Killer Campaign by Estelle Richards

Author:Estelle Richards [Estelle Richards]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Estelle Richards
Published: 2023-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Lisa handed over the list. Taylor read it over, nodding slowly.

“Ok, the student journals are over there by the—” Taylor stopped and looked around wildly.

“I already got those,” Lisa said.

“Oh. Ok, next on the list…” Taylor dug through the desk drawer.

“Thanks so much for helping me find things,” Lisa said. “I mean, I could probably find it all eventually, but this really speeds things up.”

“Uh huh.” Taylor pulled out a stack of paper and started rifling through it.

“We didn’t really get a chance to talk much the other day. Of course, you had people lining up to speak to you. That must have been stressful.”

“Yeah, a real drag.”

“It was nice that so many people showed up. Dan must have had a lot of friends.”

“Uh huh.” Taylor continued separating the paper into multiple piles on the desk.

“And the city council was there. And the Valentines,” Lisa said. “That Fern Valentine is really something else, huh?”

Taylor snorted. “You’re telling me. That harpy had it in for me since day one. Thought she was better than everyone. Always finding a way to bring up the trailer park.”

“Some people are unbelievable,” Lisa agreed. “So, um, how are you holding up?”

Taylor stopped digging through the papers and looked Lisa right in the eye. “To be honest, I’ll be a lot better when people quit asking me that.”

“Sorry!”

Taylor let out a long sigh. “It’s not your fault. It’s just really bad timing.”

“How so?” Lisa put on her best listening face.

“Have you ever been engaged?”

“Not exactly. But I did live with a guy for, like, a decade,” Lisa said.

“Ok. So when you get engaged, everybody acts all happy all the time, and your whole identity is now bride-to-be.”

“Ok, go on,” Lisa said.

“I had second thoughts. Cold feet. I was getting up the nerve to give back the ring. But then he died, and it’s like everything was frozen in place, a snapshot of what I was supposed to be feeling as a bride,” Taylor said.

“That sounds,” Lisa thought for a second, reaching for the right word, “suffocating.”

“Yes! Exactly.”

“Well, sorry for making it worse,” Lisa said. “As far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t have to put on an act.”

“Thanks.” Taylor put a final piece of paper on the pile she’d collected and handed the whole thing to Lisa. “There you go. Everything Carly needs.”

“Great. Thanks again for your help,” Lisa said.

Taylor laughed. “I’m just glad I don’t have to do the grading myself.”

Lisa nodded. “Yeah. Oh, hey, I’m getting some people together this weekend, if you’d like to come by. Do you like playing cards?”

“Thanks, but I’ve got plans for the weekend,” Taylor said.

“Maybe another time. You do like cards, though. Spades, hearts, poker?”

Taylor narrowed her eyes. “That’s not really my thing,” she said.

“Ok, um, take care,” Lisa said. She hustled out of the classroom with her stack of paperwork for Carly.

*

Carly was curled in the armchair feeding Liam when Lisa arrived with the materials from the classroom.

“Where do you want all this?” Lisa said.

“Stack it on the dining room table,” Carly said.

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