wait until PTA.
I stopped back by the art room. Rachel was pushing in the chairs. “Quite a day, huh?” she said. “I’ll bet you didn’t think you’d have this much excitement here at Celosia Elementary.”
“I’d like to get my facts straight,” I said. “Start from when you left with Jennifer and tell me exactly what happened.”
She propped herself on one of the tables. “I helped Jennifer carry the drawings up to Thad’s office. One my way back, I remembered I needed to talk to Jacey about making some dough for a bead-making project I’m starting with my third graders. It would only take a minute, and I knew you had the class in hand—they loved you, by the way. I hope you can come back another day.”
“Thanks. I will.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. The little beads on her ear cuff dangled. “Jacey always has a cigarette break around one thirty. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten that Amelia does, too. She almost didn’t let me get past her to speak to Jacey. That’s when she started gasping and having trouble breathing. She fell, and I told Jacey to call Thad while I tried to revive Amelia. A lot of people on the faculty have CPR training. But by the time Thad came, she’d stopped breathing, and I couldn’t do anything else.”
“This may sound unkind, but do you think Brenda Mullins could’ve saved her?”
Rachel wasn’t offended. “I don’t know. But she wasn’t here. I did the best I could.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“The family’s not going to sue me, I hope. I mean, they had to know if Amelia kept smoking like that, something was bound to happen.”
“That’s why I’m asking these questions.”
She looked at her wrist watch. “Well, do you have any more questions? I have to go pick up the girls. Thank goodness they go to Parkland Academy. This would have upset them terribly.”
“Your girls don’t go to school here?”
“I decided Parkland Academy was better for them.”
“No more questions right now.”
“Okay. See you tonight?”
“I’ll be here,” I said.
***
I was a little surprised to find Fiona Kittering waiting for me at my office door.
“Madeline, did you hear about Amelia Lever?”
I wasn’t surprised any more. News traveled very fast in Celosia. “Yes, I happened to be at the school to talk to a class.”
“What was it? A heart attack?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
“Looks like? Are you on a case?” Fiona’s eyes went wide. “They think someone murdered her?”
“No, I’m just making sure everyone at the school did all they could.”
“I’m sure they did, even though she was a mean old bat—not to speak ill of the dead.” I unlocked my door, and Fiona followed me into my office. “But this isn’t going to interfere with Nathan’s case, is it? He came to you first.”
“I won’t slight Nathan.”
“It’s just that he has only one week.”
“What do you think the riddle means?”
I thought she’d sit down in the armchair, but she paced in front of my desk. “I’ve gone over it a million times, and it doesn’t make a bit of sense to me. Have you been to see Tori Dewey?”
“Yes, I met her this morning.”
“And you got along all right? She didn’t throw you out?”
“When’s the last time you saw her?”
Fiona stopped pacing. “What do you mean?”
“She’s a tiny, shy woman who seems perfectly harmless.”
Fiona still didn’t answer my question. “She must have really liked you. Did you find out anything?”
“She doesn’t mind if I look around. I’m going back to her house tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful. I told Nathan you could do it.”
“I haven’t solved the riddle yet.”
“Well, you’ve certainly made more progress in one day than anyone else.”
“I’m taking Jerry with me. He’s better at solving riddles.”
“She said he could come, too?”
“Yes.”
Fiona looked puzzled. I was about to ask her if she’d like to join us when she said, “You two
I stopped back by the art room. Rachel was pushing in the chairs. “Quite a day, huh?” she said. “I’ll bet you didn’t think you’d have this much excitement here at Celosia Elementary.”
“I’d like to get my facts straight,” I said. “Start from when you left with Jennifer and tell me exactly what happened.”
She propped herself on one of the tables. “I helped Jennifer carry the drawings up to Thad’s office. One my way back, I remembered I needed to talk to Jacey about making some dough for a bead-making project I’m starting with my third graders. It would only take a minute, and I knew you had the class in hand—they loved you, by the way. I hope you can come back another day.”
“Thanks. I will.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. The little beads on her ear cuff dangled. “Jacey always has a cigarette break around one thirty. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten that Amelia does, too. She almost didn’t let me get past her to speak to Jacey. That’s when she started gasping and having trouble breathing. She fell, and I told Jacey to call Thad while I tried to revive Amelia. A lot of people on the faculty have CPR training. But by the time Thad came, she’d stopped breathing, and I couldn’t do anything else.”
“This may sound unkind, but do you think Brenda Mullins could’ve saved her?”
Rachel wasn’t offended. “I don’t know. But she wasn’t here. I did the best I could.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“The family’s not going to sue me, I hope. I mean, they had to know if Amelia kept smoking like that, something was bound to happen.”
“That’s why I’m asking these questions.”
She looked at her wrist watch. “Well, do you have any more questions? I have to go pick up the girls. Thank goodness they go to Parkland Academy. This would have upset them terribly.”
“Your girls don’t go to school here?”
“I decided Parkland Academy was better for them.”
“No more questions right now.”
“Okay. See you tonight?”
“I’ll be here,” I said.
***
I was a little surprised to find Fiona Kittering waiting for me at my office door.
“Madeline, did you hear about Amelia Lever?”
I wasn’t surprised any more. News traveled very fast in Celosia. “Yes, I happened to be at the school to talk to a class.”
“What was it? A heart attack?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
“Looks like? Are you on a case?” Fiona’s eyes went wide. “They think someone murdered her?”
“No, I’m just making sure everyone at the school did all they could.”
“I’m sure they did, even though she was a mean old bat—not to speak ill of the dead.” I unlocked my door, and Fiona followed me into my office. “But this isn’t going to interfere with Nathan’s case, is it? He came to you first.”
“I won’t slight Nathan.”
“It’s just that he has only one week.”
“What do you think the riddle means?”
I thought she’d sit down in the armchair, but she paced in front of my desk. “I’ve gone over it a million times, and it doesn’t make a bit of sense to me. Have you been to see Tori Dewey?”
“Yes, I met her this morning.”
“And you got along all right? She didn’t throw you out?”
“When’s the last time you saw her?”
Fiona stopped pacing. “What do you mean?”
“She’s a tiny, shy woman who seems perfectly harmless.”
Fiona still didn’t answer my question. “She must have really liked you. Did you find out anything?”
“She doesn’t mind if I look around. I’m going back to her house tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful. I told Nathan you could do it.”
“I haven’t solved the riddle yet.”
“Well, you’ve certainly made more progress in one day than anyone else.”
“I’m taking Jerry with me. He’s better at solving riddles.”
“She said he could come, too?”
“Yes.”
Fiona looked puzzled. I was about to ask her if she’d like to join us when she said, “You two
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