School's Out for Murder (Schooled in Murder Book 2) (7 page)

Emily tried to keep her face schooled into neutral lines. She didn't want to betray the fact that Trent's apparent sincerity surprised her. She had never thought of Trent as someone who would enjoy working behind the scenes. She said, "I know what you mean. Working with the kids is definitely the most rewarding part of my job."

"You teach English, right?" Trent asked her, and Emily nodded, surprised he knew that about her. "I'm afraid English was never my best subject." He gave a self-deprecating smile and a little shrug.

Amelia's laugh rang out, and Emily and Gabby shared a smile at the sound of it. Amelia had always had an infectious laugh. "That's what you had me for," she said, looking up at Trent. "I'd help you with English as long as you'd help me with math. Sorry, Tad," she laughed again.

Tad smiled back at her. "Oh, that's okay, Amelia. I'm used to being the lone math nerd."

"Well, maybe now I can join your ranks," Trent joked.

Tad, Amelia, and Trent took turns relaying high school basketball victories to Greg, Emily joined Gabby to help bring out the remaining dishes to the candlelit table on the deck. "What'd ya think?" Emily whispered to Gabby. "You okay?"

"Of course," Gabby laughed. "I'm fine. High school was a long time ago, Em. It was just a shock seeing him here after all these years. Amelia looks really happy with him, don't you think?"

"Yep," Emily agreed. "I just hope he's good enough for her."

"They were always close friends," Gabby reminded her, "and as we know, some of the best relationships are built on friendships." When Emily still looked doubtful, Gabby added, "He certainly doesn't seem to be unhappy with where he's ended up, and he appears devoted to Amelia."

"That's true," Emily relented a bit. "They look very happy together."

Amelia chose that moment to stick her head in the kitchen to see if the girls needed help with anything. Gabby passed her a veggie tray and Amelia paused in the doorway to ask, "Can you believe it? Trent and I? I almost passed out when I saw him standing there in Walmart. And he's just as wonderful as I remembered him."

"You two look very happy together, and we're thrilled for you," Gabby answered, motioning between herself and Emily.

"Absolutely," Emily agreed, giving Amelia a one-armed hug as she was carrying a salad in her other hand. "Why didn't you tell us your boyfriend was Trent when we met for lunch?"

"I wanted to surprise you. And," Amelia became engrossed in the tile pattern of the kitchen floor, "I know that some people found Trent's ego to be a little off-putting when we were in high school. I wanted you guys to see firsthand how much he's changed. I know his dream was always to play pro ball, but he seems to have found his true calling in coaching."

"It would definitely appear so," Gabby agreed warmly as the three women headed back out at Greg's call, "Food's ready! Come and get it!"

The meal was delicious, and the conversation flowed smoothly. Emily found herself truly relaxing for the first time since she'd discovered Mayor McBain's body. She looked around the table and saw nothing but peace and contentment reflected in the candlelight shining on her friends' faces. Gabby was snuggled up against Greg, who was absently dropping a kiss on Gabby's dark curls. It was clear that her momentary surprise of seeing Trent had had no lasting effect. She was one happily married woman. Tad was laughing beside her, enjoying a story Trent was telling about a disastrous practice he had while playing for Missouri State. Trent's sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself were a far cry from the egotistical young man they had known in high school. And the look of pure love on Amelia's face as she smiled up at Trent, their fingers entwined and resting on the table, warmed Emily's heart. The evening seemed to be an unqualified success. Amelia looked like she didn't have a care in the world. Emily sent up a silent prayer that this group of friends would share many such nights together.

As they were all enjoying Gabby's signature dessert—her rich, decadent cheesecake—the talk inevitably turned to the murder, as it weighed heavily on the minds of all of them. Trent had been out of town at a coaching conference until today, so he was pretty hazy on the details. Emily and Gabby tag-teamed telling him about discovering the Mayor's body. Emily cast an anxious glance at Amelia during the telling, but she was relieved to see that while Amelia looked puzzled and concerned, she no longer sported the pinched, worried look she'd worn earlier that day. Trent's presence seemed to be working wonders for her.

Trent was giving Emily a sympathetic look, his brow wrinkled in concern. "I'm sorry you had to go through that again, Emily. Amelia told me you were the one who found Coach Layton last fall." When Emily nodded, her throat still constricting at the memory, Trent continued, "I never got to meet the man, but I heard he was quite a coach."

"He was," Emily agreed softly. Then she perked up a bit when she added, "Stevie sounded good the last time we talked to him." She motioned to her and Tad. "He appears to be adjusting well to life with his dad. And they've even been to visit Arlene a few times. I think Stevie will eventually be able to make peace with her," Emily added, referring to the woman who had both kidnapped Stevie as a baby and then later killed Coach Layton to cover up her secret past in her desperation for a child of her own to love.

"It's amazing how resilient kids can be," Trent commented. "But speaking of kids, what about the rumor that Mayor McBain left her entire fortune to her niece Maclaine?"

Gabby said, "Maclaine's not exactly a child anymore, but I have no idea about the inheritance."

Trent gave a small laugh. "No, I guess Maclaine wouldn't be a child anymore. That's just how I remember her from her visits to her aunt back when we were all in school."

Emily tried not to stiffen at the mention of Maclaine. She said tightly, "Tad's been trying to help her out. Her boyfriend is out of town for work."

"That's kind of you, Tad," Amelia said softly, and Emily was disappointed to see the pinched look returning to Amelia's face. Before she could change the topic, Greg spoke up.

"Amelia, we all know the rumors are false. No one who knows you believes them anyway." Here Amelia shot him a grateful look. "But," Greg continued, "could part of the rumor be true?" Five startled glances turned his way, but then Trent nodded slowly.

"You mean—could Larry have been having an affair with someone else?"

Amelia gave a small gasp. "I never thought of that! Outside of having him as a patient, I really don't know Larry all that well. It's definitely something to consider."

But Emily felt it was definitely time to change the subject before the enchantment of the pleasant evening was irrevocably lost. "Let's worry about that tomorrow, what'd ya say? How about some cards? I have to warn you, Trent," she joked, "you're about to experience game play with a bunch of competitive card fiends."

Trent laughed. "I consider myself duly warned. If someone will direct me to the restroom, then I'll come back prepared to take on the lot of you."

Greg headed Trent in the right direction, and then the rest of them began clearing the table. As they were rinsing the last of the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, Amelia spoke up. "Thank you for this evening, guys. It's just what the doctor ordered. For the first time since all those awful rumors began, I feel like everything is going to be okay."

"Well, of course it is," Gabby declared, hands on hips in her avenging warrior stance. "The police will—" The ringing of the doorbell cut her off. She glanced up at the clock above the stove. "10:00 p.m.? Who could that be so late?"

"I'll find out," Greg told her, passing them on his way to the living room. He was back in seconds, his face set in hard, angry lines, and Gangly-Arms hot on his heels.

"Detective Welks!" Gabby exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Looking supremely uncomfortable, Gangly-Arms avoided eye contact with anyone as he said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner party, Mrs. Spencer, but I'm afraid I'm here for Amelia." Their group exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the police must have had someone following Amelia. That did not bode well.

"What do you want with Amelia?" asked Trent angrily, choosing that moment to reenter the kitchen.

Gangly-Arms barely spared Trent a glance before turning to Amelia, who had gone pale and still, her knuckles blanched white where she gripped the edge of the counter as if to keep herself upright. "Amelia Franklin," Gangly-Arms began, pulling out a set of handcuffs, "you are under arrest for the murder of Janice McBain. Anything you say—"

Amelia began to sob, looking at Trent helplessly. "You can't do this," Trent pleaded, stepping forward to hold Amelia. But Gangly-Arms stepped around him, never even acknowledging his presence as he led Amelia toward the front door.

"I'll be right behind you with a lawyer," Trent called after her, scrambling for his keys. "Don't say anything until I get there." But he was speaking to air as Gangly-Arms was already placing a still-sobbing Amelia in the back of the waiting squad car.

The flashing red and blue lights played over the stunned and angry faces of those left standing in Gabby and Greg's kitchen as the squad car pulled out of the driveway. Trent was on the move first, frantically stabbing at the buttons of his cell phone. As he waited for someone to pick up on the other end, he shot a frantic, apologetic look at the rest of them. "I'm sorry—uh, I have to—" He motioned toward the door.

"Go, go," Gabby assured him, waving away his apology. "Just please keep us updated. We'll do all we can on this end."

With a quick nod, Trent turned his attention back to his phone, his curt, tense words fading as he headed out the front door. A tense silence hung over the group remaining behind in the kitchen. Gabby messed with a dishcloth, swiping at already spotless counters, while Greg stepped out to the deck to douse the candles. Emily reached for her purse, which she'd left perched on a kitchen chair earlier that evening. "Are you ready to go?" Tad asked her, looking surprised.

"Actually, I was thinking Gabby and I should both go," Emily answered, rummaging through her purse for her cell phone.

"Go where?" Gabby and Tad asked at the same time.

Giving up on her purse, Emily began searching the countertops for her elusive phone as she explained her plan to Tad, Gabby, and Greg, who had just returned to the kitchen. "It all comes back to Larry," she stated, but paused when she saw nothing but blank looks around her. "Don't you see?" she continued. "Amelia is under suspicion only because of her rumored involvement with Larry. She had no other link to the mayor."

"But they wouldn't have arrested Amelia unless they thought they had some kind of proof, right?" Gabby asked, her forehead furrowed with concern.

"True, but what proof could they possibly have?" Emily countered. "We know she's not guilty. Whatever proof they think they have has to be tied to Larry. So I think the best way we can help Amelia is to go and talk to Larry."

"I'll go with you." Tad pulled out his keys, but Emily stopped him with a hand to his arm.

"That's not necessary. The scuttlebutt around is that he has been cleared of any suspicion. An airtight alibi and all that. I think Larry would respond better to two females anyway," she explained. "Don't you?" she asked Gabby, willing her to go along with her plan by the force of her gaze.

Gabby picked up on her drift immediately and agreed. "We come across very non-threatening and authentically worried about our friend."

Tad shared a raised eyebrow look with Greg, who said, "Poor man won't know what hit him with you two. But please stay in contact with us."

"Of course," Emily nodded. "If only I could find my cell phone. Did I leave it in the car, Tad?"

"I don't think I ever saw you with it," he frowned.

"We'll find it later. I've got mine," Gabby assured the guys. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Call us if you hear from Trent." And with that, the two hurried out to Gabby's minivan before the guys could come up with another objection.

"I can't believe they actually arrested Amelia," Gabby said as they backed out onto the road leading back to town.

"I know," Emily said. Her nerves were wound so tight she found herself straining against the seatbelt, wiling the minivan to go faster. She was anxious to do whatever she could to help Amelia out of this nightmare. "Can't you drive any faster?"

Gabby flipped on her high beams. "Watch out for deer or anything else. We won't do Amelia any good if we don't arrive in one piece."

Emily looked over at Gabby and could see from the dash lights that her jaw was set and her hands held the steering wheel in a death grip. She immediately felt contrite for asking Gabby to hurry. She should have remembered how nervous driving at night had made Gabby ever since their accident last fall. She laid a gentle hand on Gabby's where it clutched the steering wheel and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Gabby flashed her a tight smile before returning her focus to the road. "It's okay. Now, what's our plan?" she asked, obviously eager to focus on something other than the drive to town. "What are we going to say to Larry?"

Emily settled back against her seat, chewing at her thumbnail as she stared out the passenger side window. Fireflies flashed in the open fields lining the country road. Her own thoughts were firing as quickly as the bright flashes in the dark. How best to approach Larry? The man had just lost his wife. Was he in deep mourning? Or were the rumors true and Larry was actually involved with someone else? Emily found the latter hard to believe because she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Larry was
not
having an affair with Amelia. "As much as I loathe the idea, I guess we could ask after Maclaine. Say we're stopping by to share our condolences."

"You really don't like her, do you?" Gabby asked, never taking her eyes off the road in front of her.

Emily sighed and crossed her arms like a petulant teenager. "I know that she needs a friend right now, but it seems to me that she's latching onto Tad a little tightly for someone who supposedly has a boyfriend."

"Maybe it's because you care for Tad more than you're willing to admit." Emily refused to meet her eyes. She wasn't sure how to respond. Yes, she cared about Tad a great deal, but she was terrified of messing up their friendship with their budding romance. She had given up the reins on this situation to God. Only He knew what was best.

Now it was her turn to change the subject. "If we're there to show our sympathy to Maclaine, that can naturally extend to Larry, since Maclaine is still staying there. Hopefully, with a little subtle nudging, we can get Larry to talk about this ridiculous rumor."

"Right," Gabby said with a confidence that Emily didn't yet feel. "Then we can take that information right over to Detective Welks."

Emily nodded, but she didn't say anything. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that what Gabby had said earlier was true. Amelia would not have been arrested if the police didn't feel that they had sufficient evidence. How to prove that the evidence was wrong was a monumental task, but she was sure she and Gabby were the right ones for the job. Glancing out the windshield as Gabby pulled over to the curb, she gave a low whistle. "This place is truly amazing. The mayor had great taste."

"Yes, in houses anyway," Gabby agreed, dropping her cell phone and the keys in her bottomless purse. "I think the jury is still out about her taste in men."

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Emily asked. Then putting on her game face, she followed Gabby up the front steps to the ornate double wooden doors. Gabby pressed the button beside the door, and a melodious chime sounded from within. They heard light steps and then were temporarily blinded by the sudden illumination from the porch lights as they flashed on. The doors were flung open, and Emily blinked to clear the little dancing spots in front of her eyes. When she did, she saw Maclaine holding onto the doorframe, looking surprised to see them on her front porch.

"Hi, Emily. Gabby," she nodded at them both. "Can I help you?" Her big blue eyes reflected puzzlement, and Emily felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn't tried to be a better friend to the newest addition to Ellington's teaching staff.

Stepping forward, Emily said sincerely, "We just wanted to come by and tell you how truly sorry we are for your loss. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Those big blue eyes filled with tears, and Maclaine's lower lip began to quiver, making Emily feel even worse about this expedition. This girl was truly in mourning and here they were, hoping to trick her uncle into proving their friend's innocence. "Please come in," Maclaine invited, opening the front doors wider. "Uncle Larry and I were just about to have some tea. Won't you join us?"

"If you're sure we're not intruding," Gabby answered for both of them, following Maclaine into the large, but cozy foyer of the McBain home.

"Not at all," Maclaine assured her, padding down the polished wooden floor of the hallway on their right. "It's nice to have some company. The house seems very quiet without Aunt Janice here. My boyfriend is out of town at a conference for work. It's just Uncle Larry and me."

Again, Emily felt a tug on her heartstrings. Maclaine, dressed in thin yoga pants and an old T-shirt, her blonde waves secured in a messy bun and her face free of makeup, looked like a lost little girl. She had experienced more than her fair share of loss in her young life. Emily felt compassion creeping into her heart, replacing the uncomfortable sense of jealousy she had been experiencing in Maclaine's presence. Yet she still wondered who Maclaine's boyfriend was and why the beautiful blonde had not named him.

She and Gabby followed Maclaine into a gorgeous library with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled to bursting with books that looked like they had been well-read. Larry McBain was lounging on a gray velvet sofa facing a large television mounted on the wall, watching a baseball game on mute. His face was unshaven, and his eyes showed a man holding onto his composure by a thin string. Emily glanced over at Gabby, wondering if she too were having second thoughts about this impromptu visit. But Gabby was moving forward to one of the two wing chairs opposite the couch, murmuring her condolences to the lost-looking man. "I'll just grab the tea," Maclaine announced, before turning on her bare feet to head back down the hall.

"I'll help you," Emily offered, trailing behind her. Gabby was much better at dealing with people's emotions than she was. At least where adults were concerned. Emily never had any trouble acting as a counselor to her beloved students, but faced with an emotional adult, she often felt at a loss. Gabby had a mothering instinct that was second to none, so Emily felt no guilt in leaving her behind with the widower.

The kitchen she had followed Maclaine into was another beautiful room. She was especially drawn to the breakfast nook with its tall windows overlooking the woods behind the house. As Maclaine filled a tea tray, she noticed Emily looking out the windows of the cozy nook. "That was one of my aunt's favorite spots," she said, her voice cracking a little with emotion. "She started every morning right there with a cup of her favorite tea. When I was a little girl, she took me on vacation to Victoria, B.C., and we had high tea at the Empress Hotel there. From that day on, she became enamored of all things tea-related. I guess Uncle Larry and I let her tea-obsession rub off on us." With a smooth move, she hefted the heavy-looking silver tray with its gorgeous china teapot and matching cups.

"Can I help?" Emily asked, knowing she would be more likely to trip and break everything than actually help.

"Oh, no, I've got it," Maclaine assured her. "I spent several summers waitressing. I'm used to it." She shrugged, not noticing Emily's rounded eyes. The pampered girl she had always pegged Maclaine as had worked as a waitress? Boy, had she mistakenly labeled Maclaine as a spoiled princess. This evening visit was definitely enlightening, just not in the way Emily had anticipated.

"I'm so klutzy, I'd make a terrible waitress," Emily confided and Maclaine gave her light, tinkling laugh.

"I was, too, as a child, but after several years of dance lessons, thanks to Aunt Janice, I seem to have outgrown my awkwardness." Watching Maclaine's lithe form move with perfect poise, Emily had to stifle another upsurging of jealousy.

"I know you spent a lot of summers with your aunt. Your dad's a pilot, right?"

"He was," Maclaine answered as they returned to the library. "He passed away when I was a senior in college." Her back was to Emily, so she didn't see the startled look that passed between her and Gabby, who had overheard her final comment. This girl had been through more tragedy than they even realized.

"I'm so very sorry, Maclaine," Emily said softly. "You've lost too much in your life."

"But I've also been very blessed," Maclaine countered, tears shimmering as she gave them a tremulous smile. "I have Uncle Larry, a new job, and good friends like you, and Gabby, and Tad."

"Yes, you do," Gabby said, smiling warmly at the fragile-looking woman. "Your Uncle Larry was just telling me about some of you and your aunt's favorite vacations."

Larry roused himself from the depths of the couch to take a cup of tea. Emily noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. Maclaine settled beside him on the couch and smiled at Gabby. "Uncle Larry was always so busy, but he didn't want Aunt Janice to get too bogged down by her own work. He always sent us on some fun vacation every summer. I think my favorite was the week we spent at a dude ranch." She pointed to a framed picture on a nearby shelf that showed her and Janice perched on humongous horses, cowboy hats shading their smiling faces. Maclaine gave a light laugh. "I think Aunt Janice even taught those ranch hands a few things about hard work. She was a true dynamo. We were planning on an African safari this summer to celebrate my new job and moving to Ellington. Uncle Larry was even planning to come, isn't that right?" Larry gave a morose nod and sipped at this tea. "I don't think we'll go now, of course," she trailed off, stirring her own tea absently.

The only sound in the room was the ticking of a clock and the gently clinking of their spoons against their delicate china cups. Emily was wracking her brain for a way to lead into a discussion about Amelia when Maclaine surprised her by bringing up their friend first. "I have to have some dental work done this summer before school starts anyway. I was planning on going to that new dentist, Dr. Amelia Franklin, since Uncle Larry has placed such stock in her, but he told me earlier tonight that she has since refused to continue seeing him as a patient." Maclaine placed her cup, with a sharp clink, on its saucer. "All because some busybodies with nothing better to do started that ridiculous rumor about Uncle Larry and her. As if anyone in their right mind would believe that! Why, she's almost young enough to be his daughter."