Hopscotch Homicide (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 16) Read Online Free Page A

going on.”
    “Did you find fingerprints or any other physical evidence other than the button?”
    “No. Not yet, anyway.”
    “And the button?”
    “It appears to be a standard white button off a men’s dress shirt. I’ve sent it to the crime lab in Bryton Lake. Unless they can pull DNA off it I doubt it will end up helping us much.”
    I had to agree with Salinger. If the button had been an odd shape or color or had any distinctive quality to it then maybe. But I suspected almost every male in town owned a dress shirt with standard white buttons.
    “Did Principal Bower know Mrs. Brown was on campus today?” I asked.
    “He said he didn’t. The kitchen has an exterior door. It appears Mrs. Brown accessed the kitchen from the parking lot reserved for the kitchen and maintenance staff rather than going through the main school building.”
    “And the killer? Are we operating under the assumption that he or she accessed the kitchen through that door as well?”
    “Unless we find evidence to suggest otherwise it seems a good guess. Neither the principal nor his secretary reported having seen or heard anything, although both said they were in the administration office the entire afternoon.”
    I knew that office was at the front of the school building, about as far from the kitchen as you could get and still be on campus.
    “Principal Bower told me there were other staff members on campus at one point. When I walked through the building on my way to see if Scooter’s teacher was in her classroom I didn’t see anyone, so I’m assuming everyone had left, but if there were teachers on campus earlier in the day maybe someone saw something.”
    “I’m going to spend tomorrow talking to Mrs. Brown’s neighbors and co-workers. Maybe something will pop,” Salinger informed me.
    I let out a long breath. “It sounds like this is going to be a tough one.”
    “Yeah, it looks like it right now. Still, we really haven’t begun to dig. I’m sure a motive will materialize. I’ll see what I can find out about Mrs. Brown’s regular routine. If you hear anything let me know.”
    “I will. I have book club tomorrow. I know Hazel volunteers at the elementary school both in the library and in the classroom, reading to the kids. I’ll ask her if she knows anything about Mrs. Brown’s private life.”
    “Mrs. Brown has lived in Ashton Falls for a long time. There has to be someone in the community who knew the woman well enough to point us in some direction.”
     

Chapter 3
Thursday, September 3
     
     
    As instructed by Principal Bower, I returned to Ashton Falls Elementary School the next day to speak with Miss Maxwell about Scooter’s unique situation. Personally, I think informing a teacher about a student’s past behavior issues before she even meets him is just setting him up for failure. Scooter had developed into an awesome kid, but I could tell by the look on Miss Maxwell’s face that she had already labeled him a troublemaker.
    “I think it’s important to meet him with an open mind,” I encouraged. “Scooter’s past is in the past, and he had a really good reason for acting the way he did. I mean, his mother died. How is an eight-year-old supposed to deal with that when his dad is all but absent?”
    “Yes, I can see your point. It’s just that I have twenty-eight students to teach. I need to make certain that one student doesn’t interrupt the learning environment for the rest of the class,” Miss Maxwell answered.
    “I can promise you that Scooter has changed. He’s a much more focused and serious student now. Although…”
    “Although?” Miss Maxwell prompted. She had narrowed her eyes as she stared at me.
    “Scooter does tend to be a bit hyperactive and his attention can wander at times, but all he needs is a gentle reminder and he’s back on track.”
    “A gentle reminder?” the woman asked suspiciously.
    “A hand placed on his shoulder. A meaningful glance, or possibly a verbal