Read Online Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1) by Nora Leduc - Free Book Online
Authors: Nora Leduc
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Did you talk to him, yet?”
“Must be your lucky day, Detective Cassidy. I’m about to meet the man in ten minutes, though I don’t expect to learn any new details. All Lisa’s teachers described verbal run-ins with her in their classes. Come on down to the principal’s office and join the fun.”
Hines’ sunny disposition shone through. When he’d worked patrol, the neighborhood nicknamed him Officer Friendly. His easygoing nature, boyish red-hair and freckles made him an approachable favorite.
“I thought I was done being called to the office. I’ll be there in five.” Noah drove through the blocks of single and two story residences separated by trees for privacy. The neighborhood closest to the school contained newer homes. A few of the houses sported metal roofs in different colors, ready for the harsh northern New Hampshire winter. Miniature American flags decked out the green lawns and blooming flowerbeds. The Fourth of July parade used All Saints for the gathering and starting points, and the residents had decorated for the holiday.
A flock of turkeys emerged from the woods on the corner. Noah stopped to allow them to trot by. While waiting, his thoughts cycled back to Teagan. She seemed to have a stubborn streak, but he suspected her doggedness had gotten her through tough spots in the past. The blush that pinked her cheeks when she was mad or flustered, he’d found eye-catching. Never mind the curves she couldn’t hide in her simple summer clothes. A spike of heat caught him in the gut as the roar of a biker’s muffler broke into his thoughts.
On the road, the turkeys had made it to the other side and loitered near the woods. He hit the pedal and the sprawling All Saints High School came into view. In the lot, he cut the engine.
A Seth’s Landscaping sign with contact info was tacked to a telephone pole by his parking spot. In another month, he’d change his ad to Seth’s Cordwood. The address told Noah this Seth was Travis’s uncle. He seemed to vary his profession to match the season.
The chirp of birds filled the air as Noah walked up the front sidewalk to the entrance. Inside, the odor of floor wax and the middle-aged receptionist wearing bright pink glasses welcomed him. After he flashed his ID, she directed him to the first office around the corner.
Noah entered through a glass door, and Denny Hines jumped up from behind a wooden desk and greeted him with, “About time, Cassidy.”
“I’m just in time if you’ve taken over the principal’s chair.” Noah took in the bookcases, computer, phone, couch, and file cabinet. A large analog clock on the opposite wall faced the desktop. Noah pointed at the glass divider separating them from the hallway. “Not too private.”
“I guess they want to show the administration is accessible.”
“It’s more like the fishbowl approach to education.” Noah sat on the blue couch against the transparent partition and stretched his long legs in front of him.
Hines reclined in the office chair and put his hands together behind his head. “I’m getting a vibe sitting in this seat. It’s kind of a power trip.”
“Don’t travel too far on your journey. Teagan Raynes received a death threat through the mail today. It was written in Latin on a holy card.”
Hines let out a whistle and dropped his arms. “Ah, that explains your meeting with the Latin teacher. His name is Jake Clark. And a warning on a holy card is strange.”
“Did you learn that last idea at the police academy or church?”
“Academy Lesson 101. You must have been absent that day. I interviewed Jake Clark’s ex, Lucy Watson, by phone if you’re interested in her. Miss Watson is a friend of Teagan Raynes, knew Lisa, and was often in their home.”
“Hit me with the rest.”
Hines flipped through his notes, putting his finger under a line in his notebook. “At first, Lucy Watson thought Jake was a generous caring man. When she figured out the caring was only for
“Must be your lucky day, Detective Cassidy. I’m about to meet the man in ten minutes, though I don’t expect to learn any new details. All Lisa’s teachers described verbal run-ins with her in their classes. Come on down to the principal’s office and join the fun.”
Hines’ sunny disposition shone through. When he’d worked patrol, the neighborhood nicknamed him Officer Friendly. His easygoing nature, boyish red-hair and freckles made him an approachable favorite.
“I thought I was done being called to the office. I’ll be there in five.” Noah drove through the blocks of single and two story residences separated by trees for privacy. The neighborhood closest to the school contained newer homes. A few of the houses sported metal roofs in different colors, ready for the harsh northern New Hampshire winter. Miniature American flags decked out the green lawns and blooming flowerbeds. The Fourth of July parade used All Saints for the gathering and starting points, and the residents had decorated for the holiday.
A flock of turkeys emerged from the woods on the corner. Noah stopped to allow them to trot by. While waiting, his thoughts cycled back to Teagan. She seemed to have a stubborn streak, but he suspected her doggedness had gotten her through tough spots in the past. The blush that pinked her cheeks when she was mad or flustered, he’d found eye-catching. Never mind the curves she couldn’t hide in her simple summer clothes. A spike of heat caught him in the gut as the roar of a biker’s muffler broke into his thoughts.
On the road, the turkeys had made it to the other side and loitered near the woods. He hit the pedal and the sprawling All Saints High School came into view. In the lot, he cut the engine.
A Seth’s Landscaping sign with contact info was tacked to a telephone pole by his parking spot. In another month, he’d change his ad to Seth’s Cordwood. The address told Noah this Seth was Travis’s uncle. He seemed to vary his profession to match the season.
The chirp of birds filled the air as Noah walked up the front sidewalk to the entrance. Inside, the odor of floor wax and the middle-aged receptionist wearing bright pink glasses welcomed him. After he flashed his ID, she directed him to the first office around the corner.
Noah entered through a glass door, and Denny Hines jumped up from behind a wooden desk and greeted him with, “About time, Cassidy.”
“I’m just in time if you’ve taken over the principal’s chair.” Noah took in the bookcases, computer, phone, couch, and file cabinet. A large analog clock on the opposite wall faced the desktop. Noah pointed at the glass divider separating them from the hallway. “Not too private.”
“I guess they want to show the administration is accessible.”
“It’s more like the fishbowl approach to education.” Noah sat on the blue couch against the transparent partition and stretched his long legs in front of him.
Hines reclined in the office chair and put his hands together behind his head. “I’m getting a vibe sitting in this seat. It’s kind of a power trip.”
“Don’t travel too far on your journey. Teagan Raynes received a death threat through the mail today. It was written in Latin on a holy card.”
Hines let out a whistle and dropped his arms. “Ah, that explains your meeting with the Latin teacher. His name is Jake Clark. And a warning on a holy card is strange.”
“Did you learn that last idea at the police academy or church?”
“Academy Lesson 101. You must have been absent that day. I interviewed Jake Clark’s ex, Lucy Watson, by phone if you’re interested in her. Miss Watson is a friend of Teagan Raynes, knew Lisa, and was often in their home.”
“Hit me with the rest.”
Hines flipped through his notes, putting his finger under a line in his notebook. “At first, Lucy Watson thought Jake was a generous caring man. When she figured out the caring was only for
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