Mayhem, Murder and the PTA by Dave Cravens

Author:Dave Cravens [Cravens, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-19T22:00:00+00:00

51.

Parker approached Rebecca Buck, who still hadn’t stopped patting Maddy’s arm.

She nodded to the counselor as if to say – I’ll take over now. The counselor nodded in return and stepped away to afford Parker space with her kids. “Maddy? You ready to go home?” asked Parker a soft voice.

Maddy continued to stare straight forward as if hypnotized by the flashing police lights.

Parker deliberately stepped in front of her daughter’s line of sight. Come on, kid, give me something. “Maddy? Did you hear me?”

Maddy swallowed. “I heard you.”

Parker knelt down to meet her eldest at eye level. She brushed a strand of Maddy’s brown hair away from her eyes. “How are you doing?”

As if a switch had suddenly been flipped, Maddy’s eyes suddenly turned to lock with her mother’s. “I’m fine.”

I doubt that. “You want to talk about what you saw? Do you have any questions about it? It’s kind of a lot to process—even for me.”

“I’m fine.”

Parker nodded, not wanting to push the issue. “Okay,” She turned to Drew. “What about you, young man?”

Drew shrugged. “I’m bored.” He patted his tummy. “And hungry.”

“That’s a bad combination.” But a good sign. “Let’s go home.” Parker rose to her feet, a simple maneuver that seemed to strain her tired legs. She held out her hand to Drew. “Keys, please?”

“Are we taking the death car?” asked Drew.

Parker grimaced. “I think we’re done with that one. Like – forever.”

“Good.” Drew reached into his pocket and handed Parker the minivan keys. “I don’t want Heller’s ghost following us home.”

I wouldn’t put it past her.

Mendez stepped forward just as the kids got to their feet. “Ms. Monroe,” she greeted solemnly. “If either of your kids needs extra time before coming back to school on Monday, just let me know. We will see to it they get their homework.”

“Thank you,” said Parker. She eyed Mendez carefully as she turned to walk back into the school. What’s your deal, Mendez? You’re hot, you’re cold, I can’t figure you out – yet.

Parker’s phone buzzed as she led her kids across the parking lot. Without thinking, she habitually answered it. “Hello?”

“Parker!” Julie shouted through the phone. “Omigod, Parker! Are you okay? Are the kids okay? I just heard!”

Shit, you heard already? “We’re fine, Julie,” assured Parker, clasping her hand around the edge of her phone so as to mute the noise. She could feel the eyeballs of the crowd burrowing into her. “Now’s not a good time to chat.”

“Okay, okay, of course, of course! I just gotta know! Just quick tell me!”

“Tell you what?”

“Did you do it?”

“What?”

“Did you plug Heller?”

“No!”

Julie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God, because, you know, I wouldn’t blame you if you did, honestly, she treated you like shit, and you can trust me, okay? I would take your secret to the grave, okay?”

“Julie, I gotta go!” Parker quickly hung up the phone. “Jesus, Julie, what the fuck?”

Parker herded her kids into the minivan as quickly as she could.

“Why are they staring?” He pressed his

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