AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Inspector Greenman had spoken to the principal. I needed to do the same. I also wanted to see where my mom spent her time. I'd done a quick search on my phone for information about the school and had learned that it was a charter high school, offering specialized classes in music, dance, and theater for approximately four hundred students who had to audition to get into the program. While some of the staff had photos on the website, Laura Hawthorne did not, and I wondered if that was a deliberate choice.
When I arrived at the school, I parked in a visitor's space and made my way through the front door and into the administrative office. It was quiet in the building, although I could hear music wafting down the hallway. It was a Friday morning just after nine, so classes were clearly in session.
The school secretary, an older woman with sharp eyes, gave me a questioning look. "Can I help you?"
"I'd like to speak to the principal about my mother—Laura Hawthorne."
The woman's eyes widened. "You're Laura's daughter? I didn't think she had any children."
"She has two daughters, and I'm one of them. My name is Brynn Landry."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. We're all very upset about Laura and praying that she recovers."
"Thank you. May I speak to the principal."
"Let me see if she's free." The secretary got up from her desk and disappeared through the door behind her. A moment later, she returned. "Mrs. Hunt will see you now."
I moved around the counter and followed her down the hall and into a large office with windows overlooking an interior courtyard.
The principal was much younger than the secretary, probably in her early forties, with red hair and brown eyes. She got up to shake my hand.
"I'm so sorry about your mother," she said. "I'm Joanne Hunt."
"Brynn Landry."
"How can I help you, Ms. Landry?"
"I'm trying to find out about my mother's life, and I understand she works here."
"Yes. She's been at the school for ten years." Joanne's gaze turned thoughtful. "She never mentioned she had a daughter."
"She left me and my sister twenty years ago, when we were seven."
Shock ran through her eyes. "I had no idea," she muttered.
"I guess that answers my first question, that you didn't know she had kids."
"She told me she didn't have any family."
"I guess when she left, she made that an accurate statement," I said bitterly. "Anyway, you've known her for ten years?"
"No. I've only been here for three years, but we have worked closely together. She's a wonderful music teacher. She has drawn brilliance from kids who had no idea they could be good."
I felt another wave of resentment. My mother seemed to inspire and take care of everyone but me and my sister. She'd supported Kade's art, and she'd been working at a school, encouraging kids to pursue their passions. But she had done nothing for me or for Dani except to turn her back.
There was a part of me that wanted to walk out the door and keep going. But there was another part of me that still wanted to know everything.
"Do you know if my mother had any enemies?" I asked. "Was anyone bothering her? Did she mention problems with friends or coworkers?"
Joanne gave me a sympathetic look. "The police asked me the same questions. The answer to everything is no. Laura didn't mention any problems here or at home. I asked other staff members, and they all said the same thing. As far as anyone knew, she was a happy person."
"And a single person? Did she have anyone in her life?"
"I'm sorry. I don't know."
"She has worked here a long time. Is there another teacher who might have more information?"
"I asked around for Inspector Greenman. I gave him a few names, and he was going to follow up. You should probably talk to him. He'll be able to tell you more than I can."
