Listened.
Nothing. Allowing herself to take a breath, she headed back to her hiding place. Then the new office manager spoke over the P.A. system, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Mrs. Kratzky, are you there?”
Erin froze. Should she answer? Tell them they were taking their break?
“Is anybody in the cafeteria?”
If she didn’t answer, Dr. Munger might lose his nerve and not show up, which would ruin their plans. And it was unlikely they’d be able to get away with this a second time.
If it was even on the right track. On Saturday, they must have spent a half an hour arguing about whether the Food and Nutrition Director was working solo or with a partner. Their best guess, based mostly on Preston’s opinion that Barry Munger was a wimp who would never so much as swat a fly unless someone held a gun to his head, was that he was taking directions from someone else.
But if he wasn’t, the note they had left him yesterday would have meant nothing. However, just as had happened at Wainwright right before Munger doctored up the food, the office was calling for the cafeteria staff.
The man had to be here.
Either way, the better choice seemed to be to respond. “I just came in to get some water,” Erin shouted at the ceiling. “I think the ladies all just went outside for their break.”
“Thank you.”
Erin had no time to lose. She trotted to her hiding place, behind the giant food warmer, and pulled out Preston’s iPhone. He was the only one among the group who had one, as the others either didn’t want to pay for it, or didn’t want to expose themselves to that amount of radiation on a daily basis, or both. No one owned any sort of other small video camera. Preston had assured her that since he was not working at the moment, he could go for one day without his phone. She was to give it to Melissa at the end of the school day, who would deliver it to Preston that evening.
She stood as still as stone, not daring even to breathe. Dr. Munger would be in here at any moment. And if he saw her…
Her heart beat double time, and her mouth became as dry as her palms became wet. A minute later, she heard rapid footsteps pounding in from the seating area. They were soon scuffling in the kitchen.
Her heart slammed up against her ribcage. What if he was armed? She didn’t have health insurance. If he turned on her, she could only pray that she would die.
Stop it, stop it! He probably didn’t dare bring a weapon onto school grounds. The elementary schools didn’t have metal detectors at the entrances – yet – but not even adults, excepting police officers, of course, were allowed to carry weapons into a public school.
Dressed exactly as he had been last week, Dr. Munger came into her line of sight. Erin, per Preston’s instructions, had started the video recorder as soon as she had hid herself so that her nerves wouldn’t get in the way of figuring out which buttons to push.
Good thinking, because if she had tried to start it now, she probably would have dropped it onto the floor, her hands were shaking so badly. Cynthia had found herself one smart boyfriend, and no mistake.
Erin had even zoomed into the area by the cafeteria line, so now all she had to do was keep quiet, stay as much out of sight as possible, and record the crime.
This time, he poured the contents of a bag into only one of the trays. As he had at Wainwright, he wore gloves, Erin guessed to keep from leaving fingerprints. His eyes kept darting back and forth, as if afraid that someone was going to walk in on him at any moment.
If only you knew, you big jerk. Erin hoped this was the last time he would get away with it.
After quickly stirring whatever was in the tray, Dr. Munger replaced the lid quietly, then turned away from her and ran out the door.
Erin wordlessly walked toward the line and pointed the camera at the metal tray that he had just messed with. She almost lifted the lid, then remembered fingerprints, and used a nearby tongs to lift the lid instead. Then she videoed the contents and the dirty spoon that he had used for stirring.
Clicking the camera off, she pivoted on her heel and raced out the back of the cafeteria. The cafeteria ladies were no longer there. Erin guessed someone had been sent to ask them to come to the office, which worked perfectly. Everybody who needed to see the video would be in one place. If nothing else, Erin had to make sure that particular tray of food was thrown into the garbage – after, of course, a portion was saved for laboratory analysis.
Despite her rubbery legs, she was in the office in record time, sweating and heaving. The new office manager, a gray-haired lady with glasses named Annabelle Newsome, jerked her head up in surprise at her entrance. Mrs. Kratzky and the other cafeteria ladies frowned at her.
“Wait here,” she gasped. “There’s something you have to see!” She burst into Mr. Wade’s office, not caring what he would think or say, or whether he was in the middle of an important meeting. Ignoring the angry-looking fourth-grader sitting opposite the principal, Erin blurted out, “Mr. Wade. I’ve caught him. On video. The man who’s been poisoning the school food.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.”
Barry had been set up. He knew that as soon as the police officers had barged into his office exactly one hour and fifteen minutes after he had perpetrated the latest food tainting.
As the officer rattled off the Miranda rights, anger and remorse simmered together in the cauldron of Barry’s soul. He was angry at Johnson for trapping him in a corner, angry at himself for not checking with him about the note he’d received yesterday, angry at whoever set him up. He was not only going to lose a substantial amount of money, but, if he was convicted, his freedom. If he was released by the criminal justice system, he would no longer have a job – and likely would never be able to find another one as well-paying as the one he currently had.
He was remorseful because he had never really wanted to hurt anyone. Especially a child. He had three of his own. But fear and greed had stripped his mind of all sound judgment.
One thing he knew: he was not going to go down alone. He would make a full confession, including the hit-and-run that Johnson had been hanging over his head for the past several months, and, of course, Johnson’s blackmail.
The only thing Barry wouldn’t tell them was why Johnson had done it. He couldn’t. He didn’t know the answer to that.
**********
“So they took Preston’s phone as evidence.”
Cynthia looked up from the dining room table where she sat with her laptop, designing a new website. Melissa’s eyes were wide and shiny with excitement. Cynthia could only imagine how a fifth-grader felt about being part of a scheme to take down a criminal – not just any criminal, but the very criminal who had nearly killed her. Cynthia herself had nearly jumped up and down and screamed when Erin had called to tell her the news.
“I know, honey. Miss Halley told me around lunchtime today.”
Melissa plopped into a chair next to her, then stood up again. “I can’t sit down, Mom. I feel like there’s a million butterflies inside me. Or jumping beans or something.” She began pacing the floor.
Cynthia got up and walked over to her, calming her with a warm embrace. “Are you going to be able to eat tonight?”
“I think so.” Melissa hugged her back. Tight. “Do you think Preston really knows how to cook?”
Cynthia laughed. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“If it’s horrible, will you make me eat it?”
“No.” Cynthia gave her another squeeze, then let go. “We’ll just tell him to let the women do the healthy cooking from now on.”
Melissa grinned up at her. “I’m pretty good, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are.” Cynthia was pleased at how easy cooking whole-food meals had turned out to be. More, she’d been pleased to discover that a meal with all-organic ingredients, including naturally-raised meat,
could be less expensive than a fast-food meal. Since they used to go out for fast food twice a week, and regular restaurants twice a month, she was now seeing a little more money stay in her bank account each week.
An hour and a half later, they were on their way to Preston’s apartment for the first time. The tricky part was finding the entrance to the parking garage where he had instructed her to park. Once inside, the parking spots marked “visitors” were easy enough to find – and all but one were vacant. She pulled her car into the nearest space.
A sign pointed the way to the elevator, which required a special code to get it to work. Cynthia called Preston.
“Ah, my two beautiful ladies are here,” he said. “Be right down.”
As Cynthia hung up the phone, somebody approached them from behind. She turned and saw a young lady, maybe in her late teens.
“Excuse me.” The girl, dressed in tight-fitting fashions better suited to spring weather, barely looked at them as she punched in the elevator code.
Cynthia stepped back, not liking the negative energy emanating from the little princess. “Um, we’re here to visit somebody. Do you suppose we could ride up with you?” She thought it would be fun to have the elevator door open on Preston’s floor, and there he would be standing.
The girl answered in a cold, high-pitched voice, still without giving them a single glance. “You have to call the resident and have them come down and meet you. Complex policy.”
Cynthia exchanged a glance with Melissa, who rolled her eyes with a slight shake of the head. Her mouth dropped open slightly in a silent whatevah.
Cynthia’s thoughts exactly.
They waited for a couple of minutes in uncomfortable silence. The young woman stood stiffly, as if aware of the two other people behind her and afraid they might try to initiate conversation.
She needed not fear. At this point, Cynthia was relieved she had basically forbidden them from riding up the elevator with her.
When the elevator doors opened, Preston stood just inside, smiling. The girl’s entire attitude, physical and social, made an instant 180. Her body relaxed and she flashed Preston her perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth.
“Why, hello there, neighbor,” she said as she stepped onto the elevator, her hips making an exaggerated sway. “Going out with your special someone?” Then she leaned in close to him – way too close for Cynthia’s comfort – setting her hand on his chest and lightly rubbing it. “It’s not too late to change your mind, you know.”
The elevator door began to close. Preston jumped forward, pushing the young woman out of the way, and grabbed the door with his hand. His face was beet red as the doors reopened and he looked at Cynthia. “Sorry about that.” He gestured with his head for them to step forward.
Cynthia didn’t. And since Melissa had a firm grasp on her mother’s hand, neither did she.
“My neighbor here has trouble taking no for an answer.”
Now the girl’s face took on a pinkish hue, and she took a step back from him. But Cynthia still didn’t move. Shock thawed into anger. But she had to control herself. Believe the best. Believe that Preston was not at fault in this…scenario.
Preston’s expression lapsed into desperation. “Please. We don’t want dinner to get cold.” His pleading eyes promised that he would explain the behavior of that – that woman later.
Cynthia sighed heavily and led Melissa onto the elevator. But the excited anticipation of spending an evening with the man she was in love with had drained out of her like egg whites down a garbage disposal. She positioned herself on the opposite side of the elevator from the girl, and in the corner where Preston would have difficulty making physical contact since Melissa stood between them.
“Uh, Cynthia Redman, this is my neighbor, Karen Lewis. This lovely young lady is her daughter, Melissa.”
Karen looked away, hugging her chest. “Nice to meet you,” she murmured, not at all sounding like she meant it.
Cynthia felt Melissa’s grip on her hand tighten. She looked down, and saw that her daughter’s face had turned scarlet, her brow pinched with anger. Without warning, a word exploded from Melissa’s mouth that she had never spoken before. And if Cynthia had anything to say about it, would never speak again. Not in her hearing, anyway.
It rhymed with the word “witch.”
But a part of Cynthia did not want to rebuke her. As a matter of fact, more than anything she wanted to burst into laughter.
Either way, the point was moot. Before anyone could say anything, Melissa – with both Preston and Karen staring down at her with shocked expressions – went on a tirade. “You don’t have any right to touch Preston! He’s my mom’s boyfriend, not yours! And you better not ever do that again. Or talk to him in that tone of voice. Like you’re some kind of – “
This time Cynthia had the presence of mind to put her hand over her daughter’s mouth. She met Karen’s fierce gaze with a shrug and an apologetic look. Although the last thing she wanted to do was to apologize.
Karen turned her back to them abruptly with a huff. Preston looked at Cynthia, lips pressed in a thin line, and winked. Then, his shoulders started shaking. Was he trying not to laugh?
Just in time, the elevator doors opened. Karen stalked away without so much as a backward glance, flinging her head back as she went and swaying her hips as if her life depended on it. None of the others moved. The doors closed again.
And Preston, after pressing the button to the garage floor, burst out laughing.
Cynthia felt something tickling inside her middle. “We really shouldn’t laugh about this…” She started chuckling. “…because Melissa, really, your behavior was utterly…”
It was no use. She broke down into hysterics, leaning into Preston as he put an arm around her, still shaking uncontrollably. By this time Melissa had released her hand and was standing off to the side, staring at them wide-eyed. Her face was still flushed, but most of the anger had gone out of it.
She crossed her arms and shook her head. Then she began to smile. “I’m sorry, Mom, but somebody had to tell her which way is up.”
Cynthia reached out and pulled her to her side, and as the doors opened once again at the garage, Melissa began to laugh.
On the way back up, Preston explained who Karen was to him – leaving out details, Cynthia was sure, that would be inappropriate for ten-year-old ears. Cynthia felt better, but remained somewhat guarded. She really didn’t know Preston all that well, and Karen seemed to be extraordinarily persistent.
All she could do was trust. And Preston had already betrayed her trust once before.
**********
Once safely inside his apartment, Preston couldn’t help himself. He leaned down toward Melissa and whispered, “What were you going to call Karen when your mom put her hand on your mouth?”
Melissa gave him a mysterious smile and shook her head. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
He took their coats and hung them in the small coat closet near the door, sensing tenseness from Cynthia as he did so. He wanted to reassure her about Karen, but not in Melissa’s hearing. So he said to Melissa, “How about you run into the kitchen and check on everything, see how it all smells?”
Melissa, beaming, did so. His kitchen was not all that far from the front door, but it was far enough.
Preston turned to Cynthia and picked up her left hand in his right. She met his gaze, smiling, but the smile seemed forced. He spoke in a low voice so that Melissa couldn’t hear. “Cynthia, I need you to understand something about me. That girl – Karen – she’s tried everything to get me to sleep with her, short of putting a gun to my head or drugging my food. I have resisted. Even before you came into my life. And I’m no different than any other man when it comes to…need. Desire.”
Her gaze softened, and he picked up her other hand. “I’m not that kind of guy. I need you to believe that. And now that I have you, and Melissa…well, there’s no way she can have any
power over me. Understand?”
Cynthia nodded, her eyes shining. “I understand,” she said softly.
Their gazes locked. A thrill went up Preston’s spine, and Cynthia’s lips suddenly enticed him like a tasty delicacy. He was hungry, but not for the food he’d prepared tonight.
He began leaning his face toward hers. And Melissa came bounding back.
Preston straightened up, clearing his throat, while Cynthia broke eye contact and stepped away. But Melissa didn’t miss much.
She cut her eyes toward one, then the other, and demanded, hands on hips, “Were you guys about to kiss or something?”
Cynthia glanced at him with a sly smile, then looked at Melissa. “That’s for us to know, and for you to find out.”
Melissa let out a dramatic sigh. “You were. I could see it in your eyes. Should I go to the bathroom and hide?”
Preston had been on the point of laughing, but now he grew serious. “Melissa,” he asked, getting down at her level, “would it upset you if I kissed your mother?”
She grinned. “Not anymore. So, do you need privacy or anything?”
He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.” He turned and winked at Cynthia. “I trust this won’t be my last chance.”
Melissa picked up her mother’s hand. “Anyway, Mom, you’re not going to believe this. Preston didn’t cook a thing!”
Cynthia arched a brow at him as Melissa led her toward the kitchen. He only shrugged in reply. “I cooked one thing.”
Arriving at the kitchen, Melissa pointed to a large glass pan with a couple layers of zucchini that Preston had painstakingly cut into thin strips, then to a blender full of tomatoes, a garlic clove, and a few spices.
“Oh.” Cynthia gave him a blank look. “So you’ll need to bake it for a while, I guess?”
Preston shook his head. “It’s a raw food recipe. My sister e-mails me one every once in a while. They usually end up in the trash, but this one looked good enough that I thought I might actually try it one day to compare to Delico’s spaghetti sauce.”
“So you just blend all this,” Cynthia canted her head toward the blender, “and pour it on top of the zucchini in the pan? And eat it…raw?”
Preston leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “I am cheating a little bit. The mushrooms that we’ll mix into the sauce are sautéed because I just don’t like them raw, and we’re going to have real cheese on top instead of that crazy nut cheese Carly has told me about.” He pushed himself forward, and moved to stand directly in front of Cynthia. “I hope you don’t mind, but even though I’m okay with this healthy eating thing, I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to go vegan.”