.
Already all eyes were on her. Watching to see what she would do next ... to see if she’d fall apart.
Poor Emily Wallace.
Everyone knew that Heather was dead because ofher.
13
11:30 a.m.
“Chief.”
Ray looked up from the report on an attempted robbery at the Sack & Go last week. His secretary hovered at his door. “What’s up, Mary Alice?”
“Granville Turner called. He’s headed over here. Says he needs to talk to you, that it can’t wait.”
“Send him on in when he gets here.”
Mary Alice Sullenger nodded and went back to her desk. She’d worked with Ray long enough to understand the visits he looked forward to and the ones he didn’t. Though he considered Granville Turner an ally in many ways, Ray also knew firsthand what a royal pain the man could be when he got a burr under his saddle.
Ray heaved a disgusted breath and moved on to the next report. He’d worry about Granville when he got here; until then Ray had a job to do.
