Read Online Relative Danger by June Shaw - Free Book Online

seemed normal. Maybe I’d made too quick a judgment. Not worried about them anymore, I mulled over Kat’s situation. So far, I hadn’t learned anything about the dead man. Didn’t even know whether Kat had come to school.
    I moved toward the students’ desks. The sweet girl seemed to be determining a building’s dimensions. I touched her shoulder. “Do you know Katherine Gunther?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Great. Did you see her today?”
    “Uh-uh.”
    A boy wearing dreadlocks sat behind her. I went to him. “Hi. Would you know Katherine Gunther?”
    “No.”
    Other eyes had lifted toward me. Instead of tending to their task, most students were watching. I returned to my chair. The teens waited. When I did nothing but watch them back, they rolled eyes back down to their tests. I tapped my toes and gazed at students, my thoughts far from this room.
    The girl who’d handed out papers wagged a finger, and I went to her. She said, “I saw Kat today.”
    Happy scenes swelled in my mind. I had accomplished my mission. Kat was back at school. She’d take exams, graduate, and all would be fine.
    “Thank you,” I told the girl. Returning to Mr. Burdell’s desk, I peered at my shut door. What had happened at this school? A custodian died. A woman who’d subbed here had been shot. A chill slithered along my spine. I looked at the young adults in desks. A gangly boy leaned over another guy’s shoulder, looking at his test. I coughed, and he sank back. Big thug stared at me, his harsh gaze unmoving. So was mine.
    His eyes lowered. He took up his pen but didn’t write. If a killer was in this room, I could point out exactly who it was. The thug flung a glare at me that lasted only a moment but warned: I’ll get you .
    Anxiety struck my belly. I calmed it with the knowledge that I had only a few minutes left to be near this young man. And I wasn’t his mamma.
    A blessed bell sounded, ending class. I wished the students a good day, hid my crossed fingers, and said it had been nice being with them. The thug tossed his paper on Mr. Burdell’s desk and stalked out past me, bumping my arm. “Watch that,” I said.
    His buddy with a square build nodded toward me and spoke, his voice loud. “I guess she doesn’t know what happened to that janitor who messed with you, huh, Sledge?”
    Trembles replaced my earlier jitters. Behind me, a new group of teens headed in. A girl wearing a silver nose ring came close. “Who’re you?” she said.
    “Mrs. Gunther.” I looked into the hall for Kat. And to make sure Sledge wasn’t lurking. I didn’t see him or my grandchild. I backed in to meet the class. “I’m taking your teacher’s place, and I’ll be giving you your test.” How confident I felt, now knowing what I would do.
    The teenagers groaned. The girl with a nose clamp said, “That’s not fair. I didn’t think we’d have it today since he wasn’t gonna be here. I didn’t study.”
    “That’s your problem,” a boy told her. He turned to me. “Are you gonna call roll?”
    I skimmed the desktop. No roll book. “Not today.”
    With little ado, everyone started the test. I wanted to find out more about Jayne Ackers but didn’t think it appropriate to question students about the murdered woman. Did any of them know something about Sledge and the dead man? Probably not wise to ask that either. I walked beside desks and stood watching a seemingly intelligent young man fill in numbers. He turned his face up to mine. Nice-looking youth. Annoyed face. “Sorry,” I said, vacating his space.
    Class ended without incident, and before I walked to the door, more teens came in. This group sat in silence. I gave my spiel, and they took tests, making no comments. Maybe today’s students weren’t too bad, I considered. Except for Sledge and his entourage. What had his buddy meant about the janitor? Was he saying Sledge killed the man?
    I needed to pass on what I’d heard, just as soon as I could get back to the office. In the