Because It's Christmas by Kathryn Shay

Author:Kathryn Shay [Shay, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: youth in prison, nyc gangs, emotional drama teachers, troubled teens, its a wonderful life, boxed set, kathryn shay, high school drama, teacher series, police captain, cops, teachers, newspaper reporter, bayview heights trilogy, backlistebooks, contemporary romance, principal
Publisher: Kathryn Shay
Published: 2012-07-23T13:59:06+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

“ADAMS PRIVATE INVESTIGATION.”

“Mr. Adams, this is Philip Cartwright.”

“Mr. Cartwright. I was just about to call you.” Herb Adams, the private investigator Philip had hired two years ago to get something on Taylor, had a deceptively mellow voice. He was as ruthless as they came.

“Have you found something?”

“Not yet. It’s taken me a few days to review the facts. I’d shelved this case after your heart attack.”

“Understandable.”

“I think the best tactic now is to go back for the details of Taylor’s college days and his early years of teaching. As a matter of fact, next week I’m taking a trip to Binghamton where he grew up, to find out more about what he did before he came to Bayview Heights.”

“You never delved into that period much.”

“No, you had the heart attack before I could. Then we tabled everything.”

“As I said last week, I’m ready to go ahead again.”

“Fine.”

“I want to bury Taylor, Mr. Adams.”

“I understand. If there’s any dirt on him, I’ll find it. I’ll be in touch.”

Philip clicked off the phone and dropped onto the chair in his den.

Scowling, he tapped his fingers on Wednesday’s edition of the paper. This week’s School Page editorial was a sin. It detailed how each Christmas the students at the high school, in addition to supporting needy families, did a good deed for a member of the school itself. Once, they’d given a new wardrobe to a student whose family had lost everything in a fire. Another time, they’d provided plane tickets for a soldier—the brother of a Bayview Heights student—to come home to see his ailing father. Last year, they’d bought theater tickets to Phantom of the Opera for a custodian.

Leaning back into his worn chair, Philip admitted these were admirable things the students accomplished. But Lacey’s column was making Taylor look good. Philip couldn’t let this continue. Lacey shouldn’t focus only on positive things. She needed to balance her pieces with what the Herald had become known for—hard-hitting, controversial editorials.

Before he could stop them, Celia’s comments came back to him.

Face it, Philip. You’re hurt that Lacey won’t go along with you on this.

He’d denied it then, but after Celia had left, he’d been forced by his own sense of honesty to recognize the truth. He was hurt. How could Lacey side with his enemy? Their enemy. Her defense of Taylor and his school was the worst kind of defection.

The thought hit him out of nowhere. Something’s going on between Taylor and Lacey.

“No!” Philip said aloud and slapped his hand on the desk. She’d never do that. She’d never turn against her family like that. She’d never betray him. This was the girl he’d raised and loved more than anything else in the world.

And as he’d done all those years, he’d take care of her now—even when she didn’t think she needed it, even when she disagreed with him. He’d do what was best for her, as he always had. Picking up the paper, he knew just where to start.

He found her at the kitchen counter, a large bowl in one hand as she stirred with the other.

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