Schooled in Murder Read Online Free Page B

was told they met secretly at bars on the near north side of Chicago, but I assumed that was to plot and plan. I’m not so sure it’s proof they were having an affair.”
    Luci asked, “You have proof of an affair?”
    “I don’t have videotape, no,” Morgan admitted. “But I know Gracie drives to Mabel’s house, and then they go off together.”
    Jourdan said, “Gracie’s been sucking up like mad to her since she was hired. She’s been her spy on the rest of us. You’ve seen her taking notes at every single meeting.”
    I thought maybe she was just efficient and conscientious. I asked Brook, “Did someone say why they think Mabel killed Gracie?”
    “Nobody saw Mabel after the meeting.” “That’s it?” I asked.
    “That’s what I heard,” Brook said. “I haven’t been this happy in ages. I am not going to be a hypocrite. I hate those ass-kissers. I have always hated those ass-kissers. I hopesome more of them bite the dust, and I hope it’s painful, and they suffer for a very long time.” Luci said, “She’s dead. It’s sad.”
    Morgan said, “You were trying to avoid a Chuckles the Clown moment a few minutes ago.”
    “Well, that was bizarre, but this is gloating.”
    “You can be a hypocrite if you like,” Brook said, “but I’ve heard you talk about them in public and private. You hated them as much as I.”
    “That may be so,” Luci said, “But now she’s dead.”
    “I know that,” Brook said. “I hated her when she was alive. Sometimes the evil do die young.”
    Not often enough, I thought. I said, “It was murder. Those who fought with them are going to be suspects.”
    “I didn’t kill her,” Brook said. “I’ve got rock-solid alibis for every second from after that meeting to now. Nope. She’s dead. I’m glad. They’ve tried to undercut the rest of us. They’ve stabbed us in the back. They run to Spandrel or Graniento to tattle on the rest of us. They are awful colleagues. This time the suckup died young. I, for one, am celebrating.”
    Jourdan said, “I’m worried about being a suspect. I have no witness, no alibi. After I left the meeting, I went to my classroom to cool off. I shouldn’t have said those things. I should have kept my big mouth shut. I always regret it after those fights, but I can’t help myself.”
    Morgan said, “You’re standing up for us. We appreciate it.”
    Jourdan said, “Maybe others should be speaking up. Did anybody else hear the rumor that Mabel Spandrel is planning to resign as head of the department? If that’s true, there’ll be more bodies than just this one. Who would replace her? Gracie was the assistant head of the department. Would she have just moved up? There are teachers a lot more senior than Gracie who deserve that job. And now thatshe’s dead and if Mabel quits, would we have to replace both of them?”
    Morgan said, “More important right now is, who killed Gracie? It could be someone from outside, although that doesn’t make a lot of sense. They’d have to hunt through the school, wait for the meeting to get over, and know she’d be in that storeroom.”
    Brook said, “It could have been someone from outside who was very patient and very determined and very desperate.”
    Morgan said, “Yeah, but for that kind of person to succeed, there are a lot of things that would have to go right. They’d have no ID, no idea what other people’s schedule was. I think it’s got to be somebody in the school.”
    Everybody nodded agreement.
    Luci said, “It’s not likely a kid. Would any of them still have been in the building?”
    I said, “A few athletes might have been in the gym, but that’s a long way to go undetected or risk being seen.”
    Jourdan said, “So it’s got to be one of the adults, faculty or administrators or custodians or secretaries.”
    Morgan said, “It wasn’t done with a conventional weapon, so they can’t blame the metal detectors for not working.”
    I wondered if the killer held