Teacher Beware (A Grace Ellery Romantic Suspense Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Charlotte Raine
we can't do it downstairs? It's literally the only place we had that Mom and Dad wouldn't check on us every five minutes."
"Do you guys know her?" I ask, standing up straight. Kit nods, blushing from getting some male attention. Women. I'll never understand them and I don't care enough to try.
"She's living in our basement," she says.
"Like a rodent," Zach mutters. "It's only because Dad knows her brother, who's fighting the good fight overseas."
The mention of the military, a soldier, makes me stand up straighter and my heart beat faster.
"God bless America," I say. Zach shrugs. He and his sister walk away. It's easy for kids like him to not care about all of these outsiders invading into Murray. Their mother is a nurse, which isn't the kind of job these bottom-feeders are looking for.
I smile. At least I won't have to worry about that woman. The Schneiders are likely right. The school won't tolerate a woman who's late on the first day. She'll go back to Ohio and I won't have to worry about her talking about anything she saw when I killed those Muslims. Dr. Meadows won't be a problem either. Albert just had his checkup for his heart disease and Dr. Meadows, has only ever seen me in the waiting room. Albert doesn't need to get his heart checked for another six months. By then, everyone would have long forgotten about the Muslims. By then, I will have made everything right.
~~~~~
Grace, 2014
THE SECRETARY AT WAYCROFT HIGH has enough wrinkles on her face that I imagine she has too much skin when her face is smooth. She doesn't look up from the piece of paper she's jotting notes on when I walk up to her desk.
"Um, excuse me," I say. She raises her index finger in the one moment gesture. Behind her is a poster of the Virginia state flag. The seal of the flag shows a woman with her foot on a man's chest. It is meant to symbolize peace overcoming tyranny, but I always found it strange that it would be peace with her foot on tyranny instead of something more durable. Underneath this image are the words sic semper tyrannis —"thus always to tyrants." But what happens when the tyrant is in your own head?
The secretary sets down her pen and looks up. "How may I help you?"
"I'm Grace Ellery. I'm supposed to—"
"Miss Ellery." The secretary raises her chin. "You were supposed to be here at seven forty-five. It is now nearly nine o'clock."
"Yes, I know, but something happened on the way—"
"Miss Ellery," the secretary repeats. "This is a high school. I don't know how they ran high schools in Ohio, but here we believe in efficiency. Since you did not show up for work on time, the next person in the substitute rotation was called. There is no work for you here today."
"You don't understand…I was on my way here and—"
"You should go home, Miss Ellery. We will call you if we decide that you are still worth contacting, but I wouldn't hold my breath."
"A couple was murdered," I blurt. "And then my truck was shot up. I've been talking to the police for the last hour."
The secretary frowns. "Miss Ellery, this is Murray, Virginia. I don't know what insane place you came from in Ohio, but people don't get murdered here. Vehicles do not get shot up. That story may work in other places, but not here."
"It's the truth," I insist. "They were a Muslim couple. It was on the corner of Howard Street and Riversdale Road."
"Miss Ellery…" The secretary shakes her head. A student walks into the office with a piece of paper in her hands. "Miss Ellery, you should leave. I have work to do here."
"No, you need to listen to me. Call the cops. They will tell you that there was a murder on the corner of Howard Street and Riversdale Road."
"Oh, I'll call the cops," she says. "But it will be to come down here and remove you from this office."
I cross my arms over my chest and sit down in the chair across from her. She grits her teeth. I may be acting childish, but after this morning, my stress level is too high to deal with a
"Do you guys know her?" I ask, standing up straight. Kit nods, blushing from getting some male attention. Women. I'll never understand them and I don't care enough to try.
"She's living in our basement," she says.
"Like a rodent," Zach mutters. "It's only because Dad knows her brother, who's fighting the good fight overseas."
The mention of the military, a soldier, makes me stand up straighter and my heart beat faster.
"God bless America," I say. Zach shrugs. He and his sister walk away. It's easy for kids like him to not care about all of these outsiders invading into Murray. Their mother is a nurse, which isn't the kind of job these bottom-feeders are looking for.
I smile. At least I won't have to worry about that woman. The Schneiders are likely right. The school won't tolerate a woman who's late on the first day. She'll go back to Ohio and I won't have to worry about her talking about anything she saw when I killed those Muslims. Dr. Meadows won't be a problem either. Albert just had his checkup for his heart disease and Dr. Meadows, has only ever seen me in the waiting room. Albert doesn't need to get his heart checked for another six months. By then, everyone would have long forgotten about the Muslims. By then, I will have made everything right.
~~~~~
Grace, 2014
THE SECRETARY AT WAYCROFT HIGH has enough wrinkles on her face that I imagine she has too much skin when her face is smooth. She doesn't look up from the piece of paper she's jotting notes on when I walk up to her desk.
"Um, excuse me," I say. She raises her index finger in the one moment gesture. Behind her is a poster of the Virginia state flag. The seal of the flag shows a woman with her foot on a man's chest. It is meant to symbolize peace overcoming tyranny, but I always found it strange that it would be peace with her foot on tyranny instead of something more durable. Underneath this image are the words sic semper tyrannis —"thus always to tyrants." But what happens when the tyrant is in your own head?
The secretary sets down her pen and looks up. "How may I help you?"
"I'm Grace Ellery. I'm supposed to—"
"Miss Ellery." The secretary raises her chin. "You were supposed to be here at seven forty-five. It is now nearly nine o'clock."
"Yes, I know, but something happened on the way—"
"Miss Ellery," the secretary repeats. "This is a high school. I don't know how they ran high schools in Ohio, but here we believe in efficiency. Since you did not show up for work on time, the next person in the substitute rotation was called. There is no work for you here today."
"You don't understand…I was on my way here and—"
"You should go home, Miss Ellery. We will call you if we decide that you are still worth contacting, but I wouldn't hold my breath."
"A couple was murdered," I blurt. "And then my truck was shot up. I've been talking to the police for the last hour."
The secretary frowns. "Miss Ellery, this is Murray, Virginia. I don't know what insane place you came from in Ohio, but people don't get murdered here. Vehicles do not get shot up. That story may work in other places, but not here."
"It's the truth," I insist. "They were a Muslim couple. It was on the corner of Howard Street and Riversdale Road."
"Miss Ellery…" The secretary shakes her head. A student walks into the office with a piece of paper in her hands. "Miss Ellery, you should leave. I have work to do here."
"No, you need to listen to me. Call the cops. They will tell you that there was a murder on the corner of Howard Street and Riversdale Road."
"Oh, I'll call the cops," she says. "But it will be to come down here and remove you from this office."
I cross my arms over my chest and sit down in the chair across from her. She grits her teeth. I may be acting childish, but after this morning, my stress level is too high to deal with a
Readers choose
Maggie Marr
Carolyn Cruise
Paul Acampora
Vivian Vande Velde
Stacey St. James
George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
John Everson
Barbara Meyers
Dorothy Howell
Day Leclaire