Read Online Murder by the Slice by Livia J. Washburn - Free Book Online
Authors: Livia J. Washburn
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volunteered at, Eve?”
“You mean at which I volunteered?” Eve said, still and always an English teacher even though she was retired. “That commotion wasn’t my fault. You’d think all those women would have realized it was for a good cause and didn’t really mean anything when I kissed their husbands.”
“You’d think,” Phyllis said.
From his lounging position on the steps, Sam said, “I remember some of the carnivals at our elementary school had a dunkin’ booth set up. Kids really got a kick out of dunkin’ their teachers in a big tub of water.”
Eve laughed. “If you’re hinting that you’d like to see me in a wet T-shirt, dear, all you have to do is ask!”
Sam immediately turned a deep shade of red. Phyllis didn’t know whether to laugh at him or be annoyed with Eve for making such a suggestive comment. She didn’t do either, because Sam quickly changed the subject by saying, “You know, there’s been some trouble there at the elementary school lately. The custodian I know told me about it. Seems somebody got into the school and stole some computers and stuff.”
“Broke in, you mean?” Phyllis asked.
“Well, that’s the funny part. The sheriff’s department came out and investigated, of course, and the deputies didn’t find any sign of forced entry. Best they can figure, somebody found a way in—a door that accidentally got left unlocked or something like that. Or else they got their hands on a key somehow. The custodians say they’re careful about making sure everything’s locked up tight. So at this point nobody really knows what happened.”
“That’s such a shame,” Eve said. “Imagine, someone stealing from a school.”
“Some people will steal from anybody,” Phyllis said, “even schools and churches and places like that.”
Sam nodded. “It’s a mean ol’ world sometimes.”
The discussion sobered all three of them, so despite the beautiful day they went inside before much longer. Anyway, Phyllis told herself, she had to start thinking about supper.
And she wished she could get rid of the image in her head that involved Eve, Sam, and a kissing booth… .
When Phyllis and Carolyn arrived for the Friday morning meeting at Loving Elementary, they didn’t have to ask for directions this time, although they did stop in the office to let the secretary know they would be in the school. The days when people could wander in and out of a school with nobody paying any attention to them were long gone.
As they walked down the hall toward the conference room, they heard voices—loud, angry voices. Actually, Phyllis realized as they came closer, there was only one voice, and it belonged to Shannon Dunston.
“… been doing, then, since you obviously haven’t been doing what you were told to?” Shannon was saying. Someone answered her, but Phyllis couldn’t make out the words. She and Carolyn traded frowns of concern. There was still a little tension between the two due to Phyllis entering the snack contest, but that was momentarily forgotten in the face of this new trouble.
When they reached the open door of the conference room, they saw several of the members of the PTO board sitting at the table. Shannon stood at the head of the table, a fierce glare directed toward Lindsey Gonzales. Kristina Padgett and Irene Vernon sat across the table from Lindsey, who was alone on her side. Marie, Holly Underwood, and Abby Granger weren’t there yet.
“I’m sorry, Shannon,” Lindsey said. She looked and sounded like she was fighting back tears. “I’ve just been really busy this week.”
“Those posters should already be collected and put up in the businesses all over town,” Shannon snapped. “People aren’t going to come to the carnival if they don’t even know about it.”
“Ladies,” Phyllis said, “you might not be aware of it, but we could hear you down the hall.”
“You mean people might hear that Lindsey can’t even do a simple
“You mean at which I volunteered?” Eve said, still and always an English teacher even though she was retired. “That commotion wasn’t my fault. You’d think all those women would have realized it was for a good cause and didn’t really mean anything when I kissed their husbands.”
“You’d think,” Phyllis said.
From his lounging position on the steps, Sam said, “I remember some of the carnivals at our elementary school had a dunkin’ booth set up. Kids really got a kick out of dunkin’ their teachers in a big tub of water.”
Eve laughed. “If you’re hinting that you’d like to see me in a wet T-shirt, dear, all you have to do is ask!”
Sam immediately turned a deep shade of red. Phyllis didn’t know whether to laugh at him or be annoyed with Eve for making such a suggestive comment. She didn’t do either, because Sam quickly changed the subject by saying, “You know, there’s been some trouble there at the elementary school lately. The custodian I know told me about it. Seems somebody got into the school and stole some computers and stuff.”
“Broke in, you mean?” Phyllis asked.
“Well, that’s the funny part. The sheriff’s department came out and investigated, of course, and the deputies didn’t find any sign of forced entry. Best they can figure, somebody found a way in—a door that accidentally got left unlocked or something like that. Or else they got their hands on a key somehow. The custodians say they’re careful about making sure everything’s locked up tight. So at this point nobody really knows what happened.”
“That’s such a shame,” Eve said. “Imagine, someone stealing from a school.”
“Some people will steal from anybody,” Phyllis said, “even schools and churches and places like that.”
Sam nodded. “It’s a mean ol’ world sometimes.”
The discussion sobered all three of them, so despite the beautiful day they went inside before much longer. Anyway, Phyllis told herself, she had to start thinking about supper.
And she wished she could get rid of the image in her head that involved Eve, Sam, and a kissing booth… .
When Phyllis and Carolyn arrived for the Friday morning meeting at Loving Elementary, they didn’t have to ask for directions this time, although they did stop in the office to let the secretary know they would be in the school. The days when people could wander in and out of a school with nobody paying any attention to them were long gone.
As they walked down the hall toward the conference room, they heard voices—loud, angry voices. Actually, Phyllis realized as they came closer, there was only one voice, and it belonged to Shannon Dunston.
“… been doing, then, since you obviously haven’t been doing what you were told to?” Shannon was saying. Someone answered her, but Phyllis couldn’t make out the words. She and Carolyn traded frowns of concern. There was still a little tension between the two due to Phyllis entering the snack contest, but that was momentarily forgotten in the face of this new trouble.
When they reached the open door of the conference room, they saw several of the members of the PTO board sitting at the table. Shannon stood at the head of the table, a fierce glare directed toward Lindsey Gonzales. Kristina Padgett and Irene Vernon sat across the table from Lindsey, who was alone on her side. Marie, Holly Underwood, and Abby Granger weren’t there yet.
“I’m sorry, Shannon,” Lindsey said. She looked and sounded like she was fighting back tears. “I’ve just been really busy this week.”
“Those posters should already be collected and put up in the businesses all over town,” Shannon snapped. “People aren’t going to come to the carnival if they don’t even know about it.”
“Ladies,” Phyllis said, “you might not be aware of it, but we could hear you down the hall.”
“You mean people might hear that Lindsey can’t even do a simple
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