something by the blackboard?”
“I’m just thinking, Mr. Turner.”
“Working on your math problems?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good,” he said.
She bent her head over her math paper. She was behind again. The time was almost up, and she had ten problems to do. She raced along and managed to get five more done before Mr. Turner began to collect the papers. But with five problems not finished, she couldn’t expect to get an A, probably not even a B. What was happening to her this year?
At least another school day was over. Everyone was getting ready for the bell to ring. She didn’t even feel like taking her homework home. She knew she had a bad attitude, but she wasn’t getting anywhere with Mr. Turner. She didn’t seem to be able to please him. She grabbed her history book, her math book, and her worksheets and headed for the door.
“Meg?” Mr. Turner’s voice stopped her.
“Yes.”
“Is your mother going to be able to make conferences?”
Meg felt her stomach drop. Conferences were the week after Thanksgiving. What would he tell her mother? “I think so.”
“I know she works during the day. I could schedule her to come in toward the end of the day.”
“You should probably talk to her.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.” Even the way he said that made her stomach turn. Maybe that’s why his name was Mr. Turner.
Mrs. Tabor was waiting for dinner. What was taking Lily so long?
Lily knew she liked to eat a big meal at lunchtime, right at noon. That’s when she had always eaten her big meal. When her husband was alive, she often baked biscuits, some kind of meat, potatoes, and a vegetable. He had never said much, but from the way he wolfed down the food, she knew it was appreciated. Once or twice a week, she’d try to make a pie. Herman had loved his pie. His favorite was raspberry. For a few weeks in the summer, she would go out and pick raspberries and make him pies.
She didn’t know what Lily did some days. Nothing seemed to get done. Then other days, she would whirl around and clean the kitchen and make a fine meal.
“Lily?” Mrs. Tabor thought of getting out of her chair to see if she could help.
“Don’t fuss, Mrs. Tabor, it’s almost ready.”
Mrs. Tabor put her watch under her magnifying glass. Nearly one o’clock. No wonder she wanted her dinner.
Then Lily came in, carrying a tray. “There you are.”
A pile of yellow—must be corn. A mound of brown—probably meatloaf. Then a blob of creamy white. Her favorite, mashed potatoes. Her dentures had been bothering her lately, so she was glad to eat mushy food.
A knock at the door.
“Who could that be?” Lily asked.
Mrs. Tabor remembered that the deputy lady was coming. She didn’t say anything, but started eating her food while Lily went to answer the door.
Then Lily ushered in the lady, who introduced herself again as Deputy Watkins.
Mrs. Tabor said hello and continued eating her food. She didn’t want to appear to be part of the questioning.
“Lily, the bank called us. It appears that someone has been forging some checks of Mrs. Tabor’s. Do you know anything about this?”
“Why would you even ask me? I just come in and make her a meal every few days. If anything shady is going on, it’s that daughter of hers. She only stops by to take something from her mother. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Tabor?”
Mrs. Tabor made a noise in her throat. She loved her daughter, but Lily was with her more often. She needed to watch her step.
“Could I ask you to write out Mrs. Tabor’s name on a piece of paper for me?”
“No, of course you can’t. Think I don’t know better than that? I watch the TV. I know my own rights. I don’t need to sign nothing.”
“This is a criminal offense. I can take you down to the sheriff’s office, and we can continue our conversation there.”
“Let me see those two checks.”
“I didn’t say anything about two checks,” Deputy Watkins said.
“Well, the reason I said that number is
“I’m just thinking, Mr. Turner.”
“Working on your math problems?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good,” he said.
She bent her head over her math paper. She was behind again. The time was almost up, and she had ten problems to do. She raced along and managed to get five more done before Mr. Turner began to collect the papers. But with five problems not finished, she couldn’t expect to get an A, probably not even a B. What was happening to her this year?
At least another school day was over. Everyone was getting ready for the bell to ring. She didn’t even feel like taking her homework home. She knew she had a bad attitude, but she wasn’t getting anywhere with Mr. Turner. She didn’t seem to be able to please him. She grabbed her history book, her math book, and her worksheets and headed for the door.
“Meg?” Mr. Turner’s voice stopped her.
“Yes.”
“Is your mother going to be able to make conferences?”
Meg felt her stomach drop. Conferences were the week after Thanksgiving. What would he tell her mother? “I think so.”
“I know she works during the day. I could schedule her to come in toward the end of the day.”
“You should probably talk to her.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.” Even the way he said that made her stomach turn. Maybe that’s why his name was Mr. Turner.
Mrs. Tabor was waiting for dinner. What was taking Lily so long?
Lily knew she liked to eat a big meal at lunchtime, right at noon. That’s when she had always eaten her big meal. When her husband was alive, she often baked biscuits, some kind of meat, potatoes, and a vegetable. He had never said much, but from the way he wolfed down the food, she knew it was appreciated. Once or twice a week, she’d try to make a pie. Herman had loved his pie. His favorite was raspberry. For a few weeks in the summer, she would go out and pick raspberries and make him pies.
She didn’t know what Lily did some days. Nothing seemed to get done. Then other days, she would whirl around and clean the kitchen and make a fine meal.
“Lily?” Mrs. Tabor thought of getting out of her chair to see if she could help.
“Don’t fuss, Mrs. Tabor, it’s almost ready.”
Mrs. Tabor put her watch under her magnifying glass. Nearly one o’clock. No wonder she wanted her dinner.
Then Lily came in, carrying a tray. “There you are.”
A pile of yellow—must be corn. A mound of brown—probably meatloaf. Then a blob of creamy white. Her favorite, mashed potatoes. Her dentures had been bothering her lately, so she was glad to eat mushy food.
A knock at the door.
“Who could that be?” Lily asked.
Mrs. Tabor remembered that the deputy lady was coming. She didn’t say anything, but started eating her food while Lily went to answer the door.
Then Lily ushered in the lady, who introduced herself again as Deputy Watkins.
Mrs. Tabor said hello and continued eating her food. She didn’t want to appear to be part of the questioning.
“Lily, the bank called us. It appears that someone has been forging some checks of Mrs. Tabor’s. Do you know anything about this?”
“Why would you even ask me? I just come in and make her a meal every few days. If anything shady is going on, it’s that daughter of hers. She only stops by to take something from her mother. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Tabor?”
Mrs. Tabor made a noise in her throat. She loved her daughter, but Lily was with her more often. She needed to watch her step.
“Could I ask you to write out Mrs. Tabor’s name on a piece of paper for me?”
“No, of course you can’t. Think I don’t know better than that? I watch the TV. I know my own rights. I don’t need to sign nothing.”
“This is a criminal offense. I can take you down to the sheriff’s office, and we can continue our conversation there.”
“Let me see those two checks.”
“I didn’t say anything about two checks,” Deputy Watkins said.
“Well, the reason I said that number is
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