a half size difference. Which, again, doesn’t mean much. Some people buy their shoes according to fit and feel, not size. But the difference is small enough that we can’t rule out it’s the same person.”
“So, basically, we know nothing.”
“That’s it in a nutshell.”
“And there wasn’t any DNA or anything found either time?”
“Still waiting on that. And you can’t think of anything you might have that this guy could be after?”
Marianna threw her hands up. “No. I can’t think of a thing.”
“Well, my guess is that he didn’t get whatever he was looking for Friday night.”
She looked up at him, fear flowing freely. “So, I guess that means he’ll be back, huh?”
SIX
Monday morning Marianna hurried to school, anxious for the day to be over so she could see Twister. She’d missed his comforting presence. Joseph had volunteered to pick up the dog for her and have him waiting at her parents’ house since she had basketball practice this evening. Twister would greet her when she walked in the door later tonight.
After she and Ethan had finished eating the day before, he’d driven her home to retrieve some of her things and taken her to her parents’ house. Her mom welcomed Marianna like a long-lost child even though she had just spent Saturday night there, while her father’s furrowed gray brows told her he worried silently.
In the classroom she flipped on the television so the kids could watch the morning news. It was filled with mostly political happenings owing to the upcoming election, and her students found it fascinating to be informed of the latest in the process. Oh, they didn’t understand it in detail, but they knew it was a big deal and therefore wanted to be involved. Marianna was happy to oblige. She and the other teachers had even arranged to have a mock election day for the entire school, with several voting booths loaned to the school by the local voter’s registration office. The workers had agreed to volunteer and run the day like a normal voting day, even having the students register to vote just like any other citizen. The only difference was no one had to meet the age requirement. Everyone was really excited about it, even the staff members.
Josh entered the room and handed over another computer part. Marianna went to her desk, pulled open the drawer and realized she’d left his box in the other teacher’s classroom. Making a mental note to get it later, she dropped the part into the drawer and said, “Thanks, Josh.”
“Welcome,” he signed. Then looked at the television. His eyes went wide and he signed, “Daddy!”
“What?” Marianna glanced up at the screen and noticed a well-dressed man in his mid-forties speaking to the reporter to his right.
Josh jumped up and down, causing the room to shake, his large frame causing the effects of a small earthquake. Books tumbled from the shelves, and the desks danced across the floor. Marianna went to him and laid a hand on his arm. “Josh, calm down.” Josh stopped but didn’t take his eyes from the television.
“Daddy,” he signed again.
Sure enough, that was his father. Marianna had met the man only once at the beginning of the year. The campaign manager for one of the gubernatorial candidates, he would be campaigning from Charleston this week, only about three hours away. Marianna wondered if the man would try to make it down to visit Josh before heading off to the next city on the list. Hmm, probably not or she would have been notified by now. Closed captions played at the bottom, displaying the conversation taking place between the reporter and Josh’s father.
No wonder Josh lived with his grandparents. His father was a busy man, and his mother had died a few years ago.
“…overhead transparencies?”
The question came from the door, catching Marianna’s attention with the noise. Misty Williams, late twenties, tall, red hair, green eyes. And a teacher with an attitude. Why the woman had taken a dislike for Marianna was beyond her.
“I’m sorry?”
Misty rolled her eyes, then stomped into the room to pull open a file cabinet.
Marianna felt her jaw drop but swallowed her desire to snap the woman’s head off. As if she didn’t have enough stress in her life right now without adding Misty’s nastiness to it.
“Excuse me.” Marianna stepped forward and placed a hand on the drawer. The woman’s gall was unbelievable.
Misty stopped her search. “Transparencies. Jean said you have some.”
Marianna sighed. Perhaps if she kept her cool, one day Misty would reveal why she disliked Marianna so much. “Sure, Misty, how many do you need?”
“Four or five should be fine.”
Handing them over, she tried to see beyond the anger— and saw nothing but the raw emotion directed solely at her. She shivered. Why did the woman display such malice toward her?
Misty snatched them and left without a word of thanks.
Shaking her head, Marianna welcomed the rest of her class as they filed in. Her assistant hurried through the door and tossed her lunch bag on her desk. “Sorry I’m late—my car wouldn’t start this morning, so I had to catch the bus.”
“No problem, I’m just glad you made it.” She placed a hand on the woman’s arm, glanced around to see that the students’ attention was on the news and asked, “Dawn, do you know why Misty is so hateful to me?”
Dawn’s eyes went wide, then her lips thinned. “No, but I’ve noticed her attitude toward you.”
“She seemed friendly enough initially, after she first started working here a couple of months ago, but something definitely happened to put her off of me, that’s for sure.”
“I don’t know, but I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for you.”
“Maybe I should just ask her.”
Dawn shrugged. “I guess you could. Or maybe it’s just a phase and she’s having a couple of bad weeks. Who knows?”
“Maybe.”
And then there was no more time to worry about the situation. Soon, Marianna found herself caught up in the business of teaching and the endless stack of paperwork that went with it.
Before she knew it, the day had passed and the final bell had rung. Basketball practice wasn’t until after supper, so Marianna stayed late working on papers. Around five o’clock, she pulled a frozen dinner from her dorm-sized refrigerator and walked toward the teacher’s lounge to zap it in the microwave.
As she stepped from her well-lit classroom into the dark hall, she noticed how empty the building was.
Empty and spooky.
She didn’t need her imagination to fill in what could happen to a lone female in a deserted building. She paused, trying to decide whether to keep going or turn around, grab her purse and get out.
