The Tongue Thief: a murder mystery thriller (Askew Thrills) by Mark Lennox

Author:Mark Lennox [Lennox, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RhetAskew Publishing ( a division of Rhetoric Askew, LLC)
Published: 2021-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Seven

ETHAN WAS SITTING in Lisa Whalen’s spacious living room. Ethan thought she couldn't have lived alone, but the presence of another person remained limited. There were vast expanses of rugs across polished dark wood flooring. Plenty of natural light from the oversized windows cascaded throughout the house. The thick leather sofa engulfed Ethan. Lisa sat cross-legged. She was thin, with straight blond hair and permed bangs. Her face was caked with a layer of makeup.

Ethan glanced up at her and back down at the threatening note she'd received in the mail. The note was a standard cut-out; the pasted-on letters spelled out the message:

"STAY OUT OF EAST BRADENTON, OR ELSE. WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE. CAN YOU BREATHE SWAMP WATER?"

To Ethan, the letter resembled the work of what the department called Parrish white trash. A swell of good ole' boys lived out in that area, and the swampy marshlands near Parrish were being looked at for a potential high school site. Ethan had learned this after talking with members of the school board. The term VoTech had come up in multiple conversations.

"What do you think? Should I be scared?" She was biting her lips. Ethan wondered if she only did that when nervous.

He glanced down at her hand and didn't see a ring on her finger. "We're treating this as an active threat. Standard procedure. We don't want you to worry. What does your husband think of all this?"

Her face turned a slight shade of pink. "I'm divorced. I live here alone."

There was a long beat. A flash of heat flushed up the back of Ethan's neck. She locked eyes with him and looked away. Was this woman flirting with him?

"Do you... have any leads?" Whalen asked.

"We're looking into a few people. In fact, I was hoping you might be able to help me out with that part of the investigation. Have you made any enemies at work?"

Whalen's brow furrowed, and she sat up in her chair. "No, I mean, there are always people who want to replace you on the school board. You don't think it could be one of the other board members?" She sounded surprised at the thought that someone close to her could do such a thing.

"Tell me about your role with VoTech."

The question caught her off guard. She straightened up in her chair. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed that you're on the Board of Directors. Does that entail much contact with the students?" Ethan took a sip of the coffee she had made for him and waited for her response.

She seemed perplexed by the question. "Well, no, only in disciplinary meetings."

"Tell me about those."

"If a student does something on campus that is deemed unfit for the school enough times, especially our dual enrollment kids, then they have to go before an appeal board before they can be expelled. The Board of Directors oversees those meetings."

"And how often do you attend those?"

"About once a month."

"Any of the kids who are expelled become irate?"

"Only a few. Most of them are just indignant.

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