AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know who she is?”
McCrae searched his mind. Someone older than they were. Someone who’d been “in the game.” One of
the parents or the teachers? He ran through the list and, like a dial, click, click, clicked down to a few choices.
Bailey said Carmen saw something in the woods.
Carmen died when Clarice Billings couldn’t pull her from the water.
“Miss Billings.”
“Bingo, brother. I tried to get you with her that one time, remember?”
“Clarice Billings worked at an adult men’s club?”
“That’s how she paid for college. Gave it all up to be a teacher—well, mostly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, she ran through the male faculty at West Knoll. Brian Timmons never got over her, but Tanner kind of thought she’d screwed around with Kiefer, and that’s why he recommended her for that job she’s got now. Let’s face it, he married the chief’s ex-wife, so neither Kiefer nor Diabla probably wanted her to be hanging around West Knoll anymore.”
“And she was with Tanner?”
“He was of age,” Woody defended. “I woulda done her, wouldn’t you? If you had the chance?”
“Tanner died on Monday,” McCrae said coldly. “You’ve had all week to bring this up.”
“Well, she didn’t kill him,” Woody denied. “She’s not a killer. And she and Tanner were long over.”
“You know that for a fact?”
“Well . . . yeah . . . but I don’t see much of Tanner anymore . . .”
McCrae said tautly, “Carmen saw Clarice with Tanner at the barbeque. In the woods together.”
“Might be,” Woody allowed cautiously. Then, “Y’think that’s what sent Carmen over the edge?”
I think that’s why she wasn’t rescued, McCrae thought.
He got off the phone with hardly a good-bye. Then he called Quin.
* * *
Delta was seated on a hard metal chair. She’d tried to escape when her captor first grabbed her, but he’d wrenched her arms back so hard she was practically immobilized. He’d brought her into the garage, sat her in the chair, and was standing somewhere behind her. The golf cart was to her left, and in front of the door was Miss Billings, Clarice.
“You’ve had your fun, Harry,” Clarice told him. “Now push the body out the window.”
Harry snickered. “What about her?”
Clarice looked at Delta. “I’ve got her.”
Delta poised her muscles, ready to jump, but Clarice pulled a pistol from the small of her back and aimed it straight at her. “I will shoot you,” she said conversationally. “I would prefer not to, but I will.”
Harry walked around her and through the other garage door, which was still open.
“That’s Zora’s car,” Delta said through a dry throat.
Clarice glanced at the white Mercedes. “Yes, it is. We weren’t sure what to do with it. She followed Brian to Anne’s house. Her empty house, I should say. Anne’s good about telling me what she’s doing. We’re good friends. Everyone thought we were rivals, but . . . well, Brian’s no prize. He looked better when he inherited, but dear little Zora snapped him right up. Oh, Anne doesn’t know about me. She only knows about Clarice, the educator and counselor.”
